Shooting the 1911

[Pappy Hayes]

I am looking to purchase a 1911 for my next gun. I have looked at several. I am not planning on shooting it in the Wild Bunch class so I am looking to get a stainless one. My question is how big an issue is the piece that sits over the thumb if it is flat like the original or if it curves up. Not what it is called so I hope you now what I am talking about. I have been told that if it is flat it can bruise the area it sits on if you do a lot of shooting. I am looking at the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec

[St. George]

You're talking about the grip safety.

The tang goes over the web of the firing hand, and unless you're shooting a 'true' M1911, you should have no problem.

The original M1911 had a somewhat shorter tang, and the wider hammer spur 'could' bite the back of the web, as that part of the firing hand web was often raised a little - offering a tempting target.

The post-WWI guns - the M1911A1s - had shorter hammer spurs and longer grip safety tangs - along with an arched mainspring housing to allow for shorter-fingers/smaller handed shooters.

These are the most common designs, today - and have been since the close of WWII.

The key to successful shooting is to have a solid grip.

On a weapon normally configured, a good, tight grip will allow the slide to recoil easily - a loose grip will cause a twisting in the shooting hand and more noticeable felt recoil.

My advice is to try shooting one before you buy, and most public ranges will have some to rent.

Good Luck!

Scouts Out!

[August]

I have been told that if it is flat it can bruise the area it sits on if you do a lot of shooting. I am looking at the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec

Well, first off, the Springfield Mil-Spec is one of the best pistols available in the 1911 type for under $1000.  It is a very good choice because it will work in both Traditional and Modern classes of Wild Bunch shooting.  I know you said you don't intend to shoot Wild Bunch, but we'll keep inviting you until you do!  Only Colt's and Springfield build guns using forged frames.  The Springfield will last a long, long time.

At any rate, you'll find the standard safety on a Mil-Spec to be comfortable and controllable.  No problem!

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[PJ Hardtack]

Another gun you could consider is the Remington R1. I have one and like it. It has the basic mods and is WB legal, as far as I know. Mine came with an acceptable trigger and it's improving with use, despite it's Series '80-type trigger linkage.

As for the grip safety tang .... WAY back in my IPSC days, with the hundreds of RN 230 gr rds we shot, the guys with the big, fleshy  paws used to pad the web of their shooting hand with masking tape as they got either pinched or 'grooved' by the tang. That was long before the current high swept tangs on the impractical 'practical' pistols of today.

[Slowhand Bob]

If it is standard it should be good to go.  The one thing that you might want to check is the grips, some of the colt grips are rubber wrap around and these are not legal.  I replaced the ones on my stainless GC with some two piece Colt brand rubber ones.  I liked the seventies and never had a collet break on one?

[PJ Hardtack]

Wildman

Your 1911 sounds great! But -a NIB, nickel plated, Series '70 is worth bucks to Colt collectors. You might want to think about shooting it. It could finance your way into a high end 1911 that you can beat the hell out of in good conscience.

I had a NIB Series '70 c/w instruction book. It wasn't the gun my Remington R1 is, IMHO. It had a tooth gritting trigger pull and rattled when you shook it.
I swapped it for an excellent S&W 4" M29. I got the better of the deal.

My Series '70 Gold Cup is a horse of another colour - what a Colt 1911 oughta be, accurate, well fitted, utterly reliable. Not WB-legal with it's ambi safety, mag well, mud flap and after market sights. Call it deluxe street carry.

[Pay Dirt Norvelle]

I have a Springfield Mil-Spec in Stainless Steel (along with two other 1911s) and it is great shooting gun.  I think you will really enjoy shooting it.  As someone else said if you have a chance shoot one at a local range.

[St. George]

Those Series 70 autos were made when the UAW bought Colt.

Quality varied wildly, automotive polishing and hand work being somewhat different when working at the River Rouge plant.

I saw collet bushing after collet bushing break off an 'arm' - and once had a Gold Cup that couldn't hit the wall if fired from inside a room.

Standard bushings fixed the collet problem, and trading the Gold Cup fixed that.

Eventually, things settled themselves - I hope this is one of those.

On the other hand, if you have a gun shop owner that 'doesn't' know what he's got and prices off the top of his head - by all means, cherish him, and frequent his place of business often.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Pancho Peacemaker]

I am looking to purchase a 1911 for my next gun. I have looked at several. I am not planning on shooting it in the Wild Bunch class so I am looking to get a stainless one. My question is how big an issue is the piece that sits over the thumb if it is flat like the original or if it curves up. Not what it is called so I hope you now what I am talking about. I have been told that if it is flat it can bruise the area it sits on if you do a lot of shooting. I am looking at the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec

The big curved grip safeties are commonly referred to as "beaver tail safeties".

