My RIA 1911 is improving, or at least I am improving the more I shoot it. There are only a few differences between it and a WW2 era pistol, the ejection port is different, might be some other dimensional differences. There are so huge differences underneath the parkerization. The slide is 4140 bar stock and the frame is cast 4140 or particle metal 4140 per the manufacturer. WW2 pistols were made of plain carbon steels, case hardened (or salt bath) for hardness. Plain carbon steels are cheap, easy to machine, tough, but they wear out.
I talked to the All Guard Armorer, and looked at the All Guard pistols on the line.
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Frames and slides are WW2 inventory. These are made the old fashioned way, frame rails are peened over sized, then grinding compound is applied between the slide and frame, and the slide is beat back and forth till enough material is removed, that the fit is wobble free and tight. Not so tight for the slide to stick. In service these plain carbon steel frames do wear out and require refitting. At some point the Armorer decides there is not enough frame rails left, and the receiver is tossed.
The AMU was using these when I took this photograph.
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These guys are shooting 5000 to 7500 rounds a month through these pistols. What I saw on the firing line was
Atlanta Arms 185 gr JHP.
you can see the 9mm black boxes in this picture, next time, I plan to take a picture of the 45 ACP stuff
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Anyway, AMU shooters are wearing out several sear and hammers a year, a barrel in about three years. But, in the duration of the shooters I talked to (about seven years max on the team) not one of those Caspian Arms pistols needed to be re fitted, or had experienced a slide crack. And the pistols pre date all the shooters on the team. Might have been ten years old at the time. I asked David Sams and was lead to believe these pistols have been around since 2005. Don't quote me. Modern metallurgy is good stuff!
I had a case head blow, in my RIA, and I believe it was due to a bullet set back on feed. The magazine floor plate blew out, spring and follower included, all the remaining rounds, the grips cracked, but you know, once I cleared the jam, I was able to continue shooting. And have continued shooting. I have not tried this with a plain carbon steel pistol, and don't want to try, but I think an older plain carbon steel pistol might have been damaged.
Always wear your shooting glasses! The event happened so quickly, that I was stunned. Recall a boom and a ping but it happened faster than human reaction. Something bruised my chin and there were pin points of pain on the face. But, my eyes were behind shooting glasses and I can still see!