Torture Test: Tisas 1911

[AJ]

Recent reviews of Colt 1911 models in Handloader magazine by Brian Pearce have been very positive. I have a Series 70 Colt that I bought new back in the early 70s. it has the collet type barrel bushing that came from the factory as very tight and requiring a bit of firing to break it in. Once that was done it has been 100% reliable ever since. I think current Colts are probably better than ever.

One thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that the manufacturers pay the bills at the gun magazines. They pay for advertisement space, provide the test pieces and probably the ammunition too. For the writer to be very critical of the test items would be shooting themselves in the foot.

I too, have a 70's Model Series 70, but a Gold Cup National Match. The collet type bushing were a problem for a while. Some were prone to breaking and locking up the gun. The fingers on the collet were a tad to long and this caused stress, and finally breakage. Once that was figured out the collect was shortened a bit. I have never had a problem with mine.

I do not know if the newer Colt 1911's are any better than the old ones. I have a 70's and a late 50's models and these are enough for me.

I do tweak mine a bit. Usually just the trigger (like them at 2.5 pounds), the feeding ramp (polish it) and throat the barrel. My guns will feed an empty case, will yours?

 

[robvious]

the YouTube channel 1911 Syndicate just did a review of the Tisa 1911... they usually do reviews of $2,500 to $8,000 1911's... they found it to be great for what it is... beating many of the more expensive models in function...

Can a $580 1911 Be Any Good? - YouTube

 

[AJ]

the YouTube channel 1911 Syndicate just did a review of the Tisa 1911... they usually do reviews of $2,500 to $8,000 1911's... they found it to be great for what it is... beating many of the more expensive models in function...

Can a $580 1911 Be Any Good? - YouTube

This is the present day Norinco. When the Norinco M1911's first came into the country almost all looked down on them. Then someone took a closer look at them and decided to make a IPSC gun out of it and discovered they were good, very good. The availability of buying one dried up quickly. The the Government banned their import! Now they are very hard to find in the wild.

 

[MSD2343]

Recent reviews of Colt 1911 models in Handloader magazine by Brian Pearce have been very positive. I have a Series 70 Colt that I bought new back in the early 70s. it has the collet type barrel bushing that came from the factory as very tight and requiring a bit of firing to break it in. Once that was done it has been 100% reliable ever since. I think current Colts are probably better than ever.

I bought the Colt 1911 Classic three years ago. Have about 2,500 rounds through it. Been very pleased with it and I’m glad to hear folks have done so well with their Tisas.

 

[diyj98]

One thing that needs to be taken into consideration is that the manufacturers pay the bills at the gun magazines. They pay for advertisement space, provide the test pieces and probably the ammunition too. For the writer to be very critical of the test items would be shooting themselves in the foot.

I agree 100%. The same with any of the YouTube or online review sites as well. I think this every time I see someone say “Joe Blow reviewed the new Remchester 88mm and said they were great”.

 

[rockquarry]

I'm not a YouTube follower for just about anything gun-related. Many take delight in criticizing the paper gun magazines, but their material is professionally edited. This weeds out much of the erroneous and superfluous. A lot of YouTubers (certainly not all) would have a most difficult time getting their "articles" past a professional editor. Many of them have probably tried. Even with the better YouTube material, a twenty-minute presentation may only contain three minutes of (often questionably) "good" content.

 

[Waldo]

What I get out of this is, that the American worker does not build a good product and that a Foreign worker does. Tells you a lot about where the values in this country are going. American craftsmanship is in the outhouse in more places than one. When I was a kid 99.9% of what my family owned was American built and foreign made items were mostly junk. Nowadays it seems to be the other way around. What happened?????

I do not believe in " blame America first".I have always been proud to be an American. I am not sure just who is and who is not a "worker". I have always made a living with my hands and I have found that management and what they want and if they are willing to pay for the time to get it has a much bigger influence on quality than what the individual "worker" is capable of.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I cannot imagine how many Colt and Kimber owners are clenching their fists in frustration at reading the OP.

