Unexpected new 1911 (I was forced to buy it at gunpoint)

[jertex]

I wasn't really looking for a new 1911, but I did want to get a gov't size eventually given the fact that I had two commanders. I happened to run across a MAC Classic at CDNN that looked like a really nice gun. After a little research, I realized that the MAC Classic is Metro Arms higher end gun and is supposed to be hand fitted with a lot of high end features. It seemed to have overwhelmingly good reviews and CDNN had it for $589, vs $809 & up everywhere else I looked. I decided to give it a go since the price was so good, it arrived yesterday and I'll be taking it out to the range (hopefully) tomorrow afternoon for a range test. I have to say that it has tightest slide to frame fit of any 1911 I've ever handled and almost takes a divine act to manually cycle the slide. I've been told that this is OK and it will loosen right up after some break in at the range. Seems like a very nice gun for the $.

 

[Captain]

Nice

sent from a Galaxy far away

 

[jrbfishn]

Very nice. Bring it to Hicksville and we will gladly help with the break in.

from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[Captain]

sent from a Galaxy far away

 

[Wyldman]

The answer is: practice ammo, lots of it.

Crush, kill, mangle, maim, destroy.

 

[Moonpie]

Very nice. Thanks for posting.

 

[jertex]

Thanks all, I hope to get out to the range today and will submit a range report sometime over the next couple of days.

 

[Charlie]

Very nice! Nice sights, also! Give us a report soon!

 

[ed308]

Nice find. Hope it performs well for you. My new Colt 1911 Rail gun is really tight as well. I've heard it takes 500+ firings to loosing it up.

 

[F350-6]

I've had similar problems. Unexpected 1911's following me home at random times.

Sounds like you got a deal on that one. Let us know how it shoots.

 

[taylored]

Very nice!

 

[OLDVET]

There is no reason a 1911A1 slide and frame have to be that tight. Accuracy is best achieved with proper barrel/bushing fit as well a properly fitted barrel link. You might check to see what poundage your recoil spring is.

I have two Wilson Combat 1911s that will shoot 1" groups at seven yards offhand. Each one can be field stripped with very little effort. Both are very smooth and can be hand cycled with a minimum of effort.

I have eighteen 1911s currently. My experience goes back to my Army days in 1968. I highly advise you keep this new MAC lubricated very well to keep from having issues with the slide and frame.
I have seen old Mil-Spec 1911s with sloppy frame to slide fit, shoot very well. If a 1911 is built correctly, it doesn't have to be tight. An old saying is attributed to Wilson Combat. It goes like this " we build them right, so we don't have to build them tight". I have always thought this was a direct jab at Les Baer.

Good luck with your new toy.

 

[jertex]

...An old saying is attributed to Wilson Combat. It goes like this " we build them right, so we don't have to build them tight". I have always thought this was a direct jab at Les Baer.

Good luck with your new toy.

It very well could be aimed at Les, but I would think Ed Brown might fall into that camp as well, although I've only handled & fired a couple of Ed Browns.

I will be heading to the range, finally, tomorrow afternoon. I detail stripped the entire gun to do a little polishing and discovered that the trigger bow was bent and you could say even dinged up. I contacted Eagle Imports and instead of a simple trigger swap, they insist that I send the gun in if I want to get the trigger bow replaced. Pretty poor customer service in my opinion.

I polished it & straightened it as best I could for the time being and it is much smoother, but I'm going to replace it myself with a Wilson Combat trigger I ordered at Brownells which should arrive late next week.

 

[OLDVET]

Were they going to sent you a prepaid mailing label? Sounds like their Customer Service rates up there with the folks at Les Baer.
Several years ago I purchased a Les Baer Premier II from Impact Guns in Utah. After eight months of waiting the pistol arrived at my local gun store. The store called me, and I went to pick it up. I was as excited as a kid on Christmas Eve. When I opened the cheap cardboard box Baer products come in, I noticed a light spot on the slide just below the front sight. A close inspection revealed it was a bluing issue. You could see the metal through a flaw in the bluing. I called Les Baer and discussed this with a crabby older woman in the customer service department. She said they had no control over shipping damage. I told her this was not done during shipping, it was a factory mistake. I even offered to email photos of the damage. She was not interested. I told her I wanted to talk with Les. Les answered and I told him what had happened. He said did not care about the damage. He said if I was unhappy with the pistol , I should sell it. he said if I didn't want it, someone else would. This was an $1,800 pistol when I bought it. I told him to kiss my a##, and that I would never buy another of his products. I am sure he didn't lose any sleep over that!!

During the past two weeks I have purchased three used "custom" 1911A1 pistols. They are a stainless Wilson Combat Classic, a black over grey Wilson Combat CQB, and a stainless Ed Brown Executive Elite.

These pistols are built tight, but not so tight that you can't work on them. The stainless Classic is by far my favorite of the three. It is very accurate to shoot and it looks very good. I think I will take the other two to the range a few more times and then sell them. The Ed Brown Executive Elite is my least favorite of the bunch. The trigger pull is no better than a box stock Springfield Range Officer. I expected more from a $2,500 "custom" 1911A1. The two Wilson pistols have excellent triggers and fit.
They were worth the money.