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Suppressors Aluminum framed 1911

flysolo

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Sep 9, 2007
44
33
MN
Has anyone here ever shot an aluminum framed 1911 enough to wear out the frame ? If so, what type of shooting and how many rounds did it take ?
I'm thinking about picking up a springer lw operator for carry but have reservations about going with a used one.
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

I dont know about springfield but kimber says they shot 5000rds and checked there gun and found no significate wear . Have a friend that shoots idpa for a year never having any problems
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

7,500 through my Pro Carry 2. Kimber used to advertise 20k rounds without "meaningful wear" on their sight. I saw one posted a little while back with 60k rounds through it and it was still kicking.
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

The biggest problem I've seen with the aluminum frame 1911's has been wear in the feed ramp from shooting defensive ammo. I had a friend with a Kimber that would take a pencil with sandpaper around it and sand out the dings in his feed ramp after every range session with defensive ammo. Not good! We have a propietary steel insert that we use in all our .45 aluminum frame guns. It gives a complete steel feed ramp with full support behind it. We've only been offering the aluminum frame here for a couple of years so we haven't had anyone wear one out yet.
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

I had a micro Kimber with 12,000 rounds through it. Lots of other parts broke, but the frame didn't look any different than it did after 500 rounds.

I now carry a Wilson with an aluminum frame. The round count is pretty low since I practice with another gun, but it also seems to be wearing extremely slowly.

I love the 7oz weight savings, and I'll never willingly carry an all steel 1911 again.
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

I haven't heard any problems from the newer generation lightweights. I had an older Colt Commander that the frame cracked on.
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

I shot the SV-Infinity aluminum frame with slide slide pistol for more than a few matches and it held up perfect. Not that electrolytic reaction between the two materials is a huge deal, but hardness unevenly wearing the frame is. That said, SV has a rather unique fix for it that works forever.

The rails of the frame, in the simplest terms, have clips that the slide rides on that manages the wear and they are easily replaced. The frame itself held up to easily the 10-12k I put through it.

Rich
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

The biggest thing about the feed ramp is the type of followers in the mags - do not use metal followers. Esp do not use the the split follower CM style mags.

Good luck
 
Re: Aluminum framed 1911

Generally Springfield cuts their alloy frames for a Wilson/Nowlin type supported barrel, thus eliminating the any problem with the alloy ramp.

I have one customer who has a Kimber Pro Carry that cracked at the typical dust cover/front of the rail junction. Granted it did have a bunch of rounds through it but he doesn't make a habit of changing recoil springs like he should.