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Sidearms & Scatterguns 1911s....How do you carry enough Magazines

As an aside........

There are a bunch of diverse shooters out there......defense lawyer, Russian software guy, animal rescue lady, mathematician lady, 18 year old mil school kid, Asian guy that said he couldn't have certain guns where he was from, I assumed a capacity restricted state.

And they were good and though a few had borrowed gear many did so sayingthey left their new gun at home.

Everyone but me I think had red dots.

All around the targets looked really good.

These people also displayed a Patriotic attitude.
 
I did speed steel comps for a few years and ran Wilson 8 round ETMs (I have 12 and they all run flawlessly). I'm planning on getting back into action shooting in the spring and I've really been thinking about transitioning from the Wilson 8 rounders to Wilson 10 rounders. I like to compete with my carry gear, so I'm thinking I'll continue to keep an 8 rounder in the gun because it's flush with the magwell and won't print worse like the 10 rounders will. But the extra mags I carry will all be 10 rounders, cause if you ever have to break one out, it won't matter if that extra inch sticking out of the grip looks unattractive.
 
~$0.50 per round for specialty 45ACP- Today- sounds almost reasonable.
 
While we are on the subject of 1911 magazines, I'm curious what the current flavor is...
 
Back in the 90's we used 8 round Chip McCormick's stainless for bowling pin competitions. They were very reliable.
Ran in Colts and Kimbers. Many others did the same.
 
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While we are on the subject of 1911 magazines, I'm curious what the current flavor is...

I've tried a bunch of 1911 magazines through the years in IDPA and USPSA. The best performers by far are the Tripp Research Cobra magazines in the 8 round flavor. Reliability has been outstanding. They are nearly as easy to seat on a closed slide as they are with the slide at slide lock. All my magazine changes are done with the same light muscle force and I can get back on target faster. All the other 8 rounders I've tried require a much harder slam to seat on a closed slide vs open.
 
This is really good info, as I've used Chip McCormick and Wilson mags in the past, but always heard that Tripp Research had a great product too.

Maybe I just got a few lemons, but the Chip McCormick Power Mag 10 rounders never seemed to feed right for me (probably due to magazine spring tension), and I've been looking for an alternative for 8 and 10 round mags.
 
Who does that? Was this at SIG Academy?

Steel gives insufficient shot accountability.
For real shooting steel at 5 yards indoors sounds like clown academy.

This is why you only take training from those who don't wear red noses.
 
Going to give up on getting an enlightened response........would look forward to an education....
 
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Sometimes it ain't about pure accuracy it's more about speed or transitioning and the sound of "clang" is just as satisfying as one perfectly in the T
Benefit of the doubt since I wasn't there
 
Two extra mags all the time unless I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. With shorts and a t-shirt I carry one extra in my pocket.
 
This is really good info, as I've used Chip McCormick and Wilson mags in the past, but always heard that Tripp Research had a great product too.

Maybe I just got a few lemons, but the Chip McCormick Power Mag 10 rounders never seemed to feed right for me (probably due to magazine spring tension), and I've been looking for an alternative for 8 and 10 round mags.
Of all the mag brands, the 1911 world seems to be in unanimous agreement that there are only three deemed trustworthy: Chip McCormick, Tripp, and Wilson Combat. McCormick and Tripp were the go to before 10 years ago. In the last 10 years, Wilson mags have proven every bit as reliable, and seem a little higher quality, not to mention having a lot more options. I've had feeding problems with McCormick 7 rounders. My Wilsons are flawless. I have no experience with Tripp mags.
 
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This is really good info, as I've used Chip McCormick and Wilson mags in the past, but always heard that Tripp Research had a great product too.

Maybe I just got a few lemons, but the Chip McCormick Power Mag 10 rounders never seemed to feed right for me (probably due to magazine spring tension), and I've been looking for an alternative for 8 and 10 round mags.

I have a few Tripp Cobra 10 rounders as well. They are just as reliable and smooth feeding as their 8 rounders in my guns. I never could get as fast of a mag change with 10 rounders due to my muscle memory being optimized for the 8 rounders. When I seat an 8 rounder with the heel of my left hand, dropping the slide with my left thumb is practically a no brainer since my left hand has already rolled up against the side of the gun after seating the mag. Seating a longer 10 rounder has the thumb of my left hand too low on the side the gun, so a mag change is clumsy and not as efficient. The time it takes me for a mag change with an 8 rounder is only about 1 to 1-1/2 seconds from hitting the release button to getting back on target.
 
