Search Results for: 1911

Pat’s Product Review: German Sport Guns (GSG) .22s

…mole! Some folks in the area use a 12 gauge shotgun for moles, and they make a bigger hole than the moles were making. I prefer using the GSG-5 for mole eradication. In my neck of the woods, the GSG-5 can be found for $400–give or take a few bucks, and for a mean-looking .22 rifle, it is a great deal. I recently purchased the GSG-1911, and it looks for all the world, like a full-sized Government Model 1911 .45 ACP pistol, except it shoots economical .22 LR ammo. The GSG-1911 is made out of aluminum for the frame, slide, and most major parts. However, most of the innards are genuine all steel 1911 parts – nice touch – should you want to change some parts out, or have spare parts on-hand. The GSG-1911 is very-well made and nicely fitted – better fitted than many 1911s I’ve owned over the…


Building an 80% Firearm- Part 4, by Tupreco

Building 80% 1911 and Glock Pistols In Part 3 of this series, we took a detailed look at selecting and completing an 80% AR-15 lower receiver. Whether or not you choose to build an AR-15 ghost gun, you may be interested to know that there are also 80% pistol frames and build kits out there to make your own ghost pistol as well. It’s a great challenge and very satisfying to complete one successfully. First, we will look at the legendary John Browning-designed 1911 version. Your 1911 Ghost Gun Trying to explain the popularity of the 1911 .45 ACP pistol is like trying to tell someone why you love your Harley Davidson motorcycle. It goes beyond simple functionality, often being described as something that just feels right. A friend, who is a fanatic for both his 1911 and his Harley, once told me that while neither of them could be…


Rock Island Armory GI Standard 1911, by Pat Cascio

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Most folks don’t realize that more 1911 style of handguns are manufactured in the Philippines than are now being made in the USA. There are actually three main companies making most of the 1911s that come out of the Philippines, but there are a few other smaller manufacturers. Owning 1911s made in Philippines isn’t new to me. I’ve owned more than a dozen, and they came marked with various names on them. Today, we are looking at the Rock Island Armory 1911 GI standard model 1911. It is imported by Armscorp in Nevada. For many years, I carried stock (full-size, 5-inch-barreled) Model 1911s, in various forms, and never gave it a second thought. My biggest complaint then, as now, is the tiny sights – front and rear. Now that I’m getting much older, my aged eyes have a difficult time focusing on the small sights, especially the front sight. The…


Taurus PT1911, by Pat Cascio

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I’m a huge fan of the 1911 style of handguns. I have been, just about all my life as a shooter. I’m a sucker for a well-made 1911, new or used, at a good price, too. Today, we’re checking out the disappointing Taurus PT1911, full-sized 1911 in .45 ACP. Pictured is my test gun, with some upgraded grips. The following hyperbole is a snippet directly from the Taurus web site: “Destined to become the standard that all 1911 pistols are compared to, the Taurus 1911 offers you the most accurate and feature-laden model on the market today. Starting with our own hammer-forged not cast-ordnance grade steel frame, slide and barrels. Our skilled pistolsmiths hand-fit and assemble each firearm in our state-of-the-art factory. Available in the powerful .45 ACP or 9mm, this aggressive, rock solid firearm is ready to go, right out of the box. The Taurus 1911 is an unbeatable…


Kimber Custom II, by Pat Cascio

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…full-sized Government Model 1911 and it was very comforting on my hip. However, as I grew older – and believe me, the years start to fly by, as you grow older, I decided on the Commander-sized, light-weight 1911 in .45 ACP. I still get this question, all the time from readers, and friends, “what is your favorite gun?” And, that covers a lot of territory. I believe they are asking what is my favorite handgun, and I still struggle with this one. For many years, I would simple answer a 1911 – without picking one particular model. If push came to shove, I would still pick the Commander-sized 1911 over all the other versions. However, I don’t believe I would pick the 1911 – in any version, as my one and only handgun for an End Of The World handgun. My choice would be the Glock 19X over the 1911,…


Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

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The Springfield Armory TRP Operator 1911 is one of the best of the best 1911s available, at any price, and we’ll report our results from testing in this article. Bear With My Sad Story Bear with me, before I give my findings on the TRP Operator 1911 in this article. This is a sad but somewhat humorous story about the start to my testing this outstanding 1911. I received the TRP Operator 1911 from Springfield Armory during the past winter. Before testing this gun, I noticed that the Tritium front sight wasn’t glowing at all. I have had this happen with more than a few brand new guns out of the box. It’s no problem; a call was placed to my contact at Springfield and a replacement front sight was on the way through next day FedEx. The day the new front sight was to arrive, we had one terrible…


Rock Island Armory 1911, by Pat Cascio

…about a gun that has been produced for well over 110 years. And, I can’t begin to count how many 1911 makers there are these days. So, that says something about the design. And, to be sure, a good 1911 is still the first choice of a lot of hi-tech military and police these days. The knockdown power of the .45 ACP round itself speaks volumes. In the past, when I was doing security work, a lot of it involved searching buildings, and on many occasions, I had a Model 1911 strapped on my side and I didn’t feel the least bit handicapped with “only” that gun on my hip and a couple spare magazines. I also worked with quite a few Chicago Police Department (CPD) officers when they arrived at the scene of a break-in, who carried a 1911 as their spare gun, and they reached for that 1911…


Remington 1911 R1, Carry, by Pat Cascio

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…the 1st hand gun that had been built in 93 years at Remington. The tolerance for parts and slide fit to frame was set at the time of design was around 2 to 4 thousands on most all parts. At that time Remington for a production line gun had the best 1911 hand gun for sell on the market. At that time my company was Uselton Arms inc. and I only built custom 1911 hand guns. I personally know the caliper size in all parts and the difference in custom 1911’s and production 1911’s . Later in 2010 Remington changed the parts specifications and changed most of the R1 parts and started building the 1911 to a much looser tolerance . I want go any further with this but Remington still has a really nice M1911. Now my company only builds 1911’s for our company which is Ultimate Arms LLC….


Economics & Investing For Preppers

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…ADJUSTABLE SIGHTS, BLACK G10 GRIP, (2) 8RD STEEL MAG, ICE MAGWELL – 798681440597 1911-45-TXG – 1911, 45 ACP, 5IN, TEXAS, GOLD ENGRAVED NITRON, SAO, SIGLITE, CUSTOM TEXAS GRIP, (2) 8RD STEEL MAG – 798681465514 1911-45-TXS – 1911, 45 ACP, 5IN, TEXAS, SILVER, SAO, SIGLITE, CUSTOM TEXAS GRIP, (2) 8RD STEEL MAG – 798681465507 1911F-357-NMR – 1911, 357 SIG, 5IN, NIGHTMARE, BLK, SAO, SIGLITE, BLACK G10 GRIP, (2) 8RD STEEL MAG, FASTBACK – 798681440719 1911R-357-TACOPS – 1911, 357 SIG, 5IN, TAC OPS, BLK, SAO, SIGLITE, BLK POLYMER GRIP, (4) 8RD STEEL MAG, RAIL – 798681529193 1911R-45-TACOPS – 1911, 45 ACP, 5IN, TAC OPS, BLK, SAO, SIGLITE, BLK POLYMER GRIP, (4) 8RD STEEL MAG, RAIL – 798681422517 1911R-45-XTM-BLKGRY – 1911, 45 ACP, 5IN, EXTREME, BLK, SAO, SIGLITE, BLACK/GRAY G10 GRIP, (2) 8RD STEEL MAG, RAIL – 798681436262 1911CAR-45-TACOPS – 1911, 45 ACP, 4.2IN, TAC OPS, BLK, SAO, SIGLITE, BLK POLYMER GRIP, (4)…


