Originally posted by shawn mccarver:
Originally posted by frontsight40:
Shopping new 1911's.
Are the S&W 1911's built in the U.S.A.?
YES.
Does the SW 1911 use the original ignition system of Mr. Browning?. I am reading about the Swartz ignition and safety systems on the Kimber and how inferior it is.
YES, BUT WITH THE ADDITION OF THE ORIGINAL COLT FIRING PIN SAFETY, CALLED THE SWARTZ SAFETY, WHICH IS ACTIVATED OFF THE GRIP SAFETY RATHER THAN THE TRIGGER, AS IN THE CURRENT COLT SERIES 80 SYSTEM. MANY CONSIDER THE SERIES 80 THE LESSER FIRING PIN SAFETY DUE TO THE FACT THAT SOME SAY IT MAKES GETTING A GOOD TRIGGER PULL MORE DIFFICULT FOR A GUNSMITH.
Is a full length guide rod a good thing or a bad thing?
Does reliablility/accuracy increase?
IT MAKES DISASSEMBLY VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT A BUSHING WRENCH AND PREVENTS COCKING THE PISTOL BY PRESSING THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE FORWARD AGAINST A HARD SURFACE. FORTUNATELY, IT IS EASY TO GET DROP IN REPLACEMENT PARTS (YOU NEED THE RECOIL SPRING PLUG AND STANDARD RECOIL SPRING GUIDE - THE EXISTING SPRING SHOULD BE USED).
100% of the handguns I have purchased are S&W. I am having a little trouble finding out about stuff like front strap checkering, ambi safeties, etc.
I CANNOT RECALL ABOUT THOSE ISSUES, BUT I LOVE THE S&W 1911 AND, HAVING OWNED ALL OTHER BRANDS, AM CONVINCED IT IS THE BEST CURRENTLY PRODUCED PRODUCTION 1911, BETTER THAN COLT, KIMBER, SPRINGFIELD, AND ALL THE OTHERS. CERTAINLY THE SPRINGFIELD CUSTOM SHOP GUNS ARE BETTER AS ARE LES BAER, BUT YOU CAN BUY TWO OR THREE OF THE S&W 1911s FOR THE PRICE OF THOSE.
Hey Shawn,
STOP YELLING when you post
If you think disassembly with a full length guide rod is extremely difficult, I'm a little bit confused as there's nothing to it at all. Some require a small piece of a paperclip, some unscrew into two parts, some use a little plastic part, and I'm sure there are other ways, but it takes about five extra seconds. Pop the slide off, push the guide rod all the way forward, stick the paperclip in and remove to the rear...done. Same basic operation for the plastic plug and even less if the rod unscrews into two parts.
You've really owned ALL brands of 1911 out there? AMT, Armscor, Auto-Ordinance, Les Baer, Ed Brown, Briley, Colt, Charles Daly, Kimber, Nighthawk, Norinco, Olympic, Para Ordinance, Rock Island Armory, Rock River Arms, Sig Sauer, STI, SVI/Infinity, Dan Wesson, Wilson Combat....heck, those are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head, I'm sure there are others.
Now, I've only owned 1911's since 1983, so that's not exactly a long time (Colt Gold Cup Mark IV, Series 70 that I still have) compared with some folks, but I own a small stack of them now and quite honestly, an SW1911 won't ever be added to that stack when I compare the quality and price to other guns that offer just as much, or more, for less money. A lowly STI Trojan (paid $870 for mine) is hand fit where it counts, not made on a production line, and is absolutely, positively, a better gun than the best SW1911 model. Brown, Baer, Wilson, SVI and Nighthawk all make far superior models and not all of them cost more than the Smith.
I'm not bagging on S&W...I have a small stack of them as well in both revolvers and autos, but the SW1911 doesn't compare with their own revolvers and some of their other autos....sad, but true. Now, if they'd make an SW like they make the M41, things would be a much different story! R,