There are those who like shooters and those who like collector's items. The 1911 is an old design and many companies have had a lot of time to perfect it. To some only a COLT chambered in 45 is a 1911, and they would pay a lot to not have a TISAS or RIA 1911. Their money their choice. I like S&W a lot, but none of my 1911's are S&W, the performance is just too good from the foreign competitor's at a third of the price. My favorite is an ATI 9mm commander. I would not hesitate to get a Tisas if I were in the market.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

What I get out of this is, that the American worker does not build a good product and that a Foreign worker does. Tells you a lot about where the values in this country are going. American craftsmanship is in the outhouse in more places than one. When I was a kid 99.9% of what my family owned was American built and foreign made items were mostly junk. Nowadays it seems to be the other way around. What happened?????

Our foreign competitors have regulation similar to what we had 30-40 years ago. We are awash in regulation and extreme costs unheard of decades ago for company personnel who do not contribute to the product.

 

[AJ]

I agree 100%. The same with any of the YouTube or online review sites as well. I think this every time I see someone say “Joe Blow reviewed the new Remchester 88mm and said they were great”.

I do not believe in " blame America first".I have always been proud to be an American. I am not sure just who is and who is not a "worker". I have always made a living with my hands and I have found that management and what they want and if they are willing to pay for the time to get it has a much bigger influence on quality than what the individual "worker" is capable of.

I do not "Blame America First". I do not know who to blame whether it is management, the workers or the politicians. Maybe all three, if you can tell me, please enlighten me. I started working for a packing house in Fla. loading Train cars and semi's with boxes of grapefruit (tote a few of those 4/5 bushel boxes for a while), the joined the Corps and was an aircraft electrician among other things for 24 years, and then went to college and became a Medical/Surgical Nurse specializing in Orthopedics. So I have worked with my hands quite a bit. Swung a hammer a few times to make ends meet also. I look at the quality of work being accomplished and the pay scales and I am amazed. We were skilled labor and did not push buttons to make things. Nowadays it seems as if that is all they do. Why are the folks overseas turning out items as good if not better than ours and keeping the price lower and more cost effective?

 

[any4xx]

I’ve recently gotten back to carrying 1911’s. I went to several gun stores just to see what was new and several pointed me towards the Tisas. Like an idiot I wouldn’t even consider them. I bought a Kimber (my 6th) from one store and a S&W (my first) from another. BOTH were defective and both had to go back to the manufacturers for repair.

I the mean time I’ve been reading and watching videos like crazy and Tisas keeps coming up as the undervalued quality leader. Even though both Kimber and S&W made repairs in a timely manner I’m planning on shopping for a Tisas (or three) in the next few weeks.

 

[AJ]

There are those who like shooters and those who like collector's items. The 1911 is an old design and many companies have had a lot of time to perfect it. To some only a COLT chambered in 45 is a 1911, and they would pay a lot to not have a TISAS or RIA 1911. Their money their choice. I like S&W a lot, but none of my 1911's are S&W, the performance is just too good from the foreign competitor's at a third of the price. My favorite is an ATI 9mm commander. I would not hesitate to get a Tisas if I were in the market.

Rick,

Some of the new stuff is very good. I think because I bought my M1911's years ago and have not seen a need to buy anymore. I have two, one for each hand. I have bought a new M1911 style pistol in the last year, it is a Ruger SR1911 in 10MM and is ported. The price was good and the caliber is interesting.

 

[LVSteve]

Why are the folks overseas turning out items as good if not better than ours and keeping the price lower and more cost effective?

1) The miracle of computer controlled machining and production means that a company can turn out good quality stuff on a regular basis so long as they keep the machines maintained. I suspect there is little to no skilled labor involved at Tisas or Rock Island other than at inspection.

2) I suspect that many of these newer companies are extremely "lean". They don't have a bunch of hangers on to pay who are still there from the days when things were more mandraulic. That goes for management as well as the shop floor. The Anglo-Saxon world has a seemingly endless talent for creating extra, mostly unnecessary, layers of management that produce little but paper and delays.

3) Add 1 and 2 with lower base labor costs, and that's how you get $400 1911s in the US after shipping from another country.

