my 1911 saga.

1
I've long thought the Colt model 1903 is as close to the perfect handgun as has ever been created. But I've never really been able to like or enjoy the 1911.

My introduction to pistols was when I was in second or third grade when I took a 1911 that had followed my dad home from his four year all expenses paid Mediterranean, North African, Italian and Persian Gulf safari. I took the big old slabside and one round to school for show and tell and to tell the safety lessons I'd learned and that dad said all kids should know. It was big and heavy and rattled and from an adult perspective it had probably been rebuilt a brazillion times with pieces parts what was available. But it was my Dad's. Anyway, the teacher liked my show and tell and even had me go to other classes for their show-n-tell. That day it got passed around the room and every kid got to hold it and see how heavy it was and how big the bullet was and only one boy tried a pew-pew and got scolded by the teacher for breaking the safety rules I had just listed.

Time passed and I grew up and eventually bought a 1911 of my own, an 80. It never felt like that old memory from long ago and it was super tight and never rattled like that old 1911 (it was so loose it would rattle when wrapped in two socks and put in the back of the drawer).

It went to a forever home.

Later I bought a pre-CZ Dan Wesson custom Pointman/Patriot. It was beautiful and super accurate but just again never felt right.

So it went to a forever home.

I always loved the round and had lots of 45acp wheelies from Colt and S&W and while I was living in Phoenix in the 1960s carried one of my S&W Brazilian Contract 1917s in a Hunter holster when I wandered in the desert or Superstitions. They are all still with me.

But I still felt somewhat tainted because I really should like the 1911.

SDS Imports is bringing in a Turkish (Tisas made) 1911A1 that they say is built to the wartime specs and it was selling for under $400.00 and was just an old slabside with no rail and no real sights and no skeleton trigger or hammer and no fancy grips and ... well, nothing but what my dad would have been issued on his safari.

For a couple years I looked at reviews and put one in the basket to check out but never pulled the trigger. Until a couple days ago.

It wasn't under $400.00 but it wasn't much over $400.00 either. Yesterday I picked it up and it came home with me. It wasn't in the cardboard box in the reviews but rather a plastic clamshell case. And it had two magazines rather than just one. And the magazines were from Check-Mate. And it's plain. It doesn't rattle but it does feel just like my memories of the thing dad brought home. I also still had a couple Mec-Gar 1911 magazines that somehow didn't go with the DW. I still have a couple boxes or 45acp ball and a whole bunch of 45acp in moon clips I can de-moon if needed.

I pulled it apart and checked inside and everything is well machined, the feed ramp polished. I lubed it up with Rem Oil and will try to get to the range this weekend to do function check.

So far though I'm pleased. I also found I had a full box of Triton Hi-Vel +P JHPs so if I decide to carry it I should be set.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

2
I have two Tisas Zigana Sport 9MM. Very well made, close tolerance machining and solid performance/accurate. Impressed with quality. I expect you will be happy with purchase.

As for 1911, never quite understood the fascination, outside of historic. I've never held or fired one that didn't feel like a brick in my hand. So don't own nor want one.
"Being Republican is more than a difference of opinion - it's a character flaw." "COVID can fix STUPID!"
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Re: my 1911 saga.

3
Took it to the range for a function test and it worked flawlessly. Ran 56 rounds of ball and 14 round of JHP. Two types of magazines, the Check-Mate GI mags and a couple dimple-less Ma-Gars. All the mags worked. The mag release button is real stiff and the detente on the slide stop is a bear but I imagine both of those will improve with use.

Who knows, I might even actually enjoy a 1911.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

5
That's a neat find. You might sit and work that release while you watch a movie or something like that. I've seen some good Turkish machining. Sounds like this one is just loose enough to be able to eat everything. I think 1911's are fun guns long as they eat everything. I'm also old enough to have taken a gun to US History class. It was my 1917 Budapest M95 straight pull carbine with the side sling swivel in the original 8x50r. Still have it.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
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Re: my 1911 saga.

