How to get a Reliable Hard Use 1911?

[Robinson]

I really don't buy into the BulletProof mantra...extractor and thumb safety - sure; the thumb safety's comfortable and dehorned and the extractor usually works...the rest, meh? Just my opinion though.

BulletProof parts are intended for those who value having all machined parts in their gun. They are designed such that they must be hand fit to the gun. In honesty, some parts are just fine made from cast or MIM steel -- the grip safety for example. But folks buying WC pistols want machined parts and hand fitting. They get that with Wilson Combat, even on the ACP models.

That's not to say that BulletProof parts are any better than the parts used by other high end shops.

[SwampDweller]

Search Gunbroker for "o1911SE-A1". It is essentially the "new" Wiley Clapp Gov't model.

You're not going to find a better gun for a better price with those features...I'd get one if I didn't already have two almost identical to it.

The Wilson you're looking at...that front strap looks almost painful and not very grippy at all. I really don't buy into the BulletProof mantra...extractor and thumb safety - sure; the thumb safety's comfortable and dehorned and the extractor usually works...the rest, meh? Just my opinion though.

Don't know when you had problems with Colts, but anything in the last 10-15 years is very much head and shoulders above years prior to that. The only issues I've had with Colts in 45ACP (since 2007, 6 or 7 of them I think?) were untuned extractors, quickly solved with a little tension. Obviously that's a sample size of me so YMMV. I honestly cannot think of the last time I had a stoppage that wasn't an outright magazine failure (weak spring, failure to feed in time) on any of my Gov't model 1911s made newer than 2007. Well more than a couple thousand through two of them.

https://store.thegundock.com/product...-45acp-bl-wd-5

Is this the model you're talking about, and is this a good price? How likely am I to get this, lube it, and be able to run 1k through it without malfunctions? (assuming about a 300 round interval between range trips with cleaning/lubing between each trip)

[HCM]

Search Gunbroker for "o1911SE-A1". It is essentially the "new" Wiley Clapp Gov't model.

You're not going to find a better gun for a better price with those features...I'd get one if I didn't already have two almost identical to it.

The Wilson you're looking at...that front strap looks almost painful and not very grippy at all. I really don't buy into the BulletProof mantra...extractor and thumb safety - sure; the thumb safety's comfortable and dehorned and the extractor usually works...the rest, meh? Just my opinion though.

Don't know when you had problems with Colts, but anything in the last 10-15 years is very much head and shoulders above years prior to that. The only issues I've had with Colts in 45ACP (since 2007, 6 or 7 of them I think?) were untuned extractors, quickly solved with a little tension. Obviously that's a sample size of me so YMMV. I honestly cannot think of the last time I had a stoppage that wasn't an outright magazine failure (weak spring, failure to feed in time) on any of my Gov't model 1911s made newer than 2007. Well more than a couple thousand through two of them.

My recent Colts (Wiley Clapp Govt and a Concealed Carry Government) have been full of sharp edges in addition to the aforementioned extractor tension issues.

Also broke the slide stop pin on the WCG at about 1k rounds. Locked up the gun and it took Colt 5 months to fix it.

Decent base guns but not my idea of “Hard use.”

[theJanitor]

I've had customs built by some of the best. But my Yost-Bonitz 1* built a looong time ago might be the cream of the crop. It just runs and runs. And it possesses accuracy that I surely don't. Personally, for the money that the "shops" currently charge, it's hard to not commission a custom from a reputable gunsmith. I have one build that's complete, and awaiting it's trip to the bluing tank, and one that I hope to see by the holidays.

[Borderland]

It could be that the 1911 wasn't designed for the 21st century hard use definition. So many people like the design, including me, that they are willing to spend thousands of dollars to bring it up to the new reliability standard.

That just spotlights what a great pistol it actually is and how many people want it to work. The fact is the 1911 is a 20th century pistol. I don't have a problem with that because I shoot one in a rotation.

Ken Quote
Quote
Ken: You can buy an HK45, send it to Bowie and get the mods that Larry suggests — though with my hand size I don’t need them — and get Heinie sights. You’ve got a pistol one half or even one third the price of a top 1911 pistol today that is more reliable and every bit as accurate. For most anybody I can imagine if you said you need a pistol to stake your life on and you’re going to be someplace you can’t run to a pistolsmith every time you need it, if your choice is between an HK45 and a 1911 and you don’t take the HK45, you’re ****’ing brain dead.

