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Hi Mr. Rawles,
I saw your posts today on the HK91s. I’m not sure if you are aware but there is now a new “clone” by JLD Enterprises. The PTR-91. These are made on HK tooling but with modern CNC processes. These are very affordable, under $1000 through many dealers online. They fix some of the original problems of the HK91, though you will still want a trigger job, and a mag paddle release. One of the main differences between the PTR-91 and HK 91 is the barrel. The PTR-91 does not have a hammer forged barrel, rather a heavy target barrel. One of the leading members of JLD was formerly employed by HK. The rear site is also much improved and the rifle comes with a shoulder pad, and the no-ban guns come with a flash hider.

Most importantly you get a very accurate rifle with the HK91’s utter reliability at a very reasonable price. And right now the magazines are extremely affordable. Tapco has [a quantity deal on] 50 [used  20 round alloy] magazines for $50. – Jennie Sequa

JWR Replies:  I am familiar with PTR-91s.  I’ve seen them at gun shows but I’ve never fired one. OBTW, I am dubious about them being made with original HK tooling, for two reasons: First, I have read that their receiver dimensions do not match the original HK. Second, I’ve read that the front of their magazine wells have a different geometry that the original HK, making it difficult to quickly change magazines.

Jim –
I have to pick a small bone with you on your response regarding what ways to trick out your 1911. During a special symposium at Gunsight with 11of 12 shooters being prior service and/or law enforcement, 10-15% of all rounds in the targets hit the hand/pistol of the bad guy – seems there is a mechanical slaving of where the eye focuses and where you hit the target in some cases (the eyes and weapons system are calibrated to hit what is sighted–sort of like a chin turret on an Apache or Cobra)

While a 1911 (that runs right – something that can be tough to find) is a superb weapon, why spend $1200+ for one that I then have to accessorize/have slicked up when I can get a Glock 21 that runs out of the box for about 1/2 that? No flame war wanted, just pointing out that 2 for 1 price is an attractive feature (as you where driving towards with your sage advice to get a second one, or how about TRAINING to effectively use the one you have!!!). Some hate the Glock’s size/grip – to each his own – I would never feel undergunned with a 1911 and it is a mechanical/design work of art/masterpiece. You do, however, need to be taught/train on how to make it run in a bit more depth than the double action only (DAO) “safety in the trigger” Glock.  My $.02, FWIW. Keep up the great work!!! – Beach

JWR Replies: Unless someone trains with a M1911 without the use of the slide release from day one, then it is impossible to expect that they won’t revert to using the slide release lever in the heat of combat. Remember the maxim:  The first/oldest training is the deepest ingrained.  I’ve heard many stories about police officers that subconsciously fight just the way they trained. For example putting either the fired brass from revolvers or empty magazines from auto pistols in their pockets. They don’t even realize that they’ve done it until after the smoke has cleared and they’ve regained their wits.

I agree with your advice on ambidextrous safeties. If someone has the budget for it, then that modification is worth doing, even for right handers. But in general, I try to keep M1911s as “stock” as possible. Even in stainless steel, there is no reason why a combat ready M1911 has to cost more than $800. We have a couple of stainless M1911s in our family battery that I bought used and that cost no more than $650, even after the necessary mods.

Mr. Rawles,
I’ve just finished reading your novel “Patriots”, and wish to thank you for providing such an insightful guide to preparation and the survival mindset, and a pretty darn entertaining read, to boot! My question concerns your preference for the M1911 .45 ACP pistol as a sidearm for one’s survival preparations. I wholeheartedly agree with you on the round’s advantages over lesser-powered cartridges such as 9mm or .40 S&W. And, since the ergonomics of the 1911 design in particular tend to suit me well personally (indeed, to whom does it not), I was wondering what your thoughts were regarding the myriad configurations this weapon is available in today; precisely, things such as beavertail grip safeties, beveled magazine wells, front/back strap checkering, etc. Do you think these features are more “show” than “go?” Also, should one avoid altogether “high -end” offerings from custom shops like Wilson Combat or Les Baer? The quality of parts and workmanship are readily apparent, yet as you allude to in Patriots, would the tight tolerances worked into each custom weapon make for questionable reliability under field conditions? Thank you for taking the time to read this e-mail, sir. May God bless you and your family. Regards, – Mark T.

JWR Replies: needless to say, I’m a dyed-in-the-wool .45 ACP Colt Model 1911 user. The Combat Tupperware crowd considers the 80 year old design archaic, but I find the M1911 eminently practical. For right-handed shooters, the only modifications that I recommend are: feed ramp polishing, an extended slide release, and perhaps tritium sights. Everything else has marginal utility, and if taken to extreme can actually decrease reliability and combat utility. I consider even the extended slide release optional, depending on the shape of your shooting hand. (If you can reach the standard slide release without shifting your hand, them leave it as is. For left-handed shooters, the only other mods that I would recommend would be an ambidextrous safety and an ambidextrous extended slide release. Instead of pouring an extra $1,000 into a pistol on furthering modifications, I’d rather spend that money on a second M1911 for another family member, or on training at a school like Front Sight, or more ammunition.

OBTW, some of you might be interested in reading the FAQ that I wrote about M1911 magazines.

Jim,
I agree about getting a real HK91 and not a clone. The HK91 is a great rifle with a few easily corrected but serious weaknesses.

The trigger is heavy and poor, but an inexpensive and excellent fix is available from www.williamstriggers.com.

