Any problems with officer model 1911s

[NorthBorder]

Are there any inherent problems with 3.5" 1911s in general? Specifically, in 9mm. Years ago I had a Officers Model 45ACP ( I think it was a Colt) that tended to lock back with rounds still in the magazine. I think I just did a little grinding on the slide stop and that fixed it. However, with such a short recoil do you see any regular problems with function?
Thanx

 

[9mmepiphany]

I've only owned a couple in .45ACP. Both were Colt OACP, one LW and the other blued. Never had the issue with it locking back with rounds still in the magazine, but have heard of the problem being caused by the shooter not riding the thumb safety.

I've only heard of two consistent issue concerning OACP sized 1911s.
1. Small operating window due to the short recoil spring tunnel/barrel....need to frequently change the recoil spring assembly
2. The recoil spring plug launching itself downrange as the retaining lug shears...change to a reverse plug.

If you're looking for a reliable OACP sized 9mm 1911, it might be easier to look at a Springfield EMP

 

[trackskippy]

Ive owned a couple of 1911's that were shorter than Commander length over the years, and all of them were finicky to downright annoying as far as function goes.

I personally wouldn't go below a Commander-length gun. Depending on what youre buying, just getting the full sized guns to run right can be annoying and frustrating.

The only sorta Officer sized gun Ive owned was a Kimber Ultra Carry, and it never once made it through a mag without a stoppage. It sure was pretty though.

The shorter guns also seem to have a rather short RSA life too. That Kimbers was ridiculously short, and they werent cheap either.

 

[9mmepiphany]

The only sorta Officer sized gun Ive owned was a Kimber Ultra Carry, and it never once made it through a mag without a stoppage. It sure was pretty though.

The 3" barrel of the Ultra Carry was way too short for reliable function.

Interesting side note: The engineers at Colt wanted the barrel of the OACP to be 3.75" for reliable function, but the marketing guys wanted it at 3.5" to be consistent with the .75" difference between the GM and the Commander models (5" vs. 4.25")

 

[tarosean]

I wont own a 1911 with a barrel under 4"

 

[.455_Hunter]

My 3" Springfield Armory Microcompact GI was a reliability disaster.

 

[Boarhunter]

I have a Kimber Ultra CDP in 45 and a Colt Defender in 9mm, and both are completely reliable.

BOARHUNTER

 

[TomJ]

I have a Dan Wesson Eco that's been very reliable. The only issue I've had with it is that it doesn't like my light reloads, which other guns I have are fine with. I also have an EDC X9S and Staccato C2 which have never had an issue. I know they're not true 1911's, but they're close.

 

[DDDWho]

When I first got this Kimber 9 MM the only load that would work the action was 147 grain. So I fed it a steady diet of 147 grain until it would cycle all weights. It has became my favorite gun of all time. I would feel safe carrying it into a bar deep in the bowls of the inner city

 

[Balrog]

I wont own a 1911 with a barrel under 4"

Me neither. I think the further from 5" you get, the more likely you are to have problems.

 

[DDDWho]

I wont own a 1911 with a barrel under 4"

Of the 5 1911s I have the rest are 5 inch which are right on the edge of too big and heavy to carry. The Kimber is a joy to carry and has not hiccuped in the last five years. I will never part with it.

 

[BlankRow]

I don't know if there is anything inherently unreliable about them, but my experience was not great. I have a Colt Defender in .45 acp that had every issue you could imagine. I sent it back a few times, but Colt did the absolute minimum to attempt to fix some of the issues and ignored the rest.

However, I was able to get it to work reliably after I put a lot of work into it, and now it's great. So it is doable, but the experience definitely soured me on Colt as a brand.

 

[12Bravo20]

I have a Rock Island Armory Compact 1911 with a 3.5" barrel and it has been super reliable for me. The RIA does not use a barrel bushing, instead the barrel is coned at the muzzle. The only time I have had any problems were due to some knockoff Colt magazines.

 

[Balrog]

Of the 5 1911s I have the rest are 5 inch which are right on the edge of too big and heavy to carry. The Kimber is a joy to carry and has not hiccuped in the last five years. I will never part with it.

I would not part with it either. It is rare. I think the point people are making is that if you compare 5" to 3" 1911s, there will be a higher percentage of reliable 5" than 3".

 

[Balrog]

1911s have been my favored autos for most of my life. But the concept of short barreled 1911s was more relevant 10 years ago. Prior to the development of thin 9mm autos, such as the G43 and Sig P365, a 3" 1911 was one of the more concealable autos in an adequate caliber that was readily available. Now that the micro compacts are available in 9mm, and with the improvement of 9mm ammo, there are more reliable, and more concealable, guns for concealed carry.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

3.5" 1911s are well known for being ammo-sensitive and intolerant of limp-wristing. They look cool, but are a hard pass for me.

