Big,
It always surprises me when someone has the experience with 1911s that you are describing.
Don't get me wrong, I have had my share of dogs, but it was usually when I was short on money and tried to do things on the cheap.
Without bragging, I have bought, sold or traded well over 50 1911s since I got my first one in 1973. Back in the 70s and 80s if I bought Colts they functioned, at least with hardball.
I cant say the same for some of the "clones" I built from slides and frames from places like Essex Arms, Ranger, Crown City Arms and others I have forgotten. You had sear and hammer pin holes that weren't spaced to tolerances. Slides that rattled on rails so out of spec that you could throw a cat through the gap.
Gunsmiths spent hours back then peening slide rails and frame rails and then fitting the two together a little at a time and then lapping them for a decent fit. It even got to the point that Colt 1911 had these same issues when their quality took a nosedive across the board.
Half of the problem with malfunctioning 1911s back then was that there were so many "experts" that were actually hacks of the worst order who would be glad to "ramp and throat" your 1911 for better functioning, whether it needed it or not. I cant count the number of 1911 frames and barrels I saw ruined by gun plumbers who shouldn't have been turned loose on a Red Ryder BB gun, much less a 1911.
Another big part of the problem back then was the selection of ammo. In the 70s if you wanted anything else but hardball you were just begging for feeding difficulties. The famous 200 gr Speer "Flying Ashtray" was one round that maybe 1 out of 25 pistols would feed, even with extensive "tuning". There were damn few bullet profiles that would feed reliably out of the guns and MAGAZINES of the day.
It took a long time for people to realize that the gun and MAGAZINE had been designed to fire one load and one load only, 230 gr hardball. When people like Wilson took a long hard look at the feed lips on the magazine and figured out that short nosed hollow point rounds needed to be released at a different point in the feed cycle than hardball, things suddenly got a lot brighter for the guy who wanted to carry exotic ammo.
MAGAZINES are such a large part of the 1911 reliability equation and it never ceases to amaze me that someone will dump a grand on a 1911 and then turn around and buy a handful of the cheapest and crappiest magazines he can find. If you cheap out on magazines you are just begging for trouble and are going to turn your new wonder gun into a short club.
Today I own one Series 80 Colt and 3 Kimbers. The Colt was tuned to perfection by Don Williams at The Action Works and will feed anything. When you drop the slide on a 230 gr Hydrashok it strips it out of the Wilson magazine so smoothly that there is no ka-chunk like you normally hear and feel on most 1911s. Most of that is Don's years of training and skill level. Part of it is Wilson's superb magazines.
My two Kimber Custom Shop Compacts are just as smooth and have never had a thing done to them, with the exception of tossing the factory magazines and using Wilsons.
My day to day carry 1911 is also a Kimber Compact that started out as a base model. Tim Thompson completely tuned it and added a number of bells and whistles and it is flawless. Again, Wilson mags are the only thing that ever goes in this "business" gun.
I don't own a pistol that I wouldn't trust my life with, and that has taken a lot of guns and a lot of years.
I have often heard people who are familiar with defensive firearms say that the 1911 is an expert's gun.
I am far from an expert in the use of small arms, but I agree and I feel that if someone isn't willing to put in the time, effort, studies, money, etc to master the 1911, and is dead set on owning an auto loader, save your self some heartache and get a Glock.
After all, that is where this thread started out.
Your Mileage May Vary
Michael
