Sweeney - The Gun Digest Book of the 1911: A Complete Look at the Use, Care & Repair of the 1911 Pistol, Vol. 2

The Gun Digest Book of

The 1911

Volume 2

A complete look
at the use, care & repair
of the 1911 pistol

PATRICK SWEENEY

2006 Patrick Sweeney
Published by

700 East State Street Iola, WI 54990-0001
715-445-2214 888-457-2873
www.gundigestbooks.com

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All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a critical article or review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper, or electronically transmitted on radio, television, or the Internet.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2005924841

ISBN 13-digit: 978-0-89689-269-9
ISBN 10-digit: 0-89689-269-7
eISBN: 978-1-44022-431-7

Designed by Kara Grundman
Edited by Kevin Michalowski

Printed in the United States of America

About The Covers

Front Cover

W ith a long history of making some of the finest 1911 pistols available Springfield Armory continues to serve private citizens and the law enforcement community with pistols that set the standard for performance and accuracy. Displayed on the front cover are the TRP Light Rail with Springfields Armory Kote finish and a stainless steel Custom Loaded model.

The TRP Light Rail is built to the same specifications as the FBI contract pistol and comes with a 5-inch bull barrel and adjustable night sights. The Custom Loaded model is available with a wide variety of features usually installed as aftermarket parts by custom gun-makers. Both live up to the exacting standards of Springfield Armory.

Back Cover

B efore for Bill Wilson became a custom gunsmith he was, first and foremost, a shooter. His ideas on what makes a great pistol and his attention to detail have made him a household word in the world of 1911 pistols. Shown on the back cover, Wilson Combats CQB (Close Quarters Battle) and Classic 1911 pistols represent the finest in craftsmanship and reliability. The CQB offers tritium inserts to aid in low-light shooting and stree-proven features light a high-ride beaver-tail grip safety and tactical magazine release. The Classic is just that, a pistol that offfers the timeless look of the 1911 with some of the best features Wilson Combat has to offer, including a low-mount adjustable rear sight. As always, Wilson Combat pistols come with an accuracy guarantee.

Foreword

A s the 1911 pistol approaches the century mark, it is still looked at by many as the standard to which other pistols are compared. So great is the popularity of this design that it has spawned an entire industry of aftermarket accessories, parts and various other goods and services. The desire for information about the 1911 pistol and its component parts is evident throughout the firearms community. There is always someone learning something new about the 1911 and passing that information to the throngs of dedicated shooters.

To that end, this book is not designed to replace Volume 1 of the Gun Digest Book of the 1911, on the contrary, this is a companion volume that offers new insight, more tests and further information about the most popular firearm ever designed. If you use a 1911 for sport, recreation or self-defense, this book with expand your knowledge and open your eyes to all the things the pistol can do and many of the things you can do to the pistol. So far, the options are almost endless.

Acknowledgments

I d like to thank all of the manufacturers who sent stuff, in particular Bill Laughridge, who not only sent stuff but answered questions. Kristi Hoffman of Black Hills was once again generous in the extreme. The whole staff at Black Hills is ultra supportive.

Dave Skinner as usual sent me more than I asked for. He also doesnt ask for it back on any kind of a schedule. I suspect he likes asking me at matches So how is that gun doing? When I ask him Which one? he laughs and says Whatever the latest one I sent you is. Unlike some makers, who make me work to get a gun, or who say: We need that back in two weeks/30 days so we can send it to the next gun writer. It is the only loaner we have Dave will send me anything he has. So will Kimber, (thanks Dwight Van Brunt), Caspian (thanks Gary Smith) Para Ordnance (thanks Kerby Smith) Olympic (thanks, Tom Spithaler) Wilson Combat (Bill Wilson) and Blade-Tech (Carla Power and Bobby McGee). Halfway through the project, as it seemed I might actually run low on ammo, Ivan Walcott of Armscor came to the rescue. One thing you have to be aware of, is that Armscor believes the old specs are plenty good enough for .45 ACP. You know, the old 230 at 815 fps specs you read on ancient boxes of ammo. They must, for their ammo produced Power Factors from 190 to 195. Man, this would have made nice bowling pin ammo back in the days of Second Chance.

Thats not to say the other manufacturers werent forthcoming, just that some companies seem to have selected their P.R. people for a reflexive need to ship guns, ammo and gear to gun writers.

As always, I could not have done the work without my crew of volunteers, who selflessly sacrifice their time and skills to shoot free ammo through expensive loaner guns. As more than one has been noted to say; Its a dirty job

I have to mention Baxter. A bumper sticker I once saw sums it up: Dear Lord, please let me be the kind of person my dog thinks I am. Baxter patiently waited at the gun club, in the truck or the clubhouse, through endless days of test firing, photography and general fooling around. Hes gone now, too soon, but when he was there he was always happy to run the length of the 100-yard range to make sure there werent any squirrels foolish enough to contest his ownership of the range. And through this and all the other books I must thank Felicia. Some married men make jokes about the better half. I dont joke, for Felicia is. She taught me how to write, and how to re-write. Shes still trying to teach me how to keep the office neat, but I fear that is a never-ending task. Good for me shes here for the long haul.

Last, you; the patient reader. Im still amazed that not only do people find my writing informative, entertaining and interesting, but that people are actually willing to pay for it. Some days I think all of us gun writers have simply died and gone to heaven.

Table of Contents

Introduction

W ell, it was something we just had to do. Since the first book there have been advances in 1911 technology (hard to imagine with something nearly a century old, but true) and there are more makers than ever. Some of those we covered in Volume one are gone. The AMT operation folded, not through any lack of quality guns. Others folded precisely due to a lack of quality.

As I did in Volume One, I tested everything I could lay my hands on. Some of the tests will be new products from makers you saw in the first book, and others will be newcomers to our inquiries. I made a pest of myself, and managed to lay my hands on some really primo guns. And I failed in getting my hands on others. All I can say is, I tried.