what goes around comes around (re-visiting 1911's )- **RANGE REPORT UP***

[Streetstar]

I was just looking for range fodder ammo for my recent 45/70 Encore project -- and scored 6 boxes (with 4 missing from the 6th ) from a very nice gent who was also selling his 45/70 Contender barrel. Interesting him selling the barrel - combined with the box with only 4 missing

Anyway , i didnt need any Contender stuff but he was willing to separate the ammo at a price that was very agreeable to me for factory ammo i could plink with, --- and if my count is correct - at the rate i will actually utilize the Encore, this is a lifetime supply of brass for me as well -- but those little 300gr pills will probably be easier on the shoulder for a bit of range work

I had plenty to keep me busy with over the winter until a pair of SIG 1911's came up -- not quite the bargain the 45/70 ammo was, but i saw the fella's ad late at night and shot him a price that i would gladly pay but i didnt realistically think he would accept

Well --pics of said 1911's below.

I hadnt had a 1911 for over a decade when i sold off a similar pair of Springfields , one full size and one Officer's size. For a myriad of reasons -- didnt want to keep ammo around for so many calibers, - really liked the Sig P series platform better at the time - grip frame of the 1911 felt small compared to double stack modern guns, my .357's have nearly the capacity and im a revolver guy -- and on and on

Well, one thing has remained constant and that is my "pocket gun" which has been the Sig 238 baby 1911 since they were introduced in 2009. I tried a S&W 42 airweight, also a Glock 42 (the tiny 380) and for pocket carry didnt like the bulbous revolver cylinder and the lack of a physical safety on the Glock was disconcerting to me, so i wound up never carrying it , even though i always used a neoprene pocket sleeve holster

I recently got in some range time with the little Sig and it is very accurate for this class of pistol and i truly enjoyed shooting it --- so when i saw its bigger brother's come up for sale, i gave it a bit of a think after checking prices for new ones, etc., i bit - i couldnt tell you the model names for the full size, but the Officers model is the Ultra Carry , or something like that.

I just liked the fact that for a Sig, these have a tamed down appearance. I know rails have their place but i am not partial to them on this class of firearm , and many of the modern Sig;'s are festooned with cerakote, and names like Scorpion and Nightmare and all that business -- but these appeared clean and no nonsense and i thought were just what i needed to start enjoying 1911's again.

Range report on these and the Thompson Center project should be up soon




And with baby brother




and a gratuitous pic of the ammo score just for kicks

[2ndovc]

Nice looking pistols!

I have a P238 and it hasn't let me down yet. I keep eyeballing the Sig STX/ 1911. Sooner or later, I'll buy one.

Have fun!

jb

[Scott Tschirhart]

I recently went back and considered carrying a 1911 again. After a few weeks I realized why I had put them away.

The P365 simply performs better in my hands and weighs so much less. I hate to admit it because I cut my teeth on a 1911 and carried a Government Model for many years on and off duty.

[Streetstar]

I recently went back and considered carrying a 1911 again. After a few weeks I realized why I had put them away.

The P365 simply performs better in my hands and weighs so much less. I hate to admit it because I cut my teeth on a 1911 and carried a Government Model for many years on and off duty.

I have 3 tiers of carry - light carry is the 238, and it is always with me with 2 extra mags.

Mid carry - aka - “the truck gun” , which is what role a1911 would fill. Although the truck gun is holstered as it should easily be able to be carried as well under any clothing more substantial than a t shirt if needed. I cycle pistols in and out of the truck gun role due to changing interests and wanting to try different things, but as of late has been a 229 Sig .40 - but I’d have to have a lot of rounds down range to even consider replacing the 229 at this point. The 40 recoil is very snappy but the gun is broken in like a custom boot and is extremely comfortable to shoot with an easy manual of arms

Third tier is the carbine behind the seat and concealed under the flap of a canvas doggie seat protector that is does double duty keeping the dog hair situation at bay. I drive a Tacoma and there are several underseat and behind the seat compartments that I keep a decent first aid kit in along with stuff like blankets, straps, etc (After witnessing a shooting I wrote about back in may, I’m not going to be without a med kit ever again)


