First 1911

[petroid]

Finally scratched the 1911 itch. LGS had this ATI GI1911 for only $300. I know it's crude but I don't buy safe queens and I don't have a lot of extra cash lying around. I have the Lee 452-228-1R and a 6c 452-200-RF. I'm hoping the 200 gr boolit will feed because I can cast them a lot faster and they use less lead. Now to get some dies.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Congrats on your new 1911 looks good to me let us know how it shoots

[Scharfschuetze]

Spend the extra money for carbide dies for you new 45. They save a lot of time and effort.

Hope the new 1911 shoots well.

[jcren]

You will love it. Lee 4 die carbide sets are perfect for 45cap and you shouldn't have any trouble with the 200 if you get the length she likes and crimp it to about a .470 case mouth diameter. Congrats!

[Beagle333]

Neat! Have fun with it. I have been wanting to try a 1911 for a bit. 'Not sure which I'll start with. I'm sorta leaning toward the RIA base model as my starter 1911, but $300 was surely too good to pass up on that one! Enjoy!

[str8wal]

Congrat's on the new toy. As long as it runs I say you done just fine. I also must make do with a limited budget. Looking forward to the range results.

[country gent]

The 1911 is a great platform and very versatile as far as uses go. The 45 acp is a great cartridge also, easy to load, cast for, and use. ALot of great components are out there for it. Most of the 1911s on the market will use standard parts with possibly some fitting required. Either of the bullets mentioned should run great in your gun. Find the OAL it likes and enjoy. If there are feeding function issues ( other than saftey issues) give it 200-300 rds to break in before starting to modify, polishm tune it. My one kimber 1911 took almost 400 rounds to 100% feed and function, itwas fitted very tight from the factory on the barrel hood, lug and locking lugs. Ounce it wore in its one of the best 1911s I own but reliability and accuracy. Some extras you may want for your pistol. A bushing wrench to aid disassembly can be handy on a tight fitted bushing. Cleaning equipment, a couple extra mags. Use certain ones for practice and dedicate 2-4 after proving they are reliable for serious work ( self defense), Another handy item can be a sight pusher for fixed sights if it has them. Also lots of ammo since this is liable to become your go to gun in time.

[petroid]

Planning on getting the lee dies. Everything I Have is lee and works great so far. In the process of hi-tek coating a bunch of the 200 gr boolits I cast up last night

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Congrats on the purchase. You're about to enter a whole new world, but one that has been thoroughly explored, and there won't be much you can't find out about your 1911. Afterall, they've been around for 105 years now. Your pistol photo looks great, and beyond the basic model it's all bells and whistles. I predict that you'll like it a lot!

[NC_JEFF]

The 1911 is by far my favorite auto loader and 45 ACP my fav caliber for this platform. I have never tried a 1911 from this manufacturer but there is absolutely nothing on this gun that isn't easily replaced/fixed in short order. I hope it runs like a sewing machine for you. Let us know

[Blackwater]

What a great buy! Glad you've joined the .45 fraternity! The 200's will do anything the 230's will if loaded right and if they have a flat point. And yes, you can get a few extra bullets per pound by shooing the 200's. The 200 Lee 6 cav. SWC should do you proud, but it all depends on what OAL your gun wants in order to get them to feed right. It's amazing how just a few thousandths in OAL can have such a pronounced effect on whether the gun will feed them or not, so you'll have to do a little experimenting to find what your personal gun wants, and what kind of range it'll tolerate. But that's just another excuse to shoot more! Contrats on a great gun.

[toallmy]

Looks like you are going to have a lot of fun , bang bang bang hehehe , that is a fine looking weapon .

[Outer Rondacker]

Congrats. I remember my first 1911. I saved up and spent a bit more then I had. At the time I also learned about them taking 500-1000 rounds to brake in. I did not want to wait or have the money to shoot that much. So I flitz up the moving parts and worked the gun back and forth watching the boob tube. Ran like butter the first time out and ever since. You got a good starter there. As time goes on you can change the main spring and work the sear for a better trigger. I have never found a 1911 that did not shoot well. Even it did need a helping hand to get started. Good luck and polish where you can a head of time to help with some brake in.

I better add that I cleaned it well after polishing it up and lube it before shooting. Youtube is your friend now and days.

[DougGuy]

Planning on getting the lee dies. Everything I Have is lee and works great so far. In the process of hi-tek coating a bunch of the 200 gr boolits I cast up last night

Better see what plunks before you go too much farther! The boolit will sit proud of the case a little bit, this has to go into the freebore in the barrel for it to even function and cycle. Some barrels only have a minimal amount of .4515" freebore and your finished round would have to plunk in that.

