1911 research

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45acpForMe wrote:

.40 Cal wrote:

The 8+1 or 7+1 issue is easy to solve. Buy an eight round magazine.

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Yes but.... Depending on the design and availability of the magazine it may 1) look like @#$%, 3) not really "extend" the grip. Since my hands are wide I figured the 8+1 models are a tad longer in the grip which would work out fine for me. I hadn't started to look for extended magazines for this model but will investigate.

Being a 1911 newbie, I assume that there isn't a "standard" 1911 magazine and each manufacturer would have their own version. Is that a bad assumption?

I looked at the Springfield website and they have an 8-round magazine but no grip extension. They also have a 10 round listed but still no grip-extension.

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I have a 10rd Chip McCormick with an extension that I use in my M1991A1 Colt Combat Commander that I carry. The extension doesn't give you a full extended grip; but, does give a little extra to hold on to. I usually keep it loaded with the 8rd and keep the 10rd on my belt with the other 8rd I have.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=178343

I've shot more than 5000 rnds though my M1991A1 and never had a malfunction with either the 2 Mec-Gar 8rnd mags or the Chip McCormick 10rnd mags I have.

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fully_armed_biker wrote:

45acpForMe wrote:

.40 Cal wrote:

The 8+1 or 7+1 issue is easy to solve. Buy an eight round magazine.

Click to expand...

Yes but.... Depending on the design and availability of the magazine it may 1) look like @#$%, 3) not really "extend" the grip. Since my hands are wide I figured the 8+1 models are a tad longer in the grip which would work out fine for me. I hadn't started to look for extended magazines for this model but will investigate.

Being a 1911 newbie, I assume that there isn't a "standard" 1911 magazine and each manufacturer would have their own version. Is that a bad assumption?

I looked at the Springfield website and they have an 8-round magazine but no grip extension. They also have a 10 round listed but still no grip-extension.

Click to expand...

I have a 10rd Chip McCormick with an extension that I use in my M1991A1 Colt Combat Commander that I carry. The extension doesn't give you a full extended grip; but, does give a little extra to hold on to. I usually keep it loaded with the 8rd and keep the 10rd on my belt with the other 8rd I have.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=178343

I've shot more than 5000 rnds though my M1991A1 and never had a malfunction with either the 2 Mec-Gar 8rnd mags or the Chip McCormick 10rnd mags I have.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I will check it out. Does anyone know of a good holster for the Springfield 1911?

I found a SERPA for it.

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A SERPA holster is great but nothing looks better on a stainless steal 1911 than a nice brown leather holster.

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45acpForMe wrote:

fully_armed_biker wrote:

45acpForMe wrote:

.40 Cal wrote:

The 8+1 or 7+1 issue is easy to solve. Buy an eight round magazine.

Click to expand...

Yes but.... Depending on the design and availability of the magazine it may 1) look like @#$%, 3) not really "extend" the grip. Since my hands are wide I figured the 8+1 models are a tad longer in the grip which would work out fine for me. I hadn't started to look for extended magazines for this model but will investigate.

Being a 1911 newbie, I assume that there isn't a "standard" 1911 magazine and each manufacturer would have their own version. Is that a bad assumption?

I looked at the Springfield website and they have an 8-round magazine but no grip extension. They also have a 10 round listed but still no grip-extension.

Click to expand...

I have a 10rd Chip McCormick with an extension that I use in my M1991A1 Colt Combat Commander that I carry. The extension doesn't give you a full extended grip; but, does give a little extra to hold on to. I usually keep it loaded with the 8rd and keep the 10rd on my belt with the other 8rd I have.

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=178343

I've shot more than 5000 rnds though my M1991A1 and never had a malfunction with either the 2 Mec-Gar 8rnd mags or the Chip McCormick 10rnd mags I have.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the info. I will check it out. Does anyone know of a good holster for the Springfield 1911?

I found a SERPA for it.

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New Kent Leather here in Virginia will fix you up, just how you want it. Here's the one I had him make for me:



Custom holster, had it ready in a week and so far it is absolutely amazing... everything I wanted in it. My first venture into leather but another user here on OCDO (peter nap) has said it's the best holster he's ever had and he's a leather holster guy.

http://newkentleather.com/

If you still want the Serpa I got one I can send you, with both the belt and paddle attachments, for $25 shipped.