Hate to admit it, but when I was range testing a new Colt revolver a few months back, at the close of the day, i was a little frustrated with my inability to hold the ten ring at 15 yards, but to close out the day, I thought I would put a mag through each of the carry guns . At the time my mid tier gun was a Glock 19, — that irritatingly ugly little piece of plastic and steel largely tore one large ragged hole with a couple of fliers at the 15 yard target.
Sounds like roughly the experience you have with your 365

A good friend who visits occasionally has a 365. I have put a magazine full through it at the range, but something about the trigger reset seemed a little off to me. I would like to try it again to see if it smooths out for me after a few more rounds. It’s a neat family of firearms and attractive in that the smallest could be pocket carried in pants , and the mid size models having the same capacity as a larger Glock or something

[marlinman93]

Those are great looking, high quality 1911 style handguns! And nice to have both barrel lengths also.
All mine are full length barrels, which I love, but not the best size for a carry gun all year around. I find myself going to a compact 9mm in the hot weather as a T shirt covers them easier.

[wvfarrier]

I love 1911s but Sig recently jerked my chain and my wallet with the new Sig 226 X-Five Legion

[Ysabel Kid]

I'll always be a revolver guy, first and foremost. But I acknowledge semi-automatics have there place in modern combat, and the list of positives is certainly impressive. That said, I just can't get a striker-fired handgun to "sing" to me. I'll take a hammer-fired classic such as the 1911 or Browning Hi-Power all day long (though for safety duty work, I will carry a Sig P320 from time to time).

This is my current "duty" weapon. I really like it, mainly because I shoot it well!



I am trying to find a good OWB holster that will accommodate the olight. Haven't found one yet though.

[2ndovc]

The P365 simply performs better in my hands and weighs so much less. I hate to admit it because I cut my teeth on a 1911 and carried a Government Model for many years on and off duty.

Scott,

I've been carrying a Sig 365 for about a year now. I like the way it sits in my hand and an outstanding shooter. Round count is up to 500+ without a single issue.

jb

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m probably around that number of rounds as well.

[COSteve]

I have a Springfield Range Officer in .45 ACP because . . . . well, just because. As with my 30-30, the .45 ACP doesn't have much utility in my neck of the woods. The 30-30 doesn't have the legs for hunting out here where a 200+ yds shot is usually considered 'close.' As for the .45, considering the other options I have with more power, higher capacity, lighter weight and more durability it's just my range piece. That said, if you have a collection of arms you just gotta' include a 30-30 and 1911 in .45 ACP in that collection.

[Bill in Oregon]

When SIG first started making the 1911s, we were all impressed with the quality and fit at the price point when they began to filter into the Sportsman's Warehouse where I worked part-time.
I bought a P365 when they first came out, and for some reason it just did not want to line up in my hands. I traded it for a Charter Bulldog in .44 Special, which agreed with me from the outset.
I am chastened to admit that a friend talked me out of it and now all I have is a Glock 43X that I almost never carry. I am sure I would be better off with a P238 for that purpose. Funny, but in the final analysis pistol design and ergonomics are intensely personal.

[Ysabel Kid]

I do love .45's, but with the improvements in terminal performance of 9mm's, the greater capacity of this is piquing my interest...

[AJMD429]

.
The 938 SIG 'mini-1911' in 9mm is NICE....
I can shoot pretty well with mine even though I have big hands and it's a tiny gun. I think it's partly because of the Pachmayr factory grips.

For zombie-time though, I like the bigger hole and 14 shot capacity of my 1911 Para Ordnance. Other than the more rounded grip which I prefer anyway, it's pretty much a standard 1911. I wasn't sure about it and wasn't going to trust it until I bought a thousand rounds of 230 grain Golden Saber hollow points and my requirement was that it had to shoot ALL of them without a single misfeed....and it DID...!!! Fortunately back then, that much ammo was only about $350 or so.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Those prices may be gone forever.

