Colt 1991a1

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Chowder

New member
I recently decided to sell my Stoeger uplander and was affered a trade for a Colt 1991a1. I would be adding about 200 in cash on my end but I know nearly nothing about this gun. When the owner of the colt contacted me wanting to trade for a 1911 I un-holstered my wallet so fast it flew across the room... then I saw the pictures and noticed the scroll mark of 1991. Anyway, short story long, Im looking for some basic information on this colt. I don't own a colt and would love to add one to my collection but since I know nothing about them I want to make sure I get a quality shooter.

Here is the picture I was sent of the Colt, I will be able to handle it before making the trade.

nfjn.jpg


Thanks in advance for the help!
 
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Jim Watson

New member
Proportions look more like the 1991A1 Compact, the plain version of the OACP with 3.5" barrel and short butt.

It is a good solid gun if you don't mind the flat finish and some plastic parts; trigger and mainspring housing as I recall.

This one has an aftermarket extended slide stop, which may or may not do what you want it to. I found them bad about premature engagement, either from recoil or from getting nudged.

As always, I would want to inspect it and shoot it before making a deal.
 
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ChrisTx

New member
I carried an ORM 1991 for years as a duty gun. You can shoot the ever loving mess out of them. Mine looked pretty rough when I got rid of it, but it ran like the energizer bunny. I was issued a gun so I traded it for rifles. I wish I still had it now.
 
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Deaf Smith

New member
An, a Colt Officers.

Ok now make sure the recoil spring plunger is strong.

Some of the with weak tabs tend to break off and the recoil spring flies forward.

And change the recoils springs every 500 rounds or they go flat and the gun won't work right. Yes the short springs wear out early. Wolf has them in stock. Buy several at once.

Deaf
 
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WC145

New member
I've got all three sizes of ORM 1991A1s, all great guns, solid shooters and excellent platforms for custom builds. The gun in the pic looks like a Compact slide assy on a full size frame, a combo that was not available from the factory in that model. You should check and see what it says on the other side of the slide and if a full size mag will fit properly in the frame. I'm thinking someone might have had a Compact and a Commander and decided to make a 1991 CCO with the Compact frame and Commander slide and put the left over slide and frame together to make the gun in the pic. It's an odd size combo but Colt made some limited run Officers ACP variations like that.
 
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Chowder

New member
Thanks for the info everyone!

The gun in the pic looks like a Compact slide assy on a full size frame, a combo that was not available from the factory
Click to expand...

Now that you mention it that's what looks a bit odd to me. I didn't not that combo existed though. I just sent an e-mail asking if it takes standard mags so I guess that will answer the question. I wont be able to look at it until early next week but that will give me more time to think about it I suppose.

And change the recoils springs every 500 rounds or they go flat and the gun won't work right.
Click to expand...

I guess that is not too big of a deal, this probably wouldn't be a high volume shooter for me. Would I be able to buy an aftermarket recoil spring like a standard 1911?
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Wolff Gunsprings has the recoil spring for the Colt Officers ACP. Mechanically, the M1991A1 Compact is the same pistol.

Slide stop on this one has been replaced by an elongated one. I wonder what else might have been changed.
 
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Sarge

New member
I like 1991A1's but the Officer sized version kept me busy at qualifications, sorting out their quirks. A reverse-plug mainspring goes a long way toward making an OACP reliable. Perfect extractors, perfect magazines and a good barrel along with ramp.chamber/polishing ice the cake.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Sarge said:
I like 1991A1's but the Officer sized version kept me busy at qualifications, sorting out their quirks. A reverse-plug mainspring goes a long way toward making an OACP reliable.
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:confused:

The 1911's mainspring is the hammer spring. Are you referring to the recoil spring plug? If so, the recoil spring plug for the OACP (and M1991A1 Compact) is a reverse plug from the factory. What some people don't like is the tab that retains it -- they claim it shears off. My view is that this happens only if they replace the recoil spring with one that's too long, and don't check to be sure the spring isn't stacking.
 
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Sarge

New member
D'oh. Yes Aguila, Reverse plug RECOIL spring assembly. These eliminate the tab entirely but the ones I have used (Brown & Wilson) required removing about 0.10" from the rear of the recoil spring tunnel.

Googling around a bit, I see these things have evolved quite a bit since then.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Clark Custom offers a flanged recoil spring plug for the Colt Officers ACP that reportedly does not require modifying the slide. For those who feel they MUST replace the original, IMHO the Clark plug is the way to go. I don't like making changes that can't be undone.

FWIW, a friend has an Officers ACP that has seen tens of thousands of rounds with the stock recoil spring plug, and no problems. George Smith, the owner of EGW, has assured me that he has seen pistols with the tab sheared off, otherwise I would chalk the whole story up to Internet myth. However, I believe George.

So how to correlate my friend's (and mine, but I'm nowhere near his round count) with the fact some pistols have lost the plug? To me the answer is obvious. Install a new spring that's too long, and if the spring "stacks" before the slide is fully retracted, where does the stress go? Onto the plug, of course.

Normally, the plug has to withstand ONLY the force exerted by the spring -- which is 22 pounds, at full compression. That's just not a lot of stress. If the pistol is functioning properly, that's the MAXIMUM force that can be exterted on the plug and on the tab -- period.

However, if the recoil spring "stacks," it becomes solid, and the full energy of the slide mass under recoil is now being stopped NOT by the slide recoil spring tunnel impacting the frame, but by all that force being transferred onto that little tab ... in addition to the 22 pounds of the spring compression.

Yep -- I think a few cycles of that would likely shear off the tab.

Even with a full-size 1911 (or any pistol), one should alwas test for spring stacking when installing a new recoil spring.
 
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Sarge

New member
I've seen at least three bone-stock OACP's break the tabs, plus a couple of Auto Ord Pit Bulls. FWIW, of course.
 
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Chowder

New member
Thanks for all the replies again.

I contacted the seller and he said standard 1911 mags stick out the bottom a bit. The potential issues with the mainspring don't seem to be a big issue for me so if It seems mechanical sound and in good condition when I see it in person I think I am going to go for it. I was asking 425 for my Steoger with some ammo and he wants to 200 in cash on top of that. So does 600 seem like a reasonable price? I am in Alaska so prices are usually towards the high end due to a smaller market. Thanks again for the insight.
 
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Sarge

New member
I'd say so, Chowder. IIRC, I gave $550 for a NIB Commander version of that gun--AKA 'ugly rollmark'--20 years ago. They price well below the better finished Colts but at that price, you won't lose money.
 
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WC145

New member
A standard mag sticks out almost half an inch when inserted in a Compact/Officers frame. You should take a standard mag with you to try on for size to be sure of what you're buying. If it is a Compact upper on a Commander lower that should be a negotiating point for you since it didn't come from the factory that way.
 
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Aguila Blanca

Staff
Five or six years ago I paid $500 for a used M1991A1 Compact. It was on Gunbroker at $550 but the shop was local. Since I was a walk-in sale not made through Gunbroker, he dropped the price by $50. It came with one magazine, no box or papers, and the finish was about like that in your photo.

A couple of years later a shop just down the street had one that had been modified (slide tunnel cut for a flanged recoil spring plug). They sold that one for $400 just to get rid of it. Nobody around here wanted a Colt that had been modified by an unknown party.
 
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Chowder

New member
Well I set a time to meet up with the seller and check out the Colt. He never showed up and two hours later I got a text saying he didn't want to sell anymore. Would have been nice to know this before hand. But if one positive came from this... I'm now craving a Colt 1911.
 
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