[Jim]

I love my Colt 1903s and find them to be close to the perfect pistol for me but I'd never been able to warm up to the 1911 platform. About 40 years ago I bought a Series 80 and really wanted to like it but it simply never felt right, never shot right and never was totally reliable so it went to a Forever Home.

Time passed and I still felt slight guilty that I didn't have a 1911 so I bought a somewhat custom pre-CZ Dan Wesson Pointman/Patriot hybrid. It was beautiful and accurate but again it was picky about ammo and just never felt right so after a few years it too went to a Forever Home.

I loved the 45acp as a caliber/cartridge and have lots of 45acp wheelies from both Colt and Smith and when I lived in Phoenix back in the 1960s it was one of them that went with me when wandering in the desert or Superstitions.

I always felt somewhat dirty not having a 1911 or liking a 1911. Back when I was in likely the second or third grade I had taken a pieces parts 1911 that had followed my dad home from his four year all expenses paid vacation in the Mediterranean, North African, Italian and Persian Gulf as well as one 45acp cartridge to school for show and tell and to talk about the safety rules my dad had taught me and so I really really felt like I should love a 1911 of my own.

More time passed and a bunch of relative lower cost 1911s from a Turkish firm started arriving and they all looked pretty much like that 1911 from long long ago in a time far far away. They were really pretty inexpensive and so I was tempted to try yet another 1911.

I kept putting one in a shopping cart but then getting cold feet and putting it back. This went on for several years until recently when I decided to try yet again.

And I'm glad I did.

This 1911A1 felt much like that rattle trap from those long ago days but without the rattle. It arrived and after a clean and lube I took it with a couple Mec-Gar mags that were left over from the Dan Wesson and somehow didn't go to the Forever Home. I had a bunch of 230gr ball 45acp ammo in moon clips as well a a box and some extra that had to be at least 20 years old. I also found some RP headstamp hollow points and a box of Triton 185gr Hi-Vel +p JHP.

This Tisas 1911A1 came in a plastic clam shell carry case and with two Check-Mate magazines and so I loaded the mags up and took it to the range for a function check.

It ran flawlessly and ate every type ammo I tried, ball or hollow point. I ran about 50+ rounds of ball plus a couple mags of each of the old hollow point ammo and had zero failure to feed, zero failure to fire and zero failure to eject using both the Check-Mate dimple magazines and the smooth Meg-Gar magazines. The out of the box no buff or polish trigger pull doing two sets of five pulls with my Lyman Digital Scale averaged right at 4 pounds.

Maybe a 1911 is not as useless as I had found in the past.

The Dan Wesson Pointman/Patriot that went to a Forever Home:

The new SDS Imports Tisas 1911A1 Government size:

 

[Powerman]

Excellent, congrats!

 

[windsearcher]

Nice, congrats!!

I am like you.... WANT to love a 1911, but have never been able to get one that fits. I shot several, and a Kimber was incredibly accurate for me.... but they don't fit my hands well, and while I can shoot them well with A LOT of patience and deliberation to make sure my grip and all is just right.... they just don't work for me.... wish they would.

Glad you were able to find "the One" that works for you! Looks great!

 

[YosemiteCedar]

I like shooting 1911's, but sadly they're a little too big for me to put into my carry rotation.

 

[Dagwood]

I’ve owned a couple. A Springfield Trophy match. Excellent Gun. Scary light trigger. Sold it. A Desert Eagle 1911U. Bad ass, but I sold it as well. The only 1911 I have really enjoyed and still own is a RIA A2 double stack 22TCM/9mm combo. The fatter grip fits my hand and the 22TCM is a flamethrower! Plus it holds 17+1.
to satisfy my .45 urges I shoot my XdS and my HK USP. I use to have a XdM 45 But I have since grown fond of the 10mm.

 

[Jim]

I like shooting 1911's, but sadly they're a little too big for me to put into my carry rotation.

I have been pretty used to carrying similar size and weight handguns from most of my wheelies to quite a few semi-automatics like the Colt 1903, Smith & Wesson 5906, Walther P-38 and PP, Beretta 81, Browning P-35 and clones so the size and weight doesn't really concern me. I found I still had a bunch of the 1911 IWB and OWB holsters in the Box of Shame and added a 1911 shell from Alien Gear so I didn't need to buy holsters other than the one shell.

As I do with all new guns or new holsters I simply started carrying this one unloaded initially (with a loaded gun in one of my pocket holsters) to make sure it was comfortable to wear for a full day and that the setup made sure the safety stayed in the safe position and that mags didn't get mysteriously ejected (Had that happen once with one of my Berettas. Hate it when I draw a gun and feel the mag hit my foot.). Two of the IWB rigs, one from Alien Gear and another from High Noon Holster and several of my OWB holster seem to work just fine. One that I had even forgotten I owned is a paddle rig from Safariland and it turns out to be exceptionally stable with great retention and holds the gun tight to my body. I haven't tried my shoulder holster for larger guns yet but come fall, assuming fall does come, I'll likely give it a try as well.

