Any problems with officer model 1911s

[S.Crockett]

I won't own a 1911 with a barrel under 4".

Too bad ... 'cause my most-awesome 3" Colt New Agent runs 100%.



The only upgrade I made was at the 600-(flawless)-round mark. I swapped-in an EGW recoil unit for the factory unit. I'm another 400-(hiccup-free)-rds down the road with this Pony.

 

[trackskippy]

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

Id be interested in hearing this too, especially how often the RSA's are being changed.

The manual that came with my Ultra Carry had a ridiculously low recommended round count change. Cant remember exactly what it was, but I do remember it was under 500 rounds, and Im thinking it was closer to 250. I was changing it every 250 rounds or so while I had it (and those factory RSA's were salty!), and while it did seem to make things a little better at first when they were changed out, I still had failures every mag, and often multiple failures.

I also had a Springfield Champion (4" barrel) when they first came out, and it too had a lot of trouble running reliably.

Then only SIG Ive ever had trouble with, was their P238 mini 1911ish gun. Another cool little gun that was very frustrating and unreliable.

Now, the Star Firestar I had was the one, and only smaller 1911 type handgun Ive had, that wasnt a problem, and that gun ran like a top. Star seems to know something.

One thing I have noticed too is, all the 1911's Ive had with captured RSA's/FLGR's, have all been a PITA as far as reliability goes, and that includes GM's and Commanders. And things only seemed to get exponentially worse as you went down in size too. Ive always had the best luck with the original/standard design plug and spring set up. Once I ditched the FLGR's that came in guns when I bought them, a lot of the problems went away, and pretty much instantly.

 

[S.Crockett]

Id be interested in hearing this too, especially how often the RSA's are being changed.

500-rds for 3” 1911s with captured RSAs.

 

[trackskippy]

Wow. Thats something Id liked to have seen with mine. Thats on the same RSA too?

 

[JTQ]

Id be interested in hearing this too, especially how often the RSA's are being changed.

The manual that came with my Ultra Carry had a ridiculously low recommended round count change. Cant remember exactly what it was, but I do remember it was under 500 rounds, and Im thinking it was closer to 250.

500-rds for 3” 1911s with captured RSAs.

I used to think the Kimber Ultra (3" guns) recoil spring replacement schedule was 500 rounds, but the topic came up recently elsewhere, and I had to look it up. Kimber has their Owners Manuals available on line, so I checked.

Kimber recommends replacing the recoil spring every 1,500 rounds in their Ultra models, which surprised me.

See page 68 in the Owners Manual https://www.kimberamerica.com/pub/m...c3aaaae722d6/1911-Manual-UPDATED_approval.pdf

 

[Rodfac]

Mine's a Sig RCS 1911 in .45 ACP, with a 4" bbl. It's my first choice for a heavy caliber carry piece and absolutely reliable. As I recall, problems were encountered by a number of manuf.'s when they went to a 3.5" bbl. in .45 ACP. Reliability wasn't all that it should have been and the force needed to rack the slide was excessive for some users.

But that was literally decades ago, and there should be enough data on what works now to eliminate problems. IMHO, though, the difference in concealability between a 4"/4.25" bbl. and a 3.5" tube is negligible, and the longer barrels offer better sighting, with less noise and recoil. And really, any will conceal just fine with a high ride rig like the Bianchi or Galco "Askins Avenger" worn OWB with an untucked shirt.

Here's my version of the Avenger type with my Sig in the saddle...you can see how high it rides, and still offers easy hand access for the draw presentation. Best Regards, Rod

​

 

[9mmepiphany]

500-rds for 3” 1911s with captured RSAs.

Was that in one session or over several days?

 

[S.Crockett]

Was that in one session or over several days?

Don’t know. That number was what I saw posted as a general consensus (or “rule of thumb”) by guys shooting their 3” Colts (Defenders/NAs) regularly with typical range ammo, 230grn ball or equivalent handloads.

My guess is, 500-rds is a very conservative threshold. More likely you’re good to go to 800-rds before at least the spring component of the RSA would need to be replaced. I opted to go with the EGW unit as it was a highly recommended upgrade. The EGW’s spring component must be XP over the factory one because it definitely smoothed out the recoil impulse of my gun.

 

[jobu07]

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

I can't comment to the 9mm. However, like you, I had similar issues with a stainless 45acp Colt Officers Model. 20 years ago I also had frequent stovepipe and jamming issues. I did had to change of out several of the springs in it and switched to Chip McCormick mags and it flawlessly. I was so impressed with it that it became my CCW weapon. The darn things bring a premium anymore so I stopped carrying it and it's been retired to range toy status.

 

[trackskippy]

I used to think the Kimber Ultra (3" guns) recoil spring replacement schedule was 500 rounds, but the topic came up recently elsewhere, and I had to look it up. Kimber has their Owners Manuals available on line, so I checked.

Kimber recommends replacing the recoil spring every 1,500 rounds in their Ultra models, which surprised me.

See page 68 in the Owners Manual https://www.kimberamerica.com/pub/m...c3aaaae722d6/1911-Manual-UPDATED_approval.pdf

Yea, they must have made changes somewhere along the line.

