Should I buy this S&W 1911 Pro Series in .45?

[kas9412]

I visited my LGS yesterday and found a full-sized, used S&W 1911 Pro Series in .45 acp. The gun appears to be in good shape, feels tight, has a good bore and comes with 4 mags and a holster. They want $1000, but may dicker a bit.

I have a few questions: Do these guns usually run well with good accuracy? What is an appropriate price? What else should I look at in examining this gun? I am good on accessing used revolvers, but not semi-autos. This will be my first 1911, and will be used as a range gun.

Thanks in advance for your collective wisdom!
kas

[Fishslayer]

This may be the wrong forum to ask such a question...

I'm far from expert but I usually just look for things like signs of obvious abuse. The owner of such a gun is likely to take good care of it. Stuff that doesn't actually affect the operation can always be used as dickering points. Dead night sights are gonna cost $$$ to replace.

Things I also check are the safeties. Does the grip safety work? Thumb safety? Does the hammer push off?

[gmborkovic]

Should I buy this S&W? I love this question.
Of course you should! Just eat baloney for a month.

[Fishslayer]

Originally Posted by gmborkovic

Of course you should! Just eat baloney for a month.

Ramen noodles and PB sammiches is my "S&W diet."

[kas9412]

Well yes, of course, I am leaning toward buying it! However, before I do, I want to learn a little more about the pistol. As indicated in my first post, I am interested in its inherent accuracy, how well they usually run, and what I should look for in making sure it's in good condition (Thank you Fishslayer for your comments). Then there is the price question - assuming everything else is good - what is a fair price to offer?

thanks,
kas

[Sawfish]

I would offer $750. They can always refuse, or counter,

[OKFC05]

I have one that I bought new from S&W on a Military discount the year they first made them in ME. Wish I had bought it in 9mm for my personal use, but absolutely NO issues with the .45. Great sights, light smooth trigger, just runs and runs.
If the gun is like new, I'd offer $900, otherwise less. Condition, condition, condition

[Rambler42]

I have a regular SW1911 and it is one of my favorite guns. It is dead on and shoots better than I do. I think that is a fair price for what you are getting.

[roo_ster]

I own both the all steel original run SW1911 and an E-series commander with the scandium frame. Both .45ACP.

Both terrific guns.

I have CCW'd both and used both in IDPA & IPSC.

Just get Wilson 47D magazines to feed it and call it good.

[Fishslayer]

Originally Posted by roo_ster

Just get Wilson 47D magazines to feed it and call it good.

They fixed the 47D's problems with the ETM.

I have two & had nothing but problems until & put in springs & followers from 7 rounders. Still overpriced & overrated. JMHO.

[Fishinfool]

No S&W 1911's, but own a few others. Slide should operate w/o binding. Rifling should be sharp and clean, hammer push off, and proper operation of the safeties. Another thing to check is proper barrel lock-up and bushing fit. Barrel muzzle should fit without any gaps or play into the front bushing. Push down on the barrel hood while the gun is in battery. Should be little to no movement. If it moves down, the fit / lock-up is suspect, and while the gun may be reliable, it probably will not be accurate. A decent .45 1911 should do 2 1/2 inches or better at 25 yards, from a rest.

Steel frame 1911's tend to last longer than aluminum, which can have cracking issues with heavy use. I have several with well over 15k rounds that are as good as new. The 1911 in .45acp has a relatively soft cycling action, and a low pressure round. Pat yourself on the back if you wear one out. Most commonly changed parts are recoil springs and extractors, both of which may or may not need tweaking. Lighter spring for bullseye loads, hard ball spring for heavy loads will increase reliability and reduce battering on the gun. Often a 1911 extractor needs tweaking, but it's not hard to do with a pair of pliers and a u-tube video. Unlike a lot of semi's, the 1911 design is actually a sort of controlled round feed, similar to a 98 Mauser in that the rim of the round slips under the extractor during feeding from the magazine. If I were to guess, I'd say over 90% of reliability issues with a 1911 center around incompatible magazines and poorly fit extractors.

Sorry, not up on prices. Bet you'll enjoy it though. A good 1911 is just plain fun to shoot, and there are tons of aftermarket parts you probably don't need, and like a Glock, can be customized to your hearts content.

Larry

[Kiwi cop]

Originally Posted by Fishslayer

They fixed the 47D's problems with the ETM.
G
I have two & had nothing but problems until & put in springs & followers from 7 rounders. Still overpriced & overrated. JMHO.

I bought some Wilson Combat Wil-Rog .45 ACP Mags last year. No issues at all with reliability.

Wilson Combat WIL-ROG Mag (8 rd) .45 ACP (11714): Firearms Accessories: Magazines, Speedloaders & Moon Clips

I also bought some Wil-Rog springs and followers. Turned some of my problem mags into very reliable ones.

[kas9412]

OK, so I went to the LGS this morning with the intent to buy the pistol - if it all checked out and it did (Thanks Larry & Fishslayer). So I asked the shop manager to take it down for me so I could have a look at the rails (SS gun, so I was looking for wear and galling). The rails looked fine. However in the process of putting the gun back together, the horizontal part of the take down lever broke off - stress fracture, I guess. He was going to order a replacement from Midway (about $5) and call me. I am not overly concerned about this, but if you think I should be, let me know. The LGS guy is a real gun guy and collects 1911's so I am surprised he overstress the take down lever, so it wasn't a case of pure ignorance - in fact he was telling me about how to avoid the idiot mark when he broke it.

[Sawfish]

Sometimes, things happen to the best of us.

[Fishslayer]

Originally Posted by Kiwi cop

I also bought some Wil-Rog springs and followers. Turned some of my problem mags into very reliable ones.

WC makes good gear. It's just that they now make BETTER gear. Owners really seem to like the ETMs.