Author Topic: How Many Prefer 1911 Pistols? (Read 1479 times)

moneyguy · « **Reply #30 on:** September 18, 2006, 05:11:39 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by StarOfAfrica2
DA / SA ones yes. A true SA 1911 does not (that I know of).

the SA one the i have that was built in 1995 has a semi-cocked position as does the one my grandfather has that he carried in WWII. both are made by Colt. the only difference i see between them as far as operation is, the newer one has a button under the slide that locks the firing pin from hitting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. my grandfathers doesn't have that.

lazs2 · « **Reply #31 on:** September 19, 2006, 09:02:42 AM »

you are talking about the "safety notch" it is a holdover from non rebounding firing pins on the old single action revolvers.

It is not a safe way to carry a non rebounding pin gun as the notch and trigger are very thin and not sturdy. a blow to the back of the hammer will simply break the sear.

I carry the 1911 that way cause the kimber uses the commander hammer that is hard to get a thumb on quickly... having the hammer back that little bit makes it eaiser for me to thumb back the hammer,

lazs

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #32 on:** September 19, 2006, 10:15:53 AM »

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Originally posted by 68Hawk
I dont have much experience with pistols, but I've fired a few.

My friend has a springfield 1911, and I absolutely love it. It fits in my hand better than anything else. I love the single action. Simple and always ready. The safety does block the hammer (but please correct me if Im wrong) so it's relatively safe to carry cocked.

Rob Burke of Robs guns in denver just retired at the begining of the summer. He was a sniper working under the office of the president in Vietnam (yes, independent of military branch). He swears by them and has been competing with them for years. His primary carry is a combat commander.

A few trinkets of 1911 wisdom he shared with me and my friends (some basic some a little less) :

Always double tap mag to make sure its seated well.

Never pull hammer with your thumb. Use slide to rack it. Over time it will wear and you'll get wobble in your hammer.

Always dry fire, never ease hammer back with thumb. Over time it will wear the sear pin and eventually you will load a mag, hit the slide release and find your mag emptying itself! He was particularly adamant about this. If you want to carry loaded with the hammer down, take care not to let parts rub slightly when lowering the hammer. Also, and this is me questioning, what are the chances of a hammer that is sitting on the firing pin discharging if it is knocked or hit with something?

Some day I hope to be able to afford a 1911 of my own. For the simplicity and number on the market they are still quite expensive, but the quality is awesome. Nothing fits my hand better. Still, 9mm is cheaper ammo, and that's a factor in my budget too. 10 years from now when I can afford it I'll post a picture of whatever I get.

Sounds like you are taking advice from Mrblack.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #33 on:** September 19, 2006, 01:15:53 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by moneyguy
the SA one the i have that was built in 1995 has a semi-cocked position as does the one my grandfather has that he carried in WWII. both are made by Colt. the only difference i see between them as far as operation is, the newer one has a button under the slide that locks the firing pin from hitting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. my grandfathers doesn't have that.

I freely admit my inexperience with shooting semi-auto handguns. I've only tried a few models, and of those I have not had nearly so much shooting time as I've had with the various revolvers I've used. So its very likely you know more than I do. However, I've never seen a "semi-cocked" position on a Colt 1911. Now, mine is a Norinco, and its a copy of the original (except for the sights). I've fired 2 WWI era Colt 1911's and they were the same as mine. I've fired a modern Colt 1911 and it was the same. Is there a difference besides barrel length in the different Colt models? Perhaps we are talking about different models here? All I know is, every 1911 I've fired (single action) was either "cocked and locked" or uncocked. No in betweens. What am I missing?

BTW, just another example of why my Rossi/Taurus .357 is my personal defense weapon of choice. Brass-chuckers are just too confusing.

wrag · « **Reply #34 on:** September 19, 2006, 02:33:32 PM »

Can't recall a 1911 I've ever worked that didn't have the ?halfcock? position.

Don't recall ever touching a Norinco (made by People Republic of China : Army?)

68Hawk · « **Reply #35 on:** September 19, 2006, 05:11:00 PM »

lazs

Thats good to know. Thanks for the info.

The trinkets I shared are not my own wisdom but that of an extreme expert who has been shooting them and carrying them for decades. I'm certainly not in a position to critique either of you, but that's what he told me.

When he said only to dryfire it he didn't imply that it would wear quickly, but I could see how it could happen to any weapon over time through improper use (ie not engaging the trigger all the way as you reccomend).

Could be his advice is intended for amatures and not those familiar with proper operation. As a gun dealer I'm sure he dealt with many idiots who really don't know what they're doing.

Either way, 1911s are awesome and solid, and I appreciate all the wisdom that everyone has shared here.

I definatly learned something.

P.S. I did fire a Norinco made 1911 once and was pretty impressed. Didn't seem low quality in the least. Again I'm not an expert, but it seems like a low cost solution for those of us who can't afford a springfield or kimber. Can anyone else weigh in on this?