Here is a very helpful diagram that will save you some aggravation right off the bat:




Take the barrel out of your 1911 and use it for a go/no-go gauge for the ammo you assemble. If it will plunk a reasonable COA it may be okay but if it won't plunk with any of the boolit out of the case mouth it could be problematic and might need to be throated. This is quite common for cast boolit shooters and 1911 barrels, the majority of them need throated for .452" to even plunk so, just a heads up..

[drklynoon]

Congratulations Petroid. I am a 1911 lover. I've got a RIA GI model that is very nice and surprisingly quite accurate. Well, not that surprising if you have dealt with RIA 1911's. I've also got a Kimber Royal II that sees a pretty rediculous amount of ammo through it. If you have any questions I'll be glad to help in any way I can.

[DougGuy]

^^^^ THIS... Is what makes this community the best on the net!

There is something totally romantic about the WWII era GI 1911A1 variant, it has garnered legions of fans and beside the fact that there is every gadget and doo dad and extended this and ambi that, which are all good but despite the myriad "improvements" there is something about the bone stock "as issued" GI model, could be the slide cycling in the hands, it's slower than a Commander or Officer, the recoil is softer, and there is no single piece of machined steel known to man that brings such a smile to the face as cycling a well fitted and smooth 1911. New truck? Nope.. Not the same. Maybe it's the parkerized finish, the two toned slide, the "snick" sound of the thumb safety, or just the folklore surrounding the legend itself. Hard to put a finger on.

I had an old Colt 1943 made US Property GI 1911A1 years ago, and I could kick myself to this day for ever letting it go, but I traded for a rifle that filled my freezer a LOT more than that old Colt ever would have so it wasn't all bad. I did get the itch for one that was "like or similar to" that old Colt, and I recreated a WWII era GI 1911 from a modern frame and WWII slide and internals. So far it has filled the void nicely, it shoots lights out which is one thing the old Colt came up a bit short on. And I think it has been the least expensive 1911 of them all.. Good luck with your new 1911, be very careful, they CAN mysteriously cause you to bring home more of their kind in short order!

[Bigslug]

RE: Getting Your First 1911. . .

*Sniff*. . .This always chokes me up. Truly beautiful when a man lines up his qualification for American Citizenship.

There's a lot to be said for not having an ambi safety or a full length guide rod. One of the really cool things about a straight 1911 is that you can take it so close to completely down as to make little difference with nothing but parts from the gun as tools.

The bells and whistles are only "better" from a certain perspective.

[petroid]

Thanks for all the well wishes. It's kind of a funny story how I ended up with this gun. My buddy just bought a RIA 1911 which intrigued me. I've always wanted a 1911 but mostly they were out of my price range. Was walking past the gun counter at the local store and saw the display case completely empty. Asked the clerk what was going on and he explained they had to redo the display for some new items, so they started from scratch. Then I saw the sign that this gun was on sale but he didn't have any. Fast forward to earlier this week when I stopped by on a whim and asked about it. He said he actually had two in the store but couldn't put them on display til they had an inventory snafu worked out. He took my number and said he'd call as soon as he got the go ahead. The next afternoon my phone rang. I didn't buy any ammo with the gun because I couldn't bring myself to pay $20/box. I already had molds since I cast for my buddy's two 45s, to whom I also have given any 45 brass I find, so I have a gun and molds but no brass or dies. I plan on shooting only cast lead through this gun. I will post range results when I get a chance to shoot it.

[Char-Gar]

There is something just right about a basic 1911 or 1911A1. I started handgun reloading and shooting with a WWII Remington-Rand, which I sold down the river after years of faithful service. Overcome with nostalga for it, I wanted to buy another GI45 in 1981, but refused to pay the asking price of $200.00. Shoot, they were $35.00 to $45.00 pistols, it was crazy to pay that much. Now, I wish I had bought a bushel of them at $200.00 a pop.

While designed as a combat pistol, the 1911 can be pressed into service as either a target or field pistol and do well at both tasks. I have killed rats, rattlesnakes, coyotes, armadillos, porcupines, javelin and deer with one. One also save my bacon from a couple of pissed off Mexicans back in the early 60's, but that is another story.

About 2005, I ran across this Norinco 1911 in a Corpus Christi pawn shop for $280.00. It have served my needs quite well for a basic 45 Automatic. I did add better sight, change out the springs and install a Colt barrel and bushing that were hanging out in my shop. I have since added a long trigger and some mesquite grips. I have other 1911 pistols, but this one stays loaded with hardball to help me remember the good old days.

[Scharfschuetze]

RE: Getting Your First 1911. . .

*Sniff*. . .This always chokes me up. Truly beautiful when a man lines up his qualification for American Citizenship.

That's a hoot!

Here's my claim to citizenship. Carried the 1911A1 in VN, Central America and the Philippines. Thanks John Browning!