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curtiswr wrote:

Custom holster, had it ready in a week and so far it is absolutely amazing... everything I wanted in it. My first venture into leather but another user here on OCDO (peter nap) has said it's the best holster he's ever had and he's a leather holster guy.

http://newkentleather.com/

If you still want the Serpa I got one I can send you, with both the belt and paddle attachments, for $25 shipped.

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Thanks for the info. I'll have to check them out.

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I have the exact one you're looking at, the Springfield Armory 1911A1 Loaded Stainless. It's a great looking and great shooting pistol!

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Taurus PT-1911-AR

I hated everything else Taurus made, but I changed my mind after seeing this piece. I had the slide Hard Chromed Matte, replaced the grip screws with stainless.

I still proudly assert that I got a Kimber for half price.

Crappy Camera Phone Picture With Insufficient Lighting:

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www.miltsparks.com/VM-2.htm

I carry in a VM II. The most comfortable concealed holster on Earth.

4 of my favorite holsters:

The SOB from Desantis:

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What kind of holster is that with the clip? The one that looks like it's for an EMP? Does it have a retentionstrap?

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Could be:

http://www.bianchi-intl.com/product/Prod.php?TxtModelID=6D

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It's a JayPee IWB with no retention strap. It is what I carry my officer and EMP sized 1911's.

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FunkTrooper wrote:

A SERPA holster is great but nothing looks better on a stainless steal 1911 than a nice brown leather holster.

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Iagree F-Trooper's opinion and nix-ed the SERPA for now. I ordered the Galco Royal Deluxe Belt Galco-RDX (picture below glow-in-the-dark gun is not mine).

Now if the $%^&*( gun and holster would show up I would be happy.

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Ok, my gun showed up last night and I shot it this morning. Here are my thoughts:

1) For some reason I thought this model came with night sites but I was mistaken. I guess with all the different models I looked at I had some residual night sight image lingering in my mind. The sites work fine.

2) The ambidextrous safety is sharp. While this is great for guaranteeing your finger doesn't slip off I am surprised how sharp it is. If I ran my finger lengthwise rather than across the safety I wouldn't be surprised to see some blood.

3) The handle is still a little short for my wide hands. That is why I was originally looking for an 8+1 model hoping fora longer grip.

4) 1911 take down is about 50 times more complicated than my Sig P220. Not only do you have to do all the things in order you need to carry the allen wrench with you.

5) It shot very well and felt very comfortable in my hands while shooting.

6) The slide release is too far forward for my thumb to operate so I have to grab the slide and pull back to release and chamber a new round/magazine. While I know this is the correct way to do it I like having both options on my Sig P220.

7) I shot a little high (about an inch at 7 yards)I will have to shoot this gun more to get used to it and see what I am doing wrong.

8) The trigger is very crisp. It didn't cause me any problems but I am more used to DA and triggers that have a longer pull than this gun.

9) There is no problem OC-ing this gun and currently I am using the holster that came with it. It fits and doesn't interfere with my seat/seat-belt while driving. While it is an inch longer than the Sig P220 I didn't have any problems carrying it. Now with that said I had considered the 6 inch barrel which I believe would interfere.

10) During breakdown and cleaning of the gun I noticed alread a few scratches underneath the slide catch pin. I guess I will need to be careful not to scratch the finish while breaking it down etc.

11) Loading the magazines was a bit more difficult that the P220 magazines. You had to be more careful to get the rounds in right whereas the P220 I can load them without even looking at them. This may just be a practice thingy.

12) Looking at the internal edges of the gun they were not as smooth as I would expect from a higher priced custom-shop type gun. This isn't one of those but is one of Springfields better guns. If I get a Colt Kimber or Dan Wesson 1911 I would expect its edges to be a little more uniform and smoothed.

All in all I like the gun and look forward to shooting it more. I do not look forward to breaking it down. It is a very nice gun that is accurate and feels right while holding and shooting it. I am glad I got the 5 inch barrel only wish 8+1 and a longer grip by a half inch or so.

While this gun hasn't surplanted my favorite Sig P220 Stainless Elite as my favorite gun it has risen pretty high up the ranks of my collection of "wanting to shoot it". I would recommend it to others just with the notes above as information for whomever was interested in it. I may add another 1911 to my collection and am now looking at Colt and Kimber. We'll see how the gunbroker auctions go....

