S&W 1911's

[BUCKMARK]

I went to a gun show last weekend, and was looking around when I decided I wanted to buy another 1911. All of my 1911's are Colts, but I was looking at everything I could get my hands on.

I picked up a few S.A.'s, a Para, and a S&W. I noticed the S&W had a message engraved on one side... "Weapon will fire with magazine removed"

Am I the only one that thinks this is stupid looking?

I know every gun company has pressure on them to teach gun safety and make the owner aware of safety issues. To me it's ugly for a gun that ran $800. Even my ugly Glock's don't have a safety message printed on the side.

I think I'll look into a new Colt XSE.

 

[TBT]

Yeah, its ugly but it can also be pretty much polished out with a 3m cloth for the most part. I have the stainless Smith 1911 and I couldn't be more impressed. IMHO this is the best production 1911 on the market right now. I wouldn't let a few annoying little words affect an otherwise sound purchase.

It is annoying that gun makers tend to play the lawyer game though and chum the fish when there really is no need. I think they are behind the 8-ball as far as that though. Lots of pressure and this is just another thing to get the dogs off their back.

It is crappy though.

 

[BUCKMARK]

The weapon I was looking at was blued and the writing was in white. They also had a stainless with matte black controls. No doubt the writing will come off the stainless gun, but if you took steel wool/oil to the blued gun it might lighten the bluing in that area.

Maybe I let things get to me, but I know it was one of the first things that caught my eye. Sad.

 

[IndianaDean]

S&W 1911s are absolutely one of the best, if not the best 1911s on the market for under a grand right now. The lettering on mine 3 hasn't bothered me in the least.

 

[HuntAndFish]

I think I'll look into a new Colt XSE.

I agree Buckmark. Buy the Colt.

 

[Pointer]

Colt has pi$$ed all over the private gun owner

Colt is not even an American company anymore :barf:

I will look elsewhere for my 1911's

 

[IanS]

Go for the Colt XSE. Overall it has better parts for its price. Also the Colt Series 80 is a proven firing pin safety design over the Schwartz type safety like the Kimber Custom II or SW1911. But do consider guns like the Kimber Warrior, SA TRP, Colt Series 70 models for a little more which do not have the firing pin safety mechanism (as JM Browning designed) and exhibit good overall quality. By the way all SA 1911's do not have firing pin safety mechanisms. From their GI/MilSpec models to their Custom shop Professionals and TGO1's. This is why custom 1911 builders like working on SA's and why some do not like working on Kimber II's and SW1911's.

Here's some good advice from a custom 1911 builder named Hilton Yam.

http://www.10-8performance.com/id8.html

 

[Tacoma]

I've had a "few" 1911's and am now down to a S&W 1911 (SS) and a custom Colt NMGC. I was so impressed with the S&W that everything else got the boot. IMHO, you'd need to buy a colt and toss in a whole lot of $ to get the same "custom features" as the S&W.

 

[tobers2313]

My S&W 1911

I bought the S&W blued steel, it didnt have anything engraved on it except for the smith and wesson logo. Its one of the sharpest looking 1911's i've ever seen and definitely the best without all the bells and whistles of pistols like the kimber (raptors, etc). Every thing having to do with the gun is smooth. It performs to near perfection. The only problem I've had is after the first 100 rounds or so i noticed the wood grip on it seemed to be a little loose and the mag was "a little" loose. I'm gonna break it in some more to see how it goes, and if needed take it somewhere. I agree that it is the best 1911 for under 1000 bucks and I'm probably going to look into the SC for carry.

 

[fastbolt]

I've bought a new SW1911SC 5" and a new Colt Government XSE 5" stainless in the last year ...

The XSE annoyed me when the vendor-supplied ambidextrous safety lock (thumb safety) snapped and fell off the left side of the pistol during the first range session, approx 200+ rounds into the session. Oh well, I didn't particularly want the ambi part in the first place, so I replaced it with a single sided part. Accurate pistol, though. Nicely done. When I removed and scoped the sear & hammer I was very satisfied to see a text book relationship of the sear nose and hammer notches, too.

My SW1911SC 5" only required a slight adjustment of the front sight base in order to be a tack driver. Granted, I'd handled and fired a number of other SW1911's before buying my own, but the accuracy mine displayed with a couple of different types of ammunition really surprised me in a pleasant way. I remember letting one of the other instructors try it out (he's carried a Wilson CQB and presently carries a new production Colt), and it was funny to see how surprised he was with the trigger and accuracy of my SW1911SC. The trigger wasn't light, but it was crisp, clean, consistent and predictable. Overall, I was very impressed.

Ditto the loosening grip panels, although I plan to install some better ones.

I've had good experience with MIM parts in S&W TDA and 99 series pistols, and hopefully the MIM parts in the SW1911's will continue to demonstrate good quality and service life. I don't expect small parts to last forever, anyway. I'll replace the few MIM parts in my XSE as the round count rises to where I'd consider replacing them in normal maintenance, too, unless they fail sooner, of course.

S&W has the external extractor down pretty well, it seems. Of course, learning how to fit and adjust a regular, high quality 1911-style internal extractor can be taught and learned, and it's easier to do than with a pinned extractor. That's one thing I enjoy about the Glock/Sigma extractors, BTW, how easily they can be replaced.

I've always wanted a full-size, lightweight, aluminum-framed 1911, too ... and the greater inherent strength and durability of the Scandium lightweight frame is a plus for me.

If I had the extra money laying around ... (and wasn't investing so much learning about fine wines, whisky and smoking good cigars, and planning to buy a Transtherm Ermitage 180-220 Bottle 1-Temp Wine Cellar ) ... I'd add a SW1911PD Tactical Rail (for the Scandium frame and stainless Melonite treated slide), a SW1911DK, and a SW1911SC 4.25" (simply because I've always wanted another lightweight Commander, foolishly having traded my lightweight for a steel framed one in the 70's).

I learned to get over being excessively bothered about what firearms manufacturers & importers marked on their firearm frames back after I first got steamed over Ruger stamping warnings on their handguns.

Just be glad detailed precautionary warnings aren't stamped in multiple languages on everyone's firearms ... yet.

It's the miniature revolving & flashing lights on the smart-guns that are going to really annoy me someday.

 

[TBT]

Buckmark - You're right. I don't think you can do anything about the blued version other than sanding it down and refinishing it. Not worth it.

With enough money a Colt can be made to be as nice as the SW1911. If you want to do it yourself and don't mind the added expense the Colt would be the way to go. I've nothing against them, they are fine, fine guns. But it has been my experience that out of the box they are not in the same league as the Smiths. Not as accurate and minus a lot of really nice features that come bone stock with the SW. Just my experience though and I'm talking Colts in the general price range of the Smiths.

I have owned/own Kimbers and Springers and have shot a lot of Colts. A lot of Colts. I'm totally of the opinion that while Kimber might be a bit better with fit and finish (a tiny, tiny bit) the SW1911 is the best shooter and easily the most problem free production 1911. I think overall its the best production 1911 on the market right now.