Posted: 6/25/2006 12:42:35 AM EDT
| How would you guys describe the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec Parkerized 1911A1? Is it a good gun? I've shot 1911's before but this one will be my first handgun I own so I don't want anything too expensive and high-end but I want an accurate, reliable one. |
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then the SA GI 1911 is what you need; is reliable and will always go BANG; haven't heard anything bad about them. BTW, I bought my own GI 1911 today (6/26/06)...  However, my SN prefix is WW rather than NM  Ah! Who cares! It goes bang without fail, like a 1911 should. 
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| Good guns but you should really replace a few parts like the extractor, maybe the slide stop, and I am not impressed with their recoil springs which seem to lose tension very quickly. That said, the frames and slides are very good quality forged pieces and are well worth it. |
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I paid $479 and the damn thing runs like a champ. It has never malfunctioned. I've even done some mini torture tests like not cleaning it for 1500 rounds, or burying it in the sand. I have much nicer 1911's and bought this one just to mess with. I wouldn't sweat replacing parts right away. Shoot it until it breaks and then replace. Springfield MIM seems to hold up much better than the MIM in Kimbers. We have several fairly new Mil Specs at the range where they guys are between 5,000-10,000 rounds, and they have not broke. |
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I picked up a Stainless GI to build up, and I have been pleasantly surprised with how well it shoots out-of-the-box. Lights-Out at 25yds! So far I've installed: Smith & Alexander SS Checkered MSH(No More I.L.S.) Ed Brown SS Rebuild Kit (Pins & Springs) Wilson Combat Match Trigger Wilson Combat 47D Magazines Wilson Combat SS Hex Head Screws Lew Horton Grips |
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Where's the pic, I'd like to see that one!!! |
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I just got one a couple hundred rounds old. GOOD (so far) my trigger must be unique cause I'm telling you it is PERFECT for combat- my amateur hands say 5lbs even and ZERO creep and ZILCH overtravel. I won't say glass rod, but man I want to! It's that good. I happen to put short triggers on my 1911's so in this case, while I may change some externals, the insides are staying as is. I'm punching my best groups with wolf, for pete's sake. Cheap gun, cheap ammo, wicked crisp feel to the action. There is a tiiiiny amount of clockwise/counterclockwise shift with no parts in , e.g. just frame and slide. But with the gun assembled, there is ZERO movement. the bushing is tight as hell barrel cannot move when locked at all. With no parts in either and unlubricated, the slide absolutely glides on the frame rails. slide serrations are the absolute bes tI have ever felt (I've had SA loaded, Wilson Combat and Kimbers). I dunno if those were the GI ones (aren't COlt's straight?), but they are fan-frekaing-tastic. Thumb safety is just enough to move and then dissapear. I'm not a thumb-rester, I tend to leave my thumb next to the safety scrunched against it, so smaller = better. rear site - GREAT, very hi-definiteion, nice wide opening, dots are nice. GI (lack of) guide rod - press checks! sweet! standard dissasembly! sweet! (checkered spring cap is nice touch too) BAD Slide in no way shape or form matches the frame in terms of coloration. top is parked, bottom is lighter parked. hammer/slide bite - I carry a couple (hundred) extra pounds, so maybe it's my hands, but the hammer does let me know its there. No blood, no pain, but I can feel it. The slide is another story, with no wide beavertail the thumb area of hte hand-web does get battered in a two hand hold. ouch! sharp edges - there are only a few REAL sharp edges on mine that I will be removing: front of the slide, trigger guard sides and front of thumb safety. front sight, I got bad eyes, so the dot on that one is less definied and blurs out on me. I will be putting a different front sight on (probably rear too, butthat doesn't AHVE to be replaced). Springfield Armory front strap profile. once again for my small hands, I can't stand them. too much material on teh top of the front strap. Other people (99% of you!) have no problem with this! My goal is to stay as close to USGI as I can while achieving the necessary level of comfort to shoot this gun till I can't shoot no more! What I'm doing: 1 new grip safety (CMC) with smallest possible beavertail, more to protect thumb from slide than to prevent hammer bite. 2 bevel the muzzle end, the thumb safety, the trigger-guard sides and the rear of hammer. 