Question regarding 1911 style .45'?

E.Williams

I am a little confused on this subject.I see a large number of people saying mil-spec or unaltered 1911 will always shoot and are known for their reliability.Then I see another large group of people saying a 1911 with custom options does nothing but choke.I always was under the impression that added reliability was one of the up-sides of custom work.I feel un-American not ownng a .45 and plan to get one.I have no problem using .45 ball amm if it will always function.I have my eye on a Springfield Mil-Spec.Are the two varying opinions just that or is there merit behind .45's always failing.My grandfather had a old .45 be brought back from Korea with him.I shot it a good bit growing up and dont remember any malfunctions but am not sure.I have gotten off track a little.The main thing I am wondering is a Mil-Spec .45 with fmj or ball ammo about as reliable as a auto-loading pistol gets or are those who dislike the 1911 seeing something some others are missing?Thanks for shedding light.E.Williams

Eric S. Williams

One shot

A mil-spec 1911 is just what it implies. It is built to military specifications. These type of pistols are built to be not only G.I. proof but alo reliable that is why the mil-spec pistol fits a bit looser than a custom auto. I have shot and built a lot of custom 1911's and only ran into problems with ones that were a bit to tight. Another cause for problems are the guns built buy an person with limited knowledge of the mechanics of the 1911 or to much time and not enough know how. I have a 1911 that I built a few years back and would never consider it for personal protection. I built this pistol for target work. The fit is a bit tight and will jam if allowed to get vary dirty. Mil-spec pistols are designed to shrug of dirt as fast as it can get in or so the therory says. If you are looking for personal protection go with the mil-spec or slightly tunned variation. If you want a pistol that will drive tacks go with the custom and with these pistols the sky is the limit. If you opt to go custom make sure you but from a reputable dealer and you will not go wrong.

"This we will defend"

punchie

It really is like asking which is better Chevy or Ford. People are passionate with their views on 1911s and there really is no definitive answer. One Shot gave some very good advise on mil-spec guns in general.

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Der Gebirgsjager

I like what One Shot has to say, and don't find too much to disagree with. For absolute reliability a mil-spec 1911 with the 230 gr. full metal jacket ammo (hardball) is hard to beat. You will probably find, however, that it will not function reliably with some hollow point ammo because the blunt noses of the bullets will not slide up the feed ramp, or will jam against the rear of the barrel. This is not a problem with the rounded nose of the hardball ammo. The cure is relatively easy; polish the feed ramp and throat the rear of the chamber to facilitate entry of the blunt nosed bullets. You should have the job done by a gunsmith who has done the task before. The next common source of problems can be magazines. Many have been made by many makers and not all are good. Fortunately the standard 7 round variey doesn't cost too much, and you can wade through them until you acquire enough for your purposes that function well. The brand name mags tend to be pricey, but are usually always good. Handle your magazines with care, and if you drop them be sure to inspect the feed lips for deformities. Given a polish-throat job and good magazines a mil-spec 1911 is very reliable. I have to differ a little about accurate vs. reliable in that this is exactly what Kimber and some other custom makers have sought to achieve, and have been very successful in doing. I have nothing against the Springfield and have sold them to customers, but were I you I would look at the Kimber line. You will find them to be very reliable and probably with more accuracy than you can use.