I able to force the slide forward enough to drop the magazine, which then allowed enough slide movement to eject the round & resolve the issue.I figured it either a faulty round or maybe the spring in that magazine was getting weak, so I retired the mag & picked up some fresh, top shelf ammo for my next range session. Kimber is a well-known firearms manufacturer with a large line of 1911 pistols. Now, as an academic, he combines his love of firearms and knowledge of history to write for firearms blogs and is still a frequent sight at the local range. 1911s: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. New SW sc seems like a good gun but have not fired often. Nowadays, I shoot on my own property (I own 1100 acres), but back in Cali, I did get some comments from the friends at the range regarding this Chinese crap. Atomic bombs do.I dumped my last 1911 27 years ago and havent touched one since. Plus, our review of the Taurus PT 1911 will give you a different perspective. It is available in .45 (8 rounds),10mm, 9mm (10 rounds), and .38 super. When I first got it the sear spring wasnt properly tuned and the grip safety just flopped around. Sold it for $900 to one of my knowledgeable repeat customers. So, the question then develops which 1911 should I choose? The biggest factor you need to consider is budget. I am not a smith, and can barely spell 1911, so take this with a sip of bourbon. At that price, and with the problems commonly reported by owners, they are a poor value for the money. However, if you are willing to put in the extra effort, a 1911 can be an incredibly enjoyable firearm to own and shoot. The best Govt model pistol I ever owned was one I built from Randall SS parts, with a coned and ramped barrel. Northern Industrial Corporation, also known as Norinco, is a Chinese state-owned defense corporation known for its manufacturing of civil and military products. More on that later. That is why the date of production of the Norinco 1911 can be a real issue. In this section, we will give you the factors you should give consideration before making a decision on the 1911s. Dont let the name fool you, this is also made inthe Philippines but its extremely accurate and reliable. Mike is retired and currently lives in rural Virginia with his wife Steffi, who he met in Europe on one of his many overseas trips. 1911s, however, are a different creature. But, before you do, make sure to check out these numerous disadvantages of a Kimber 1911 ; Now, there are all the issues that make a gun unreliable, unsafe, and inaccurate. BARGAIN! 1911 pistols durability is due to the lack of fasteners except for some grip screws. Locks up tight and scary accurate. It is versatile, available for tactical and practical application, and its whole design and performance are based on the traditional M1911. 1911 Brands To Avoid. For generations, the 1911 pistol has been on the side of the American military and law enforcement thanks to its versatility, excellent performance in self-defense as well as target-shooting, and of course, the old-school, straightforward design. Your emails are safe with us. Other 1911 Manufacturers. Sights vary by model, with the Scorpius and Dawn models featuring Tru-Glo TFX Pro Day Night sights with an orange front ring. Not only can you buy the Kimber Custom in .45 ACP, but it's also available in .38 Super, 9mm Luger, 10mm AUTO, and even .40 S&W. )I just picked up for $320 is amazing for the price. This pistol requires a bit of strength to use effectively asthe trigger is pretty stiff. Runs like crap through a goose. It does not wander too far away from the original WWII piece, with a crisp trigger, dovetailed rear and front sights, and checkered double-diamond walnut grips. Impressive accuracy and sturdiness. The only downside could be the fact that it uses seven rounds of mags instead of 8. It served as the standard-issue sidearm for the United States Armed Forces from 1911 to 1985. It was my first pistol. Not sure why firearms were singled out since we import practically everything else from China, but they were. TheSA mil-speccomes with an original 1911 short trigger and a GI style thumb and grip safety, as well as a GI hammer. Get a basic no fills gun. Avoid: Taurus (QA hell) Kimber (Not worth the price) Consider (non inclusive list): RIA (cheaper) Springfield Armory. Not the options someone else recommended or told you that you needed but the ones your shooting the basic platform showed you that you needed. The 32/40 Cartridge History, Specs, and Uses. Flame suite has been dawned. Colt, for example, figuratively shot themselves in the foot with a sketchy series 70 and 80 gun that was less than stellar. The 1911 pistol, if carried as a every day carry, takes more dedication to training with it. kc.crawford.7 wrote: Better for bullseye, not really. I was impressed. No such luck4 rounds in, the slide jammed in the exact same way, and continued to do so every 4-5 rounds. (;-{). I'd get a Colt right now. In a striker-fired world, the 1911 requires a little more training because it has an external safety. Anyone posting in this one needs to put in the flame suit before posting. Many of them make decent guns that are fun to shoot. The sheet metal is chemically treated but not primed. Springfield Armory produces several different models of 1911 pistol, including the Range Officer Elite Champion Compact model and the XD series of polymer-framed handguns chambered for .45 ACP cartridges featuring double-action/single-action (DA/SA) triggers. It was 30 years before 1911. But like most others at their core they are good guns. For some, it still sets the standard today. Starting with WWI, Remington also got a license to produce it along with other Canadian and local companies. MSRP went up to $1299. It can be used immediately, with no breaking-in period required. As you can see, with this section, we have placed heavy emphasis on finding the features that matter to you most. Ideally, you would simply buy two of them to have a set of spare parts, but the idea of taking what was supposed to be a cheap 1911 and turning it into an expensive project gun just isnt appealing.