[Streetstar]

.
The 938 SIG 'mini-1911' in 9mm is NICE....
I can shoot pretty well with mine even though I have big hands and it's a tiny gun. I think it's partly because of the Pachmayr factory grips.

For zombie-time though, I like the bigger hole and 14 shot capacity of my 1911 Para Ordnance. Other than the more rounded grip which I prefer anyway, it's pretty much a standard 1911. I wasn't sure about it and wasn't going to trust it until I bought a thousand rounds of 230 grain Golden Saber hollow points and my requirement was that it had to shoot ALL of them without a single misfeed....and it DID...!!! Fortunately back then, that much ammo was only about $350 or so.

If i fall in love with the 1911 again, i may look into the double stack version for a higher capacity truck gun use to replace the 229. I once had a Glock 21 and currently have a 20 in inventory and am fairly accustomed to how large the grip frame is on those, so a double stack 1911 (is that what they call a 2011 ?) - but i like my emergency firearms to have a similar manual of arms when possible

I paid $200 for 400 rounds of Winchester white box 230 grain, so that equates to $500 for a whole case. Thats steep -- however i figured SGAmmo.com would be cheaper -- they are still at .46/round for white box winchester or brass cased Blazer with S&B and Bernaul stuff dipping down to .42/round if bought in quantity. I usually shop at places that honor a small veteran's discount, so in my case that pretty much took care of the sales tax.

If i start shooting again a bit more actively - my crystal ball sees a Dillon progressive press in my future

[Streetstar]

I normally dislike indoor ranges but to get some rounds on paper with the new 1911's i took a trip to Big Boys Guns and Ammo in Oklahoma City. The prices are good and they have a neat selection of surplus firearms -- ive purchased many new firearms there over the years ---- on a sidenote, while waiting for a 4473 result i took a seat in the shooting range's lounge a few months back to read my Kindle for a bit and felt so at home it was weird.
I am on a good enough relationship with the owner of the pseudo western chic' furniture store that provided the furniture for my own home that i could give her a call and sure enough , - the same outfit set up the gun range ( https://lorec-ranch.myshopify.com/ ) These folks were "Yellowstone" before Yellowstone the tv show was even dreamed up in Hollywood



Anyway - back to business




I brought my SIG 229 as the control for this experiment because , while it doesnt shoot stellar, it has always shot okay-ish and i have no problems with its role as a truck gun and nightstand gun



best i can recall , the target area on the right is with the 229 and the left is with the full size Sig 1911 -- Everything was at 10 yards so accuracy with the 229 in the red was , - as i stated - meh - it'll do the job . I was also hampered with inconsistent factory ammo - Federal FMJ stuff, but some discharges audibly sounded alarmingly louder than others - 5-10 decibels at least. But shooting the pistol was easy , recoil was tame but with the DAK trigger i might need all the magazine capacity i can get if i were to say, shoot at pumpkins at 50 yards

The full size 1911 results are on the left - i was spraying shotgun patterns! The recoil impulse and muzzle flip was stronger in the full size 1911 than the full size SIG (I know the 229 is marketed as a midsize while the 226 is the full size but that is a misnomer - a 229 is a large pistol too ) The thin trigger was something i was not used to and it took a few rounds just to re-learn how to hold the pistol properly. Bottom line , i was disgruntled because in my memory , even the cheap 1911's i had played around with in the past were fairly accurate pistols and this SIG is not a "cheap" 1911 -- not high end per se' , but supposedly a solid mid tier pistol



And then -- expecting even worse results, i brought out the Officers size Ultra Carry - quite the opposite. The little gun was the shining star of the range trip . I remember years ago i picked up a Glock 29 and was astonished that i shot better with it than i did the full size Glock 20, and a couple of us here in the forum remarked that they had also experienced this phenomenon.
I am guessing there is nothing wrong with the full size (or the 229) - they just need more trigger time, ---- but i am really pleased that the Officers model gave pretty good 10 yard accuracy off the bat . And i got to the range at 645 tonight and was informed they were closing at 730 -- so i didnt really have time to stretch things out to 15 or 20 yards - i just thought that getting some trigger time re-acquainting myself with these old warhorses (the platform not these particular guns) was good enough

 



I burned through 100 rounds of .45 and 48 rounds of .40 trying to get some on paper results i was happy with and as mentioned , the Officers was the only one i was happy with -- despite a few fliers -- but i knew darn well when those occurred, Either a blink, or a flinch or something that made me shake my head which is just what happens when you dont go to the range enough.