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1. Install some.

2. Get the entire pistol dehorned, or replace just the safety. 1911s have a lot of sharp spots on them. Mine was dehorned slightly and I love it.

3. Not sure if this would help but have you thought of getting a magwell installed? It adds a little bit to the bottom and makes inserting the next magazine a little easier:

http://www.10-8performance.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/magwell2-800.jpg

4. Get a different guide rod, but not a one piece full length. You can get a 2 piece full length guide rod that will not require an allen wrench for disassembly. Here is the model I use:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=136387

5. Well... duh... it's a 1911 :lol:

6. After inserting the magazine get your full shooting grip back on the pistol... release the slide with your left thumb. More than likely you will see that it is lined up perfectly. Or you could get an extended slide stop:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=133296

7. Shoot it a lot

8. Shoot it a lot

9. OC it a lot.

10. NWipe it down lightly with some Scoth Brite pads. Wipe in the same direction and be very consistent. It won't work as well on the matte parts of your pistol like the top of the slide and underside of the frame but it will work wonders on the bright stainless sections.

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/dc/d0/Scotch-Brite_Heavy_Duty_Scour_Pads-resized200.jpg

11. Get some aftermarket magazines. This is an absolute must, regardless of whether you don't like how loading the factory ones goes or not. Not only are they more reliable but you will find loading them isn't as weird. Factory 1911 magazines have a funky follower; these don't and are as smooth as could be:

http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=644241

12. Dehorn/deburr ?

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curtiswr wrote:

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One question curtiswr, do you work for Wilson Combat?

Thanks for all that good info. This is exactly why I posted all my thoughts, to see if there were solutions to the 1911 issues or if I just live with them. I see wilson combat getting some $$ from me.

BTW, where would you get a pistol dehorned or deburred?


One other thing I noticed is that CC with a tshirt shows the last inch of the gun so I may have to CC with a coat that is longer. I don't intend to CC much with this gun but it would require longer clothes.

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Don't work for them... I just like their parts. It's what I've got on my 1911 so I might be a little biased. Ed Brown makes good stuff too, I believe. Just check out the parts section on midwayusa.com for something you'll like.

For dehorning you could do it yourself if you have a steady hand and want to try it:

http://www.blindhogg.com/gunsmith/dehorning.html

I like it because it makes it 1) less worrisome to rack the slide fast as opposed to doing it with sharp edges 2) it looks better 3) sharp edges are more likely to eat up a holster inside.

Deburring is more for insuring smooth operation, not necessarily for cutting down the sharp edges like dehorning. I'd be more careful/anxious about doing this myself unless you know it absolutely needs it and are comfortable doing it.

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=26887/Product/1911_AUTO_FITTING___DEBURRING_FILE_SET

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I second the Ed Brown and Wilson Combat endorsements.

No, I don't work for them either.

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You could give me a Kimber, but I'd never buy one. And if it was given to me I'd go swap it for a Springfield or Taurus. I'm a strict Springfield XD guy.

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45acpForMe,

You might also consider sending your new Springfield off to Novak's for a general workover for carry. They do FANTASTIC action-jobs (Their "reliability package" is a MUST), and their "carry bevel treatment" will get rid of all those sharp edges without making your gun look like it's been partially melted with a blowtorch...

They built my Para, and it is an exemplary pistol--VERY accurate, very reliable, and nice-looking too.

And their prices are very reasonable too, considering the quality of their work and their stellar reputation in the custom 1911 community.

BTW, I'm in no way affiliated with Novaks, just a VERY satisfied customer...

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Dreamer wrote:

http://www.novaksights.com
....quality of their work and their stellar reputation in the custom 1911 community.

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Thanks, this is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. I don't trust myself to attempt to do it. I may have some night sites added too.

I am definitely a Sig Sauer P220 fan and this is my first 1911 but I was surprised at the number of sharp edges on the Springfield. I have never had any issues like this with my Sigs and "assumed" other guns would be the same. Is this par for the course or are there manufacturers out there like Kimber, Colt, Para, Dan Wesson that provide an already dehorned, deburred gun? I intentionally bought the Springfield because it was a couple hundred less than the others (and it had a good reputation) but if I need to ship it off to get worked on as a new gun it defeats the purpose of going cheaper.