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'americangunfacts_com-leader-2','ezslot_4',186,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-americangunfacts_com-leader-2-0'); Now, if the import sanctions get lifted and Norinco is willing to service and import new 1911s, then, perhaps, theyd earn their way off of this list. To be fair, a lot of 1911s are finicky with blunt-nosed or hollow-point bullets, as the edges can catch feed ramps. So, without further ado, lets get started! However, if the looks are all that matters, then you might as well go for a Kimber. The TV series Miami Vice contributed to the sex appeal and hype of this tiny jewel. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. As much as I dislike the Taurus PT, its a distant second to how big a POS the Warthog was. It can be used immediately, with no breaking-in period required. When you buy a 1911, youre looking to get a reliable, accurate, and hard-hitting unit, that also looks good. There were no shortage of veterans and law enforcement officers with an extensive history on the 1911. For example, Canadians love the M305, which is a Norinco copy of the M14, which they designed by reverse engineering captured American m14s from the Vietnam war. I have 1911 pistols by Colt, Springfield Armory, Ruger, Kimber, and S&W that all function reliably with good ammo and good magazines. Until the simpler, lighter, higher capacity Glock G19 came along Rock Island Armory, not to be confused with the US Government Rock Island Arsenal, is owned by Armscor. I loaded my Wilson 47 magazines with seven rounds of 230 Winchester .45 ACP with one round in the pipe and the thumb safety engaged. The 1911 pistol is a classic firearm that has been around for over 100 years and continues to be popular among gun enthusiasts today. Its as close as one can come to the GI spec A1 as possible. Quaker State Q Motor Oil. Our first overseas insurgency. By investing your money in a Kimber 1922, chances are youd be better off throwing away the money. Some of the other, major disadvantages of this Chinese replica of 1911 include; Norinco 1911 isnt worthy of your money and time. As a gunsmith specialising in PRACTICAL pistols, and as an IpSC competitor of the old school warrior tradition ( NOT a gamesman) I fell in Love with the Det CM. In the early 2000-2012 is put over 400k rounds down range. Another issue frequently reported with Kimber pistols is poor reliability. This is where opinions begin to fly. Stoeger Condor Review Best Over And Under Shotgun? Last updated: January 9, 2023 | Stay Home Take Care. We will finish with a buyers guide to help you make the perfect decision. Choose from our wide range of firearms courses available and find a local firearms course today! Take some time to figure out what these are, and then read through our guide to decide. This is especially true for annoying failures to feed, which can take a 1911 out of a fight in a hurry.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'americangunfacts_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_1',178,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-americangunfacts_com-large-mobile-banner-1-0'); Overall, Rock Island is one of those companies that use a name to claim a heritage that isnt quite accurate: between that and some of the quality issues, we cannot recommend them to people as more than an occasional range toy. You do not have to break the bank going full custom but should not make saving a few dollars your prime consideration when choosing a pistol. Still, these guns also tend to be more expensive and difficult to find in stock at local gun stores due to their popularity among consumers. So by settling on an ideal price point, have an idea of the types of features you are actually willing to pay for. So there you have it, the 4 words 1911 brands that you should not buy. For you the buyer, this creates both an array of opportunities and a headache to select the best piece of metal for your money. They also come in a variety of calibers, ranging from .38 up to .45 (there are others, but those are uncommon, for instance, the .50GI ). Everything on it is interchangeable with Colt parts (except grip bushings of course). You can expect minor flaws, but they still score high in reliability and can act as a trustworthy partner for self-defense. Do yourself a favor and take that clunker down to the nearest auto wrecking yard with one of those big-*ss shredders that turn old cars into confetti and throw the worthless P.O.S in it. By this time its obvious that I rely on Glocks. I personally have an issue with that. You would think that if there was a major problem, it would have come out. $1,836.00 $1,529.99. My last one was an Enhanced Commander, which I upgraded with coned barrel no bushing required), captured recoil spring plug, and the other usual mods, using top quality US bits. I have a Colt MKIV, Ruger SR1911, and a Springfield Mil-spec all sub 1k and all run like they should. The 1911 is a gun with a distinguished heritage that dates back over 100 years. It's an award-winning brand. It was free, its tough as nails (way tougher to be exact! They create unique, hand-crafted, custom-made 1911s. I got mine used, with 3 double stack magazines, for $400 Can. That opened the field up for everyone to manufacture 1911s who wanted to. The 1911's reputation for reliability has resulted in the gun being copied by manufacturers worldwide. Llama Firearms was a Spanish arms manufacturing company that was established in 1904. But, for a modern gun-owner, there is simply too much this pistol lacks, and too much that youd have to compensate. The model employed by the military comes with a grip safety and a manual safety, while commercial models also include a firing pin safety. Fast handling? This is a bit more refined take on the classic 1911, which is simply incredible for the price. Designed by Armscor, the pistol follows the lines of the original WWII patent carefully. During their liquidation sale, I lucked into some of their remaining parts at dime on the dollar prices. Now, this is a pistol built to last you a lifetime. The fit and finish isn't as nice as other brands, of course, but I've heard good things and would consider buying one myself if I were in the market for a budget 1911. Total cost for all the bits and pieces, for a full custom practical carry .45 Commander, without labor, was about $600. We will start with a history and general outline of this type of pistol. Rock Island Armory (ria) Gi 1911 Pistol - Cheapest Choice. 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