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1911s are so individually magazine picky. I have a few guns from Ted Yost that will feed Metalform mags perfectly, Wilson OK, and choke on McCormick and Tripp. A Derr gun that will only feed from Tripp and Wilson etc. Wilson guns tend to feed from all magazines, which is nice. But I wouldn't count out Metalform when it comes to mags. Their rounded follower can work really well with some finicky guns.
 
Just an interesting aside. . . the original GI 1911 steel 7 round magazines are reported to function flawlessly as well. Of course, you wouldn't pay the ridiculous price for an antique just to run it in competition or for duty.
 
And explain how so?
It sounds like you took training from one of the many "trainers" who dont know their ass from a hole in the ground.

Now this is just as assumtion based on the info provided.

For reference i have taken classes from vickers, hackthorn, rodgers (before he died) , hackathorn, letham, barnhardt, haley and pat mac.......and never once did we bang steel from 5 yards for the obvious abserdity. From a strickly legal liability standpoint, even using frangable at that distance is not something insurance would cover. Which leads me to beleive they did not carry the $1m bond that every reputable facility requires for trainers.

Making everyone buy stupid expensive frangible ammo when its not a speciity class like air ops is another hint. Sounds like a racket to seperate the ignorant from their money.

All of those top trainers primarily use paper, with very little steel work. Its hard to diagnose problems with combat accuracy on steel. Many drills require certain grouping in x time.

Its sounds like a clown shoe trainer with the blind leading the blind. Thats why peolple are asking about it. It would make someone who plays in this sandbox stop and say what the fuck. Sounds like a waste of time and money.

And sorry it took me a whole hour to respond to you. Some of us have jobs.
 
Just an interesting aside. . . the original GI 1911 steel 7 round magazines are reported to function flawlessly as well. Of course, you wouldn't pay the ridiculous price for an antique just to run it in competition or for duty.

Any 7 round magazine should seat easily in any 1911 with the slide forward, as there is some room left in the bottom of the mag tube to avoid being at spring bind without the 8th round taking up space in there.

Original GI magazine tapered feed lip geometry makes for a smooth feeding transition for the magazine to the chamber, but extended use tends to wear/spread the feed lip gap open. When you handle a loaded GI mag or drop one on a hard surface with some rounds left in it, the top round has a tendency to jump out. Most of the Chip McCormick mags I've seen have parallel lips, but they are short in order to get semi wadcutters to feed easier by letting go of the back of the round sooner in the feed cycle. The Tripp Cobra mags have longer parallel feed lips, but the top round height seems to be higher than a lot of other mags in order to keep the height transition during feeding to a minimum.

The best way to tell what magazines your particular 1911 likes is to take your recoil spring out and hand cycle some rounds from your magazine of choice. For some reason in any of my 1911s, Chip mags always have the nose of the top round hitting the feed ramp rather abruptly before turning up into the chamber. GI and Trip mags have been noticeably smoother hand feeders for me in my guns. Since Tripp mags retain the top round during handling and have room in the bottom of the tube for easy slide forward seating with 8 rounds, they are my ultimate go to magazine.
 
@pmclaine

Would you mind doing an AAR of the class, here or in its own thread?
@pmclaine

Would you mind doing an AAR of the class, here or in its own thread?

Handgun 103 is pretty basic.


Ive shot my 1911 plenty, carried it lots, just never formally trained with it so I chose 103 as a means to have someone run me through drills and get familiar with a gun I havent been "stressed" with.

Course description....

Prerequisite
This course is Step 3 of 3 in our foundational handgun series. We strongly recommend Handgun 102 or equivalent before you attend Handgun 103. The student MUST know and be able to demonstrate how to safely load, fire, and unload a handgun as well as have demonstrated competence in working from a holster and performing reloads.

Students failing to meet and maintain our safety requirements and/or who cannot meet and immediately demonstrate the minimum skills required for the specific class may be removed from training. Please ensure you have read through the class description and fully understand our prerequisites before registering.
Course Outline
  • Review and reinforcement of SIG Principles
  • Presentations and recovery from the holster
  • Sight picture and its relationship to size and distance
  • Trigger control
  • Shot delivery
  • Refining shooting fundamentals
  • Reloading techniques
  • Malfunction clearance procedures
  • Single hand techniques
  • Moving then shooting
  • Target to target transition drills
Equipment List
  • Quality functional semi-automatic pistol – Full size and compact pistols only.
    • No micro pistols or pocket pistols to include: P238, P938, P365, M&P Shield, Glock 43, etc.
  • 3 magazines minimum
  • Optional, loading devices
  • Dominant side, hip-mounted holster or dominant side, belt-mounted holster
  • Magazine pouch(es)
  • Sturdy belt at least 1.5” wide
  • Footwear suitable for rapid movement and turning
  • Clothing suitable for training in any weather, pants must have belt loops
  • Wraparound eyewear, polycarbonate lenses or non-shattering prescription glasses
  • Earmuffs and earplugs
Tuition includes free loan of firearms, holsters, safety glasses and hearing protection at the Epping, NH location.