6
Lucky enough to have a local gun range that has a really good selection of guns to rent. How I bought my G17, G26. Rented a Springfield 1911and bought a box of VERY expensive, range 45FMJ.
It 'only' had 3 malfunctions, hurt my hand and 'seemed' pretty inaccurate...maybe others are 'better' but I'll stick with what I have, thanks.
Last edited by F4FEver on Mon May 23, 2022 8:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

Re: my 1911 saga.

8
tonguengroover wrote: Sun May 22, 2022 9:50 am Sig, you left out the part where it sat in the teachers drawer? :)
Well it was big and heavy and so she put it in her drawer until it was time to go home. She did let kids from other classes look at it and hold it if they asked first.

Interestingly the magazine release is only really stiff with the Mec-Gar magazines and they also are the harder to insert and catch unless I depress the release during insertion.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

my 1911 saga.

9
Personally, I love mine. Mines a Ruger SR 1911 commander. I have carried it off & on but I’m never truly comfortable with a manual safety on a carry gun. I did use it to compete in a few single stack competitions. My 16 year old son shoots it very well as well. Certain other spots in the interwebz will call you a fudd if you are a 1911 aficionado, but who cares? A timeless design from the master American gun designer.


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Image

Re: my 1911 saga.

10
More observations on the transaction and experience.

I bought the Tisas through Academy since it was the only local outlet that said they had one available. It was the normal convoluted Academy procedures nightmare. When I arrived there were two employees talking but no other customers. I gave them the printout that said the gun was available, ready for pickup and paid for. I also handed them my drivers license and LTC card.

So far, so good.

One of the employees went into the store room and came out with the gun and I was allowed to look at it but not lower the trigger. Well, all the outside pieces parts were there so great, now to fill-out the 4473.

That's when it all started to go down hill.

Before I could fill out the 4473 tablet they had to call a manager to come and check the copy of the order saying it was ready to be picked up, that my drivers license and LTC matched the name and address in their purchase records.

First hurdle. The purchase online had my Academy account first name as "Jim" while the DL & LTC said "James". It was a lecture where I had to swear that I was the actual purchaser. Finally the manager entered something in the computer and the 4473 pad emerged. Before I could start the entry I had to listen while instructions for filling it out were read to me off a piece of paper and I was admonished that I had to enter information exactly as it was on my DL & LTC.

Fine.

About then another customer showed up with another handgun supposedly ready for pickup. But the manager had already left and so after the new customer presented the copy of the order and his DL it was off to the back to bring out his new M&P 2.0 9mm.

At that point the new customer was told since he did not present his LTC that after filling out the 4473 it would likely take an hour to get background checked.

The new customer is a local long term police officer.

That doesn't count.

He still first had to wait until the manager came back to check everything and since they only had one 4473 pad until I finished filling mine out and the employee made sure it got entered into the computer.

The officer was very polite and agreed that he would wait and the employee put his new M&P and initial paperwork on the rifle wall rack and called for the manager.

Great. BUT, I could not have my gun until a manager came to carry it to the front door.

The manager did come though and walked me and my gun all the way for the furthest point in the store to the door.








Before he checked the new customer's paperwork and allowed him to start on the 4473.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

11
Sounds like that place has some strict rules. Nothing wrong with that.

I just stopped by Turners here in town, they didn't have one of them Tisas or even a Ruger. But they had around twenty other 1911's for around $850 to over $900,. Turners usually has two hundred pistola's and same amount of long guns at any one time on display.
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”

Re: my 1911 saga.

12
Has the smell of some greasy liability lawyer at work in Academy corporate.
"It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence. There is hope for a violent man to become non-violent. There is no such hope for the impotent." -Gandhi

Re: my 1911 saga.

13
I tried to replace the sights on my SR 1911 this morning (with suppressor height) Couldn’t budge the front sight. Off to the smith for this pistol yet again, lol. That guy always gives me guff, but he’s inexpensive, fast and the ball-busting is included in the price.


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Re: my 1911 saga.

14
INVICTVS138 wrote: Wed May 25, 2022 4:30 pm I tried to replace the sights on my SR 1911 this morning (with suppressor height) Couldn’t budge the front sight. Off to the smith for this pistol yet again, lol. That guy always gives me guff, but he’s inexpensive, fast and the ball-busting is included in the price.


