Having trouble...standard 1911 or Double Stack

N

Nightcrawler

New member
Okay, in previous threads, I said I was contemplating a 9mm, and decided that IF I get a 9x19, it'll be a CZ-85B.

Okay, so now I'm contemplating a .45. There are a bunch of 'em out there. But, for this thread, let's talk 1911s.

The first, and to date, only pistol I ever owned was a Charles Daly 4" 1911 I bought from a friend of mine and had for less than a year. It was a jam-o-mattic, even with hardball ammunition. The guide rod BROKE after about 600 rounds, sealing the slide forward. Other people have had better luck with CD's, though, so I think I just had a lemon. It happens.

Anyway, if I want a run-of-the-mill single stack 1911, that's no problem. My local dealer is an authorized, stocking Kimber dealer, and he always seems to have some Colts or Springfields in there too.

Now, in a 1911, I NEED and ambi saftey. All CD's have 'em right out of the box, but apparently you need to pay a hundred dollars extra for "major manufacturers" to bother to make a saftey I can use (are you listening, Spingfield?) In case I really like a gun that lacks an Ambi saftey, and just purchase the saftey lever seperate, how hard is it to install? Could I do it myself? What tools are required?

Now, if I want both .45ACP and more than 10 rounds of capacity out of a 1911, my choices are more limited. I thought about an STI, but according to them, Pre-Ban magazines are nigh-impossible to find, and the guns themselves are almost $2,000. (Although, from their parts page, they sell magazine bodies, floorplates, spings and followers, so you could quite easily just build your own friggin' magazines, if you don't mind violating a federal law in the process :rolleyes: ).

That leaves the Para-Ordnance. Most of the stuff I've heard about the P-14-45 is good, with a few lemons. 14 round magazines are pricey at ninety dollars each, but still cheaper than a new, pre-ban, drop free, non-castrated Glock magazine.

Why would I even want a double stack 1911? Well, I generally like capacity in my guns. I really do. I could settle for just 10+1 if I wanted (and get a USP45, and excellent gun, though it seems to be hard to find them with left-handed controls), but maybe I WANT 14+1. Nyah! LOL

So, I'm torn. In a single stack 1911, I get the following benefits:

-Magazines are EVERYWHERE.
-A nice, slender grip that fits my hand nice.
-American Tradition.

Out of a P-14-45?

-Almost double the capacity in the same sized gun (with a slightly fatter grip)
-Even if I run out of 14 round magazines, the 10 rounders still hold two more than most single stack mags (exept the ones that protrude from the grip)


So, I guess I'll have to see. Given the choice, I'd go with the Para-Ord, (probably the P14/45 Limited, Stainless Finish), but I'd like to know it's a quality firearm first.
 
Another option, if I want a 10 round gun, is the Wilson KZ-45. It seems to be the only Wilson that's reasonably within my price range (at just over a thousand dollars), and I hear Wilson's are top of the line, supported by top of the line service.

Something else to consider, I suppose, though for less money I could get the USP45.

Oh, yeah, about the wanting the more capacity. Like I said, it's really a want, more than a "need" I feel. The standard 7+1 capacity 1911 was good enough for our soliders for 80 years, including:

-Tunnel rats in Vietnam, who carried them into the tunnels with no other weapons.
-Delta Force, right up until the early 90s.

I just thought about a point of consideration on the 1911 single stack. Like I said, the mags are everywhere. That's good, that way I won't care if I lose one, or it gets damaged, or something like that. (I'd go nuts if something happened to and disabled a $90.00 pre-ban 14 round magazine.)
 
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1) If ten rounds plus is a must carry 2 7 round magazines :D

2) Maybe 1911 isn't the way to go. You might be a Glock, CZ, or other .45ACP pistol purchaser?
 
