The Prodigal Springfield Returns

G

George Hill

Staff Alumnus
Fed Ex just dropped it off.
The gun just looks sexy. The black slide over the stainless frame... this is my favorite look for the 1911. I should have got that in the first place.
Anyways - to the details... cycling the slide reveals that they didn't do a damned thing to smooth that out like I asked. It's just a rough as before. In fact - it feels like all they did was drop in new parts and put in a heavier spring.
I noticed a few things about these new parts: 1. The barrel is a single machined part and not the normal 2-piece barrel that came with my gun in the first place. 2. The barrel fits TIGHT into the slide - when inserting and removing the barrel from the slide it is a little tricky because it is so tight. 3. There is ZERO play in the barrel to slide fit. Zero. When the slide is in battery there is zero play and there is zero rattle... anywhere. I can't go and say this is Match Grade anything - but I have fired a few match grade 1911s from some big named makers and this feels like just like that. In fact it reminds me of an Ed Brown gun I fired. Accuracy in this gun should be better than before... but I wont hold my breath. I just hope its functional.
This is essentially a new gun now, so it will require a new break in period of 500 rounds. This will be tested in just a few hours.
 
I'll be at RANGEMASTERS at 2:30 today if you want to check it out...
Along with a prototype G-Code shoulder rig set up... Oops! I wasn't supposed to say that.

Quetion - Are the new "Loaded" model 1911A1s shipping with a 1 piece barrel and a stainless steel bushing? I ask this because that is want I have now... before I had a 2 piece barrel and an aluminium bushing. These new components are very high quality and fit together very well. This thing locks up like a vault... Just like my TRP did. Seriously. There is ZERO rattle when you shake it... before I had a very small amount... but it was still there. Along with a little bit of play in the slide. They may not have polished anything on the action - but they must have fitted it by hand.
 
I'm impressed with the accuracy. It went in as 3" gun and came back as a 1.5" gun. I didn't need the accuracy tweeked but I can't complain about it... :D

The issue about reliability was indeed fixed. I fired 100 rounds of FMJ's with out a hitch... and this included using the bad magazine that I just happened to send in with the gun.

Nice.

Uh Oh... Problem. The REAR SIGHT shot loose again! What the heck is wrong with Springfield and these danged Novak sights?
Also - I am not impressed with the finish. The sides are polished nice, but the top is different... whatever it is, it got marked all to hell from the ejected cases and those marks are not wanting to come off. Why not? Because these are not scuff with leavings from the case - they are looking like actual damage to the finish. Like rock chips on paint. This gun is going to look like dog vomit within 2000 rounds.

For a working gun - over all, everything is fine. The rear sight was nothing more than tightening the little screw and cosmetics are not important to me... much.

More thoughts on this later.
 
Put a little Lock-tite on that set-screw George, A dab'll do ya.;)

Get yourself some touch-up paint for those brass chips.:p
 
Hey George-

Maybe not everyone is familiar with the original problem.
IIRC, there was a crack on a stainless slide?
Did they send you back the same slide? Another; stainless or carbon?
Details, man!;)
 
No... the original issue was a sharp increase in the instances of failures. This was something that I was unable to sort out. I was 95% thinking about sending it in. THEN I come across those 5 cases of Stainless Steel slides breaking. One even broke here in Utah down at Rangemasters or so they have said.
That was the clincher. It got sent back pronto. 34 days later I got it back. The stainless slide was replaced with a blued carbon steel slide. (The other wasn't returned)
I sent the gun in with a note detailing the failures requesting that the slide rails be polished as well that the throat.
Then I noted these cases of breaking slides and requested another slide be swapped.
They did everything other than polishing the rails. The slide still feels rough when cycling it by hand, but it works.
I'll get some digital pics taken and post them up...
 
No... haven't fired it again yet. :(
I'll take it out again for shooting this weekend maybe.
I have however been wearing it all day in a new shoulder rig.
This is a G-Code shoulder rig prototype that I will be evaluating for the maker. I wore it all day and showed the gun off to a few people... Got a lot of "Ooohhhs and Aaaahhhhs" about the Gun and the Rig. I wont publish a review of the rig because this is just a prototype... but overall, it's very promising. Especially for the targeted price range! I've had worse that cost more than twice as much... I've had better too... but they cost twice as much as well.

I think this gun is worthy of some further investments... Ashley Outdoors "Express" sights will go on it for sure now. My poor eyes can no longer do justice to the 1911's ability. I'm going to have to have the action smoothed up and get a trigger job.
I don't know what the deal is with Springfield Government and Commander sized guns... they have this spot during the cycling that is just putting on the breaks. It can't be the little safety device in there is it? And what the heck is with them scratching that number into every part? On the slide and under the rear sight... That is annoying. Anyways, that little catch point makes assembly and take down more difficult than needed. Also, I think I am going to go ahead and get the front strap checkered too. Take off the finger grooves (Pearce Modular under wood) and maybe go with some new grips. I'm thinking Mad Dog's

Dang, I wish I had a digital camera!
 
Dang, I wish I had a digital camera!
Click to expand...
Dang we wished you had a digital camera! Not bad enough to buy you one..but bad enough to want to see some pics:p

That stinks about your finish being marked up by ejected casings. There aren't many things in this world that make me cringe like a scratch on a brand new finish! But I'm glad things are making some progress with your weapon.

Good Shooting
RED
 
Dang, makes me want to go buy a digital camera for you. But then again, I've already seen it. :p

Guys, it looks really cool. I thought the finger grooves were comfortable. But then again, that's my opinion.'

We'll have to go out and put another 100 rounds through it.
 
Yup... This time lets bring a few other too... Trekker, IdaMatt, Ken, Aarron, Ben, RandyS... Make it a TFL Gathering too!

You know... A Digital Camera could be an Onsite Consultants tax write off...
 
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