dickydalton
Member
Never one problem for more than a decade!
Any problems with officer model 1911s
- Thread starter NorthBorder
- Start date
I like to use a parking lot analogy a 3 or 3.5" 1911 is like having the rows close together and makes the required path to park your full size (45 acp) pickup to be more precise. Trading for a compact pickup (9mm) makes parking easier.
shoobe01
Member
This is why the PD was popular for a while. The Officer's Model was a bit of a latecomer (mid 80s) but there had been a series of 1911 clone subcompacts and Colt didn't make a big dent in the reliability front (plus, the Star was aluminum!).
I have seen dozens of subcompacts since the late 80s, and can also vouch for (on average, yes!) the below-4" on the 1911 platform is a recipe for unreliability all the way to catastrophic parts breakage. Tarosean is by no means the first to say out loud that buying a 1911 below 4" is a mistake.
THAT SAID: This is for direct copies of the Colt Model O (1911). Things that are reminiscent of it or reworked or re-scaled, or just otherwise are totally different guns may or may not have issues with small size. The Star Classic-Era pistols simply are not 1911 clones. The EMP and EDC are also effectively new guns and the re-scaling changing things (length is less important than the ratio in sizes).
One tip for all very small guns: Get all the slide travel you can.
- Do not add aftermarket buffers as they reduce slide travel so slide speed (and thus momentum) when it is doing work. Longer guns get more movement of the slide before it gets to the next cartridge in the magazine, etc.
- Do not /ever/ use the slide "release" but always pull the side to the rear to release; I have seen vast numbers of stops on load from this mistake.
Charlie98
Member
+1
When I went out to buy my first Kimber, back about 20 years ago, I intended to buy a ~3" carry piece, but my brother talked some sense into me... and I compromised. Walked out with a 4" Kimber Pro Eclipse II instead... and have been in love with 4" 1911's ever since. There are some tricky things with even the 4" 1911's... no barrel bushing, you need a takedown pin to hold the recoil spring, and the short action... but they are nothing compared to the 3" 1911's. To pharaphrase the comment above... 'either they work really well, or they really don't.'
As an aside, I decided I was missing something by not having a 5" standard 1911... so I picked up another Kimber. While it's a nice pistol, it feels like a boat oar compared to my 2 4" 1911's. It languishes at the back of the safe.
If I were to be in the market for a 3" 9mm 1911'ish pistol, I would look at one of the scaled 9mm 1911's, like the EMP, or even the Kimber KDS9C... or for that matter, the Browning HiPower (et al.)
Charlie98
Member
Oddly enough, Kahr specifically says to use the slide release to chamber their pistols, and not to drop the slide by hand.
Not odd at all as that advise is to address a completely different issue.
The issue that Kahr's directive is addressing has to do with their short frames and tight springs. Many owners are not correctly stabilizing the frame when pulling back on the slide to clear the slide stop. That compromises the travel of the slide as the frame travels forward as rearward tension is released. If an user could stabilize the frame, you could easily release the slide by pulling it to the rear
Charlie98
Member
FWIW, I've got a pretty firm grip on reality... and I've had success with either method, but the slide stop is the easiest. I'm just not sure what shoobe was driving at with his comment, it doesn't really make sense.
As mine did.
kevincallahan
Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2006
- Messages
- 65
I bought new and carried a Colt Compact as my work gun from 1989 thru retirement in 2012. I did have it tuned up a bit, replaced the trigger and a few other parts. It has never failed to fire the countless training classes and qualifications. Over the years working for new bosses, sometimes forced me to change it out for a Glock 23 for about 4 years, and once again while assigned a task force job had to carry a double action weapon, picked a smith 457, for a couple of years. But always had my Colt as backup/off duty. Still carry it some today.
shoobe01
Member
I will have to read up on that as I have had a Kahr P9 as my Smaller Carry Gun for... a hell of a long time. 15 years? Anyway, always slingshot that (even easier now with the RDS as handle!) and I have absolutely seen others hate on Kahr because of stoppages at loading. Mine is 100% reliable and... not when someone uses the slide stop as a release. Hmm...
shoobe01
Member
First: from a survey I did to prove this out on a relevant-to-design thread on another forum a few years back, most gun makers refer to that lever as a slide STOP, and most of those will pointedly say somewhere or other it is actually not a slide RELEASE. Some of those do make slide releases, for competition variants, and they are not just extended etc but engage with different angles etc.
The overall thing is by no means my invention, has been discussed by gunsmiths, gun designers and other RKIs: the bolt or slide (similar issues occur for some rifles) has limited energy to do things. On some rifles or SMGs you can lower the bolt onto a cartridge in the magazine and it Will Not Load. The spring force on the bolt will not overcome the friction between the cartridge and feed lips.
What overcomes this as part of the designed feeding cycle is momentum. The bolt/slide gets a running start. Now, if you haven't noticed, go get any firearm that locks open after the last shot, and notice how the hold-open lever leaves the bolt significantly forward of the maximum rearward position. Pulling the slide to the rear gives it the maximum momentum to load reliably. Loading from slide release gives less momentum.
I have seen dozens of guns myself (and heard others discuss this at length, have had instructors see such a failure and tell the whole class to gather around, so it's common AFAIK) that would shoot reliably, but load at something like 10% reliability from slide stop. A gun that cannot be loaded reduces confidence, a gun that cannot be reloaded can get you killed. That's it. A way to improve the overall system reliability.