3 install CMC ultra thin doulb ediamond grips (I like VZ, but want to keep the GI look!) 4 Duracoat in flat black (after the two below) What I'm paying either a local gunsmith or SA custom shop to do: 1 pop in a new front sight, maybe rear too. (Wilson combat adjustable incoming) 2 hi cut front strap and stiple it I figure the custom work will cost me 180$. The parts I'm putting in (CMC beaverttail, CMC ultra thin grips, Duracoat kit) will cost 100$. That's 280$ plus a pistol that cost me about 350$.  she's plenty accurate enough, not a single hiccup so far (couple hundred rounds between previous owner and me), she just needs about a month or two worth of time and wow will she be comfy and purty to boot. should be wicked. Here she is afte rmy range trip:  |
| Are Mil-spec's good 1911's? YES!! I bought one used, very slightly used, if this thing had more than a couple boxes of ammo ran through it, I'd be surprised. I did have issues with it shooting low..I sent it back to S.A. and they replaced the rear sight with one that was taller, shoots very well at 25yds. They also cleaned up the breechface on the slide, it had a high spot on it, and was marking up the caseheads of my brass, they took care of it and reparked the slide as well! S.A. was pretty much hassle free about the whole thing, and even reinburised me for the shipping I had to pay to get it to them. No Charge for anything!! Altogether, it took 10 business days from when I sent it in to getting it back to my door. I've also replaced the barrel bushing with a tighter one from Ed Brown, Wilson combat extractor, Ed brown slide stop, and firing pin, (Steel) and stop, I also replaced the recoil spring as S.A. ships them out with a 14# spring I put in a 16# wolff spring. I replaced the mainspring housing with a orginial Rem-Rand housing(with laynard loop) found at local shop for $10 it also needed reparked...S.A. did that for me at No extra charge,(I asked them if they would, and offered to pay) when they replaced the rear sight. Mine is a older Milspec, it has a one piece stainless barrel, and the blocky frame. For $375, I cannot complain, Very reliable, accurate trigger's not too bad, not as good as my Kimber, still not bad, very usable as is. Frame to slide fit is very good..tight so is the barrel to slide fit. Chapperjoe; The difference in park color from the slide to the frame may be because the slide is harder than the frame and may have taken a darker color when it was parked on mine the slide is black, the frame O.D. green, The Rem-Rand MSH is a darker green, about 2 shades darker, I guess it was somewhat of a dice throw as to what color it would come out.As far as 1911's go, these are probably one of the best bargin out there. On a new Milspec, I would change the recoil spring..I think a 14#spring is too light a 16# or even a 18.5# would be more like it. |
| That's right..you've got a lifetime warranty even if you weren't the orginial buyer, call them up and tell them what's going on they'll fix it...FREE! NM serial# prefix means it was finished machined, assembled here in the U.S. My mil-spec has a NM prefix as well. |
wow. If I'm plannign some mods think they'll hook me up at a discount and/or quicker than normal?  just really want a stiple/hi-cut front strap/ new front sight and perhaps forward cocking serraions - nothing much!
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The middle pistol started life in 1992 as a mil spec. The top is a GI model and has been 100% reliable for well past 2K rounds with the only non stock parts being the extractor ( wilson bulletproof) and the recoil spring ( wolff 18.5lb) and of course Wilson 47D magazines. With the last SA purchase being my GI and it's excellent quality/reliability I will be purchasing another as soon as I can. Not sure whether it'll be another GI or the Mil Spec though. I really like the straight slide serrations and hi ejection port of the GI better than the Mil Spec. 
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I know S.A. has a custom shop, ask about it when you call about your sight problem I'd be willing to bet they could fix you up.....I would'nt hold my breath on the discount, or plan on having it back for a few weeks....But, all kidding aside, tell them what you want and see what it'll cost.. 
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