Bonus:  if you have big, meaty hands, the beaver tail will protect the web of your hands from he hammer biting you while the gun is cycling.

Negative:  the long beaver tail is a pain in your side with most CCW rigs. 


Get a Colt. 

[St. George]

I built combat .45s for a number of years - mostly for concealed carry and IPSC competition.

Did all of the then-popular modifications of the era, and built some 'very' reliable weaons that are still being carried to this day.

The more modifications I did - the closer my own weapon returned to stock configuration.

It's a pre Series 70 - one of the very last 'true' blued commercial Colt Government Models, built in 1969 and bought for carry in SEA.

It now has a flat mainspring housing from the Gold Cup, but fitted with a GI lanyard loop, a GI National Match long aluminum trigger and checkered 'Diamond' walnut grips (unless I want to show off, and use a set of smooth linen ivory micarta etched with my initials and jump wings on the panels).

It's seen the world, and its many inhabitants, been fired in anger and I've never had any problem with it.

'Course, it's a Colt.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Slowhand Bob]

You might try going over to the SASS Wire and posting that question.  There are several there who occasionally post some interesting links and personal opinions on the various 1911s and their clones.  One in particular goes by the moniker Sixgun Shorty, he frequently puts in some links that take it a little beyond being just one mans opinion.  Remember, one very positive or negative experience with a gun can taint an individuals opinion forever and this renders them useless for what you seek.

[St. George]

The Government Model's a fairly simple weapon - so look it over carefully for dishing in the lettering, crispness to the slide serrations,  and overall fit and finish - both on blued weapons and plated - remembering that plating can (and does) mask a lot of sins.

Internally, it's difficult to screw things up, but improperly-polished/beveled feed ramps can be squared away pretty easily, and slide-to-frame fit can be mated up if there's any major discrepancies - and remember - these were built for 230 grain round-nose Ball ammunition, and not the later jacketed hoppowpoint that was to become so popular - thereby necessitating the greater radius on the feed ramp and barrel throat.

The slide should fit the frame snugly without being too tight (unless you're building for target-grade accuracy, then fitting's another matter, entirely) and should operate smoothly.

There are numerous M1911 forums out there - including the Colt Forum - review them.

As to the shop owner - NIB commercial Colts bring serious money, so if he didn't realize that fact before he looked up the serial number...

The fact that he honored his off the top of his head pricing is a good thing for you - again, cherish him.

The UAW would continue to cause QC problems - note the complaints about the Third Generation SAA that you'll see - but by the late '70's, they would produce a workmanlike Government Model.

Enjoy it - and don't 'do' anything before a few hundred rounds have been fired, except to clean it properly.

If you're not overly familiar with the weapon, ask a couple of guys at your range who shoot the National Match Course for pointers.

The Government Model's a somewhat difficult weapon to shoot well - and requires a bit more range time than do some others - but once you figure out the idiocyncracies, and start hitting regularly - it's both fun and quite rewarding to shoot.

Good Luck!

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[St. George]

Look closely at the breech face, where the hole for the firing pin is situated.

If there's a visible ring - about primer-sized - surrounding the hole, then your Colt's been fired.

I'm betting there is.

'Now' you have a shooter...

Put some other grips on it, to keep the originals as close to new as possible - clean it and lube it and start loading magazines.

So long as you don't drop it, throw it, store it in seawater (or Hoppe's #9 - a true enemy of plating) or drag it behind the car - you're not going to hurt it.

Now, holster wear is another thing entirely, as the leather 'will' eventually mark the piece's high points - but normal shooting isn't going to de-value it, so long as you clean it properly.

It's a factory nickel-plated Colt Government Model - something that's not commonly seen, what with the plethora of clones, today - enjoy it and bask in green-eyed envy.

vaya,

Scouts Out!

[St. George]

Figured you'd find that it had been shot...

I use 'Break-Free' - largely because I have a few gallons of the stuff, thanks to Uncle Sam.

On the slide rails and friction or locking areas, I use 'Pro-Gold' a gold-colored lube from 'Pro-Shot' that really likes to stay in place and makes it very easy to clean.

Others have their favorites.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[DeaconKC]

On nickel guns, avoid any cleaner with ammonia. That's the enemy.