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Does Anyone Have a Mil-Spec Springfield Armory 1911?
- Thread starter Kestrel
- Start date
Mine is about three years old
Series 70. Copy of Military 1911A1. No firing pin safety. I don't know what the new ones are made of. I think they have those locks, which you can replace with a regular mainspring housing if you want. I like mine real good, but it's not the most accurate 1911 I own. Built like a tank though.
Regards.
Series 70. Copy of Military 1911A1. No firing pin safety. I don't know what the new ones are made of. I think they have those locks, which you can replace with a regular mainspring housing if you want. I like mine real good, but it's not the most accurate 1911 I own. Built like a tank though.
Regards.
I bought one just to have an example of a traditional 1911. It has never jammed with ball or swc ammo. It hurts very much to shoot as the sharp edges of the traditional grip safety will turn the web of my hand bright red and sometimes blood red in about 50 rounds. The rest of it has some sharp edges as well. I have a long history of bad luck with Colt firearms (except Pythons) which is why I got the SA instead. I am still happy with the purchace but it doesn't get shot a whole lot and maybe thats the problem.
slickpuppy
New member
Yes, and it is no longer a Mil-Spec. When Springfields are good they are very good. When they are bad, they are really, really bad.
Mine started life as a real dog and is now an incredible gun. I did have to spend some coin to get it that way. It is now what a 1911 should be. PLUS, I have the added benefit of an education in these pistols I won't soon forget! Mr. Murphy is truly alive and well.
Friends I shoot with have them that are uncustomized and are very happy with theirs.
I would probably look for something a bit more corrosion resistant for the truck, although the phosphate finish would/should hold up pretty well in that environment.
Mine started life as a real dog and is now an incredible gun. I did have to spend some coin to get it that way. It is now what a 1911 should be. PLUS, I have the added benefit of an education in these pistols I won't soon forget! Mr. Murphy is truly alive and well.
Friends I shoot with have them that are uncustomized and are very happy with theirs.
I would probably look for something a bit more corrosion resistant for the truck, although the phosphate finish would/should hold up pretty well in that environment.
Coop de Ville
New member
SteveW13,
I've had mine just over a year and love it. I had a trigger job (3.75#) McCormick and added an 18.5# recoil spring and shok-buf and an extra power firing pin spring... And wood stocks. Shoots sweet. I carry it most of the time.
For as is it was 100% out of the box, except the trigger was heavy. For a leave in the car gun, why not a Glock? I don't own one, but it seems that it needs little or no lube to run (not that you would want that) and has loose tolerances. Throw it in the glove box and fuggeddaboutit.
If you want an A-1, look also at the colt 1991. I wanted the S-A because it didn't have the pin safety, but for a car piece maybe it's different?
Best, -Coop
I've had mine just over a year and love it. I had a trigger job (3.75#) McCormick and added an 18.5# recoil spring and shok-buf and an extra power firing pin spring... And wood stocks. Shoots sweet. I carry it most of the time.
For as is it was 100% out of the box, except the trigger was heavy. For a leave in the car gun, why not a Glock? I don't own one, but it seems that it needs little or no lube to run (not that you would want that) and has loose tolerances. Throw it in the glove box and fuggeddaboutit.
If you want an A-1, look also at the colt 1991. I wanted the S-A because it didn't have the pin safety, but for a car piece maybe it's different?
Best, -Coop
Love my SA Mil Spec
The first question I guess is why a Mil-Spec 1911? Do you want it for the reliability and stopping power or because you used one in the service or have an emotional connection with the gun your Father or Grandfather might have used?
They are all good, valid reasons but if you want a gun for pure self defense motives there might be other choices to look at.
I have a parkerized SA Mil Spec I bought used three years ago for around $250 and it is exactly what I wanted.
I bought it because I wanted something as close to what I (Vietnam) and my grandfather (WWII) carried for two years in the Army as I could get. This was the most afordable solution.
