Colt 1991A1

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kidneyboy

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I picked this up the other day with the intent of using the lower for a dedicated 22 conversion. Now that I've played around with it a bit, changed the recoil spring and cleaned it up I'm kinda liking it (except for the sights).
Any of you own one of these? I've read mixed things about them but this one seems alright. Trigger is decent and everything functioned through about 50 rounds of my 230gr reloads. It cycles 200gr SWC just fine too. Now I'm thinking to maybe change the sights and use it as my utility 45 and a 22 lower. IMG_4287.jpg IMG_4288.jpg IMG_4291.jpg
 
ORM 1991A1s like yours are great guns, solidly built, and good shooters. Yours looks all original. Lots of folks complain about the Series 80 safety parts but in reality it's no big deal. Those guns also make great base guns for custom builds, I have one in each size - Compact, Commander, and Government - that have been built and they are outstanding guns. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another if the right deal came along.
 
It's a keeper as is. 1991 series Colts are still great shooters, very accurate and everything to love about 1911s.

by the way I see you have the traditional hammer on there. Gives it a nice classic GI profile.
 
Great examples of a classic, no-frills 1911. I too have never had issues with the Series 80 system. Bought one when they first came out intending to have custom work done on it; it was a little on the loose side as far as slide to frame fit, but accurate. Used to ding the case mouths a little at the beginning with some erratic all over the place ejection, but after a couple hundred rounds, the issue resolved itself. Traded it to one of my brothers, so I've shot it on occasion through the years.
 
Thanks for the comments guys. I think It will be left as is for now. We'll see about the sights though.
 
That's a nice pistola. They only thing I'd do to it is drop in a short trigger and since I'm already doing it, one with an over travel stop, but that's just a personal thing. It looks ready to rock as it is.
 
Sweet pistol. Congratulations!

This is in no way a dig at the OP. This thread however reminded me of a slew of recent posts, mostly from folks seemingly unfamiliar with or of limited familiarity with 1911s, who have expressed seeming surprise with the reliability and accuracy of 1911s. I find this odd. Unless people have been in stasis since 1975, the idea that 1911s are unreliable, inaccurate, or, as one recent poster suggested "are well known for not feeding anything but 230 grs hard ball" strikes me as oddly anachronistic. Unless people have been playing with vast numbers of low end Spanish clones, or somehow had access to a load of North Korean war capture pistols recently returned, these perceptions strike me as very odd indeed.
 
Sweet pistol. Congratulations!

This is in no way a dig at the OP. This thread however reminded me of a slew of recent posts, mostly from folks seemingly unfamiliar with or of limited familiarity with 1911s, who have expressed seeming surprise with the reliability and accuracy of 1911s. I find this odd. Unless people have been in stasis since 1975, the idea that 1911s are unreliable, inaccurate, or, as one recent poster suggested "are well known for not feeding anything but 230 grs hard ball" strikes me as oddly anachronistic. Unless people have been playing with vast numbers of low end Spanish clones, or somehow had access to a load of North Korean war capture pistols recently returned, these perceptions strike me as very odd indeed.
I never wanted a 1911, much less a 45cal handgun, until I handled and shot one years ago. Now it's become my preferred platform. This Colt caught my eye because it was the least expensive brand name 1911 I'd seen in ages.
 
I have a NRM 1991. It has been 100% reliable with 230 grain ball and my 200 grain lead reloads. As for the often knocked firing pin safety system (series 80) I never noticed it was there. Great pistol.
 
Had one back in the day--I think is was like $399 when I bought it new------was an accurate and reliable shooter--still kind of kicking myself for trading it off.
 
Sweet pistol. Congratulations!

This is in no way a dig at the OP. This thread however reminded me of a slew of recent posts, mostly from folks seemingly unfamiliar with or of limited familiarity with 1911s, who have expressed seeming surprise with the reliability and accuracy of 1911s. I find this odd. Unless people have been in stasis since 1975, the idea that 1911s are unreliable, inaccurate, or, as one recent poster suggested "are well known for not feeding anything but 230 grs hard ball" strikes me as oddly anachronistic. Unless people have been playing with vast numbers of low end Spanish clones, or somehow had access to a load of North Korean war capture pistols recently returned, these perceptions strike me as very odd indeed.

A lot of people have been fed a lot of crap with regard to 1911’s over the years.
 
It is a great gun. If you get rid of it you will later regret it. I did that years ago. Now I have another. Frankly, I can shoot is as well as any other 1911. It is a 1911 and accurate.
 
1991 Colts are good to go, right out of the box.

I agree that most of the whining about the firing pin safety is over blown. You can still get an excellent trigger job on a 1991.
 
1991 Colts are good to go, right out of the box.

I agree that most of the whining about the firing pin safety is over blown. You can still get an excellent trigger job on a 1991.
Agree 100%. I have an ORM 1991A1 Commander that was built by Marc Krebs back in the mid '90s , it still has the series 80 parts in it and the trigger might be the best I've ever felt.
 
I've had a couple. They are generally decent guns with a cheap finish. But one of the 2 that I had wouldn't hit the side of a barn. Even if fired from inside the barn.
 
I took it out to the range again yesterday. It's pretty accurate with my reloads out to 10yds. That's as far as the sights are useful for me. However it's a heck of a shooter with Federal HST's. I'll have to up my game some with the reloads I'm making.
 
I've had a couple. They are generally decent guns with a cheap finish. But one of the 2 that I had wouldn't hit the side of a barn. Even if fired from inside the barn.

I had one ORM in stainless - my first Colt 1911. That delicate frosted stainless that marred or scratched even with a toothpick. It was a rattletrap, and my first Springfield (same timeframe) was honestly superior all around.

But ... it was reliable, OK in the accuracy department ... and I held onto to it for almost 20 years before trading it (for a LNIB Colt stainless commander). Still, while it was a rough pistol, I actually almost kinda regret trading it away.

I took it out to the range again yesterday. It's pretty accurate with my reloads out to 10yds. That's as far as the sights are useful for me. However it's a heck of a shooter with Federal HST's. I'll have to up my game some with the reloads I'm making.

Good deal! Most times, those ORM Colts were very good pistols. Some others (like mine) ... well somebody on the Colt production line was having a rough day ... Sound like yours is a goodun'.
 
The only problem I have with the series 80 firing pin safety is the tiny parts in a complete field strip are very difficult for me to work with.
 
But ... it was reliable, OK in the accuracy department ... and I held onto to it for almost 20 years before trading it (for a LNIB Colt stainless commander). Still, while it was a rough pistol, I actually almost kinda regret trading it away.
I had a Ruger P89 like that. I traded it away When I thought I needed a plastic pistol.
 
The only problem I have with the series 80 firing pin safety is the tiny parts in a complete field strip are very difficult for me to work with.
The guys I've heard complain about the Series 80 safety say it's harder to get a good competition trigger pull with it.
 
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