This class would equate to a basic LEO yearly qualification without actually having a scored target at the end.

They go over the fundamentals and basics of handgun operation.

Targets start with paper....

Basic milk bottle with 8 inch chest circle from ditances 3yd to 25yd.

1609434262603.png


For practicing three types of sight hold - focused, floating, flash - a paper target with appropriate aim points and an instructor calling out the target to be shot - "Square!" (1"x1" square), "Donut!" (2"circle inside a 3" circle), "Circle!" (8 inch chest shot on "Doug")

1609434595196.png


Steel was only used for two drills.

Target transitions - Eyes move, than gun moves, than "pew, pew". Transition left and right over about a 15 foot span on two steels. If they used paper there would be no feedback other than adding more holes to already shot up paper. This way everyone new if your drill was a success and it was expected the cadence would be faster with big targets - "ClaClang" not "Clang.............Clang".

We did one hand drills on steel also.

Good thing about Sig is they are consistent. The instructors follow their doctrine and there is no student bitching about last time they took the class they were trained something else.

Instructors tend to be experienced...yesterday 20 plus year cop with tactical team experience that had also spent a career in ANG as a weapons instructor/armorer. Other instructor was Army, deployed with SF unit to Astan and Iraq - noted his car had a Bronze Star plate, worked as local PO.

Im familiar with one LE agency that sends its marksmanship training unit instructors to Sig for all their classes than brings that doctrine back to their agency to train its members. Nice thing is if you work at that place your own training matches the doctrine of the place you work.
 
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Just an interesting aside. . . the original GI 1911 steel 7 round magazines are reported to function flawlessly as well. Of course, you wouldn't pay the ridiculous price for an antique just to run it in competition or for duty.


I bought surplus, NIW, magazines from the CMP when they were selling them at $10 each.

Found the last round would pop out of the mag and double feed.

I bought Pachmayer round top followers at $10 ea from Brownells and now those mags are good to go.

For this class I bought Wilson Combat 47CBs.

They are 7 rounders, They are what the USMC issued with the M45A1. They are what I had been using in my Commander since 2008 (along with Colt factory) and have never had a problem I could attribute to magazines. Matter of fact I dont think Ive had any memorable problems that could be considered a trend.

The only real issue I learned about was at this class - COAL of dummy rounds is longer than loaded rounds and if you are loading the dummies in a mag for drill purposes you will get a hangup in the ejection port and your immediate action is almost always likely to require ripping out the mag to clear the fouled dummy.
 
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It sounds like you took training from one of the many "trainers" who dont know their ass from a hole in the ground.

Now this is just as assumtion based on the info provided.

For reference i have taken classes from vickers, hackthorn, rodgers (before he died) , hackathorn, letham, barnhardt, haley and pat mac.......and never once did we bang steel from 5 yards for the obvious abserdity. From a strickly legal liability standpoint, even using frangable at that distance is not something insurance would cover. Which leads me to beleive they did not carry the $1m bond that every reputable facility requires for trainers.

Making everyone buy stupid expensive frangible ammo when its not a speciity class like air ops is another hint. Sounds like a racket to seperate the ignorant from their money.

All of those top trainers primarily use paper, with very little steel work. Its hard to diagnose problems with combat accuracy on steel. Many drills require certain grouping in x time.

Its sounds like a clown shoe trainer with the blind leading the blind. Thats why peolple are asking about it. It would make someone who plays in this sandbox stop and say what the fuck. Sounds like a waste of time and money.

And sorry it took me a whole hour to respond to you. Some of us have jobs.


Yeah, your right Sig Sauer is kind of a rinky dink, cheesy entity, probably dont carry adequate insurance and really doesnt have the firearms background to be doing this stuff.............

The circus will not miss you at your job by the way.....whether its 11 of you getting out of the Mini or 10 the crowd still finds it funny.
 
Yeah, your right Sig Sauer is kind of a rinky dink, cheesy entity, probably dont carry adequate insurance and really doesnt have the firearms background to be doing this stuff.............

