GSG 1911 Fit and Finish

[ambishooter]

2 co-workers just purchased brand new GSG 1911s. After at least 500 rds on the 1st, and close to 1000 rds on the 2nd, finish seems to be holding up. Specifically on the slide stop area and the whole slide in particular, this is a definite improvement from the previous gens. Another point of comparison, the slide fit seems to be a little tighter. The one with about 1000 rds seems to have passed the break-in point. Just a few FTFs and FTEs using Win 555. The other with under 500 rds still suffers about 20% FTFs and FTEs witht the slide feeling to be still tight. I even cleaned whatever white grease remaining and re-lubed heavily. Runs a little better, but needs to be lubed vigorously, to a near point where oil will drip into the frame. One major improvement was the return of the one-piece all steel guide rod. Finally, they made a move to correct the biggest hiccup of this pistol.

I hope they can improve on the type of material used on the slide. Their frame holds up to the purpose. But the wear on the rails on the slide is still a factor that can be improved with better material. I am sure customers will not mind a slight price increase with better material.

 

[Blue Line]

GSG is constantly listening to our feedback on what is happening in the market and we are all working to keep improving all of our products at all times. I have found that using a dry lube has been the best on my own GSG as using a lot of wet lubricant has caused failures. Please let us know if the other gun continues to have failures and we will see what we can do to solve it.


Best regards,
Ryan Patterson
Blue Line Team

 

[ambishooter]

Thank you for your quick reply Ryan. I am happy to see that GSG and Blueline continue supporting customers regarding continuous improvement. The all-steel guide rod is definitely a plus. No more broken guide rod between 300-1000 rds. Though not a big issue, I also noticed that the tapered recoil spring is also back. One suggestion, the small hex-head screw that holds the barrel sits a little short against the barrel. Maybe, you can suggest GSG to make it at least 2 mm longer. Or as much as the thread of the barrel can take. This way, you can get the maximum holding capacity of the crew without over-stressing the threaded portion. I believe the original is an M3 X 10. I was able to fit an M3 X 12 on mine. More threads to hold up against the barrel and less chances of wild shots due to a loosened barrel. Do you think there is a way for GSG to redesign the frame so as not to require this screw anymore? Colt and Browning and the rest of 1911 conversion kits does not require a barrel retaining screw. Also, reinforce the portion of the slide that has a cut for the Slide Stop. Being aluminum against a steel Slide Stop, this wears out a lot quick. Mine has seen around 3500 rds and it looks badly worn out. I have so lightly grind the sharp edge of the slide stop to minimize the wear around the area.