Captain Virgil Hilts · « **Reply #36 on:** September 19, 2006, 05:44:57 PM »

You have to watch some of the cheap import stuff 68Hawk. The metal is not good. They skimp on both the metal and the heat treat. While it would seem you could get a Bar-Sto barrel or something like that, and be okay, it is really the frame and slide that are soft. To help it get by you can put in the stiffest recoil spring that will allow it to function, and put a shoxk buff in it. That will not slow down the wear on the rails where the frame and slide rub each other. You can help it there by using some premium lube, possibly Teflon or moly based. None of that will make it last and function like a higher quality weapon, but it will help it last longer and function better. If you plan to shoot a couple boxes a year, you can probably get by. But if you plan to shoot it, and shoot it often enough to shoot it well, at least buy a Taurus or better yet a Springfield Armory version.

Hajo · « **Reply #37 on:** September 19, 2006, 05:49:45 PM »

I've owned several handguns. And of the handguns I've owned the model 1911 Colt Combat Commander is my favorite. For some reason it just seems to fit.

Have owned a Python, Mauser P38 (not Walther) and a model 26 S&W.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #38 on:** September 19, 2006, 06:02:26 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by 68Hawk

Either way, 1911s are awesome and solid, and I appreciate all the wisdom that everyone has shared here.

I definatly learned something.

P.S. I did fire a Norinco made 1911 once and was pretty impressed. Didn't seem low quality in the least. Again I'm not an expert, but it seems like a low cost solution for those of us who can't afford a springfield or kimber. Can anyone else weigh in on this?

Norinco made a very fine weapon. Except for the sights it is a duplicate of the Colt. Problem is they are made in China, and are banned in the US. If it was already here it's ok, but any new ones are strictly not allowed. They used good quality metal and they hold up as well as the Colts do. The best part is most of the Colt parts interchange, which makes it much easier to buy aftermarket parts. If you'd like info on all the different 1911 manufacturers try http://www.m1911.org and go to the forums page. They break it down by manufacturer.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #39 on:** September 19, 2006, 06:14:08 PM »

Please tell me how one engages a "half-cocked" setting? The slide ***** the hammer (or I suppose you could do it manually if you wanted). Unless you have a decocking lever or some such attatchment? There is a safety lever on the side of the gun, but it has nothing to do with the hammer as far as I know. The operations manual says nothing about any half **** setting as a safety. I'm not trying to be a smart-prettythang, if I'm ignorant of something I'd like to know. I've just never seen what you are talking about, or if I have I didnt recognize it as such.

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #40 on:** September 19, 2006, 07:05:03 PM »

Star,
You just thumb the hammer back, it will move maybe 2MM and click, then it won't move foreward. You can move it back and let the hammer slip and it will(I would never trust this) drop on the half **** position. It is probably and attemp to stop an accidental discharge if the hammer slips when cocked with a round chambered.

Here is one of my 1911's a Springfield V10. Took it to the range last thurs, got shot by two totaly novices, both never having fired a .45 before and they loved it, and it worked every time.

superpug1 · « **Reply #41 on:** September 19, 2006, 07:29:42 PM »

Im all 1911. weve got an argentine 1912 wich is just a 1911 made in argentina, it is an outstand piece of machinery.

Halo · « **Reply #42 on:** September 19, 2006, 07:59:27 PM »

GtoRA2, how do you like those barrel ports? I read a couple items saying the flash of recoil reducers is distracting as well as blinding at night.

Do you prefer pistols with or without those ports?

GtoRA2 · « **Reply #43 on:** September 19, 2006, 08:27:42 PM »

This is the only one I have shot with the ports. To be honest, I don't notice them when shooting; I do think they help marginally with muzzle flip.

Now standing behind someone and watching is a riot though, a large amount of flame shoots out of the ports with every shot.

I have never shot it at night, but I suspect it would dazzle you and ruin you night vision.

I bought it because I wanted to try a ported gun, and it seemed pretty slick, Springfield makes the same size 1911 now but I think they dropped the V10 model of it. I had to send it back to Springfield right after I got it, needed a new slide release, barrel link, and extractor. Yes it was brand new. Springfield to their credit was a joy to work with, paid for everything and it works pretty well now.

I would buy another ported gun if I found one that interested me, but my next purchase is going to either be a fullsize kimber, or Ruger 44 mage, or get a slide and frame kit and build my own 1911.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #44 on:** September 20, 2006, 03:18:10 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by GtoRA2
Star,
You just thumb the hammer back, it will move maybe 2MM and click, then it won't move foreward. You can move it back and let the hammer slip and it will(I would never trust this) drop on the half **** position. It is probably and attemp to stop an accidental discharge if the hammer slips when cocked with a round chambered.

Huh. Learn something new every day. I've probably put 200-300 rounds through this gun and never knew you could do that.

I'm still confused as to how one would get it into that state to start with, or WHY you would do such a thing, but it does indeed work on my gun that I swore didnt have such a thing.

Can someone enlighten me as to how one properly engages this feature? I mean, obviously if you are leaving it in this position, it has a round in the chamber, or there wouldnt be a reason for it. However, the very act of loading a round into the chamber fully ***** the gun. So other than manually decocking it and then putting it on halfcock, which I would think is very dangerous, how do you accomplish this?