The sights are mediocre, but the “1200 meter sight”, which can be found on the gun boards such as www.hkpro.com or www.sturmgewehr.com is much better, and can be drilled or fitted with an insert to provide the ideal aperture.

The narrow, hard plastic butt stock can be punishing, but the butt end piece can be replaced with a wider rubber part from HK (from the HK21 or 23 belt fed machine guns) that is much more comfortable, and which avoids slippage. From an HK dealer or the above gun boards.

The magazine release button is suboptimal, but a “Tac-Latch” provides much more ergonomic operation in a low-priced drop-in part, from www.taclatch.com.

For optics mounting, the Brugger & Thonet mount is best, because it does not damage the receiver, and provides a see-through view with the iron sights if the optics are fogged (or worse.) It provides a lower mount than the original STANAG clip on mount. Avoid the B-Square mount, because they can cause receiver damage from over tightening.

The HK91 may not quite be capable of the same accuracy as an M14/M1A, but it never malfunctions, and nothing ever breaks. – Mr. Bravo

JWR Adds: As I mentioned in my novel Patriots, the only other major design flaw of the HK91 is that unlike an AR-series, M1A, or FAL, the HK91 does not have its action lock in the open position after the last round in the magazine is fired. In the stress of combat, this could leave someone thinking that they still have ammo when they are actually holding a rifle with an empty magazine. (Read: potentially deadly.) This can be avoided by loading the last two or three rounds in each magazine with tracer ammunition. When you see a tracer flash, you swap magazines.

OBTW, tracers are banned in California, but then again, so are HK91 rifles. So if you live in California, there are a couple of more reasons to vote with your feet!

Jim:
A note on you post of 12/15 about the SAR-8. I wish I could point you to a single place on the Web where you could verify this, but there isn’t one. I gathered this info from a number of gun discussion boards after my (opportunistic) purchase of an SAR-8 at a gun show.
There are two distinct SAR-8s, both handled by Springfield Armory. One is a steel receiver, made in Greece on original HK tooling. Known there as the SAR-3, it was changed to the SAR-8 by over striking the markings on the gun. Being an import, there are some restrictions on what you can do with it, such as adding flash hiders. [JWR Adds: See the correction on that point, below.]
There is also another SAR-8, built in the US on an Imbel aluminum receiver. It qualifies as a US manufactured gun, and since the 1994 ban is dead, are pretty much able to be modified as you wish. [JWR Adds: Actually, being built on an imported receiver, it still needs to have 10 U.S. made parts.] It has some minor differences from a “real” HK, but nothing that can’t be dealt with fairly easily. You can recognize these by the aluminum receiver, green furniture and rail machined into the top of the receiver. As I mentioned earlier, I bought an SAR-8 a couple of years ago for a song, NIB. Mine is one of the Imbel aluminum receivers, so I view myself as fortunate (although many would disagree–the Imbel receivers seem to have a bad reputation). After some initial teething problems that I was eventually able to trace to bad magazines (lesson learned–stick to steel), it’s been a reliable performer. If anything ever goes wrong with it, Springfield has a lifetime warranty, and there are quite a few stories of folks being offered M1As as direct swaps or as a “swap plus small amount of boot”.
I’d like to find one or two more of these, but interestingly enough, the few I see are commanding prices above what I paid for mine. Make of that data point what you will. I enjoy your blog, even though I don’t get to stop by as much as I would like. Keep up the good work.- The Freeholder

Mr. Rawles,
I have read and enjoyed both your book and the Survival Blog. I have found them very useful and thought provoking. Whether I agree with something or not is of no consequence EXCEPT when the information is factually in error and might mislead some folks who depend on it. Such is the case with the following:

The SAR-8 (Springfield Armory’s clone of the HK91) are well made (much better than the CETME). Their only serious shortcoming is that they lack a flash hider. Be advised that a large number of SAR-8s were illegally retrofitted with flash hiders. (The 1994 ban expired, but the original import ban that bans flash hiders is still in effect!)

I am an 07- FFL/SOT so I keep up on these things. The 1994 ban DID restrict flash hiders and threaded barrels along with folding stocks, high capacity mags and bayonet lugs. Of course, it is gone. The 1989 import ban DID NOT forbid flash hiders, threaded barrels or the other “evil features”. What it DID do was mandate not more than 10 imported parts on certain guns. Therefore, the addition of a flash hider to an SAR-8, FAL, HK, AK etc will require that the gun be in compliance with section 922 and have NOT MORE than 10 imported parts. If the gun was originally equipped with 10 or fewer imported parts you can add all the “evil features” you wish so long as you do not thereby exceed the limit of 10 imported parts. I hope this clears up a common misconception that might lead folks to think they can’t add a flash hider or other feature to their SAR-8 or other gun. Sincerely, – M.G.

JWR Replies: My most humble apologies for the error. Thanks for pointing that out. I will go back and will correct my original post. Assuming that the fake (unslotted) pinned-on pseudo flash hider that these rifles came with counts as one of the ten requisite U.S.-made parts, then removing it and replacing it with an original German, Greek, Pakistani, or Portuguese-made flash hider would be a violation of the Federal law, unless you substitute an American-made part to “keep up the parts count.”  Ditto for removing the original goshawful-looking thumbhole stock.  I recommend T. Mark Graham of Arizona Response Systems as a source for the replacement U.S.-made parts, as well as some great gunsmithing and refinishing services. See:  http://www.arizonaresponsesystems.com/home.htm