Some of you may recall that I had posted on the Rural King Tisas 1911 thread about how I missed out on the promotion after getting a bit of a runaround from Rural King.

I didn't like the way Rural King treated me, but everything I had heard or read about the Tisas 1911A1 filled me with the resolve to buy one if I could find one at a similar great price.

Forum member (and all-around great guy) Dave Baird was sufficiently moved by my plaintive lamentations, and stepped up to send me a link to an Ohio company (Fin Feather Fur Outfitters) that had a version of the Tisas 1911A1 on sale for $299.95 with $15.00 shipping and no sales tax.

I thanked Dave, ordered it, and picked it up last Saturday from my friendly neighborhood FFL, so no three hour round trip drive for me to the nearest Rural King.

This version is named the "1911A1 SERVICE SPECIAL".

It differs from the Rural King version (1911A1 U.S. ARMY) in the following ways:

1) "1911A1 SERVICE SPECIAL" laser engraved on the left side of the slide instead of "1911A1 U.S. ARMY"

2) Dark grey Ceracoat finish instead of parkerized/ceracoat (?) o.d. finish

3) Ring spur hammer instead of wide thumb spur hammer

4) Flat mainspring housing instead of arched mainspring housing.

5) Two 8 round Checkmate Industries magazines with large plastic floorplates (that seem to mimic the old competition bumper pads) instead of two 7 round flat floorplate, flush fit magazines.

Other than those, they are the same pistol.

I was impressed by the overall high quality of the fit and finish, especially as compared to the Chinese imports we saw back in the nineties, and am convinced these were built on very late design CNC machines.

Mine came with the same very nice hard case with accessories and was wearing "poop brown" colored plastic stocks. (ugh )

Do manufacturers think "poop brown" colored plastic looks like wood?

I don't think so!

Looks to me like "poop brown" colored plastic!

Fortunately, Tisas thoughtfully included a pair of black plastic stocks that I immediately installed.

Much better, and I like the way black plastic stocks look on nearly all of my 2nd and 3rd gen S&W pistols.

It seems Tisas likes to mix and match parts and finishes to produce different models (much like S&W), and so do I, so I ordered an arched mainspring housing assembly and a flat floorplate flush fit 8 round mag from the SDS Imports (their importer's) website using a 10% off coupon provided with the package.

I'm very pleased with this slightly early holiday present to myself, but most of all, I am grateful to the gracious tip provided by a Forum Christmas Angel, Dave Baird.

Thanks again, Dave!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to All (and to all, a Good Night).

John

Just glad it worked out for you John! These are truly the best deal on a forged 1911(a1) in quite some time, and they work!!!!!
Merry Christmas.
Thanks for all of your help over the years for everyone!

Old Dave

Here is a brand new review of the Tisas USGI 1911 that I thought was pretty well done.

__________________
- Change it back -

My son has been wanting a 1911 of some type. I like the features on that one except the sights. He has younger eyes and can handle it.

I think these are Tisas, but don't know for sure: SDS Imports .45 ACP Semi-Automatic Pistol, Blk - 1911A1 | Palmetto State Armory

Good video but he says a couple of times it is a parkerized finish. It is cerakote with an o.d. green look. I've had one for about 6 months now and between 500-550 rounds thru it with no issues.

Finally took mine to the range today. Shot 200 rounds of various ball and 20 HPs. All cycled with no problem. Accuracy was pretty good as well. Trigger is a bit stiff. The GI sights are the only thing I have to complain about. Best $299 I ever spent. I also have the black version and it also shoots great.

I just checked Fin Feather Fur Outfitters and they are still listing these pistols for online sales at $299.99.

Yes, max. Those are Tisas pistols.

SDS Imports is the U.S. (Knoxville, TN) importer of the Turkish made Tisas.

John

Just a bit of an update/correction to my original post:

Quite a few people have commented here and elsewhere that the GI sights on the Tisas 1911A1 models are small and hard to pick up, especially with older eyes.

Upon closer inspection, the Tisas 1911A1 U.S. ARMY models do have the smaller GI style sights, while the model I purchased from Fin Feather Fur Outfitters (Tisas 1911A1 SERVICE SPECIAL) has what I would call Target Style fixed sights, which are a little larger and easier to pick up, even with my nearly 70 year old eyes.

If you are thinking about one of these Tisas model 1911A1 pistols and the GI sights are holding you back, take a look at the 1911A1 SERVICE SPECIAL models from Fin Feather Fur Outfitters and I think you will be pleased.

Thanks again, Dave!

John

Congratulations!

__________________
Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Santa's personal 1911?

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

On the "GI" sights, I use bright color fingernail polish on the front sight. My old eyes can pickup the sight a lot better.

Santa Claus: "Now I have a Hand Gun! HO-HO-HO!"

__________________
Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I'd been wanting a 1911 for a while now. I had one, a Kimber that I didn't like for some reason. I don't know what it was about that gun, but it just never felt "right." It went down the road, but left a 100 round box of 45 ACP behind. Well, that bugged me, so I eventually ordered a "Service" model Tisas from Buds. It was the least expensive one they had.



I can't say I was surprised by how it looked, everything I had read led me to believe it would be nice, but I was impressed. It shoots just fine in the one time I've had it to the range.

But I now I wanted a commander size gun. I had a Colt 1991 many years ago, so I went back and ordered a Tisas Tanker Commander, in 9mm.



Same quality gun, but a very soft recoil being in 9mm. I liked the color and the wood grips, and the sights were nicer than the GI type on the 45. I figured I was happy with these two.

