Subcompact double stack 1911s... reliable?

[TTv2]

I'm sure others knew of these, but I found out last week that Rock Island makes the BBR 3.10, a 3 inch barrel 1911 doublestack that holds 10 rds. This intrigues me, I'm not normally into the 1911 or .45 autoloaders, but I'm definitely more interested in short barrel .45s and any .45 that holds 10 rnds in a short grip due to the doublestack mag alleviates the low capacity of a single stack.

But none of that matters if the pistol isn't reliable and from the rumors I'm hearing, the subcompact 1911's are not due to the short slide travel? Tell me more about this, I'm wondering if this isn't because people 30 years ago bought some bad Colt Defenders back when Colt was making junk and thus swore off the concept or if there really is an issue with a short barrel and slide 1911.

I would think that in the 2020's a company that is known for making good, but cheap 1911's can make a subcompact 1911 that's reliable.

 

[Lo-Profile]

Short barrel 1911's in 45 ACP are just not very reliable. Have had a few over the years, shortest 45 ACP I have now is a 4" Wilson Combat CQB.
9mm ones do a lot better.
I currently have a Para Ordnance Lite Hawg 9. I like it, but it's not 100%

 

[JTQ]

Here's a tidbit from the Wilson Combat FAQ page on choosing ammo for short barreled pistols, this is in regard to single stack 1911's, but the information would also be true for double column mags

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/handgun-faqs/

All the mechanical changes are important, but the biggest factor is ammunition selection because it affects both slide cycle speed and the magazine’s ability to lift the cartridge into position for proper feeding. Ammunition loaded with 230gr bullets generate more recoil impulse (especially +P loads) than 185gr loads, and 7 rounds of 185gr ammunition weighs 315gr less than 7 rounds of 230gr ammunition, making the column of ammunition easier for the magazine spring to lift. I hope you see where I’m going here?

The other consideration is magazines. The single stack 1911's have pretty much sorted out their magazines over the past 100 plus years. Even with that, there are some bad single stack 1911 mags, and there are more, better options in full size mags than Compact/Officer size mags. Reliability aside, all single column mags are designed to work with the appropriate size of single stack 1911.

The double column 1911 mag world is a little more murky. Not all double column mags work in all double column guns. The Staccato mags are different than the ParaOrd double column mags. First you need to figure out which mags your particular gun uses, then you need to find a source for reliable versions of those mags.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Past experience with Colt Defender/Officers .45 1911s has been positive.
A now departed Deffy worked well, weighed little, and was truly tiresome to shoot.
A steel Officers is bunches nicer to actually shoot.
Mine have been 100% reliable with my 'softball' handloads (maybe 50'sec below full hardball), but have been fed strictly 230 gr FMJ.
Double stack? No idea.
Moon
ETA- judging from our responses, the OP may well have to pay his money and take his chances.
M

 

[TTv2]

Here's a tidbit from the Wilson Combat FAQ page on choosing ammo for short barreled pistols, this is in regard to single stack 1911's, but the information would also be true for double column mags

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/handgun-faqs/


The other consideration is magazines. The single stack 1911's have pretty much sorted out their magazines over the past 100 plus years. Even with that, there are some bad single stack 1911 mags, and there are more, better options in full size mags than Compact/Officer size mags. Reliability aside, all single column mags are designed to work with the appropriate size of single stack 1911.

The double column 1911 mag world is a little more murky. Not all double column mags work in all double column guns. The Staccato mags are different than the ParaOrd double column mags. First you need to figure out which mags your particular gun uses, then you need to find a source for reliable versions of those mags.

I was thinking magazines would be a definite factor as clearly not all 1911 mags are the same. I guess as long as the factory Rock Island mags are good, I'd stick with those. Seems like they're Mec Gar mags.

 

[bltmonty]

I have the RIA BBR 3.10. I have also built five 1911s from 80% receivers (from 4.25 to 3" barrels), so I have some experience dealing with them. My BBR was ok at first, having a failure to feed or eject every 20 rounds or so. I ended up putting in a Wilson combact extractor and ejector on the BBR, carefully tuning both. I also replaced the trigger spring with a Wolff reduced power spring and a Wilcon combat firing pin. I tried a flat recoil spring but found the dual recoil spring from RIA was better. Finally, I re-fit and polished the frame rails to the slide. Now I get 50+ rounds with no failures, but it seems the porting junks up the cycling, so after 50 rounds or so, it will start failing to feed. I still like it, and do carry it sometimes. I mostly trust it; it's just toooo heavy to carry for a any length of time. It's accurate, however, and easy to shoot well.

I built a double stack 38 super on the Para Hog aluminum frame (same size as BBR), using a 3.5" slide/barrel. It is totally reliable. I also built a 3" 45acp sentinel, using a wilscon combat 6-round magazines, and after much work, it's totally reliable--but after much work. You can get great reliability on 3 to 3.5 1911 barrels, but you probably will have to work on them. FWIW, I now carry an HK 45 compact--went from working on 1911 reliability to dead-nuts reliability from the start. I might go back to the 1911s though.

 

[Howland937]

I built a double stack 38 super on the Para Hog aluminum frame (same size as BBR), using a 3.5" slide/barrel

That would be a fun little booger, but aluminum frames don't like my loads based on the Kimber I converted awhile back.

I carry an officer sized SIG 1911 (don't remember what it's officially called) .45 IWB every day, all day. I've got somewhere over 2000 rounds through it with factory magazines and WC mags. I cannot think of a single time it's malfunctioned.

It's been fired in 95 degree weather as well as 15 degree weather. Been submerged in creek water for a few hours and fired perfectly with the ammo and mag it was loaded with. Wasn't an intentional test...I'd been wading for smallmouth bass and the water was deeper than anticipated. But I went ahead and turned it into a function check, then stripped/cleaned/lubed it.

Don't tell mine they're inherently unreliable. It identifies as incredibly reliable and I don't wanna confuse it.