Which 1911 is the closest to JMB's design?

[Warren]

Which 1911 being produced today is the closest to what JMB designed?

The Springfield G.I. or the Mil-spec? Or some other brand?

I want to CCW the most bone-stock 1911 that comes the closest to what he made.

I will not be able to afford an orginal or even a WW2 vintage so I need to know what mondern production model comes the closest.

Thank you all,

H2L

 

[Steelharp]

Colt's WWI repro... the real thing...

Mikey D...

 

[Warren]

.....not on California's list of approved handguns... Looked good though.


Thanks for the heads up on it.


So it will have to be a 1911-1A then.

The closest to an original 1A is what I am shooting for.

 

[Feanaro]

A Norinco is the closest you can get to an original 1911-A1 without buying one. I have heard good things about them but I have no experiance there. Not too, too many floating around though. Import ban and all. A Springfield Mil-Spec/GI or Colt NRM are fairly close to an original. Another, more expensive option, is to take a low end 1911-A1 like, say, an Auto-Ord and replace the innards with Norinco parts, which can be imported(save for the frame). I think Marstar Canada carries them.

 

[joab]

If you haunt smal shops and pawn shops you can still find Norks at a good price.
A dealer in south Fla just came across 12 of them when he bought out another dealer. Alll NIB and still in plastic wrap. Sold for $389 a piece

I bought one for $275 and one for $350 about 2 1/2 years ago and one for $200 still on layaway

Sopposedly the closest you will find to the original except the grip bushings are metris where they screwed to the frame

 

[Dave Sample]

I agree with the Norinco Vote. They are very close to the original design and are a good value if you can find a nice one.

 

[Warren]

Norinco is not on the Cali approved list, is there another brand name that these have been imported or sold under?

 

[joab]

No other name.
I didn't think about the Cali angle, they are banned from import to all of the U.SA. now. Clinton did that in "94.

What are everybody's thoughts on RIAs never had one myself

 

[cratz2]

Well, Brownings design didn't have a firing pin safety, and I don't think any 1911 without said safety are going to be on the list.

The MilSpec is a reasonably close match as is the Colt 1991A1... But the 1911 didn't have several features almost all current 1911A1s have...

 

[HD]

as tuner will tell you i am a purist re: 1911's

having said that , and living in the ****hole of kali , i chose to get an SA WW2 1911a1 as my 1911 of choice ...
is it exact in every detail ? no ... there are differances , but nothing important ...
it is the best 1911a1 i have found in many a year (the AO are ****!!!)...
pm tuner , read his posts and make the few small changes as needed ...

 

[Jim Watson]

I will say that the Springfield "GI" is as close as you are likely to come in a California approved gun. It is a reasonable copy of a WW II 1911A1 except for the markings, the ILS keyhole, and some ersatz materials that only the finest 21st century 1911 type guns escape.

I wonder why you want an eary XX century military pistol for CCW, though.
Do you think you can shoot to save your life better with small sights, grip safety/hammer that might bite you, and small ejection port that is likely to drop hot brass on your head? I carried my 1918 vintage Colt when that was the only centerfire handgun I owned, but I have better shooters, now.

 

[Warren]

The "unreliability" comes from people tinkering with the original design. A 1911 in 5" length, .45ACP, with 7 round mags, standard spring, guide rod, and plug, with reasonable fitting is one of the most reliable pistols made.

This came from a post in a long dead thread I was reading on reliability issues with 1911s and so I thought to myself "Get the one closest to that ideal and you will be fine"

And so I look for one closest to what JMB engineered in the first place as that would seem to be the best way to go.

 

[Jim Watson]

Things like the SA "GI" are cosmetic reproductions of older models only, to feed the retro fad and the demand for a cheaper base model. Inside, where it counts, the ersatz materials and design mutations are the same.

The SA "GI" for example, has the key lock ILS mainspring housing with short stiff mainspring, funny mainspring cap, and no cap pin, just a retainer in a baggie you can stick in to disassemble the gun that far. It has a titanium firing pin and stiff firing pin spring to pass the California drop test. It has a flock of MIM small parts; although quality on those is better than it was. The two guns of my MixMaster project are pretty reasonable inside and I will be shooting one set in competition. The 7-round magazines that came with the .45 LW for the MixMaster Project are cheap and tinny. One would not drop free and was at spring temper and could be reshaped only with difficulty.

For a gun to actually carry and shoot, I'd get (assuming a SA in the first place) a Loaded and buy Metalform magazines and original style recoil spring guide and plug for it. I'd have a single sided safety put on if it came with ambidextrous. (Are you lefthanded?) That way I'd have conventional mechanics, at least as close as you can get these days, but with better sights and a beavertail, which I like for comfort.

I read good reports of the RIAs out of the Philippines, but my gunsmith says they do not look very nice inside. They are cheap and do seem to shoot, though.

 

[James Bondrock]

The Colt WWI replica is, as the name implies, a nearly exact reproduction of the original pistol as produced before the "-A1" changes.

If you can actually obtain one.
And not cheap.

 

[Warren]

What I guess I want then is a 1911 with a 5" bbl that is reliable.

This gun will never be upgraded or fancified but it has to be uber-reliable as it will be a carry piece.

My local range has an SA Mil-Spec that has been in the rental case for years and thus used and abused by hundreds of people yet it still shoots every time. The range only allows hardball to be shot from their guns but it is still impressive.

I don't care what it looks like...it just has to shoot.

Is the SA G.I. a reliable gun?

It is in my price range but I worry about MIM parts.

 

[Lonestar.45]

"My local range has an SA Mil-Spec that has been in the rental case for years and thus used and abused by hundreds of people yet it still shoots every time. The range only allows hardball to be shot from their guns but it is still impressive.

Is the SA G.I. a reliable gun?"


I think you just answered your question. The Milspec is identical to the GI, with the exception of a beveled mag well (which has no bearing on reliability), 3 dot sights (again, no bearing on reliability), and a lowered/flared ejection port. Remember, JMB's design did not have a lowered/flared ejection port, and was ultra-reliable through two world wars and other conflicts.

The mil-spec in your local shop's rental case has MIM parts...if it has stood up to the kind of use/abuse you say it has, I'd say that is powerful testimony. Kimber (and other upper-end factory guns) uses MIM parts, and thousands of police officers nationwide trust their lives to them. I think the MIM controversy is a tad bit overblown.

 

[Werewolf]

I think the MIM controversy is a tad bit overblown.

You can say that again...

As good as the internet is for ferreting out info it can sometimes be difficult to seperate the wheat from the chaff.

 

[Ala Dan]

MIM Parts

Yes, quite over blown!

Most all major manufactuer's use them to some extent;
maybe with the exception of the high dollar, custom built .45's.
If MIM parts are made properly, there is nothing wrong with
them; as they are just as strong as forged parts. However,
if done improperly (which most are not), they are subject to
the hazards of breakage.

So, you ask would I buy a gun with MIM parts? Yes, I have
and Yes I will. So far, all my firearms have performed without
any flaws. I hope that continues to be the case?

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

 

[Warren]

Cool.

Thanks everyone.