Why Not Colt?

[Old Guy]

They are rare as hens teeth around here but my next 1911 will be a Ruger SR 1911. It is 100% made in America, is really tight for a production gun, and is stainless. It also is about $629.00 plus tax which is more affordable than many of the other names listed in this thread. Warranty and customers service is also superb. Just my 2 cents.

[Caneman]

Bought a new Colt Gov 1991 45acp a few months ago... excited to shoot it out of the box... after the first 100 rounds the slide bound up and i had to send it back to Colt to get it fixed... cost me $30 shipping to Colt, and 4 weeks later the gun came back repaired... now the OEM magazines don't work very well, they load 4 rounds then the spring won't push up the rounds... I did some research and found out the magazines are outsourced by Colt and not made by their employees, so I have had to buy a Wilson mag so the gun can fire at full capacity...

Overall, I am glad I have the gun... It shoots really well, feels good in the hand, and carries well at my side... I decided that I might only own one 1911 in my life, and if I did it would be the original... however, i would not buy another Colt if I was fortunate enough to get another 1911...

[hogger129]

Originally Posted by Caneman

Bought a new Colt Gov 1991 45acp a few months ago... excited to shoot it out of the box... after the first 100 rounds the slide bound up and i had to send it back to Colt to get it fixed... cost me $30 shipping to Colt, and 4 weeks later the gun came back repaired... now the OEM magazines don't work very well, they load 4 rounds then the spring won't push up the rounds... I did some research and found out the magazines are outsourced by Colt and not made by their employees, so I have had to buy a Wilson mag so the gun can fire at full capacity...

Overall, I am glad I have the gun... It shoots really well, feels good in the hand, and carries well at my side... I decided that I might only own one 1911 in my life, and if I did it would be the original... however, i would not buy another Colt if I was fortunate enough to get another 1911...

Look at the Metalform brand magazines as well. They sell stainless 8-round .45 ones on MidwayUSA and if I remember correctly they cost $19.99, and they have em with the low-profile bumper pad and a regular bumper pad. Or you can get the blued ones w/o the bumper pad for $17.99.

I use em in my Springfield and have had nothing but success. Fully supported follower in em too.

Wilson's I think are ~$35.

[Bigbill]

Here's my true story;

In the 70's i purchased a nib colt combat commander that had nothing but feeding problems. I got rid of it. In the 80's I purchased a colt 1911 gov model that also had cycling problems in nickel and i sold that one too. In 1990 i purchased a new SA series 90 and it jammed 1rd per 8rd mag. I had it in the safe for all these many years growing roots.

A few years ago i purchased a used norinco 1911(chinese) and it was going to be my last 1911 if it didn't function. Well the norc showed me what all the 1911 hype is all about. What a dependable shooter it is. Soon after I purchased every DVD i could get my hands on to learn how to tweek, tune and repair the 1911 to keep them running.

My first task was to change the barrel bushing and barrel on my norc. I fitted a new sportsmans guide $59 surp-lus GI barrel and a CDNN $12 national match IAI barrel bushing. My norc even with a tad loose slide shoots 1 clover leaf per 8rd mag now. Since then i ramped the disconnector and added the flgr with 18# recoil spring. My point is my $300 norc with its forged frame and slide is one of my best 1911's now.

After doing all this work and still hammering the dvd's i took out my 1990 nib SA and tuned the extractor. I purchased all the extractor tools from Brownells. My 90's SA functions awesome now.

Seeing now that i can fix the small stuff and get them running i wanted another new 1911. In 2005 i purchased the new Auto-Ordnance army 1911 WW2 model in 45acp for $389. Right out of the box this new 1911 has been flawless for well over 500rds now. Since i was torn between the new AO and the new '05 SA GI Mil-spec as it was called at the time i went back abd purchased the new SA GI Mil-spec too for $424 too. I recently shot the new '05 SA too and its flawless right out of the box too using wold 45acp ball fmj ammo.

My point is if were going to shoot 1911's we better know how to repair the small stuff too. The dvd's surely helped me. My norinco is almost a race 1911 the way it functions/cycles now. I'm glad i never gave up on the 1911. Bill

BTW; On every new 1911 i first clean it and lube it with moly. First i polish the feed ramps and take the finish off the ramps and polish them. I also install the FLGR & 18# recoil spring in all my 1911's too. Then there ready to test fire. For extra mags i get the chip mckormic 8rd mags.

My next new 1911 will be the thompson custom 1911 in 45acp in stainless 5'' barrel.

Lets not forget every colt and every Springer 1911 has a forged frame & slide.

[Hawg]

Originally Posted by Shooter45

Hawg, you still haven't answered my question.

Tell me about your experiences with SWC or HP ammo problems in a 1911.

Mine have always fired them all out of the box with no problems. Am I just lucky or something ?? Teach me something if I'm wrong.

I forgot about this thread, been in and out of the hospital. I've had two NIB 70 series and a new 80 series. None of them would feed a full mag of SWC's or HP's without work on the feed ramp. The mags weren't the problem. Once the feed ramp was polished and the barrel throated they would run. I'm not really knocking Colt but they are overpriced and IMHO can't be depended on to run straight out of the box with anything other than hardball.