 

[DWalt]

It s not "Blame America First" to say the Turks can now produce a 1911 equivalent in quality to a Colt or any other maker in the world, simply because it is a fact. I like Colts and own quite a few of them. But if I wanted a 1911 for actual everyday use, why would I ever consider paying at least double or triple the price for one made by Colt or any other of the prestige makers instead of buying a Tisa? Same reason I wear a Swiss Army wristwatch instead of a Rolex. It was a vastly less expensive watch, keeps far better time than a Rolex, and so far has given me flawless service for over 20 years. I am not impressed by whose name is stamped on the product.
If someone wants to debate Blame America First, let's talk about crude oil and gas.

 

[LVSteve]

I am not impressed by whose name is stamped on the product.

I think in that one statement you may have achieved something I would normally consider impossible. I foresee an alliance between the mighty armies of Colt and Glock fanboys to mount a crusade aimed at stamping out the blasphemy that the name on the box doesn't matter. It's a scary thought.

 

[alwslate]

For the writer to be very critical of the test items would be shooting themselves in the foot.

I too, have a 70's Model Series 70, but a Gold Cup National Match. The collet type bushing were a problem for a while. Some were prone to breaking and locking up the gun. The fingers on the collet were a tad to long and this caused stress, and finally breakage. Once that was figured out the collect was shortened a bit. I have never had a problem with mine.

I do not know if the newer Colt 1911's are any better than the old ones. I have a 70's and a late 50's models and these are enough for me.

I do tweak mine a bit. Usually just the trigger (like them at 2.5 pounds), the feeding ramp (polish it) and throat the barrel. My guns will feed an empty case, will yours?

If you've ever actually read any of Brian's reviews you would know that he "calls um as he sees um" I did polish the chamber throat and feed ramp of my barrel a bit. I have fired a variety of ammo in it over the years, various brands of military and commercial FMJ and a few hundred cast bullet RN handloads.
I don't know or care if it will feed empty cases because I can't fire empty cases

 

[AJ]

If you've ever actually read any of Brian's reviews you would know that he "calls um as he sees um" I did polish the chamber throat and feed ramp of my barrel a bit. I have fired a variety of ammo in it over the years, various brands of military and commercial FMJ and a few hundred cast bullet RN handloads.
I don't know or care if it will feed empty cases because I can't fire empty cases

Never been bothered to read reviews. Some one is paying someone to write/publish them.

I can't fire empty cases either. But by getting the pistol to the point it will feed an empty case, means less "Failures To Feed", something you don't want in a self defense or compitition pistol.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Thank you for your informal testing, OP. It is appreciated.

 

[alwslate]

Brian Pearce is probably the best gun writer ever to date. We are lucky to have him. Yes, I would imagine he gets paid for all the work he does for Handloader and Rifle magazines. He deserves to get paid just like any body who works for a living. If you automatically discredit all reviews you are only hurting your self but maybe you are so knowledgeable already that you don't need to ever learn any thing else . My full size 1911 isn't going to be used in competition and has only been carried a few times for SD many years ago when I only had a few guns. Once I got it broken in it has never failed to feed ball ammo again. Just the sight of the big .45 in my waist band stopped a situation from escalating without me even having to draw it many years ago. Just like the NRA says. Good enough for me

 

[AJ]

Brian Pearce is probably the best gun writer ever to date. We are lucky to have him. Yes, I would imagine he gets paid for all the work he does for Handloader and Rifle magazines. He deserves to get paid just like any body who works for a living. If you automatically discredit all reviews you are only hurting your self but maybe you are so knowledgeable already that you don't need to ever learn any thing else . My full size 1911 isn't going to be used in competition and has only been carried a few times for SD many years ago when I only had a few guns. Once I got it broken in it has never failed to feed ball ammo again. Just the sight of the big .45 in my waist band stopped a situation from escalating without me even having to draw it many years ago. Just like the NRA says. Good enough for me

So he is better than Keith, Skelton, Cooper, and many others? Mighty big shoes to fill. If you want to continue this, just PM me.