 

[rperyam]

I wont own a 1911 with a barrel under 4"

Me neither. I think the further from 5" you get, the more likely you are to have problems.

I never understand why people make comments like these. The OP asked a question. If you don’t actually have any experience with the firearm that the question was about, why are you taking up space in this thread? Adding to your message count must be the only reason.

I have a 3 inch Springfield EMP in 9MM and love it. Never had any problems. Usually fire 124 grain RMR Nukes reloads, but all reloaded ammo has worked well for me.

 

[Balrog]

3.5" 1911s are well known for being ammo-sensitive and intolerant of limp-wristing. They look cool, but are a hard pass for me.

I never understand why people make comments like these. The OP asked a question. If you don’t actually have any experience with the firearm that the question was about, why are you taking up space in this thread? Adding to your message count must be the only reason.

I have a 3 inch Springfield EMP in 9MM and love it. Never had any problems. Usually fire 124 grain RMR Nukes reloads, but all reloaded ammo has worked well for me.

I actually have experience with 3", 3.5". 4", and 4.25" 1911s. Have owned many over the last 30 years. As a group, they were not as reliable as 5" 1911s. Sometimes you will get one that is reliable, most times they have not been. How many 3" 1911s have you owned?

I am not trying to get into an argument about it. If you disagree that is OK. Just relating what my personal experience has been, which is what the original post was asking..

 

[mavracer]

My 1991A1 compact has been super reliable

 

[CapnMac]

In Officer's I have an OEM Colt

I have some time with the AMT version of the size, too. All in 45acp. I have had no issues with my Colt.

Now, getting one in 9x19 raises some questions for me.
Mostly in that you can get smaller:

That's a SIG 365X atop my Officer's. It's not quite 10mm shorter in the slide (about the difference between the XL and the X).

That does not mean I have not looked twice (or three times) at the RIA or TISAS in the Officer's size, and in both 45acp and 9x19

Now, I have more than a passing familiarity with the 1911 manual of arms, so operating one, in any of the sizes, is pretty much second nature. But the 365 is far more an EDC than the Officer's.

Your Mileage May Vary

 

[Walkalong]

@1911Tuner once said something like this.......3" 1911s are kind of like little redheaded girls, when they are good, they are really good, but when they're bad, they're really, really, bad.

This one is really really good. It has never failed. That said, the room for error with short 1911s is sizable.

 

[12Bravo20]

Yes a 1911 with a barrel shorter than 4 inches can definitely be more finicky than one with a 4 inch or longer barrel. There is no denying that fact. And that is also why you normally see a cone shaped barrel on the compact 1911's since that has been proven to be more reliable than a standard barrel bushing on such short 1911 pistols.

That being said. there are a few of us here than own 3' or 3.5" 1911's that have proven to be very reliable. I have no problem trusting my 3.5" RIA Compact 1911 as my daily carry pistol and still carry it now and then.

Unfortunately when someone does a negative review of a firearm, that information spreads like wild fire and gets passed around like it is gospel. For those that have not actually shot a 1911 with a 3 or 3.5 inch barrel, I suggest that you go try a few before passing judgement. For those that have shot short 1911's and have had bad experiences,I can fully understand your misgivings about them. But as with everything mechanical, there are good and bad products.

 

[9mmepiphany]

@1911Tuner once said something like this.......3" 1911s are kind of like little redheaded girls, when they are good, they are really good, but when they're bad, they're really, really, bad.

That reflects my experience exactly.

While my Colt LW OACP never bobbled, I know enough that did to cause me to worry a bit. Enough worry that I often chose to carry a Star PD instead.

In 9mm the Springfield EMP generally avoids most issue which plague the shorty .45ACP pistols...having been correctly overall downsized. The issue with early EMP models were chambers that were at SAAMI minimum and ejectors that weren't staked in...both issues easily corrected by a return to the mothership

 

[JDeere]

I had issues with Officer size in .45 using hp ammo. Ruger SR officer size in 9mm runs like a champ...

 

[tarosean]

I never understand why people make comments like these. The OP asked a question. If you don’t actually have any experience with the firearm that the question was about, why are you taking up space in this thread? Adding to your message count must be the only reason.

I have a 3 inch Springfield EMP in 9MM and love it.

You don’t see the irony in your post do you?
You think I am a hater with no experience. However, you do not wonder why SA went through the efforts/expense of making a proprietary "scaled down" version of a 1911?