Chopped 1911 Variants
Yep...Variant. Deviant. Even the Colt Commander fits the category, and
even though Commanders function well across the board, some of those can be a little high-strung. The Commander shares many common parts with the 1911, but it's NOT a 1911.
The wild card is... Timing. Slide weight/recoil spring rates that stray very far from the original specs bring on conditions that the pistols weren't designed to operate under.
The lighter slides require a stiffer spring to reduce frame to slide impact
in recoil...AND...to provide enough momentum to strip a round and
chamber it. Heavier springs and faster rates speed up the slide on the
return stroke, making magazine timing more critical. The heavier spring
also makes the pistol more grip sensitive.
The reduced momentum reduces the operating window of opportunity
on the extractor tension...The pistol isn't as forgiving of overtensioning
because the momentum that ordinarily would overcome the resistance of the extractor is about 10% less...and the heavier spring won't always
make up the difference.
These pistols can be persuaded to run reliably, but it can be a challenge with some of the more stubborn examples. Moreover, once you find the
sweet spot, a tired recoil spring/changing the recoil spring can send you
straight back to Square One. Been there, done that. Even a variation in the ammunition can be an issue in some of'em.
I advise against carrying any 1911 or variant that is shorter than Commander-length. Buy'em...Shoot'em...Enjoy'em. Just don't put your faith in'em if your life may hang in the balance...and test the Commanders and clones thoroughly prior to strappin' one on.
On the flip side, the Colt Defenders are much better than the Officer's model in this respect. Maybe the heavier tapered barrel and reverse
plug recoil system with its shorter spring has something to do with this.
I can't speculate further because I don't own either of them to experiment with, and I haven't had a chance to test one of the above mentioned
Kimbers (with a similar system) beyond shooting one that belongs to a friend.
Just my experience. Any one of the above variants may be an exceptional example, but each one must be judged on an individual basis. Squirrely
pistols come in full-size too, just not as often as the choppers.
Be happy!
Tuner