How to get a Reliable Hard Use 1911?

[JHC]

My Sams full build .45 runs and runs with minimum TLC like one of my Glocks. Dave Sams.

My Sams tuned 9mm Operator is almost, not quite, almost as reliable. But . . . 9mm one inch 50 yard gun with a very heavy slide to work.

My Wilson CQB Elite .45 seems the equal to the Sams gun for running. I realize there are some with bad luck with those semi-customs.

I'm fortunate to have had two TRPs and an LB Operator that run like the customs.

A close friend just got a Colt worked over by Derr Precision and it is spectacular. Greg Derr is on my short list for getting work done.

[farscott]

The issue that the OP is going to have is that any smith with a well-earned reputation for building 1911-pattern pistols that run also has an order book that extends out in years. Chuck Rogers, Ned Christiansen, Steve Morrison, John Harrison, etc. are all booked to at least 2025 or have closed order books. David Sams is only a year right now, but his forte is pure accuracy.

The OP might be better off finding a pre-owned pistol from one of the masters.

[Maca]

Reach out to Karl Sokol (chestnut mountain sports). He will build you exactly what you are looking for. He is one of the better 1911 builders still in business.

[MGW]

With 1911’s price range is important. Nighthawk will get you into a gun that will run and they will stand behind it. Call them. Tell them what you want and they’ll point you in the right direction.

Chambers Custom will too. You’ll pay double and wait times are very long. His working man guns are outstanding (no first hand experience).

[JHC]

The issue that the OP is going to have is that any smith with a well-earned reputation for building 1911-pattern pistols that run also has an order book that extends out in years. Chuck Rogers, Ned Christiansen, Steve Morrison, John Harrison, etc. are all booked to at least 2025 or have closed order books. David Sams is only a year right now, but his forte is pure accuracy.

The OP might be better off finding a pre-owned pistol from one of the masters.

Agree on Sams claim to fame. I have a strong feeling he knows how to make one run and run albeit my sample size is tiny. Kevin B is expecting a TRP back from him with the full treatment in a few months. Can't wait for that one! Dave S is of the opinion that it is the precise fitting of premium "hard use" components that deliver a long term reliable and persistently accurate pistol. And for myself, having glimpsed this promised land, I only want both reliability and precision. It's hard to give up the accuracy once it's been tasted.

Scoring something nice second hand sounds pretty solid.

[mhl6493]

I have wondered the same thing, OP. I shoot a 1911 more accurately than anything else I own, but I haven't found one yet that I felt gave me rock-solid reliability. Following this thread, and looking forward to the suggestions!

[JTQ]

In our 2,000 round challenge thread BLR, ToddG, and kmartphoto each show a 1911 on the same page

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....lson#post82718

Bill's was a Wilson CQB with 2,800+ rounds of moly coated lead semi-wadcutters

Todd's was his Springfield Warren Tactical in 9mm

kmartphoto's was a Chris James gun

[Robinson]

Of all the 1911s I currently own, none has ever had a single malfunction. Now, I will qualify that by admitting that some of them have much higher round counts than others. The ones with the highest round counts were built by the Colt Custom Shop and have gone many thousands of rounds with no stoppages or malfunctions of any kind.

My current carry gun is somewhat newer and will probably never have a high round count because it has an alloy frame. But still, it has not malfunctioned once during the vetting process.

Heck I even put a Springfield Armory 9mm gun through the 2K challenge a few years ago and it passed with flying colors (documented somewhere in that thread). Soon after the test, a couple of the Metalform magazines started failing to lock the slide back on empty. That's it, no other problems.

I got away from the 9mm 1911 path and now strictly own 45s and 38 Supers. The 9mm guns are fun and great for shooting but I just don't have the confidence in them that I do with the 45s. I always felt with the 9mm guns that I was one shot away from a problem, even though I generally had good luck with them.

As a general rule, I would say you are more likely to have zero problems with a new Glock than with a new 1911. But 1911s can be totally reliable with proper maintenance -- and the maintenance is no big deal.

It seems we've had this discussion a few times.

[Kmr54]

After having bought and sold several 1911's during my life, none have stuck out to me as being truly reliable. All haven't been able to go more than 1k rounds without a stoppage, and certainly none ever met the 2k round challenge. The 1911's I have owned have all been Colts and Springfields, so not complete junk brands. I even had one of the Colts worked over by what was supposed to be an experienced 1911 'smith, a Marine armorer from Vietnam. I shoot them amazingly, and I have a huge cache/reloading components of .45 Auto, so I really would love to have a truly reliable 1911 (one that can at least go 1k rounds without a stoppage, and preferably able to meet the 2k challenge consistently). I tend to abide by DocGKR's and the late ToddG's standards for reliability with a duty/carry pistol.

My question is, what does it take to get a stone-cold reliable (at least 2k MRBS) 1911 for serious use these days? So far the best info I've gotten is from reading DocGKR, who states you're going to spend $2500+ and have the pistol worked over by a master class 1911 gunsmith (not just an armorer). He listed several of these expert gunsmiths (Bill Laughridge, Wayne Novak/Joe Bonar, Ed Brown, John Jardine, Hilton Yam, Larry Vickers, and Chuck Rogers), but it looks like none of these individuals are working on 1911s themselves right now (or have passed).

What base gun should I start with, and who would I be able to send it off to? Assuming price is no object. I really want a reliable 1911 from the get-go, even if I have to send it off as soon as I get it to have a successful 1-2k round vetting period when I get it back.

Look at Alchemy Custom Weaponry

[SecondsCount]

This discussion does come up every so often, and the reply really hasn't changed much. Based on my experience and many others, Dan Wesson is making solid 1911s with good parts and proven reliability.

Good magazines and a quality extractor with proper tension will go a long way toward making a 1911 reliable.