You know... it sounds to me like we need to have a 1911 only meetup. Everyone brings their 1911s, a tone of .45acp, 9mm, .38super or 10mm and we all shoot each others guns. There might be some swapping going on after... not wives you jackwagons.

 

That's a great idea! I would love to shoot a 1911 in 9mm or .38 super... Count me in!

Dave, that is gorgous!

I vote Springfield Armory Loaded model

 

 

I love mine!

You know... it sounds to me like we need to have a 1911 only meetup. Everyone brings their 1911s, a tone of .45acp, 9mm, .38super or 10mm and we all shoot each others guns. There might be some swapping going on after... not wives you jackwagons.

 

Count me in, if it's not a saturday.

 

C

Sig is a nice choice, But cannot beat those 70 series GOLD CUPS.

this one is from 1917.

That's what I have... I LOVE it! Here's a pic...

 

Awesome. Now you're going to have to spend more $ & get some VZ grips! LOL

http://vzgrips.com/gun-grips/1911-pistol-grips-1

Awesome. Now you're going to have to spend more $ & get some VZ grips! LOL

http://vzgrips.com/g...-pistol-grips-1

 

They have some really nice grips. If I was gonna build a 1911, a set of those would set it off.

 

Awesome. Now you're going to have to spend more $ & get some VZ grips! LOL

http://vzgrips.com/gun-grips/1911-pistol-grips-1

 

Yeah, the VZ's are sweet! I've looked at them, but can't decide on which pattern and color would look best on my E Series... I don't want to buy the wrong ones and then be stuck with expensive grips that don't match the pistol well... It's hard to choose without physically putting them up against the gun to see if they look good on the gun.

Yeah, the VZ's are sweet! I've looked at them, but can't decide on which pattern and color would look best on my E Series... I don't want to buy the wrong ones and then be stuck with expensive grips that don't match the pistol well... It's hard to choose without physically putting them up against the gun to see if they look good on the gun.

 

You can always sell them here.

Colt gold Cup from 1971. Bought this one 5 years ago for 750.

That's what I have... I LOVE it! Here's a pic...

 

How does the "E" Series compare to the SW1911 Pro Series from S&W? I assume the PRO models are better? (But yea, that sure does look sweet!)

Depends. E means Expensive or Enchanced

Yeah, the VZ's are sweet! I've looked at them, but can't decide on which pattern and color would look best on my E Series... I don't want to buy the wrong ones and then be stuck with expensive grips that don't match the pistol well... It's hard to choose without physically putting them up against the gun to see if they look good on the gun.

 

I got these on my SS. Sweet. Looks more light gray than black. The only thing I had to do was use the Dremel to thin out the inside where the right safety is. When you tighten the screw, the safety is not operable until you shave some VZ off.

Operators II Black Gray G10

Depends. E means Expensive or Enchanced

 

 

I got these on my SS. Sweet. Looks more light gray than black. The only thing I had to do was use the Dremel to thin out the inside where the right safety is. When you tighten the screw, the safety is not operable until you shave some VZ off.

Operators II Black Gray G10

 

Hmmm... Nice! I definitely like those.... I might just have to take the plunge and buy me a set. Do you have a S&W 1911? Wondering if I'm going to need to make the same mod as you so I can fit them on my E-Series?

I vote Springfield Armory Loaded model

 

 

I love mine!

 

Very nice, Joe! Very sexy looking 1911! If I remember correctly you had some issues when you first got it, right? Did Springfield fix all the issues for you?

Very nice, Joe! Very sexy looking 1911! If I remember correctly you had some issues when you first got it, right? Did Springfield fix all the issues for you?

 

They did! Deb at the custom shop fixed her right up. Thus making the SA my Competition gun. I would not have picked another 1911 for $900...But i do have a dawson precision STI in my future

 

Only 3 MIM parts in SIGS although they do have a 80s style FPS, which is not the issue people make it out to be.

 

What is everyone's issue on it? I have it and don't see what the big deal is.

 

 

Thanks everyone for your input. Now I've added Sig and S&W to my list of guns to check out. Colt's are a little out of my price range.

 

Now to think about what I'm going to use my second permit on

Hmmm... Nice! I definitely like those.... I might just have to take the plunge and buy me a set. Do you have a S&W 1911? Wondering if I'm going to need to make the same mod as you so I can fit them on my E-Series?

I think any VZ grips look great on stainless. The texture is even better than the photos online. Delivery is super fast.

 

Shaving the inside of the grip is no problem. I took very little off. Use sand paper if you are not comfortable with a drill but it'll take a bit more time. Also, I don't think this right safety problem applies to all manufacturers of 1911s.

Thanks everyone for your input. Now I've added Sig and S&W to my list of guns to check out. Colt's are a little out of my price range.

 

Now to think about what I'm going to use my second permit on

If you are a 1911 purist, you'll want a Colt & join the Colt cult :-)

I just got a pair of VZ Frags in Military Brown... I was going to put them on the SIG TACOPS, but the MSH/Magewell is one unit piece, to there will be a gap.They are waiting to go on the Matte Nickel RIA Tac in Feb. Waiting on OGAM.... damnit.