Further to the subcompacts: The recoil systems almost inherently mean less slide travel than their full sized parents. They almost always have less slide mass, so the same distance (say, from slide stop) is less momentum. Etc.
(Same for the buffer comment. Do not get in the way of slide travel).
JTQ
Member
That's an excellent point. If you look at a 1911 you'll notice the serrations/checkering/texturing are all on the lower part of the slide stop to help you push it up into the lock position. Oh, wait ...
whatnickname
Member
Well, I’ve had several. They are well made. They are ammunition sensitive. Also magazine sensitive. They have a tendency to stop running when they get slightly dirty. Had to thoroughly clean mine about every 25 rounds. Some will only run with ball ammo. The slide spring is heavy and may require two grown men and a small boy to cycle the slide. Other than that, no problems whatsoever!
Ranger99
Member
The only problem with my Colt OACP
is that the ree-rees set in almost immediately after selling it instead
of on down the road as with other
guns that went to new homes
is that the ree-rees set in almost immediately after selling it instead
of on down the road as with other
guns that went to new homes
Rock185
Member
FWIW, I knew two men with Colt .45 ACP Officer/Compact models. Both displayed reliability issues with all ammo tried, even factory 230 gain ball. A new Springfield EMP, 3" barrel I think, 9mm was a Jammamatic as received with any and all of the several types of 9mm tried. Springfield replaced the slide, and I don't know what else. It was then a reliable little pistol.
Several years ago I went to a 1911 oriented class put on by a pretty well known gunsmith and trainer. He opined that the further away from a full size 5" 1911 you get, the more reliability issues might be encountered. I've experienced splendid reliability from Commander/4.25" pistols. I think Colt worked out any potential reliability issues with the Commander length guns many Moons ago. But I think that trainer might be on to something as barrels get shorter than about 4"...
Several years ago I went to a 1911 oriented class put on by a pretty well known gunsmith and trainer. He opined that the further away from a full size 5" 1911 you get, the more reliability issues might be encountered. I've experienced splendid reliability from Commander/4.25" pistols. I think Colt worked out any potential reliability issues with the Commander length guns many Moons ago. But I think that trainer might be on to something as barrels get shorter than about 4"...
Simple Shooter
Member
I have a 9mm Colt Combat Elite Defender (3" bbl). I've put well over 1,000 rounds through it. No problems since the first couple mags on day one. I trust it enough for EDC.
JTQ
Member
Regarding feeding issues with Compact guns, Wilson Combat has this tidbit on their FAQ page
https://www.wilsoncombat.com/handgun-faqs/
Those little slides move pretty fast, and you have to have a mag that can keep up with them. The Officer size frame was designed around a 6 round mag. Heavy recoiling ammo, with a 7 round, or more, mag can mean your mag can't keep up with the slide.
https://www.wilsoncombat.com/handgun-faqs/
Those little slides move pretty fast, and you have to have a mag that can keep up with them. The Officer size frame was designed around a 6 round mag. Heavy recoiling ammo, with a 7 round, or more, mag can mean your mag can't keep up with the slide.
Pudge
Member
Another RIA compcet 1911 owner who has been pleased with reliability from a short barrel
For folks with reliable 3" .45ACP 1911s. How are you defining "reliable"
I ask because I've never seen one make it all the way through a 500 round 2-day class...I don't even think they made it to 400 rounds. I know a couple were field stripped and cleaned between Day 1 and Day 2, but I don't think anyone changed recoil springs
I ask because I've never seen one make it all the way through a 500 round 2-day class...I don't even think they made it to 400 rounds. I know a couple were field stripped and cleaned between Day 1 and Day 2, but I don't think anyone changed recoil springs
FL-NC
Member
I have heard stories about bushing failures with officer model 1911's. Mine is a Kimber that doesn't use a bushing. 100% reliable too.
Charlie98
Member
Says it right in the instructions... page 16.
FWIW, I have had loading stoppages with my CM9 and some HP ammo... a swift whack on the rear of the slide drives it past the stoppage and into battery. I don't have that problem with my larger CM9's.
Everyone has their experiences, everyone believes what they think is true. Nomenclature aside, the slide STOP is also the slide RELEASE... it serves a dual function.
Pudge
Member
I do not train extensively with mine. I shoot regularly at my residence, and have never had an issue. I bought it used and I've shot hundreds of rounds without a malfunction. It came with 1 factory magazine, and I grabbed a handful of used McCormick magazines and all have functioned the same. I cast and reload for my revolvers and they get more work. Standard large pistol primers are tough to find locally, and automatic brass is tougher to keep track of, so I don't shoot tons of .45 ACP
edwardware
Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,424
In my experience with two examples of Kimber Ultra Carry in .45ACP:
- it's a wee but snappy!
- it's less snappy with a square-corner FP Retainer plate, so I always install one
- when they say to install new recoil spings every 1k, believe them.
Nice little guns, surprising accurate if you do your part.
- it's a wee but snappy!
- it's less snappy with a square-corner FP Retainer plate, so I always install one
- when they say to install new recoil spings every 1k, believe them.
Nice little guns, surprising accurate if you do your part.
Same here, except I bought it new, it just works. Wilson mags.
