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  • sammm

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    I recently added a gently used .45 1911 to my 'collection' of 2. SA Loaded.
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    Venture Surplus ad
     

    OIF2

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    Buy a Colt. It'll look good, shoot well and you'll always get your money back (and usually more). Colt quality is now as good as it was a couple of generations ago. The worst Colts made were during the strike, back in the late '80's. Quality has worked its way back since then. All Colts are made on newly purchased CNC machinery. I've had several over the last few years (actually 20) and I think that's enough for an informed opinion. I've also toured the factory and saw what goes into a 1911 build. Pay a little more, get a lot more. Much more fun than shooting something from the Philippines. Below is what I consider the best buy now in the 1911 Colts...a new series 70 Wiley Clapp. This one is a superb shooter. My opinion only, but I DO shoot almost every day, usually with a Colt or two.
    Bob

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    TheMailMan

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    It's a great feeling when you break that TRP down and see the last three of the serial number on the slide and barrel. You know that it has been in the Custom Shop and hand fitted.

    National Match frame, National Match slide, National Match barrel, all hand fitted. 20 lpi checkering on front strap and MSH, by the way, it's a metal MSH. Factory tuned trigger, and a magazine well.
     

    OIF2

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    Not even with those plastic MSH's?

    Haven't seen a plastic MSH lately. Besides, it's an easy fix...buy a replacement stainless, blued, checkered, grooved, etc. Whatever you want. Below is a Colt built awhile back It had a plastic MSH. It's one of the best Colts I've had (I did replace the MSH, though). It won many an NRA short course bullseye match for me.
    Bob

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    oldag

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    My Colt Special Combat (probably 30 years old now) is the best looking 1911 I own. Love that mirror royal blue finish.

    But personally, I will not pay the premium for the name.

    Everyone should have one Colt 1911, though. Just because, right?
     

    easy rider

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    Odessa, Tx
    My Colt Special Combat (probably 30 years old now) is the best looking 1911 I own. Love that mirror royal blue finish.

    But personally, I will not pay the premium for the name.

    Everyone should have one Colt 1911, though. Just because, right?
    I think that's been my problem with Colt, I used to have one and I can't say it was any better than other brands at a much lower price.
     

    OIF2

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    Actually, the Colt is a copy of a Browning.

    Need to study up a little...Colt 1911 was designed by John Browning, working for Colt, in 1906. Browning had already designed a .38 pistol for Colt and just upsized it for the Army trials (the Army wanted a .45). It went through several revisions until adopted by the military in 1911. It was never copied from "a Browning". That would be kind of like saying the Win 94 (or 86, 92 or 95) was copied from "a Browning". During his lifetime John Browning worked for Winchester, Remington, FN, Colt and a few others. He and his family only owned a gunshop in Utah and sold their guns (like the Browning single shot High Wall, before Win bought the design and manufacturing rights) on their own name for a short while. But it's all good. After all, this IS the Internet.
    Bob
     
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    easy rider

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    Need to study up a little...Colt 1911 was designed by John Browning, working for Colt, in 1906. Browning had already designed a .38 pistol for Colt and just upsized it for the Army trials (the Army wanted a .45). It went through several revisions until adopted by the military in 1911. It was never copied from "a Browning". That would be kind of like saying the Win 94 (or 86, 92 or 95) was copied from "a Browning". During his lifetime John Browning worked for Winchester, Remington, FN, Colt and a few others. He and his family only owned a gunshop in Utah and sold their guns (like the Browning single shot High Wall, before Win bought the design and manufacturing rights) on their own name for a short while. But it's all good. After all, this IS the Internet.
    Bob
    Unlike the Winchester model 94, the company that John M. Browning working for and designed at that time. The 1911 (which it was designated after the U.S. military accepted it) was designed before he worked with Colt to produce it. Due to the high demand in 1911, Springfield Armory also then started to produce in 1911. By WWI the demand was so great that many companies produced it. So you can split hairs and say it was a Colt handgun that started it all.
     