 

80s series guns from colt incorporated a new firing pin block safety system, with some internal levers and where a plunger positively blocks the firing pin from moving until the trigger was pressed, thus eliminating the possibility of the gun discharging if dropped onto a hard surface or struck. Some people feel that this was unnecessary and was added only to satisfy lawyers. They are are correct for why it was done, and the jury is out on if it was unnecessary. But the main controversy is whether you are able to give your 80s series 1911 a decent trigger pull, particularly if the your smithgoes for a super-light pull (under four pounds. A defense or carry guns where a heavier pull is required, the added friction of the Series 80 parts adds little or nothing to the pull weight or feel. A competent gunsmith can do an excellent trigger job on a Series 80 and still leave all the safety parts in place, although he will probably charge a little more than if the gun were a Series 70 since there are more parts to work with. But any gunsmith who tells you that you can't get a good trigger on a Series 80 without removing the safety parts is likely either lazy or incompetent.

 

80s series guns from colt incorporated a new firing pin block safety system, with some internal levers and where a plunger positively blocks the firing pin from moving until the trigger was pressed, thus eliminating the possibility of the gun discharging if dropped onto a hard surface or struck. Some people feel that this was unnecessary and was added only to satisfy lawyers. They are are correct for why it was done, and the jury is out on if it was unnecessary. But the main controversy is whether you are able to give your 80s series 1911 a decent trigger pull, particularly if the your smithgoes for a super-light pull (under four pounds. A defense or carry guns where a heavier pull is required, the added friction of the Series 80 parts adds little or nothing to the pull weight or feel. A competent gunsmith can do an excellent trigger job on a Series 80 and still leave all the safety parts in place, although he will probably charge a little more than if the gun were a Series 70 since there are more parts to work with. But any gunsmith who tells you that you can't get a good trigger on a Series 80 without removing the safety parts is likely either lazy or incompetent.

 

Got it. Thanks. I like my stock trigger on my 1991 model but I wanted to get a skeletonized replacement. Scared I wouldn't like it as much.

Thanks everyone for your input. Now I've added Sig and S&W to my list of guns to check out. Colt's are a little out of my price range.

 

Now to think about what I'm going to use my second permit on

 

If you're looking at used, colt should be in your range

If you're looking at used, colt should be in your range

 

It's going to be a graduation present to myself, so I think I am going to get something new.

80s series guns from colt incorporated a new firing pin block safety system, with some internal levers and where a plunger positively blocks the firing pin from moving until the trigger was pressed, thus eliminating the possibility of the gun discharging if dropped onto a hard surface or struck. Some people feel that this was unnecessary and was added only to satisfy lawyers. They are are correct for why it was done, and the jury is out on if it was unnecessary. But the main controversy is whether you are able to give your 80s series 1911 a decent trigger pull, particularly if the your smithgoes for a super-light pull (under four pounds. A defense or carry guns where a heavier pull is required, the added friction of the Series 80 parts adds little or nothing to the pull weight or feel. A competent gunsmith can do an excellent trigger job on a Series 80 and still leave all the safety parts in place, although he will probably charge a little more than if the gun were a Series 70 since there are more parts to work with. But any gunsmith who tells you that you can't get a good trigger on a Series 80 without removing the safety parts is likely either lazy or incompetent.

 

The series 80 "safety" (or Swartz safety, for the Kimbers) is an overly complicated solution to an easily corrected "problem". Most 1911 manufacturers (at least the ones who know better: Sig, Springfield, Ruger, Dan Wesson, and all the custom shops like Brown, Wilson, etc.) all use a lighter firing pin and a heavier firing pin spring to eliminate the drop problem.

 

The Colt design is a little better than Kimber's Swartz design, as the Swartz safety has a habit of getting in the way during reassembly. Since it is grip safety activated, it is prone to being pushed up when you're holding the frame to reinstall the slide. Since it's MIM, it has a habit of getting chewed up or even sheared off, in some extreme cases, and will no longer deactivate the firing pin block, causing a *click* when there should be a *BANG*.

 

Though Kimber won't admit that it is a problem (albeit one that can be overcome by training/practice), they sell several guns without the Swartz safety, including the Super Carry series, and the now discontinued Warrior and SIS lines.

All steel Springfields, includig those hand made in their custom shop, begin with frames forged by Imbel in Brazil. Higher end models are finished and fitted in the US. Not sure about their aluminum framed guns.

You can't go wrong with a Colt 1911

 

The other thing to consider is what kind of extractor you want. The traditional 1911 extractor is internal and it works great when done well and terrible when it isn't done well. The problem is that doing it well requires hand fitting and proper materials and that is one of the areas where manufacturers have been skimping, you really can't get away with grabbing one from the parts bin and dropping it in. To solve this some of them have gone to external extractors (S&W, Ruger, Sig use external ones). The problem with that is that all of them make it slightly differently so once you go down that path you are starting to lose some of the dress up barbie aspect of the 1911 in respect to after market support, you can only buy replacement extractors from original manufacturer which sounds fine unless they stop making it.

 

For the average gun and average shooter that is probably perfectly ok, odds are most people don't wear out the extractor spring or the extractor, but if you plan to shoot the a gun a lot (and I mean 10s of thousands of rounds) I'd prefer the classic extractor. Actually I'd prefer the classic one anyway cause it looks better but that is subjective.

 

Consider this as part of the legacy of the 1911, which was designed in an era when everything mechanical was hand fitted.

I believe the Ruger SR1911 has an internal extractor.

 

Good point, Vlad!

I believe the Ruger SR1911 has an internal extractor.

 

You are correct, my bad.