Anything special I need to know about owning a 1911?

[Idaho45guy]

Ordered a Remington 1911 R1 Limited in .40 S&W as a range toy. I've read a few threads here and there on the 1911 and it seems there's a bunch of minute differences and some major differences in components. Different bushing types, series 70 and series 80 versions, etc.

No idea what any of it means. I went on the Remington website to look up the specs on my gun and they no longer offer that model. Found an advertisement for it and they listed the features. Don't know what's good or bad. I've shot a few 1911s over the years and carried one in the military, just never learned about them or owned one before.

What's good or bad here? Anything I should look into upgrading?

• Match grade trigger – adjustable
• Full-length, 1-piece guide rods
• Fiber optic front sight
• Fully adjustable LPA target rear sight
• Wide front and rear cocking serrations
• Oversized magwell for lightning-fast reloads
• 5” ramped, match-grade barrel
• Stainless steel frame, slide, and barrel
• Ionbond PVD coating delivers the smoothest operation and unparalleled durability
• Ambidextrous extended thumb safety for easy operation in either hand
• Machined G10 VZ operator grips
• Checkered front strap and mainspring housing
• 9+1 round capacity in caliber .40S&W

Attachment 262188

Attachment 262189

[RKJ]

According to Wikipedia it has the series 80 Firing Pin Safety, Ive got 2 Colt's (Government Model 5"& Officers 3.5"and they both have it and I've not had any issues with either one (I've had the Govt model since 1987). Below are some reviews and basic info I found, I tried to skim over the articles but didn't get very far in any of them. The 2nd one says it's junk but I didn't get far enough reading it to see why they didn't like it. I take reviews with a grain of salt as there have been plenty of times reviews said this or that was junk and I found just the opposite. I bet you like it just fine, it looks like a decent 1911, with a lot of the bells & whistles that folks want on one.

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gu...911-r1-45-acp/
https://skyaboveus.com/hunting-shoot...-Thing-Is-JUNK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_1911_R1

[Winger Ed.]

I think you'll like it.

I have a series 80 Colt.
I took out the extra firing pin safety thing that was added to the series 70 models and going back from there.

Inside the frame there's a extra part that pushes a pin/plunger in the slide.
You can grind it, or like I did- get a spacer plate from Brownell's to swap out with it.
The plunger drops out when ya take out the firing pin.

Most people can't tell the difference in the trigger with or without it.
I took mine out just because I didn't want it in there.

[Idaho45guy]

I can't find a single review of my particular gun. Most of the limited 1911 R1s are the Para-Ordinance based double-stacks. Mine is a single-stack in .40 S&W. Hundreds of reviews of the Remington R1, and mostly positive, but none of the Limited single-stacks.

[Winger Ed.]

I can't find a single review of my particular gun. .

It doesn't matter.

If there is something about it you don't like---
You can tune it, probably yourself.
And, there is more readily available speed equipment for a 1911 than there is for a small block Chevy V8.

[wv109323]

I like the 45 acp cartridge over the .40 s&w but that is a personal thing. The full length guide rod is unnecessary and makes disassembley more difficult but other than that it looks good.
There is no such thing as a bad 1911.

[Thumbcocker]

Don't change anything till you shoot 500 or so rounds through it. It might be fine as is.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Don't change anything till you shoot 500 or so rounds through it. It might be fine as is.

If it aint broke don't fix it

[Rick R]

1911s are like a bad religion, sports car, and a beautiful blonde all wrapped into one. When you do everything right there’s nothing better, but sometimes getting the formula right can take some experimentation. When something goes wrong they’re horrible until you get things back on an even keel.

Buy good magazines that it likes and once you determine what it likes buy twice as many as you think you need because manufacturers change stuff over time.

Don’t be afraid to change springs out to get it to run with your choice of ammo and later due to wear. Most 1911s like to be lubricated to run.

Learn how to check the tension provided by the extractor.

The one piece guide rod is a PITA and contributes little to the gun, the firing pin safety is like the story about the princess with the pea under her mattress. If you can tell it’s there you’re more trigger conscious than 90% of shooters. IMHO the ramped barrel is a great idea with a cartridge like the .40 S&W, 10mm or 9mm. Everything else looks like a decent pistol.

[dverna]

I believe most of the negative comments about the 80 series triggers came from Bullseye shooters. For the great "unwashed" masses, it is not an issue. It will likely be far superior to any semi-auto trigger you have shot but not as "good" as a target revolver.

Like Thumbcocker said, shoot a lot of rounds before even thinking about "improving" the gun.

I do not know anyone running a 1911 in .40 so cannot comment on a good bullet to start with...others I am sure will chime in.

In my 1911's I had good success with Chip McCormick magazines. Not cheap but not stupid priced either. Likely many other good makes out there; but they were the first I bought, and never needed to look further.

[pettypace]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp-HFVG_c4Q

[Texas by God]

I would be proud to have a Remington R1. You dont hear a lot about .40 S&W in a 1911 but I think it would be great.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Ya I would rather have that than a 10 mm

[onelight]

That is a nice looking 1911 should be a good shooter.
I like shoot a few hundred rounds before doing anything , it may be great just like it is.
It also gives you a chance to see if it needs to go back while box stock. I normally try to run a few boxes of factory to have a functioning and performance comparison and to season the barrel a bit with j bullets.

[MT Gianni]

No but I would recommend power pistol and the Lee 175 tc conventional lube in a 40. Brass is cheap and easily obtained. Get a glockbuster die.

[Biggin]

I have 3 R1s and 3 ruger 1911s which have "70 series " triggers. Functionally I can't tell a difference. For what it's worth I like the R1s better. Shoot it a while before making any changes. My 2cents.

[HP9MM]

I had a Colt Combat Commander in 9MM. Traded it for something else as my Browning Hi Power had spoiled me with its ease of field stripping. The Colt's front sight just flew off one day while shooting which made me question the quality of manufacturing. In my humble opinion the Colt was a PITA.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

SNIP...

Buy good magazines that it likes and once you determine what it likes buy twice as many as you think you need because manufacturers change stuff over time.

Idaho45guy,
While I am not to savvy on 1911 guns and all the options available, A good friend (and forum member) recommended Checkmate mags for my 1911 after I recently bought a new RIA in 38 Super...so I ordered a couple. Top quality and not too expensive. Fit and function were excellent. The factory mag functioned fine, but I noticed the follower in the factory mag wouldn't move as smoothly as the Checkmate.

https://shop.1911parts.com/Check-Mat...m40-9-s-rb.htm

[tazman]

Warning!!!
The 1911 pistol has a habit of multiplying.
After you have owned one for a relatively short time, you may find there are more of them in your safe than you originally intended.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME.

I finally had to let the breeding pair go in order to have room in my safe for the S&W revolvers that also seem to breed. I kept a pair of the 1911 pistols but they are both female.

[Winger Ed.]

Warning!!!
The 1911 pistol has a habit of multiplying.
After you have owned one for a relatively short time, you may find there are more of them in your safe than you originally intended.
THIS HAPPENED TO ME..

Me too.
I did notice that when I left a light on in the safe, turned off the soft music, and made sure to take out the pack of cigarettes,
the birth rate slowed down a lot.