The circus will not miss you at your job by the way.....whether its 11 of you getting out of the Mini or 10 the crowd still finds it funny.
You are right. Taking training from an entity who specializes is removing money from less than knowledgeable people is a recipe for success.

From the makers of we can't get a gun right before production, Our gun can't survive a drop test to we outsourced all of our small parts manufacturing to India to we need you to send back every Sig Cross because they tend to shoot on their own.

There is a reason you take training from people who are actual experts in their field. Not some rando cop or strap hanger to a SF ODA who got a participation trophy (BSM is a meritorious award given to anyone in E6 or above in a combat zone who manages not to shoot themselves, unless its a V device.). They also have nothing to do with combat marksmanship. Guys who spent 20 years doing high level DA or FID generally are who you want to learn from. They got the best training, have to teach that training as part of their job and can take the best parts from each to tailor a program.

It actually makes perfect sense. Glad you had a good time. The whole steel at 5 yards thing just threw up a red flag.
 
You are right. Taking training from an entity who specializes is removing money from less than knowledgeable people is a recipe for success.

From the makers of we can't get a gun right before production, Our gun can't survive a drop test to we outsourced all of our small parts manufacturing to India to we need you to send back every Sig Cross because they tend to shoot on their own.

There is a reason you take training from people who are actual experts in their field. Not some rando cop or strap hanger to a SF ODA who got a participation trophy (BSM is a meritorious award given to anyone in E6 or above in a combat zone who manages not to shoot themselves, unless its a V device.). They also have nothing to do with combat marksmanship. Guys who spent 20 years doing high level DA or FID generally are who you want to learn from. They got the best training, have to teach that training as part of their job and can take the best parts from each to tailor a program.

It actually makes perfect sense. Glad you had a good time. The whole steel at 5 yards thing just threw up a red flag.


Popparock? Is that you?
 
The only real issue I learned about was at this class - COAL of dummy rounds is longer than loaded rounds and if you are loading the dummies in a mag for drill purposes you will get a hangup in the ejection port and your immediate action is almost always likely to require ripping out the mag to clear the fouled dummy.

Out of curiosity, take a look at your ejector in your particular 1911 frame. If it is an extended one, it may me pivoting the dummy rounds toward the ejection port too early in the slide cycle causing the interference. On top of that, I would certainly hope that the dummy rounds weren't longer than SAAMI spec.
 
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From the "Guns and Coffee" thread....

View attachment 7516208

This was going to be my backup if there were issues....

View attachment 7516209

You ran a 1911 with the original GI style grip safety instead of the 1911 with the beavertail??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

So confused I would have typed more question marks, but my thumb tired.

Beautiful guns btw
 
Out of curiosity, take a look at your ejector in your particular 1911 frame. If it is an extended one, it may me pivoting the dummy rounds toward the ejection port too early in the slide cycle causing the interference. On top of that, I would certainly hope that the dummy rounds weren't longer than SAAMI spec.
This (the constant fuckery with ejectors, magazines, and other small parts) and a manual safety are the two reasons why I haven't owned a 1911 and never will

Aint nobody got time for that

My polymer CZs (both striker fired and DA/SA) are truly as trouble free and reliable as Glocks.
 
This (the constant fuckery with ejectors, magazines, and other small parts) and a manual safety are the two reasons why I haven't owned a 1911 and never will

Aint nobody got time for that

My polymer CZs (both striker fired and DA/SA) are truly as trouble free and reliable as Glocks.

It's not constant fuckery. You set your gun up right on the front end and never have to worry about it again.

I've put about 5600 rounds through my Wilson, and it has had ZERO malfs. I only clean it after every 500 rounds or so, but I've gone to 1000.
 
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Any 7 round magazine should seat easily in any 1911 with the slide forward, as there is some room left in the bottom of the mag tube to avoid being at spring bind without the 8th round taking up space in there.

Original GI magazine tapered feed lip geometry makes for a smooth feeding transition for the magazine to the chamber, but extended use tends to wear/spread the feed lip gap open. When you handle a loaded GI mag or drop one on a hard surface with some rounds left in it, the top round has a tendency to jump out. Most of the Chip McCormick mags I've seen have parallel lips, but they are short in order to get semi wadcutters to feed easier by letting go of the back of the round sooner in the feed cycle. The Tripp Cobra mags have longer parallel feed lips, but the top round height seems to be higher than a lot of other mags in order to keep the height transition during feeding to a minimum.