But a couple of days ago, at the LGS, I stopped to look at this one, a Tisas "Stingray" I think it's called. A lightweight commander style gun, with the Ed Brown type cutaway grip, alloy frame, nice three dot sights, and various and sundray other improvememts I have no idea even what they are really. I told them to put it back, but my wife said "Get it. I'm not going to listen to you whine about how you should have bought that gun. Merry Christmas." I haven't shot this one yet, but hope to soon.



I figure between the three I have invested about what one "name brand" 1911 would have gone for.

__________________
John 3:16 .

Hahahaha!!!! They grow on you, don't they? And I wish my wife was as cooperative as yours! You're a lucky fellow.
I am NO expert by any stretch of the imagination. But, after holding, carrying, and shooting handguns for the past 35 years, I can feel and examine the differences between a great gun, a good gun, and an acceptable gun. There is no doubt in my mind these Tisas 1911's are TOP quality at an almost giveaway price point.
Is your Stingray (which is replacing the Bantam), a 9mm too, or a 45? I love the looks!

Merry Christmas!
Dave

It's a 9mm Dave. I agree. I think these are top notch guns.

Merry Christmas to you and yours, and to the entire forum.

__________________
John 3:16 .

We all know that Santa has to go through some rough neighborhoods to at times to get to everyone out there.
This makes total sense.

I "borrowed" these pictures from CajunBass.

These are the sights on the Tisas "1911A1 U.S. ARMY" models:



Although this is a picture of "Tank Commander", these are the same sights as on the Tisas "1911A1 SERVICE SPECIAL" models:



As you can see, the sights are larger on the "SERVICE SPECIAL".

Thanks, CajunBass!

John

Gee-whiz, Tisas really makes a swell 1911! I mean, I've heard that they were good, but they look so good, I dare say comparable in quality to much higher-priced American-Made 1911s, at least on the outside.

I feel an itch coming on that I cannot scratch...

__________________
Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I can't scratch that itch either, I've not seen any dealer in my area bother to carry SDS Imports firearms.

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

The insides are just as impressive.

__________________
John 3:16 .

I hadn't seen one either.

But when Dave Baird sent me the link to Fin Feather Fur Outfitters in Ohio and they had the 1911A1 SERVICE SPECIAL for $299.99 plus $15.00 shipping (and no tax) to my friendly neighborhood FFL, I knew I had better go for it before that price evaporated.

The reviews on this Forum and elsewhere were so consistently positive that it didn't seem to be a risk to order it.

And I'm definitely pleased that I did.

John

Update time.

I mentioned earlier that I had ordered an arched mainspring housing and a flat floor plate, 8 round mag for the Tisas 1911A1 from the SDS Imports website.

They arrived today and while the website refers to the arched mainspring housing as an assembly, it is just the bare housing.

No problem.

Easy to swap the spring and plungers and the new housing was on.

Even matched the Cerakote grey of the pistol.

I couldn't tell from the website black and white picture, but the flat floor plate, 8 round mag is SHINY!

I don't know from what material it is constructed, but it has the Checkmate Industries logo stamped on the floor plate along with a small "s".

I don't know if that means "stainless" or "shiny", but the blackened steel follower (same as those in the two supplied magazines) slides up and down very smoothly.

Much more so than the other mags.

I was wondering about a holster, then I thought of the Davis Leather Co. holsters (as used by the instructors at the S&W Academy back in the '90s) and marked for the 5906.

I had found that all of my 2nd and 3rd gen S&W pistols would fit, so I gave the Tisas 1911A1 a try.

Fit is perfect!

Curiously, these holsters are marked for the 5906, but the model number of the holster is "4500".

Hmm...

Oh well, that is my latest report about fun with the Tisas 1911A1.

John

It's hard to beat a well made and perfectly functioning 1911 for under $400 bucks!

I am a Colt 1911 man but again, there's not much to say against the Tisas version as they have been reviewed before and have always come up as well made and reliable.

Remarkable value for the money.

Could it have something to do with the dollar/lira exchange rate?

I really don't know.

John

The "S" indicates stainless steel.

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

You're kidding, right?

You're saying the "s" doesn't really mean "shiny"?

John

If it were an "S" stamped on a ProMag, I'd say it stood for another word that begins with "shi" and ends with "y".

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

Well played, Sir!

John

And in the rural areas he has to fend off the wolves that are looking for a reindeer dinner.

Where’s Vanna when you really need a “T”???

Thank you! It happens... once in a while... a great while.

__________________
VCDL, GOA, NRA

I'm looking to pick one of these up. Any opinions on their stainless steel?

To be honest, I've not heard of any complaints about these Tisas.

OK, finally took the bait from one of the large online sales outfits and ordered myself a 1911 Service model for $329.99 shipped. A bit higher than what was seen earlier but still quite a deal for what seems to be an outstanding 1911 copy. The model I purchased has the gray cerokote finish, enhanced sights and a combat hammer. Quite anxious to get my hands on it!

You gotta watch these things. They're worse than a stray dog for moving in and making themselves at home.

My latest...B45B "Carry." The second "B" stands for "Bobtail." Pretty much the same as the Sting-Ray, but has a steel frame, in 45 ACP.





This one, at first wanted to hang up hollow points on the feed ramp when chambering the first round. Once the chamber was loaded, and the magazine topped off, it would fire the full mag with no problems. Ball ammo, no problems at all. After 100 rounds or so the problem with the hollow points seemed to go away and hasn't happened again.

Nine rounds, American Gunner, 185 grain HP's...7 yards. This was the ammo that gave me the problems at first. None this time.

__________________
John 3:16 .