Does S&W use MIM parts in their 1911s? If so, which ones?

An even better question is, does it matter?

I have been shooting in a league where most use a 1911. I have yet to see a MIM part failure in any make of 1911's and I shoot S&W's and so does many others. I sure don't worry about it and I been shooting for about 6 yrs now with this bunch.

It doesn't matter to me - S&W does a good job with MIM, in my opinion.

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NRA Benefactor Life Member

An educated guess? Everything except the barrel, frame, slide and pins-and most likely the barrel bushing and extractor are not MIM as well.

Do I have a major issue with that? No.

If it bothered me that much I'd spend $1,700-$3,000 for a Les Baer, Wilson or Ed Brown. FWIW, it doesn't bother me enough to spend the extra coin, but bear in mind I used to be a 1911 fanatic. Emphasis on used to be-just my take, not fact or trying to influence anyone one way or another.

Best,

Heekma

Interesting. There seems to be a lot of distaste for MIM parts, but not here. Time will tell I guess.

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Freedom isn't free.

IMHO, 99% of that 'distaste' is really snob-ism.

Don't think so? Just check who's doing the most of that whining about MIM parts and you'll discover that they rarely have expensive guns in their collections - FYI production guns aren't expensive.

Reminds me of the same whining that went on 30 years ago when Glock came on the scene with the polymer gun.

Sorry, you just aren't going to find a new gun that's both 'affordable' and without MIM parts. There simply aren't enough people willing to pay the premium for those parts to make a business case for building a production gun using non-MIM parts.

There are plenty of excellent non-MIM guns available; 3rd Generation S&Ws, high end 1911's for example. Yeah, the 3rd Gen S&W's are used, but who's going to wear one out? Also, Kahr's have forged parts in lieu of MIM in the critical parts.

I hear you about the "snob-ism". I'm really not concerned that the gun has MIM parts. If they were total garbage, S&W wouldn't use them. So, while not the best, they must work.

I'm looking more toward upgrade possibilities. For example, a MIM mag release doesn't bother me because it's not a high stress item. The slide stop however, is a high stress item. Maybe that should be replaced if you want a more robust gun overall.

Just thinking out loud here and welcome any discussion along these lines.

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Freedom isn't free.

mim parts suck....my Smith and Wesson 1911 with mim parts have broken 14 times......I can not replace them due to the fact that it will viod my police departments warrantee with the gun. Their response is when my gun breaks they will replace it. My personal guns have hardened parts. If you want a gun to hang on the wall then mim parts will work but if you want to shoot more than 1000 rounds a year than you need a better setup. My opion is that you should not get a 1911 if you can not afford to make it right. If you san not make it right then get a glock or something that will go bang when you pull the trigger. I have no choice in what i carry, I love the 1911 but the realabilty with the mim parts is sub par to say the least.

Sorry to hear you have had problems. I have had my S&W 1911 for years (not a safe queen) and zero issues. I seem to recall gun parts breaking before MIM...many, many more guns out there now than used to be and outlets like this allow for every issue to be advertised.

I recently purchased a slightly used S&W 1911. I have since fired just over 500 rounds through the gun consisting of several types of ammo. It has fed and extracted everything flawlessly (using 47d's for mags). I know 500 rounds is just getting started, but as someone who has owned several 1911's, I can honestly say I'm not too worried about the MIM parts.

MIM threads bring out the trolls, it's like catnip.

If someone can produce a unbiased study that shows MIM parts having a higher failer rate than tools steel, then there might be an issue.

All parts break. Small intricate parts break more frequently than big parts. MIM has become popular for making those small parts, but that does not make MIM the cause of failure. Firearms were breaking long before MIM parts started.

Another accurate statement would be try finding a gun manufacturer that does not use MIM, it's difficult, unless as stated above, you are going the custom or semi custom route and are willing to pay for it.

MIM parts are a fact of life and there is nothing wrong with them, provided the manufacturer uses the proper process and QC.
The horror stories on the web I've found are like Bigfoot sightings, I'm not going to call someone a liar, but I'd like to see some concrete proof/studies. I'm not willing to accept hearsay and pictures of a couple of failed parts.