The .45ACP is snappier than i remembered - maybe im just more sensitive now, but i did shoot a LOT more a decade ago than i do now. I formerly thought the .40 Sig was "snappy" -- and it is compared to anything in 9mm, but it was mostly a pussycat tonight in comparison

Bottom line - i like the heck out of the little one -- need more trigger time on the big one , and still feel pretty meh about the 229. was a good night.

[AJMD429]

“…I once had a Glock 21 and currently have a 20 in inventory and am fairly accustomed to how large the grip frame is on those, so a double stack 1911 (is that what they call a 2011 ?) - but i like my emergency firearms to have a similar manual of arms when possible…”

I think when I measured the group frame on my para ordinance be 14 it was only 3/16 of an inch larger and circumference versus my Colt 1911 Government Model. I don’t have any idea what the Glock 45 ACP circumference is but I know even the 9 mm Glock feels square and awkward in the grip to me.

I’d actully prefer the Para grip versus the single stack 1911 even if it was a 7-shot because I have long fingers.

[Scott Tschirhart]

The P365 grip does feel small in my hand. But small is fine if you can point it well.

On my everyday carry gun I went to a Wilson Combat grip frame. It feels more friendly in my hands and it points where my 1911s point.

Big improvement for $35 and it is just as easy to conceal.

[Streetstar]

The P365 grip does feel small in my hand. But small is fine if you can point it well.

On my everyday carry gun I went to a Wilson Combat grip frame. It feels more friendly in my hands and it points where my 1911s point.

Big improvement for $35 and it is just as easy to conceal.

The carbon weave checkering looks good on that grip frame as well

[JimT]

I like carrying the 1911. It's "comforting" if not "comfortable" ... and if you wear it for more than a day or two it becomes part of you. No, I don't carry one every day anymore, but I still strap it on and wear it all day once in awhile just so I don't get out of the habit. It's an old friend.

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[Griff]

With 6 1911s, plus a Commander, I'm not exactly shy about them, and probably shoot them almost as well as any of my other handguns. When I was a deputy in CA we could fire one round of PPC for practice every day. I admit, I didn't, but did shoot at least 3, sometimes 4 days a week. Actually, we could fire one round of PPC for every gun on our carry list, both duty and off-duty, so I generally fired 2 rounds on those practice days. While I was in the Patrol Division, we could only carry a .357 revolver with .38+P ammo. Variously I shot with an issue mdl 10 Smith, a mdl 19, and finally a mdl 65. I almost always scored the max 300 points with the revolver with low-to-mid 30 "X"s out of the 60 round course. With the Commander I only scored in the mid-to-high 290s but with still a low 30 "X" count. I owned 3 full size 1911s at the time, but 2 were safe queens as they were gifts from my Commander in the Navy, the 3rd being a "parts gun", and while it never failed me, I still didn't trust it for either duty or off-duty carry, nor was it ever particularly accurate. Being the typical loose, rattly 1911! Now that I have 3 more 1911s, I use 2 of the 6 for "Wild Bunch" competitions. #3 is a bone stock RIA. #3 is my "parts gun" I originally put together back in 1974, but rebuilt in 2019. Interarms frame, Remington Rand slide, Colt barrel and mostly Wilson internals with the update... prior to that the internals were all Colt. Powder coating done by a friend. It's set up with a compensator and a few other enhancements. If I do my part it will simply cut the X ring out of a target @25 yards. The 3-dot sights are a definite help!

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Although appearing OD green, in better light the main color is "Dark Sand".