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Such a tough situation to be in says the guy with no 1911. Pfffft
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,”

Re: my 1911 saga.

15
It's been a week with the SDS Import Tisas made 1911A1 Government model and I've had a chance to try several different carry methods.

Fortunately I had some holsters I'd previously used with either my Series 80 (short lived) or my Dan Wesson custom Pointman/Patriot (somewhat longer lived several year trial that just never panned out) so I could get some experience with carrying the slabside.

As always, for the first week with a new firearm or new holster or even a new gun/holster combination I carried the gun unloaded and a secondary backup loaded handgun for safety. The goal is to test comfort and make sure that the safety doesn't get accidentally switched to fire mode and that the mag release doesn't work flawlessly on its own (I once had that happen with one of my Berettas and pulling out a fine handgun only to mag the mag lying at my feet while interesting was only interesting in the nature of the Chinese curse).

I tested both IWB and OWB types but still have not tested my shoulder holster rigs for a 1911 with this one. Each holster was worn for at least a full day.

Most of my IWB options available just didn't work out with the 1911. Two that did work were the Alien Gear with switchable shells and my High Noon Holster Mr. Softy. A High Noon Split Decision that I really expected to work simply was not stable enough.

OWB holsters were an open base from Old West Holster in San Antonio, a High Noon Holster, one from 1791 and my old Bucheimer that originally help that Series 80 I've mentioned. The Bucheimer was the best retention and was the least comfortable and most awkward of all. The High Noon and 1791 were pretty equal, both very comfortable with both holding the gun high and tight. The High Noon had slightly better retention and the 1791 had slightly better coverage.

The SDS Imports Tisas made 1911A1 Government model:
Tisas-1911A1-Government-179.jpg
and in the 1791 holster:
1911A1-in-1791-holster.jpg
Some older pictures but with other handguns:

The Bucheimer and the Dan Wesson I just never liked:


Bucheimer-DW-1911-01-800.jpg
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

16
The High Noon Holsters Topless but with my Browning BDM:

This is actually the most comfortable I've found with the new 1911.
High-Noon-BDM-800.jpg
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

17
Something more than 200+ rounds of all ammo through it now so paused to measure the stock trigger pull using my Lyman Digital Scale. Did multiple five pull sets to get a reasonable average and it came out right around 4 pounds.

Short take up, clean break, short reset and a 4 pound out of the box trigger pull ain't all that shabby.

Commander sized enhanced rail-less version on order.
Last edited by sig230 on Sun May 29, 2022 3:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

20
Weight distribution is an issue but other things like a correct belt and correct placement also count. I have several OWB pancake style holsters where it's held relatively close to my body and with a good belt they are the most comfortable. But several of my IWB holsters are nearly as comfortable and likely more secure.

AbE:
Found my Safariland paddle holster that I bought when I had the Dan Wesson so will try wearing it for awhile.
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

Re: my 1911 saga.

21
The Tisas 1911 B45(M45) Carry came in today and it followed me home.

This is a Commander size 4.25" barrel rather than the full 5" barrel on the GI model. It also is a Humphrey (the dictionary defines Humphrey as a flat back camel! sign placard made by one of my teenage Republicans for the 1968 Nixon rally in Greensboro, NC). In this case though it simply means it has a flat mainspring housing rather than the arched one on the full size. It has an aluminum skeleton trigger and the short stroke of the 1911A1. Trigger break using my Lyman Digital Scale averages just over 3.75 pounds.

The hammer is also the skeleton type and the grip safety has a true extended beaver-tail with the reminder bump. Instead of the almost non-existent sights on the GI model this one has Novak style three white dot sights. The frame, slide and barrel are still hammer forged, the mag well slightly beveled and an ambi-thumb safety rather than just on the left side. The cocking serrations are slanted rather than straight and there is also a set of front press check serrations. Grip panels are just plastic but well done and comfortable. I can see a couple minor wear points, for example on one side of the reminder bump on the grip safety, but nothing indicating something worth worrying about.

I'll try to get over to one of the ranges for a function check this weekend.
1911-Carry.jpg
To be vintage it must be older than me!
The next gun I buy will be the next to last gun I ever buy. PROMISE!
jim

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