New to 1911s - need expert opinions

[v65magnafan]

I have a new Para SSP (single stack 5" ramped barrel).

It has fired and cycled flawlessly for its first several hundred rounds.

The story is that most US spec. ops. guys use 1911s. If they were intrincically unreliable....

 

[foxbat]

I have a new Para SSP (single stack 5" ramped barrel).

It has fired and cycled flawlessly for its first several hundred rounds.

The story is that most US spec. ops. guys use 1911s. If they were intrincically unreliable....

All of their guns have been 'massaged', and they use ball ammo...just as the original specification....
Operators who have been involved in actual combat appreciate the better 'stopping power' of .45ACP ball ammo, versus 9MM ball ammo....thus the preference for the 1911(45ACP).

 

[v65magnafan]

Well, I use ball ammo. And I guess Para massages their guns.

 

[t-star]

i can distinctly remember seeing a u.s. marine armorer's "menu" on improving the reliability of the 1911a1- it involves detail stripping to the frame and replacing parts,then hand honing certain parts- when it's done, the thing is about as far from an "issue" 1911 as you can get- very close to what the top end gunsmiths do when and if you leave them a blank check

 

[Silverado]

My Kimber feeds all manner of lead and jacketed ball, and hollow points, but it will not eat Winclean, or any other round with a flat nose or TC shape. Not at all; stoppages every mag.

I have recently started reloading progressively for this, and all my handloads feed and fire perfectly as well.

I hardly clean the gun, so it's not a cleaning issue. Just try different ammo.

 

[KevinB]

All of their guns have been 'massaged', and they use ball ammo...just as the original specification....
Operators who have been involved in actual combat appreciate the better 'stopping power' of .45ACP ball ammo, versus 9MM ball ammo....thus the preference for the 1911(45ACP).

Actually I get .45 JHP off them -- so they ain't using ball...

Lets have people stay within their lanes.

 

[TheFrenchCanadian]

A 1911 is a very reliable pistol...when manufactured to JMB's original specs. This means a 5" barrel, traditional recoil spring, non-ramped barrel, and .45ACP...

I must respectfully disagree, capp325. 9mm versions can be just as reliable as 45ACP.

It seems to be true, though, that there are many un-reliable 1911's out there (in both 9mm and 45ACP)...

Just buy a Norinco NP-29. Cheap and feeds everything including JHPs flawlessly, out of the box.

You read my mind geologist!! That's exactly what I was thinking as I read this thread.

Picked one up a couple of months ago and it's been the best low budget handgun I've ever bought! Eats any bullet shape at any weight, and groups very well...

TFC

 

[NAA]

Just buy a Norinco NP-29. Cheap and feeds everything including JHPs flawlessly, out of the box.

I gotta agree with that one, too. Recently acquired my first NP-29 and I am very impressed... every 1911 collections should have a Norc NP-29 in it [and one of the new generation Norc compact .45's, too]....

 

[USP]

Interesting comments about the m1911 pistol being unreliable.
COMPLETELY FALSE!!!
The fellows who have trouble with their m1911s are blaming the gun where in most cases it is the operator or what the operator is feeding the gun.
In over 35 years of competitive shooting, in Bullseye, Speed pistol, Action Pistol, PPC, and steel challenge the M1911 45 acp pistol is without doubt the most consistantly reliable gun on the range.
Bear in mind what the M1911 design was built for...the 45 ACP...not 38 super, 9mm or any of the 40 cals. The engineering was based on the 45. As soon as manufacturers started messing with a proven concept there are problems. I don't fault ayone for shoting a lighter caliber in a 1911, but do not paint the entire design as being unreliable if your gun doesn't work whe shooting zombies.
My own 45 compensated 1911 would feed empty cartdige cases with ease and rarely failed on the firing line. The gun would print consistant 2' groups and 25 yards fired with one hand.

OK, it is not as "###y and Racy" as a Sig or "Tupperware" Glock...which by the way I have watched guys battle with on the firing line many times...but it will keep on shooting when the rest have long since fallen apart.

Cheers

A 1911 is good and mostly reliable to ball ammo only...anything else youll need some gunsmithing to get it to work right. Ive always owned them and like them alot.. but I wouldnt cal them reliable right out of the box

 

[tootall]

After reading the article in the CSSA magazine about the Norinco Commander, I am now thinking of getting one.
Good to hear others saying good things about the Norcs also.
Who else has a Norinco 1911 here? Any opinions?

 

[geologist]

My NP-29 is as reliable as my G17 Gen3. Just load and shoot.

 

[Vic]

I use to have the similar problem, too. It seems to me it comes from whole design of Ranger II. To prove that, I used the same JHP ammo and magazines which caused jams in Ranger-II, in my Targetmaster 9mm. 50 shots: no problems at all.
I got rid of problem, reloading LRN 124 gr bullets with 3.6 gr. of Titegroup, making OAL 1.09...1.1". Or, 4gr of TG for 115 plated RN bullets, same OAL. The most important thing is to keep the length as short as possible with good crimping.
Good luck.

 

[jjackman]

You're near Lethbridge aren't you? If so, drop me a PM and we'll go to the range and work out some kinks. I had similar problems with my first 1911.

Jassen

After ONLY ever owning HK centre-fire semi-auto pistols, I finally purchased my first 1911: an STI Ranger II 9mm.

I put 200 rounds through it last night, and I was VERY impressed with the accuracy. I shot more accurately with this gun than with any HK I've owned (and I've owned them all). However, I was not impressed with the reliability. I had about 5 misfeeds in the 200 rounds. 4 happened with one of the mags and 1 happened with the other mag. Essentially, the bullet was jamming up on the feed ramp and in a couple of cases the entire round stovepiped. Also there was one instance where the hammer did not #### after the shot (i.e. the slide did not retract far enough, after the shot, to #### the hammer).

I was shooting 147 grain, FMJ, winchester white box. Are these sorts of failures common with the 1911 platform? Perhaps the squared-off bullets of the 147 grain round aren't ideal for the 1911? Or, perhaps the higher velocity, higher energy of the 115 grain round would cycle the slide better, thereby increasing reliability? Any advice appreciated.