The best way to tell what magazines your particular 1911 likes is to take your recoil spring out and hand cycle some rounds from your magazine of choice. For some reason in any of my 1911s, Chip mags always have the nose of the top round hitting the feed ramp rather abruptly before turning up into the chamber. GI and Trip mags have been noticeably smoother hand feeders for me in my guns. Since Tripp mags retain the top round during handling and have room in the bottom of the tube for easy slide forward seating with 8 rounds, they are my ultimate go to magazine.

Thanks for such a thorough reply - great advice and really cool knowledge on the Tripp and Chip McCormick mags. Assuming that this test works with ramped and unramped barrels, as well as calibers that do not end in .45?
 
It's not constant fuckery. You set your gun up right on the front end and never have to worry about it again.

Seems constant from many of the threads here, pistol-forum, and benos about 1911s. And even if you're right, I prefer pistols that I don't have to set up right on the front end. I prefer those that come that way from the box.

I can probably dig up a dozen threads in pistol-forum about extractor tension alone.......

Plus the manual safety. That's a deal killer.
 
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It's not constant fuckery. You set your gun up right on the front end and never have to worry about it again.

I love 1911s, always have, and always will. THAT BEING SAID, in 2020, there are other options that require much less love and care for the same end-result. I personally view the 1911-style manual thumb safety (the ambidextrous versions) as a feature, not a drawback... especially when carried.

Getting things right on a 1911 on the front-end requires someone who knows what they are doing, and the bankroll to do it... 1911s aren't for everyone...
 
Seems constant from many of the threads here, pistol-forum, and benos about 1911s. And even if you're right, I prefer pistols that I don't have to set up right on the front end. I prefer those that come that way from the box.

I can probably dig up a dozen threads in pistol-forum about extractor tension alone.......

Plus the manual safety. That's a deal killer.
It's extractor tension that needs to be set. Not ejector. With the better steels that have been around for a few decades, it isn't a big deal anymore, but in cheaper 1911s it can be. The only three things that really need to be fit on a 1911 are a thumb safety, grip safety and extractor. None of it is rocket science. I don't think they are the best platform in the world at this point, but they are not difficult to keep running. Some older forgings have crappy dimensions, but that isn't much of a deal anymore.
 
It sounds like you took training from one of the many "trainers" who dont know their ass from a hole in the ground.

Now this is just as assumtion based on the info provided.

For reference i have taken classes from vickers, hackthorn, rodgers (before he died) , hackathorn, letham, barnhardt, haley and pat mac.......and never once did we bang steel from 5 yards for the obvious abserdity. From a strickly legal liability standpoint, even using frangable at that distance is not something insurance would cover. Which leads me to beleive they did not carry the $1m bond that every reputable facility requires for trainers.

Making everyone buy stupid expensive frangible ammo when its not a speciity class like air ops is another hint. Sounds like a racket to seperate the ignorant from their money.

All of those top trainers primarily use paper, with very little steel work. Its hard to diagnose problems with combat accuracy on steel. Many drills require certain grouping in x time.

Its sounds like a clown shoe trainer with the blind leading the blind. Thats why peolple are asking about it. It would make someone who plays in this sandbox stop and say what the fuck. Sounds like a waste of time and money.

And sorry it took me a whole hour to respond to you. Some of us have jobs.

I've taken some of those same classes you have and I would probably have agreed with you ten or twenty years ago, which is when I took those classes. However, frangible ammunition has become quite common and much cheaper than those days. It's use in training is extremely common today. Thunder Ranch, which didn't require it fifteen years ago, does today. The Sig Academy is considered a top rated school, which I believe even those trainers you mention would likely agree.
 
Seems constant from many of the threads here, pistol-forum, and benos about 1911s. And even if you're right, I prefer pistols that I don't have to set up right on the front end. I prefer those that come that way from the box.

I can probably dig up a dozen threads in pistol-forum about extractor tension alone.......

Plus the manual safety. That's a deal killer.

I totally get all that.

A RWD Porsche 911 RSR without any traction or stability controls is the WRONG car for most people, but in the right hands, nothing else comes close.
1C8D29FE-2439-4CF7-A080-809633056131.jpeg


I really think it's the same with [a properly set up] 1911. It's the wrong gun for most people, but for those willing to learn the platform, get it set up correctly, do the higher level of maintenance, and train with it, nothing else comes close. That's why all the die-hard fandom. . it's performance, not nostalgia.
 
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With the better steels that have been around for a few decades, it isn't a big deal anymore, but in cheaper 1911s it can be. The only three things that really need to be fit on a 1911 are a thumb safety, grip safety and extractor. None of it is rocket science. I don't think they are the best platform in the world at this point, but they are not difficult to keep running. Some older forgings have crappy dimensions, but that isn't much of a deal anymore.