    OIF2

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    Don't know what you've been reading, but here's the facts:

    "In 1906 the US Military, under the direction of General William Crozier of the Ordinance Department, began evaluating several pistol designs along with the suitability of a new cartridge that was designated the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (or .45 ACP for short). As these military tests continued over the next several years, the Colt pistol began to emerge as the clear favorite. The Colt pistol that was submitted for these military tests was designed by John M. Browning."

    Above quote was taken from the Browning website.

    And this:
    "When the Army announced its intent to replace the .38-caliber revolver with a .45-caliber pistol several companies leapt at the chance for a lucrative government contract. John Browning had already been developing a semi-auto pistol FOR COLT (my emphasis) designed around a .38-caliber cartridge similar to the .38 Super. For a genius like Browning, it wasn’t too difficult a task to upsize both the pistol and cartridge to .45 caliber.

    The pistol trials began in 1906, and samples from Colt, Savage, Smith & Wesson, DWM, Knoble, Bergmann and White-Merrill were tested. Both the Browning and Savage designs were selected for further testing. That testing revealed some shortcomings in both pistols, and the Army asked for more refinements in the designs. Browning traveled to Hartford, Conn. (COLT'S factory), to supervise the changes. He teamed up with a young Colt employee, Fred Moore, and they painstakingly ensured that the pistols to be submitted were the finest they could produce." ((American Rifleman, March 2011)

    It was a COLT pistol, not a "copy", designed by JMB, working for Colt. Actually, Browning got paid in royalties from Colt, instead of a straight fee, which was why he left Winchester. When Springfield Armory and Remington-UMC started production of the 1911, they got a production exemption and Colt got paid for it.

    Not splitting hairs; it was a Colt pistol. Browning started working for Colt in 1896, when he started designing the future 1900 and the (later) 1911. Hope this helps.
    Bob
     
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    easy rider

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    Don't know what you've been reading, but here's the facts:

    "In 1906 the US Military, under the direction of General William Crozier of the Ordinance Department, began evaluating several pistol designs along with the suitability of a new cartridge that was designated the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol (or .45 ACP for short). As these military tests continued over the next several years, the Colt pistol began to emerge as the clear favorite. The Colt pistol that was submitted for these military tests was designed by John M. Browning."

    Above quote was taken from the Browning website.

    And this:
    "When the Army announced its intent to replace the .38-caliber revolver with a .45-caliber pistol several companies leapt at the chance for a lucrative government contract. John Browning had already been developing a semi-auto pistol FOR COLT (my emphasis) designed around a .38-caliber cartridge similar to the .38 Super. For a genius like Browning, it wasn’t too difficult a task to upsize both the pistol and cartridge to .45 caliber.

    The pistol trials began in 1906, and samples from Colt, Savage, Smith & Wesson, DWM, Knoble, Bergmann and White-Merrill were tested. Both the Browning and Savage designs were selected for further testing. That testing revealed some shortcomings in both pistols, and the Army asked for more refinements in the designs. Browning traveled to Hartford, Conn. (COLT'S factory), to supervise the changes. He teamed up with a young Colt employee, Fred Moore, and they painstakingly ensured that the pistols to be submitted were the finest they could produce." ((American Rifleman, March 2011)

    It was a COLT pistol, not a "copy", designed by JMB, working for Colt. Actually, Browning got paid in royalties from Colt, instead of a straight fee, which was why he left Winchester. When Springfield Armory and Remington-UMC started production of the 1911, they got a production exemption and Colt got paid for it.

    Not splitting hairs; it was a Colt pistol. Browning started working for Colt in 1896, when he started designing the future 1900 and the (later) 1911. Hope this helps.
    Bob
    He didn't work for Colt, he collaborated with them, otherwise Colt would have applied for the patent on the 1911 and not Browning. I didn't say that he worked with Colt in 1911, yes, it was much earlier. Maybe reading John M. Browning/ American Gunmaker instead of Colt's history of the 1911 would give you a better understanding of it's conception.
     
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