I know a lot of people like to work, or have work done, on their .45's. I have put over 3,000 rounds through mine, mostly Silvertips and FMJ Fiocchi, and it only jammed on me twice that I can recall. Both times when I tried to use that blunt tipped Win-Clean ammo. (I had the same problem with the Win-Clean in three other semi auto's I have!)
I use mine for home protection and as my over the road carry piece when I have a long road trip. I'm still looking for a decent, affordable cross draw holster to use in the car.
(Personal Editorial Follows)
No criticism implied of others who choose differently but ...
There seems to be a lot of discussion on this board about "out of the box" reiliability and sometimes I wonder how much of the work people have done is really needed to assure reliability and how much is done because they want to fine tune or customize their gun they way some folks do their cars. Sometimes I think there is a direct relationship to how many people tune up their .45's or other guns and how many pages of "equipment" and "upgrades" there are for their particular gun in Brownell's.
I don't have a special trigger job, I haven't replaced the hammer or sights with "combat" grade parts (What the h*** is Combat Grade stuff anyway?), there is enough play between the slide and lower receiver to keep it reliable but not too sloppy, I didn't buy a new match grade bushing etc. I have entirely resisted the temptation to keep playing with what is already a very reliable, well designed firearm. With a couple of high quality McCormick magazines, I know that I can count on it to work every time, the way Mr. Browning intended it to way back when.
I guess I'm saying that if you want a proven design for personal protection the SA Mil-Spec is probably a pretty good choice. It ain't no race gun and you probably won't be shooting 1 inch groups at 50 yards with those mil spec sights, but it sure works when you need it to.
If you get it, get some good magazines, try different ammo until you find stuff that you and your gun like and enjoy yourself. It can even be a lot of fun shooting paper with those tiny little military sights.
DonP.
The first question I guess is why a Mil-Spec 1911? Do you want it for the reliability and stopping power or because you used one in the service or have an emotional connection with the gun your Father or Grandfather might have used?
They are all good, valid reasons but if you want a gun for pure self defense motives there might be other choices to look at.
I have a parkerized SA Mil Spec I bought used three years ago for around $250 and it is exactly what I wanted.
I bought it because I wanted something as close to what I (Vietnam) and my grandfather (WWII) carried for two years in the Army as I could get. This was the most afordable solution.
I know a lot of people like to work, or have work done, on their .45's. I have put over 3,000 rounds through mine, mostly Silvertips and FMJ Fiocchi, and it only jammed on me twice that I can recall. Both times when I tried to use that blunt tipped Win-Clean ammo. (I had the same problem with the Win-Clean in three other semi auto's I have!)
I use mine for home protection and as my over the road carry piece when I have a long road trip. I'm still looking for a decent, affordable cross draw holster to use in the car.
(Personal Editorial Follows)
No criticism implied of others who choose differently but ...
There seems to be a lot of discussion on this board about "out of the box" reiliability and sometimes I wonder how much of the work people have done is really needed to assure reliability and how much is done because they want to fine tune or customize their gun they way some folks do their cars. Sometimes I think there is a direct relationship to how many people tune up their .45's or other guns and how many pages of "equipment" and "upgrades" there are for their particular gun in Brownell's.
I don't have a special trigger job, I haven't replaced the hammer or sights with "combat" grade parts (What the h*** is Combat Grade stuff anyway?), there is enough play between the slide and lower receiver to keep it reliable but not too sloppy, I didn't buy a new match grade bushing etc. I have entirely resisted the temptation to keep playing with what is already a very reliable, well designed firearm. With a couple of high quality McCormick magazines, I know that I can count on it to work every time, the way Mr. Browning intended it to way back when.
I guess I'm saying that if you want a proven design for personal protection the SA Mil-Spec is probably a pretty good choice. It ain't no race gun and you probably won't be shooting 1 inch groups at 50 yards with those mil spec sights, but it sure works when you need it to.
If you get it, get some good magazines, try different ammo until you find stuff that you and your gun like and enjoy yourself. It can even be a lot of fun shooting paper with those tiny little military sights.
DonP.