1911

A

Adam_MA

Joined
May 2, 2005
Messages
9,133
Likes
110
Feedback: 6 / 0 / 0
Hey everyone..
Quick thanks to John. I got my 2 new locks in the other day!

Now that I have 2 new locks, I need to get something to lock up with them. I am thinking of a 1911 but I am at somewhat confused now. There are sooooo many of them out there, but not that many for us poor saps here in MA. I was at FS the other day and checked out a couple of them. I liked the way the SW1911 feels in my hand, but they all feel pretty close. The only one that had much different of a feel was the Scandium model.

So now I'm here asking you folks what you recommend. I would like to stay somewhere around $700 give or take, but would like to get something that is nice and I will be happy with for a while.


Thanks in advance
Adam
 
You can find a Mark IV for about 700 if you look around.

And (you know this is coming) Para Ordnance makes a pretty good 1911 style for about that if you look as well. Some double stack, some single stack.

And yes Tony, you are correct.
 
Adam, IIRC you are meeting with Jim Conway this weekend, right? Sorry that I won't get to meet you there, but we have other plans this Sunday.

If so, reserve opinion until you try out his S&W 1911 or one of the many 1911s that Howie will have there. :) That's how Jim sucked me into buying one! :D

I almost guarantee you that if you get the S&W 1911 you'll have no regrets!

Almost everyone at the Randy Cain and Jim Crews courses was using 1911s and the vast majority were S&W.
 
Len,
I haven't finalized the plans for this Sunday but I will be calling Jim sometime today to get directions and such. Thanks for the info, I will be sure to ask some questions and see if I can try out one of the S&W models.

Thanks
Adam
 
Tony,
You think you are confused... Imagine living in this hell hole. The reason most manufactures will not go through the MA certification is because it is unclear and rather unrealistic what is required of them. Here is a quote from Springfield.
"WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF GOING THROUGH THE MASSACHUSETTS CERTIFICATION PROCESS because the laws and regulations are not clear".

For some info about what we can't buy here take a look at this site.
http://www.fsguns.com/fsg_information.html

Adam
 
Adam, you can't go wrong with the SW1911.. My only concern was that I have small hands and that the grip would be too big but the more I shot with it, the better it feels. I find it very confortable, I got the stainless model and it's a beauty.
 
WOW, I was going to recommend building one with an Essex Frame, but they're not on the list. I've got less than $300 in mine. Of course, the frame and slide I got from my father (new frame, and the slide was a military NM by Colt, never fitted).
 
You're not going to find any frames on the list, because they're frames, not guns. Just to make our lives even more confusing than they already are, the federal and Massachusetts definitions of what constitutes a firearm are also completely different. The Feds focus on certain key components (frames, receivers) which, even in isolation constitute "firearms". Mass, OTOH, uses a purly functional definition, based on the ability to fire a projectile; as such, those parts by themselves aren't considered firearms.

Thus, assuming that you could find a dealer in Massachusetts who was completely clear on the regs, he could sell you a frame or receiver withing any consideration of the Mass "safe" gun laws or AG regulations, and without filing any state paperwork, since he wouldn't be selling you a firearm from the state's point of view. :? Of course he'd have to do all the federal paperwork, since from their perspective you'd be purchasing a firearm. :?:?

Once you had the receiver or frame, you could build it up yourself without any consideration of the AG regulations or the EOPS list, since they only apply to dealers, not to individual owners. Unfortunately, the chances of finding a Mass dealer willing to risk the expense they might incur by walking that fine line is somewhere between slim and none.

Massachusetts gun laws are a lot like quantum mechanics as Heisenberg once described it. If it makes sense, then you obviously don't understand it.

Ken
 
The nice thing about the S&W (and the new Sig versions for that matter) are the external extractors and the slightly different sear/hammer engagement.

In a tradional 1911, these are notorious weak points.

The extractor is tradionally a small metal arm inside the slide that uses torsional strength to hold against the rim of a cartrdge. By making the extractor an 'external' style (ie, you can see it when the gun is closed up) it is stronger and better able to fit around a case rim if you close the slide on a chambered round.

As for the sear/hammer interface, the issue revoves around the mass of the trigger in the standard design. If oyu allow a slide to slam closed on an empty chanber and are not chambering a round, the abrupt slam causes the gun to jerk forward ever so slightly. Well, the tradional trigger has enough mass that it does not pull forward as easily. The net result is a slight pull of the trigger. Eventually, given enough of this play, (which happens a lot in training classes which is how I found out about this issue) youc an wear the sear/hammer interface to the point that the hammer will begin to follow the slide and drop into the half cock position. I have heard that the geometry in the S&W pistol is different enough to prevent this from happening.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my Les Baer 1911. But those S&W models do a great job of mixing the best of the old and the new. And the Mecgar magazines that S&W use seem to be just as reliable as the Wilson or Brown magazines. (and at a much better price point)

About the only issue I've seen with the S&W 1911 is a failure to fire if you ride the safety. I'd have to ask the IDPA shooter I saw have this problem for the exact sequence of events, but it was the way his grip on the gun interfaced with the safety that was causing the problem. I've seen quite a few shooters use the S&W 1911, so I know that it is unique to his grip and not a failure of the gun.

Be sure to check the fit. These days, there are all kinds of 1911 fitting options. Short and long triggers, ridged vs. flat mainspring housings, a host of various safety profiles and sizes, and even mag release and slide lock extensions to allow you an easier reach. I've even seen slimmed grips and millwork around the trigger guard for those with smaller hands.

Chris
 
Well then, I suggest building your own, after buying an Essex frame. I've done one, they're work to do, but not overly hard.

A couple of things you'll want done for you on the build.

The good news is that I can probably put the Manuals on the server, like I did the other Manuals.
 
Adam, directions can't be any simpler!

Rte. 3 North (for most of us) to X34. Get off exit and take a right, second driveway on right is Tyngsboro Sportsmen's Club. Drive all the way to the rear (on right side) and you'll see Jim and the guys on the outdoor pistol range. Club parking lot is actually on Westford Rd. (I think that is the name of it), no driving up a dirt road. People driving by can actually see the range if there aren't too many cars there.
 
Thanks Len.. I talked to Jim a little while ago, and I should be there on Sunday. Do you usually shoot with him on Sundays?

Adam
 
Adam, it is a long haul so I get up there only occasionally.

I am trying to get there each Sunday between our classes (next one is 7/15) but we'll be having company here on Sunday so this week is out. I was there last Sunday and expect to be there on 7/10.
 

Similar threads

Subcompact 1911 in 9mm
2
Replies
45
Views
986
Tartakovsky
Tartakovsky
Rock Island 1911 9mm
Replies
13
Views
468
powerman
powerman
1911 rifle.
Replies
22
Views
603
T-Unit
T
1836 to 1911 What a difference 75 years made.
2
Replies
54
Views
1K
tuna
tuna
MA Compliant 9MM 1911 w/ 5" barrel (That isn't discontinued)
Replies
21
Views
637
Saltydog
S
Back
Top Bottom