Went and sighted the new Dawson front sight and the RMRcc this morning.
Very much pleased with the results.
So new to the dot stuff, but it's like cheating if you really apply the fundamentals.
Low and right is all me. Dead center from a rest.
25 yard results.
"... And miles to go before I sleep".
Let's say I was to buy a 1911 and immediately send it off to Innovative Arms for their Reliability Package before even firing it: http://www.innovativecustomguns.com/...-services.html
Would I have a better chance of getting a reliable (using the metrics I've posted before, 1k rounds without a stoppage or 2k MRBS) starting with a Dan Wesson Valor, or a Colt Series 70 "Classic"? The Dan Wesson is basically $2200 for the duty finish (the only one I found in stock anywhere) and the Colt would come somewhere around $900. That said, price is a secondary concern.
I know it's weird to not at least shoot it first but I'd really like it to be as close to 100% as possible out of the box (even if the box was sent to a smith before I shot it). My reasoning is this:
Let's say I bought a Dan Wesson or anything else and shot 900 rounds through it, and had a stoppage at like 600 rounds. That's not enough for me to trust it, but I'd have to fire another 1000 rounds for a total of 1600 rounds just to know it can do it. It would suck even more if it kept happening and cases of .45 ammo have been expended.
Last edited by SwampDweller; 10-23-2022 at 10:51 PM.
Personally, if I was sending a gun off for some reliability work, I'd just go ahead with something like a Colt or Springer as the base gun.Originally Posted by SwampDweller
The general consensus is that they're more than okay base guns if one replaces some bits with the better aftermarket bits (extractor, safety, sights, slide stop, and maybe the grip safety if you don't like the stock one). And then you have the extra to spend on ammo and good mags.
The real tricky bit for the 1911 is the extractor and the mags. The gunsmith trip should get your extractor working good. Testing mags is up to you.
"You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
"I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI
Alright,how can this not work?
There's so many weird things that can stop a gun I wouldn't worry about 1 stoppage in 600rds.
Should work, just make sure you've got enough tension, and then there's the whole deflection thing from the posts on 1911forum and etc. I don't exactly have shim or other stock laying around to make all the tools and gauges that Steve talks about in his posts, and of course no one makes/sells a gauge set for that, so all I can ever do is wing it.
Alright,how can this not work?
You could, but what if all you needed to do was spend 5 minutes during your new gun detail strip, inspection, cleaning and lubrication to make sure the drop-in extractor was tensioned right, and then the gun is %100 and you put a thousand rounds through it with nothing more than some lubrication and good magazines? Then you just spent a bunch of money you didn't need to spend to fix something that wasn't a problem in the first place.
The two guns I sent off to a gunsmith for work, I didn't send off until after I had made sure they already worked out of the box and had put a couple thousand rounds through them each. Known quantity going out, known quantity coming back. If I sent a gun I hadn't tested for custom work and got it back and then the gun didn't run...was it a deeper problem in the gun (fundamental problems like the feed ramp was bad or the slide stop holes were canted subtly), or was it something the gunsmith screwed up (it does happen)?
Buy a gun, shoot it. If it's got problems, fix them (many are user fixable with a tiny bit of reading) or send it out to be fixed. If you buy a gun of reputable make with an average cost for the segment, it should be fine. Yes, this excludes things like Rock Island and similar cheap ones.* Your question/statement is akin to worrying about if that new Toyota you bought is going to last through your 30 mile commute, so after buying a new car from the dealership you immediately take it to a garage to have the whole engine rebuilt and brakes, spark plugs, and all engine harness wiring replaced.
Just make sure you have good mags from a known good source and good ammo. If you spent less than $10 per mag when they weren't even on sale and the ammo you bought new from Cabelas is mixed headstamp remans...well, you're about to get what you paid for.
* A word about the Joe Chambers videos - huge respect for what he does, and he's got a ton of talent and knowledge; far more than I'll ever have. I'd be happy to spend a day just watching him work; I'd learn a ton. But, he leaves out some key figures in some of the videos that I saw that IMO you really need to know. Maybe my memory is failing me, but when he did his Rock Island "math don't lie" video...did he mention the feed ramp depth and angle at all? I don't remember that he did, and that's the one measurement on a 1911 (feed ramp angle specifically, and depth has a minimum) that has no tolerance. If he did and my memory black holed it, then ignore...but I recall being a little surprised that of all the numbers he read out about the original 1911 TDP spec, he didn't mention that one.
@Evil_Ed is giving you some really good advice. Furthermore, that is why folks are urging you to spend the money on a more ‘name brand’ gun - spend the money up front to ensure you don’t have to send it out for a reliability package. And also, if you have a pistol that’s reliable to somewhere between one bobble every 600-1600 rnds; I’ll argue your money is better spent buying a case of ammo and a bag full of the better magazines than fixing a good gun. You can have a perfect gun but it’s still going to send a bullet to where your sights were when you pulled the trigger. And a garbage magazine will always be the limiting factor of a 1911, regardless of brand.
Buy the gun you like the most within your budget.
Gun: Les Baer PII
Setting: Casual range shooting
Failure: failures to extract
Fix: pending new extractor
My pistol.
Had this gun 8 years, bought it used. It’s a late 1990s gun. No idea on the round count but recoil and firing pin springs have been replaced. First issue with this gun so I’m assuming this is the first indication it’s time for a new extractor. Ammo was Remington 230 FMJ. The FTE occurred one or twice per mag with four different patterns of magazines.
Question: considering two options for the new extractor: a Wilson Bulletproof or an Aftec ?
Which one and why (or why not)?
Wilson bullet proof.Gun: Les Baer PII
Setting: Casual range shooting
Failure: failures to extract
Fix: pending new extractor
My pistol.
Had this gun 8 years, bought it used. It’s a late 1990s gun. No idea on the round count but recoil and firing pin springs have been replaced. First issue with this gun so I’m assuming this is the first indication it’s time for a new extractor. Ammo was Remington 230 FMJ. The FTE occurred one or twice per mag with four different patterns of magazines.
Question: considering two options for the new extractor: a Wilson Bulletproof or an Aftec ?
Which one and why (or why not)?
Reply With Quote