Doesn't Chip McCormick make a 10 round single stack mag? Sure it sticks out of the grip a little, but not at all ugly & it keeps all your options open...;)
If I were to get another 1911, I get a Colt & build up :) then buy some 8 round Wilson mags & maybe a 10 rounder if I were so inclined :cool:
 
Stick with a single stack. My first 1911 was an early ParaOrdnance P14. It sits in the safe. I carry my Kimbers.

Perhaps the POs have improved in quality since I got mine, but I've had several issues with the P14. First, after a couple thousand rounds, the hammer started following the slide down. Had to have the hammer and sear replaced. The sights suck, and I don't like the profile of the safety. Doesn't have a beavertail grip safety either (resulting in two marks in the web of my hand from the sharp edges of the safety). The double-stack grip frame results in a blockier grip that doesn't feel as natural in my hand as a single stack.

Get yourself an entry level Kimber. You can send it off to a gunsmith (or to the Kimber Custom Shop) and have an ambi safety installed for short dollars. If you want other work done (e.g., night sights), you can have it done at the same time.

M1911
 
I've tried several of the Chip McCormick 10 round magazines, and have had feeding problems. Since 7 and 8 round magazines feed flawlessly, I think the magazines are at fault.

I have found Para-Ordnance magazines for $60.

I have nothing against the standard seven round magazines, and uses those and eight round magazines for reliability.

One thought on tunnel rats. If you kill the bg in front of you, you should have time to reload. Those tunnels were very constricted, and it would not be a fast thing to go around a dead body.
 
I once owned a P-14 Para. I also had hammer follow with the original parts and had to replace them. Overall the gun was nice, but when IPSC shooting it actually slowed me down because the fat grip was harder to get a good purchase on. The whole reason why I went double-stack was to save time on reloads, but it turns out overall I did worse because of the draw time and inability to control a gun that felt like a baseball bat in my hand. I subsequently sold the Para and have never had a need for another one. Get a Kimber, or else get a Colt and spend the $75 or so to have an ambi safety fitted. BTW there's a reason why they cost more than a CD. I think you discovered it.
 
"-A nice, slender grip that fits my hand nice. "

Nightcrawler,
Stick with fit. Fit is paramount. Ignoring proper fit to gain capacity is the most common purchasing mistake, imo. And not just among newbies, either.

The best of both worlds can apparently be found in the Wilson's KZ line. If you don't mind polymer, that is.

Let us know what you decide on.
 
Hmm. You guys are right. If I were to get a 1911, I'd probably get a Kimber and get the Ambi saftey. As for the Wilson...it's nice, you know, and Wilson has great customer service, but for less money I could get a USP45, which has the same capacity (actually it'd increase to 12+1 if the AW ban dies), fits my hand just as well, and is strong enough to handle .45 Super loads straight out of the box. It doesn't have an ambi saftey, but since it's got a decocker, I wouldn't have to carry it locked & cocked anyway, so the position of the saftey doesn't matter.

One of the things I actually really like about the 1911s is how they fit my hand. I had a Mec-Gar 10 round magazine that actually worked just fine (or at least, as well as any mag worked in the POS I used to own).
 
The P14.45 Limited is the way to go, if you go with a widebody. They have a better trigger from the start than the standard P14.45.
 
I had a PO P-12 last year.The grip was shorter but the butt of the grip stuck out too much for concealed carry in an IWB holster.I think widebody 1911's have their place in competition but not really for CCW's.
 
...get a Kalishnikov or a shotgun...

If you "need" all that ammo,

Better off with a rifle or shotgun...don't waste yer' time on a pistol... ;)
 
OH ME OH MY

Get 1911 from Rock River and skip the Wilson.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND having ambi done by pro!

Or best (for you, maybe) get the USP you want (but you'll need some patience to order the variation you desire).

Skip the Para unless you have more money.................

(See, if I was you which I ain't I'd get the CZ97 and carry it hammer down on loaded chamber so I wouldn't have to worry about flippin safeties....but that's just me like I said.)
 
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