Larry's Quote
Quote
Yeah, I agree 100%. Ken is spot on. For the average guy, it’s a far better choice. The 1911 is an enthusiast’s pistols. In order to keep that gun running you have to, it’s not optional, you have to become your own armorer to a degree. You have to be able to diagnose and fix minor problems on an end user level. If you’re not willing to sign up for that, frankly you have no business running a 1911 for anything other than occasional recreational shooting. If you’re going to put yourself in harm’s way with that gun and you’re not willing to sign up for that, then you need to avoid it. The HK45 is clearly the better choice. For the overwhelming number of people who feel like they need to have a .45 the only two real choices are the M&P45 and the HK45 and push come to shove if I’ve got to trust my life to one or the other, it would be the HK45.

[Tango]

Happened across this thread. Have most of my time on either G17s or 1911s, along with some years on a P229.

As I sit here reading Larry's and Ken's quotes it dawned on me. Larry attempted to push the HK45 as the "new" handgun at his old shop. It fell FLAT. Larry is in the business now of selling "himself". Ken, is Larry's friend and business "partner". Having both of them at that time and place, making those comments now has me shaking my head...

So, I need to buy an HK45 OR pay you to teach me how to work on my 1911!!!!!!

Seriously though, it is not hard to run a 1911..my less than optimal mechanical skills and inclinations have shown me that much.

[theJanitor]

Larry did build me a helluva 1911. It was a dream to shoot

[Sarvershooter]

I've owned several Colt's both 70 and 80 series, a S&W E-series, Dan Wesson A1, two Remington R1s and lastly a Wilson CQB all full size in .45 ACP. With the exception of the Wilson, all experienced various gun related malfunctions within the first few hundred rounds. The Wilson had barrel bump out of the box (which caused no failures buy was peening the lower lugs) and I fixed it myself. At 2,500 rounds it had it's first FTF but by that time I've gave up on 1911's as being a viable SD gun and still view them as interesting fun to shoot (when they work) range toys.

After going without a 1911 for several years, I couldn't pass up a NIB $485 Springfield Mil Spec Defender with cardboard box and 1 magazine. I went from the gun store straight to the range put a few drops of oil in the slide, barrel hood and front. That gun now has 1,000 rounds through it without a single hiccup. I have not had to touch a thing except basic field strip and cleaning including the extractor, firing pin and channels. If you look at how the parts are mated and wearing in, witness marks etc., it looks like a custom 1911. I still would not consider it for carry or as a SD pistol, but the lowliest, cheapest 1911 I ever owned has proved to be the most reliable. Go figure.

[Borderland]

Happened across this thread. Have most of my time on either G17s or 1911s, along with some years on a P229.

As I sit here reading Larry's and Ken's quotes it dawned on me. Larry attempted to push the HK45 as the "new" handgun at his old shop. It fell FLAT. Larry is in the business now of selling "himself". Ken, is Larry's friend and business "partner". Having both of them at that time and place, making those comments now has me shaking my head...

So, I need to buy an HK45 OR pay you to teach me how to work on my 1911!!!!!!

Seriously though, it is not hard to run a 1911..my less than optimal mechanical skills and inclinations have shown me that much.

So, I need to buy an HK45 OR pay you to teach me how to work on my 1911!!!!!!


That's what some trainers are hoping for.

I think a lot of people moved on from 1911's, including LV. There's more money to be made replacing a few parts in polymer tactical pistols and putting your name on the slide.

https://lipseysguns.com/vickers-tact...ck-exclusives/

[Evil_Ed]

https://store.thegundock.com/product...-45acp-bl-wd-5

Is this the model you're talking about, and is this a good price? How likely am I to get this, lube it, and be able to run 1k through it without malfunctions? (assuming about a 300 round interval between range trips with cleaning/lubing between each trip)

If it's the model number in my post, then yes that's the one...and yes if that is the one then it's a great price IMO. Buying an S70/O1911C and piecemealing the changes on top of it would run you quite a bit more vs buying that one, which has already had a lot of that work done to it.

If you take the gun apart, clean it, remove all the factory preservative (it is not a lubricant!!!!!! If you don't detail clean and lube before going to the range, you are asking for problems) and do some basic sanity checks, I would be surprised if you couldn't run a couple k through it without a malfunction. Like I said, the only thing Colt doesn't really do to much of is fitting the extractor; they just drop it in and ship it out after test firing. They don't care if the gun marginally extracts/ejects; they care if it shoots and cycles through a mag. You might need to add tension to the extractor. Frankly this is true of just about every mass produced 1911 out there; not an issue unique to Colt.

Like I said, if I didn't already have a couple of guns almost identical to that as carry guns, I'd buy one. I just don't need a 3rd in that configuration