So, on the topic of ejectors... maybe I have experienced a lemon a couple times, or maybe it's just because I'm shooting a non-standard round out of a 1911, but I peen the living crap out of my ejectors after around 500 rounds to the point where I am wondering if it's a metallurgy issue. This issue has appeared a number of times on a custom 1911 from a very reputable company. It appears to still be an issue, albeit the case that I am referencing may be out of the ordinary as it isn't a .45... Never had this issue on a contemporary 1911 (production or otherwise) chambered in .45
 
Not an operator, or a trainer, but I just LIKE the 1911.
I own a Turkish clone, Girsan and the wife a Kimber. The sights are easier to see on the Kimber but either shoots without hangups. I find the mental Click- Click muscle memory for the safety never fails me for targets and hopefully never when really needed. Until COVID we would make a trip to a friendly camping/shooting outing in south Florida for SKSs, Vintage rifle, LONG RANGE PRONE (450yds :) ) and a piston comp. Old guys, women and children usually lost out to the younger on the Pistol. My times would usually be almost twice the young fellers.
I think MAX rounds were 30 rounds for 17 or 18 targets and some would run out. Faster, but not complete :)
The old guy was slow, but seldom missed and with the out of ammo disqualifications never came in last :)
It was for fun and there were some liability compensations for the rookies. No one got shot.
I've got a youtube video someplace.
Girsan-1911.jpg
 
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I totally get all that.

A RWD Porsche 911 RSR without any traction or stability controls is WRONG car for most people, but in the right hands, nothing can touch its performance.
1609442718789.png


I really think it's the same with [a properly set up] 1911. It's the wrong gun for most people, but for those willing to learn the platform, get it set up correctly, do the higher level of maintenance, and train with it, nothing else comes close. That's why all the die-hard fandom. . it's performance, not nostalgia.

If I carry a low capacity pistol designed over 100 years ago, it's gonna be this
IMG_20201205_100814.jpg


Less of an old Porsche and more like this in both the performance that you can get out of it and the skill that it takes
1609442869691.png
 
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So, on the topic of ejectors... maybe I have experienced a lemon a couple times, or maybe it's just because I'm shooting a non-standard round out of a 1911, but I peen the living crap out of my ejectors after around 500 rounds to the point where I am wondering if it's a metallurgy issue. This issue has appeared a number of times on a custom 1911 from a very reputable company. It appears to still be an issue, albeit the case that I am referencing may be out of the ordinary as it isn't a .45... Never had this issue on a contemporary 1911 (production or otherwise) chambered in .45
What are you shooting? Unlike the extractor, which is always a bit of a fit up, ejectors are really easy in 45 and can be a pain in the ass otherwise. In general, you want to have as little extension to your ejector as you can get away with. It makes life easier when dealing with ejecting live rounds, and gives you a lot more room. What kind of ejector are you using?
 
So, on the topic of ejectors... maybe I have experienced a lemon a couple times, or maybe it's just because I'm shooting a non-standard round out of a 1911, but I peen the living crap out of my ejectors after around 500 rounds to the point where I am wondering if it's a metallurgy issue. This issue has appeared a number of times on a custom 1911 from a very reputable company. It appears to still be an issue, albeit the case that I am referencing may be out of the ordinary as it isn't a .45... Never had this issue on a contemporary 1911 (production or otherwise) chambered in .45

Do you run nickel-plated brass in the guns with the ejector peening issue?
 
I totally get all that.

A RWD Porsche 911 RSR without any traction or stability controls is the WRONG car for most people, but in the right hands, nothing else comes close.
View attachment 7516290

I really think it's the same with [a properly set up] 1911. It's the wrong gun for most people, but for those willing to learn the platform, get it set up correctly, do the higher level of maintenance, and train with it, nothing else comes close. That's why all the die-hard fandom. . it's performance, not nostalgia.
So I know you have me on ignore, but serious question. Do you really think that at this day and age? I have been shooting 1911s since I was a kid, rebuilding them since my teens, taken classes and worked with really good smiths to learn more about the guts etc. Even with that, I find that over the last few years I rarely shoot a 1911 at all, and when I do, even though I know the system back and front, I am better with a plastic 9mm at everything other than group accuracy out past 25 yards. Sure I love the way the look and feel, I just do question whether they actually provide anything today you can't get elsewhere with less hassle.
 