As far as cast frames go, there's nothing wrong with cast. Ruger has used cast frames from day one. I wouldn't want to build a 460 Rowland on one but I don't want a 460 Rowland anyway.

[JLA]

The .460 rowland will beat the hell out of any 1911 frame you put it in. Its simply too damn much pressure for the design.

Save it for the ARs.

[Taroman]

Colt?
I know they used to make 1911s.
They still do?
Cannot remember the last time I saw a new one in a gun store.

[H-D]

Originally Posted by Taroman

Colt?
I know they used to make 1911s.
They still do?
Cannot remember the last time I saw a new one in a gun store.

I saw one today a new stainless commander! wish i had 900 bucks to spare

[Inthewind1976]

Big Bill - good info and your a man after my own heart - I have a very old Auto Ord Govt Model and have pretty much done or had done everything you listed for your Norinco, and I prefer the McCormick Shooting Star 8's too. These days, and for MANY years, my AO sports a flat mainspring hosing, polished feed ramp and throated chamber on a VN era GI barrel, with a match bushing, long link, FLGR, 18# spring, and a ShokBuff. I love it, and while I would own 100 1911's if I could afford em, my old AO isnt going ANYWHERE.

[jrprich]

Originally Posted by hansom

Colts are great if you just want to collect Guns, they are 100% American made

So is the Ruger SR1911

[ignats]

Originally Posted by JLA

The .460 rowland will beat the hell out of any 1911 frame you put it in. Its simply too damn much pressure for the design.

Save it for the ARs.

.460 Rowland 40,000 psi, 10mm 37,500. I have a Colt Delta Elite chambered in 10mm and while I haven't shot it a great deal, I haven't had any problems nor have I heard any. I also have a .460 Rowland conversion set which includes barrel with compensator attached, recoil spring with guide and plug. I had it in a Springfield Armory slide and frame for a number of years. I wouldn't and didn't fire it a great deal, as I have my pistols chambered in 45 ACP but again, I haven't had any problems nor have I heard of any. The conversion set was made by Clark who as I'm sure you know is one of the premier gunsmiths in the U.S. The instructions go into great detail regarding the installation and ammo to be used. The reloading data keeps pressures in the 32,000 to 39,200 range.

Here is a cut and paste regarding the 460 Rowland conversion:

The increase in slide velocity over a standard .45 ACP, or even a .45 Super round, cannot be properly controlled with an increase in recoil spring rate alone. Autoloaders properly converted to fire the mighty .460 Rowland Cartridge require a compensator or a ported barrel to insure reliable, long lasting, operation. This fact not withstanding, there continues to be customer demand for a "Stock-Looking" .460 Rowland Conversion; however, any effort to answer this demand is thus-far not supported by the Inventor. Mr. Rowland still maintains that a properly designed .460 Rowland Conversion requires an effective compensator to momentarily delay slide action until the very high pressures developed by his cartridge dissipate to more manageable levels. Without this compensation, slide or frame failure will result over time and reliability will suffer in the short term. [Citation; Mr. Johnny Ray Rowland

[jrprich]

Why Not a Colt? PRICE

I would love to own a Colt but their prices around here in the PNW are just so far from reasonable. So I bought a Ruger SR1911........it is a great 1911.

[Gun Geezer]

There was a day when most American products that contained American steel were arguably second only to German or Swedish steel. Sometime, take a ride through Gary, Ind. or other former steel producing areas of this country.

All guns may work adequately when new but what happens after yrs. of use and high round counts? I expect to buy a gun and keep it for a lifetime. Nothing seems to last more than a few yrs. these days, no matter how much you pay.

[Bigbill]

Owning two non functioning new colt 1911's in the 70's & 80's drove me to purchase every gunsmith 1911 dvd. I figure it was time to learn how to make them function. I did finally fix my 1990 SA NIB series 90 1 stove pipe per mag, it was the extractor that needed tuning. I did also build my norinco 1911 too. I'm just loooking at colts right now but still gun shy a tad. I think that colt is missing the lower end of the market price wise by not offering an affordable GI model.($500 to $600 price range)

My new '05 auto-ordnace army WW2 copy $389 and my new '05 springfield armory GI-MilSpec model $424 seem to run ammo flawlessly right out of the box. The new AO is up to 500rds now. The SA has a forged frame and slide and the new AO is investment casted 4140HT steel. The quality of the 4140HT steel isn't shabby at all.

Sorry for posting twice but i'm happy i can fix the 1911's now.

[jstanfield103]

Well I am new to the world of 1911, I bought a Taurus PT1911SS. I Love this gun. I could not afford a Colt or a S&W at the time. I will buy another 1911 and it will be an American made one this time ( S&W or a Colt Probably the Colt in SS), but I can't imagine it running any better than my Taurus.

S&W 645
S&W BG380
S&W Model 41
S&W Shield 9mm
Dan Wesson 15-2 (Canadian Made)
Savage Mark II (also Canadian made)
1964 Marlin 39A Golden Mountie
NAA Pug
Taurus PT1911SS ( Brazilian Made)

[jedwil]

I have never been much of a pistol shot. And I never liked the 1911 when I served. I did get reaquainted recently and am becoming a fan, Got me a Citadel and am thrilled. I 'm thinking the argument here is the old thing about ego and money.