I've run a couple hundred OLD rounds (purchased a couple decades ago) of ammo and still I've had zero failure to load, zero failure to fire and zero failure to ejects. Trigger pull has remained right at 4 pounds. The magazine release is slightly better than it was initially. I had to use two hands to drop a mag right out of the box. Ordered a set of MagPul Grip Panels that have a relief to make the mag release easier to use and it should arrive today.

Now I guess I'll need to start looking for some ammo.

P.S.

A Commander sized somewhat enhanced but still Series 70 based one is also on order.

 

[Old marine]

First question, who made the leather holster shown in your post.
My Kimber Pro Carry II NEEDS A good halster

 

[Jim]

First question, who made the leather holster shown in your post.
My Kimber Pro Carry II NEEDS A good halster

That's from 1791.

 

[Old marine]

the year 1791?

the company?

Not nice to confuse an old man, whippersnapper!

 

[Jim]

The Company. I didn't buy it until a few years after 1791.

 

[Old marine]

Now that made me laugh out loud!

 

[Dagwood]

I forgot about another 1911 I owned and really wish I hadn’t sold. The ATI FXH hybrid framed 1911. Super cool firearm. I picked one up at a gunshow I think. Put some really cool aftermarket grips on it. A buddy of mine wanted it real bad and I sold it to him. Today, looking on my local Gun trader site, I saw it for sale again. Pretty sure it’s my old one. Still has the cool grips I put on it. I’m half tempted to buy it back. It was a sweet shooter. Excellent style as well.

 

[mark49]

I own 4 1911s, it's my most fun gun to shoot. Many are just Springfield mil serp. If i remember correctly i paid less than 400 bucks for them.
Love the handle, the feel and the kick.... Nothing but love for these old favorites.

 

[Jim]

The Tisas 1911 Carry came in and I hope to get it out to one of the ranges this weekend.

 

[Mike51392]

Beautiful

 

[Mike51392]

Took me a while but now I understand just how amazing and advanced the 1911 design is.

 

[Old marine]

my 1911 story is long and starts in the Marine Corps 45 yrs ago. Learned to shoot pistol on a 1911 that was basically wore out.
fast forward to today, I own many pistols but shoot a 1911 like it is part of me.
Kimber Pro Carry II, Springfields and A Les Bauer Thunder Ranch all make me look.like a pro on the range.
My gucci glock 19, I work at it like it's a job.

 

[Mike51392]

Pics please 😂, I'll start. While I only have two. I'm so in love with my RIA 1911 A1 - CS.

She's new and has roughly 500rnds. They were all trouble free and I have no problem relying on here. Just need a holster 😜.

 

[Pandaz3]

I only have two 1911's a Ruger government, bought when they first came out and a Rock Island Armory Officer's model, GI series. Both are 45's and both work great. The 3.5" one has GI sight like Jim's Tisas government, I would prefer some three dot's at least, but the old GI sights do work,

 

[Jim]

The Tisas B45 (M45) Enhanced Carry came in yesterday and I took it home and field stripped checked fit and finish and lubed it. Like the full size 1911A1 this came in a plastic clamshell case and with two magazines. These too appear to be Check-Mate but 8 rounders rather than 7. The finish is a black cerakote (?) rather than the grey/green (the great grey green greasy Limpopo river) semi Parkerizing of the former but the finish is uniform and smooth with no drips or rips or clips or crinkles.

So what's different?

First the size. This is a Commander size 4.25" barrel rather than the full 5" barrel on the GI model. It also is a Humphrey (the dictionary defines Humphrey as a flat back camel! sign placard made by one of my teenage Republicans for the 1968 Nixon rally in Greensboro, NC). In this case though it simply means it has a flat mainspring housing rather than the arched one on the full size. It has an aluminum skeleton trigger and the short stroke of the 1911A1. The hammer is also the skeleton type and the grip safety has a true extended beaver-tail with the reminder bump. Instead of the almost non-existent sights on the GI model this one has Novak style three white dot sights. The frame, slide and barrel are still hammer forged, the mag well slightly beveled and an ambi-thumb safety rather than just left side. The cocking serrations are slanted rather than straight and there is also a set of front press check serrations. Grip panels as just plastic but well done and comfortable. I can see a couple minor wear points, for example on one side of the reminder bump on the grip safety, but nothing indicating something worth worrying about.

I'll try to get over to one of the ranges for a function check this weekend.