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Thread: The Art and Science of Keeping Your 1911 Running

  1. #2521
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danko View Post
    KevH, It sounds you know your onions when it comes to 1911s. I wish I knew someone who knows the gun who could give me some live, in person instruction. Nothing beats hands on instruction. You're right about books, they're good for building basic knowledge of the gun's parts and operation, but can be weak beyond that, especially when my basic knowledge isn't yet established. Today I received my copy of Kuhnhausen's 2nd edition on the 1911. I can't wait to begin reading it tonight. I expect it will expand my knowledge and understanding of the gun. I'm old and poor, so I can't afford to take an armorers course.

    I also can't afford a higher grade 1911, so I have my sights firmly set on the Springfield 1911 .45 Mil Spec. for my first 1911. It will only be used periodically for target shooting, so if something fails, I won't be any danger. 230gr ball ammo isn't cheap as you know so I won't be able to shoot more than 100 rds per session.
    If cost is a concern, consider that the difference in price between the Springfield Mil-Spec guns and some of the Sprngfield 1911's with more modern sights, beavertail grip safeties, and extended thumb safeties is less than you could spend on parts and gunsmithing to upgrade those parts if you decide that the mil-spec setup is not for you.
    Any legal information I may post is general information, and is not legal advice. Such information may or may not apply to your specific situation. I am not your attorney unless an attorney-client relationship is separately and privately established.

  2. #2522
    Site Supporter KevH's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danko View Post
    KevH, It sounds you know your onions when it comes to 1911s. I wish I knew someone who knows the gun who could give me some live, in person instruction. Nothing beats hands on instruction. You're right about books, they're good for building basic knowledge of the gun's parts and operation, but can be weak beyond that, especially when my basic knowledge isn't yet established. Today I received my copy of Kuhnhausen's 2nd edition on the 1911. I can't wait to begin reading it tonight. I expect it will expand my knowledge and understanding of the gun. I'm old and poor, so I can't afford to take an armorers course.

    I also can't afford a higher grade 1911, so I have my sights firmly set on the Springfield 1911 .45 Mil Spec. for my first 1911. It will only be used periodically for target shooting, so if something fails, I won't be any danger. 230gr ball ammo isn't cheap as you know so I won't be able to shoot more than 100 rds per session.
    Skip the Mil-Spec and buy a Garrison (it's their new name for basically the legacy Loaded model). Just shoot the gun and enjoy it for what it is.

    It has more modern features which will make it more comfortable to shoot than the Mil-Spec and I don't think the cost is that much different.

    Keep it well lubed and change out the recoil spring and firing pin spring (they come in a $7 pack from Wolff) every 2,500 rounds.

    Stop worrying about learning to change parts. Leave it completely factory and if/when something breaks call Springfield and they will fix it under warranty.

    The guns I see break typically see 500 round training days at least every few months (or in some cases much more) with lots of malfunction drills and slide lock reloads. This is where you see parts breakages occur. A casual shooter like yourself taking the gun to the range with a box of ammo here and there isn't going to see anything like what I've been talking about. Our officers typically need/want their gun back by the end of the day which is why we fit new parts here rather than send them back under warranty. It's a luxury they have that available to them, but I know Springfield (and S&W for that matter) both have excellent warranties and will typically fix anything broken.

    ...and a side note on Kuhnhausen. Those books were written in a totally different era of 1911 smithing. They're not necessarily wrong, but there are different materials, parts and methods to do things than described there.
    Last edited by KevH; 03-13-2024 at 05:22 PM.

  3. #2523
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    Springfields

    I'm well aware Springfield manufactures several really nice 1911s. I have to stick to my budget and buy the Mil Spec. The gun will never see a gunsmith or have any buggering done to it. I may change the grip panels and that's it.

    I can kind of see another 1911 in my future, perhaps a more expansive model, in the meantime I'll be learning more about the gun and how to properly operate and shoot it.

    I purchase books on the 1911 to better understand its parts and how it operates, not to learn anything about gunsmithing and parts swapping.

    It's time to abandon this thread!

  4. #2524
    Quote Originally Posted by Trooper224 View Post
    I bought that for decades. There may have been something to that.
    IMO probably two factors: the magazines have evolved, and ramped barrels are the big game changer. With an integral ramp why shouldn't it be as reliable as other pistols with integral ramp.

    Quote Originally Posted by Trooper224 View Post
    And, as I've said before, a 9mm Commander is the sweetest handling variant in the whole line-up.
    And it has always been my understanding that the Commander was developed for the 9mm, hmmmmm....

  5. #2525
    Member TCFD273's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Danko View Post
    I'm well aware Springfield manufactures several really nice 1911s. I have to stick to my budget and buy the Mil Spec. The gun will never see a gunsmith or have any buggering done to it. I may change the grip panels and that's it.

    I can kind of see another 1911 in my future, perhaps a more expansive model, in the meantime I'll be learning more about the gun and how to properly operate and shoot it.

    I purchase books on the 1911 to better understand its parts and how it operates, not to learn anything about gunsmithing and parts swapping.

    It's time to abandon this thread!
    Many years ago I started with a Mil Spec as it was all I could afford. I fit a new grip safety, thumb safety, extractor, trigger shoe, hammer, sear, disconnector, new barrel and bushing, Stan Chen Magwell, and hand checkered the front strap. I did all this with hand files.

    That gun has easily surpassed 10,000 rounds. I’ve taken it to 2 classes, and have competed with it.

    Never, ever has had a malfunction.

    I learned a ton through that process of building it and maintaining it. I now own several full custom 1911’s and a battery of semi customs, but I still carry the mil spec from time to time. I definitely could build a better one today, but it’s a source of pride.

    I wouldn’t buy any Springfield product beyond a mil spec. All their offerings are wildly out of spec that I care about, so therefore I would go in and change everything. Doesn’t make sense to me to spend extra money on something that I’d go back in a fit a new part.

    In fairness, I won’t buy another semi custom either, knowing what I know now.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #2526
    Site Supporter Trooper224's Avatar
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    And it has always been my understanding that the Commander was developed for the 9mm, hmmmmm....
    Yes, the Commander was originally designed around the 9mm, for military pistol trials that wound up being aborted. A year after its introduction onto the commercial market Colt include .45acp and .38 Super into the lineup.

    A gun works well as originally designed, go figure.
    We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again.......

  7. #2527
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    Jan 2016
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    Danko,

    Outside of knowing how to completely disassemble and reassemble the pistol, the one thing you may want to learn to do is fit an extractor and firing pin stop. There are some great tutorials, the parts won't break the bank so you can replace screw ups.

    If you can't find a 1911 armorer's course, and there are some out there, get the 10-8 performance 1911 armorer's course videos. Hilton Yam is a very experienced shooter, and a 1911 smith.

    Sent from my SM-A536U1 using Tapatalk

  8. #2528
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    Qual day on 3/20/24.

    RDS MCOP shot well however the older CMC PM with the rounded plus followers were having intermittent failing to engage the slide stop. Rob dimpled my slide stop and the mag spring tension felt much softer than the 5 Checkmates and 1 CMC RPM.



    I bought the CMC RPM some yearss ago (just one) as a test mag and it has never failed me.

    The Checkmates had zero issues however round #8 is a bich to insert.

    The CMC RPM is easy to load and has a slightly longer mag body. The mag spring is long, in the area of twice the tube length. The follower is unique in that the tail of the follower is very long.

    I am thinking about buying 4 more CMC RPM 8s.
    If you're going to be a bear….be a GRIZZLY!

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