So I know you have me on ignore, but serious question. Do you really think that at this day and age? I have been shooting 1911s since I was a kid, rebuilding them since my teens, taken classes and worked with really good smiths to learn more about the guts etc. Even with that, I find that over the last few years I rarely shoot a 1911 at all, and when I do, even though I know the system back and front, I am better with a plastic 9mm at everything other than group accuracy out past 25 yards. Sure I love the way the look and feel, I just do question whether they actually provide anything today you can't get elsewhere with less hassle.

Yes, I actually do. I believe ergonomics is the biggest factor. I've put thousands of rounds through mine in practice, which is far more than I've put through any other gun. But I am considerably faster from holstered to first round hit with a 1911 than a glock, S&W M&P, Sig, and anything else I've played with. My split times are faster and my groups smaller.

Could it be purely a familiarity thing? I suppose so. I mean Jerry Miculek used a revolver to put 6 rounds on target, reloaded and put 6 more on target in like 1.8 seconds or something. But I really think it's more than familiarity. It feels more "pointable", natural, comfortable, intuitive. The trigger is a bazillion times better, which definitely aids both grouping and speed. The recoil feels more managed.

It probably boils down to a person's hand size, shape, etc. and personal ergonomic compatibility with the gun. For me, I do the best with a 1911.
 
Yes, I actually do. I believe ergonomics is the biggest factor. I've put thousands of rounds through mine in practice, which is far more than I've put through any other gun. But I am considerably faster from holstered to first round hit with a 1911 than a glock, S&W M&P, Sig, and anything else I've played with. My split times are faster and my groups smaller.

Could it be purely a familiarity thing? I suppose so. I mean Jerry Miculek used a revolver to put 6 rounds on target, reloaded and put 6 more on target in like 1.8 seconds or something. But I really think it's more than familiarity. It feels more "pointable", natural, comfortable, intuitive. The trigger is a bazillion times better, which definitely aids both grouping and speed. The recoil feels more managed.

It probably boils down to a person's hand size, shape, etc. and personal ergonomic compatibility with the gun. For me, I do the best with a 1911.
Interesting. I agree with you 100% on all of the ergonomic issues, and especially the trigger, and cartridge for cartridge I am probably no slower with a 1911 than a Glock, but my 1911s are basically in 45, with a couple of outliers, and I do think I am faster with a 9mm Glock than a 45 1911. Maybe it just feels that way, though. Perhaps more importantly, I am now mainly set up to load 9, though I could switch that around in a couple of hours. Not an issue if ammo was easy to just run down to the store for, but in this day and age... Another one of those things I should probably do that I don't get to.

I do think we all get caught up on capacity, which is kind of a red herring in the civilian world. And also, of course, what makes a 1911 shitty for a team or unit or bigger has no effect on an individual. Perhaps I need to make a New Years Resolution.
 
Thanks for such a thorough reply - great advice and really cool knowledge on the Tripp and Chip McCormick mags. Assuming that this test works with ramped and unramped barrels, as well as calibers that do not end in .45?

The hand cycling test minus the recoil spring works for any caliber 1911 or any semi-auto for that matter. As far a 9mm 1911s go, the only magazine I will run in those is the 9 round Springfield magazine made by Metalform. It is unconventional in that is spaces the shorter 9mm cartridges to the back of the magazine instead of to the front like other 9mm mags. The top front of the magazine tube has a helper feed ramp formed into it. It is the only 9mm 1911 magazine that I have found that reliably feeds hollow points. The hard part about the 9mm cartridge in single stack mags is that the case has a .020" taper to it. That .020" taper per round adds up to a lot of unsupported space under the front of the 5th round on up in the mag. The most common misfeed in a 9mm 1911 is the nearly perpendicular top round nosedive into the feed ramp. By the time you get down to the 5th round or so in the mag, there is less gap under the front of the top round in the mag which prevents the steeper nosedives.
 
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Lots to unpack here......I will multi quote even though its annoying....

Out of curiosity, take a look at your ejector in your particular 1911 frame. If it is an extended one, it may me pivoting the dummy rounds toward the ejection port too early in the slide cycle causing the interference. On top of that, I would certainly hope that the dummy rounds weren't longer than SAAMI spec.

Ive heard some 1911 .45 Commanders being built with a 9mm ejector. With ammo this is 100 percent whether fired brass or clearing a live round. especially so with carry ammo and its truncated hollow point.

Only issue is the Sig brand dummies - nickle case, orange plastic RN bullet.