I no longer have the manual, but Im positive it was much less than 1500 rounds, and by at least 1K rounds. The fact that I had to keep changing it just trying to get the gun to work was very annoying, and still never gave a good result.

Even at 1500 rounds, thats not very awe inspiring round count, and not much of a window if youre practicing with the gun on a regular basis. If I were carrying one, at the current rate, Id be changing that spring about once a month. And something tells me they are getting a bit more than the $7 Glock charges for one, and its got a 7500 round +/- rating.

Another thing I wonder about when I hear that the 1911's in general are 100% reliable. I carried and shot them (GM's and Commanders) for decades, and compared to things like my SIG's and Glocks, of any barrel length, definitions of whats considered reliable, seems to differ a good bit, at least if youre being honest about it.

I havent carried a 1911, and spent most of my time shooting them like I did about 20 years now, but I still shoot a number of different versions of them on a regular basis, and pretty much every one of them wont make it through the couple of hundred rounds I usually shoot out of them when I am shooting them, without some sort of stoppage. And that's with a couple of guns that have been gone over to alleviate that very sort of thing.

Compared to my other guns, SIG's, Glocks, Berettas, etc, the stoppages arent near as often and they seem less sensitive to ammo and mag issues as well.

I get the feeling sometimes, that things are being graded on a curve here.

 

[9mmepiphany]

500-rds for 3” 1911s with captured RSAs.

Was that in one session or over several days?

Don’t know. That number was what I saw posted as a general consensus (or “rule of thumb”) by guys shooting their 3” Colts (Defenders/NAs) regularly with typical range ammo, 230grn ball or equivalent handloads.

Sorry I misunderstood.

I thought you were relating personal experience

 

[halfmoonclip]

I've had a .45 Defender; it ran okay, and was a lot of power in a light package, but tiresome to shoot. Found an actual, stainless Officer's, which is more pleasant to shoot, and which I like a lot. I reverted to a plug for the recoil spring, as they have a rep for popping out the standard, turnable version. I have read that the double recoil springs should be replaced more frequently than the spring in the full sized 1911.
A 9mm Deffy has run just fine, and is a ball to shoot. As a PP noted, I did have unwanted slide stop engagements. I dimpled the slide stop at the spot where the plunger holds it down, and that resolved the issue.
Full disclosure; these guns are range queens, and generally see ball reloads.
Moon

 

[S.Crockett]

Sorry I misunderstood.
I thought you were relating personal experience

Well, sorta, …. in the sense that I swapped out the factory RSA for the EGW upgrade at 600-rds (see my post #51 above) - not from any hicupps but because as an EDC I was concerned about the RSA’s longevity past 500-rds per some of the online commentary. Again, probably overly cautious.

 

[Walkalong]

I had a Colt Officers model, and it ran 99%, it kerchunked, but it mostly ran.

 

[orionengnr]

Interesting to see the variety of experiences here. When I first started carrying and shooting 1911s about twenty years ago, almost everyone agreed that anything under Commander size would surely be nothing but trouble, and to be honest, I had a couple (most notably a 3" Charles Daly, bought used from someone who had good reason to shed it...but also an early EMP, s/n 1750 IIRC, that went back twice/three times, Springfield replaced it with s/n 2705, went back 2-3 times...)

Okay, above and beyond that I have had two-three 3" Kimbers (and my wife has another) and they all work 4.0. I bought several recoil spring assemblies but have never changed one. Easily 1000-1500 through each, mostly my reloads. In all honesty, these days I do carry an alloy Commander sized 1911 and shoot those far more than the 3"ers.

 

[Charlie98]

- when they say to install new recoil spings every 1k, believe them.

+1

I think the change interval for my 4" Kimber is 800rds, but that is a non-captured type spring. At 22#, it's a real trick to get it back on the spring guide, and then the bushing down over that. Safety glasses are not a bad idea.

I've been criticized for changing out recoil springs at or before the recommended interval... usually by someone that's been running the factory spring for 1M rounds or something, but I consider it cheap insurance to keep a pistol running 100%, and to keep it from battering the frame.

Here's my version of the Avenger type with my Sig in the saddle...you can see how high it rides

That's what I like about my High Noon... it rides pretty high on the belt. Helps with concealment, and getting in and out of vehicles (with the seatbelt and such.)

(Kahr CM9 on L, also in High Noon...)

 

[Riomouse911]

My only short 1911 is a Kimber Ultra Carry II 9mm. I have only fired it with 124 gr fmj on the range, roughly 250 rounds worth, but so far it has been 100%.

I do not shoot it as well as the SA Ronin 4.25” or the 5” Stainless Target II 9mm’s I also have. Between the slightly snappier recoil, the different sights and short sight radius, the UC II doesn’t put them on target as well as the others.

Stay safe.

 

[JKP]

My Sig Ultra 1911 9mm (3.3 inch barrel) has from day 1 been more reliable than any of my other 1911s. It's sad Sig no longer makes 1911 in 9mm. I guess the military contract is taking up a large portion of their resources.

 

[d'zaster]

This thread got me thinking about running a variety of loads through my Officers acp. My range schedule has been updated accordingly.