My first 1911,a Springfield Armory.Whats your" first 1911."

Is that a Mil-Spec? I got a SA Mil-Spec a few months ago - love it. It's now thoroughly broke in and has home protection duty (the intended purpose of having it). It is my third 1911.

I got my first in October 1984 - a Colt 'Series 80'. I still have it. Over the decades, I put a whole bunch of rounds through it. So now it's in a well-deserved state of "light duty". It has a 12lb recoil spring in it and only shoots very light lead ammo.
 
Milsurp Remington Rand slide with something else for the frame. Current one is a Colt Series 70. Paid about $350Cdn for it, 30 some years ago.
 
My first 1911,a Springfield Armory.Whats your" first 1911."
Click to expand...

Rock Island GI, bought last year. Doesn't look a whole lot different than yours. No serious problems.

Back in 1999, I used money my brother sent me, to buy him a Springfield Loaded. He was in Japan at the time, and I had custody until he moved back to the United State. No problems with that either. It's looking a bit beat now, which is not a problem by me.
 
The Springfield 1911 can be a good building block providing you purchase one that has a frame that the serial # begins with the letters NM. those are forged steel frame and slides
the rest are investment cast, not a good choice. All of SA 1911 are full of MIM parts, with the exception of the professional model. I know many of you are going to that MIM parts have improved to the point to where it is not an issue anymore. I have been building full house custom 1911s for over 40 yrs and i do know what im talking about, MIMis not and never will
be up to snuff compared to metal like tool steel or forged steel. if you wish to believe that then thats your call, but MIM lacks the structure of quality steel. MIM is just metal particles
bonded togather by in laymans terms glue or bonding agents which ever you want to call it.
In my maany years of building 1911s i hve seen these parts fail too many times
 
MIM lacks the structure of quality steel. MIM is just metal particles
bonded togather by in laymans terms glue or bonding agents which ever you want to call it.
In my maany years of building 1911s i hve seen these parts fail too many times
Click to expand...

Wow! Hope they don't use MIM in really critical applications like an airplane or rocket.

(He says, knowing that MIM has been used in the aerospace industry since 1979. The first applications being a flap screw in the Boeing 707 and 727, and the thrust chamber on a Rocketdyne rocket motor.)

The only reason binders are used is to hold the metal particles in suspension to be injected into the mold. The binders do not hold the particles together in the finished part.

Most all of the binders are removed as part of the process. This is called ""debinding" and turns the part from a "green part" to "brown part."

The brown part is then sintered in an oven, a process that can take up to 20 hours. Depending upon the metal and entire MIM process, metal densities of 96 - 99% can be achieved.
 
Last edited:
Springfield cast frame is made in Brazil, its stamped on the bottom of the frame, however i havce heard springfield closed down the brazil plant due to poor workmanship. And yes most
production guns today come with MIM parts, but that does not make it right. one good thing about the 1911 there are plenty of custom parts avalible. C&S are the internal parts i use for all custom builds, those are the very best. FYI HK does not use MIM parts
 
Springfield cast frame is made in Brazil, its stamped on the bottom of the frame, however i havce heard springfield closed down the brazil plant due to poor workmanship.
Click to expand...

The Brazilian company that made the frames for Springfield was Indústria de Material Bélico do Brasil (IMBEL). IMBEL is a Brazilian state company created in 1975 by the Brazilian government through Law No. 6227.

The full IMBEL name translates to "War Material Industry of Brazil." They produce a number of firearms for the Brazilian armed forces.

It is not possible that Springfield "closed down the Brazilian plant" since IMBEL is state-owned, and part of the Brazilian military complex.

Springfield simply contracted with IMBEL for the frames as IMBEL makes the IMBEL Pistola 9 M973 Semi-Automatic Pistol - a licensed copy of the Colt M1911A1.
 
Last edited:
The Springfield 1911 can be a good building block providing you purchase one that has a frame that the serial # begins with the letters NM. those are forged steel frame and slides
the rest are investment cast, not a good choice.
Click to expand...

There are no cast Springfield 1911s, other than the hi-caps, and only the later production of those.
The guns with NM serials were finish-machined in the U.S. and so have no "made in Brazil" markings, but they were all made from Imbel forgings until Springfield severed their relationship with Imbel a couple of years ago.
I've seen a picture of fractured Springfield slide that someone claimed was evidence of casting, but Springfield has always claimed their guns are forged, and they are priced like forged.

"Every Springfield 1911 begins with a forged frame and slide as the foundation for a true custom-quality pistol. In addition, Springfield forged frames and slides are hardened in the tradition of John Browning's discriminating specifications. While some of today's 1911 manufacturers use investment castings or non-standard specifications when producing their components, Springfield's commitment to quality remains absolutely stringent, as does its dedication to the grand and honored tradition of the 1911 "
 
FYI HK does not use MIM parts
Click to expand...

Except for:

USP extractors are MIM and the P2000, P2000SK, HK45, HK45C, and P30 all have MIM slide stops. There may be other MIM parts I'm unaware of.

So, you've been wrong about MIM being metal particles held together with glue, bonding agents, "or whatever you want to call it."

Springfield closing a plant in Brazil.

HK not using MIM parts in their firearms.

Care to take another swing at the MIM boogeyman there slugger?
 
T he Brazil Springfield were investment cast. This info came directly from
Springfields Custom Shop, not from the internet chat line.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top