In tap/rack the dummy is caught on the extractor and the nose gets pushed into the ejection port. A second rack only brings the slide back a small amount and the dummy stays fudged. At that point my default was clear the gun and reload for speed.

Factory ejection ports being lowered and extended is typical for "duty" 1911s.

Thing is though Ive never had this issue with ammo carry or my ball reloads. I can cycle, extract, eject a full magazine and have them all fly free.

My "carry" mindset is escape not be the hero. As long as I dont carry dummy rounds when carrying I wont feel disadvantaged.

You ran a 1911 with the original GI style grip safety instead of the 1911 with the beavertail??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

So confused I would have typed more question marks, but my thumb tired.

Beautiful guns btw

I bought that gun used 2008 or so. Barely used. I think its from the 70s by SN.

My personal touches were to add Trijicons, the checkered/lanyard loop MSH and at the time Midway had all the small parts from the 01918 Colts available so I put on the WWI repro safety, mag release, slide lock, 01918 grips- all checkered rather than striated. Its what John Browning would have presented to Pershing if he wasnt all about "length".

For a time I ran Ivories on it but I put those on a 1968 vintage LW Commander. The LW Commander is beautiful. That one has an ejector issue. It will put a good few pieces of brass dead center in your forehead. I havent got around to it but some stoning of the ejector will fix that one....

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This (the constant fuckery with ejectors, magazines, and other small parts) and a manual safety are the two reasons why I haven't owned a 1911 and never will

Aint nobody got time for that

My polymer CZs (both striker fired and DA/SA) are truly as trouble free and reliable as Glocks.

Thats your choice.

Some guns I buy because they call to my soul. My LW Commander being such. Still needs some work to make it 100 percent but I havent got around to it because it will never be the gun I go to in a bad day.

The guns I do carry are not war weapons either. Seldom do I carry spare rounds and often I carry a J model.

Im lucky not to live in the dystopian world that makes me feel unprepared when I am out and about.

If I really believed I needed more it would be an AR15.

It's not constant fuckery. You set your gun up right on the front end and never have to worry about it again.

I've put about 5600 rounds through my Wilson, and it has had ZERO malfs. I only clean it after every 500 rounds or so, but I've gone to 1000.

That 1911 Commander is in the same class as yours.

I dont know how many rounds I bought it with but I have just under 6000 documented with infrequent use.

It has never given me cause to pause.

If I ever do send it out for work it will get a Beaver tail, front of grip will go 20 LPI checkered, and Ill open the ejection port.

If I opened the safe and had to pick the Oh shit gun it would probably be the S&W M&P duty gun.

Seems constant from many of the threads here, pistol-forum, and benos about 1911s. And even if you're right, I prefer pistols that I don't have to set up right on the front end. I prefer those that come that way from the box.

I can probably dig up a dozen threads in pistol-forum about extractor tension alone.......

Plus the manual safety. That's a deal killer.

I was happy with how natural the manual safety was. I have some muscle memory. The brain knows when the hand is around the 1911 grip the thumb must sweep.

My bigger concern was holstering. I thought of it like the Sig 226 I used to have with a decocker. I played the sound of the old range control over and over in my head "Decock, decock, decock" except substituting "Safety, safety, safety"

A manual safety is not nuclear engineering. Just to get sidewise in your ass I may get a Sig M18 - the USMC chosen low bid option - has a manual safety.

I love 1911s, always have, and always will. THAT BEING SAID, in 2020, there are other options that require much less love and care for the same end-result. I personally view the 1911-style manual thumb safety (the ambidextrous versions) as a feature, not a drawback... especially when carried.

Getting things right on a 1911 on the front-end requires someone who knows what they are doing, and the bankroll to do it... 1911s aren't for everyone...

When we went to weak hand the single side safety was an issue.

That level of class made weak hand a by the numbers drill though. We didnt do any juggling. Instructors had us get a good two hand grip than gave us commands for transferring to a weak hand only grip. I just took the safety off prior to transfer and relied on index finger on frame to prevent bullets going down range.


I've taken some of those same classes you have and I would probably have agreed with you ten or twenty years ago, which is when I took those classes. However, frangible ammunition has become quite common and much cheaper than those days. It's use in training is extremely common today. Thunder Ranch, which didn't require it fifteen years ago, does today. The Sig Academy is considered a top rated school, which I believe even those trainers you mention would likely agree.

Dont ruin it for him....

He has posters of those guys in Moms basement wearing appropriate high speed sunglasses and he likes to look at them, sometimes unclothed, sometimes with his "gun" in hand.

......and those instructors are doing classes now at Sig in various venues around the country.
 
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