Rock Island Armory 1911 Government Model, by Pat Cascio

There are more 1911 pistols made in the Philippines than in any other country in the world – and that’s a fact. It wasn’t all that many years ago, when it was a real hit or miss, on 1911s from this country. And, as I understand it, there are three major companies that produce 1911s over there. Doesn’t matter what name is stamped on the gun – odds are real good that your Philippine-made 1911 came from one of those three makers. In the past, about the only thing you could get from the Philippines, was a bare bones, military-style 1911 – nothing more. All of that has changed in the past 10-12 years, though. Now you can get just about any kind of 1911 you want, and best of all, prices are more than “right” even during this latest gun/ammo drought. My local FFL had just one 1911 for…


Springfield Armory 1911 With Laser, by Pat Cascio

…have all the faith in the world in the platform and the caliber. Not all 1911 handguns are created equal. You can have a halfway “decent” 1911 made to mil-spec imported from the Philippines or Turkey, and they are really nice guns for under $500. However, they would not be my first choice in a life or death situation. Yep, they’re lots of fun to shoot on the weekend but not guns I’d bet my life or anyone else’s life on. I demand a high quality 1911, when lives are on the line, period! I’ve remained a huge fan of Springfield Armory 1911s ever since I owned my very first one back in the early/mid 1980s. They are value driven if you ask me. From their basic mil-spec to their top-of-the-line TRP models, they have something for everyone. I received their “loaded” 1911, with a Crimson Trace laser grip on…


Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced, by Pat Cascio

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…did see where they would probably discontinue AR style firearms but not their long guns. I don’t think it mentioned handguns one way or the other. It also stated they would pursue “smart gun” technology. Guess they’re thinking some kind of biometric device so only one person could fire the gun? Not sure what else could come from that mindframe… Bedford Whenever I see the words “another review by our Field Editor, Pat Cascio, I’m always excited to get to the story. Have yet to be disappointed. Florida Dave Can’t go wrong with a 1911. Nice review on the Remington. I must admit, I have never shot one. 1911’s are well balanced and are a pleasure to shoot. However, modern polymer designs, with excellent reliability, weight reduction, good triggers, good ergonomics, and better magazine capacity have moved me away from the 1911 for EDC and “Schumer Hits the Fan” situations….


Ruger’s SR1911, 9mm, by Pat Cascio

…all my heart that the grand ol’ 1911 handgun was always meant to be chambered in one caliber– the .45 ACP, and I don’t think many will dispute the fight-ending effects of the .45 ACP round. Some years ago, I guess you can say I saw the light, or the error to my way of thinking. My first major shift in the 1911 was to a 10mm, and it was really a hot-stepping round. Then we have the 1911 in .38 Super, .40 S&W, 9mm, and many other calibers. The light bulb over my head started to glow a little bit. If many of those rounds were great for self defense in other handguns, then why not use them in a 1911? Hmm, so an old dog can learn new tricks. The nice folks atRuger sent me their SR1911 “Commander” sized 1911 in 9mm, but I still wasn’t totally on-board…


Springfield Armory Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

…fairly good success at customizing many 1911s. I’m still not 100% satisfied with my end results. However, I did customize quite a few plain-Jane 1911s. Unfortunately, I don’t own any of them any longer. I wish that I had held back one or two. Over the years, I’ve owned almost every 1911 variant that Springfield Armory has manufactured. Short of a few very expensive models, most of the others found their way into my hands, and they’ve all been outstanding shooters. With the exception of an early mil-spec model, that wouldn’t even feed hardball ammo, I’ve never had any real problems. And, that one gun, only needed a little tweaking to get it running perfectly. The gun under review today is one of the latest from the 1911 stable at Springfield Armory. This one is simply called the “Operator” and this one is a spectacular 1911, chambered in .45 ACP….


Springfield Armory 1911 EMP Ronin 9mm 4-Inch, by Pat Cascio

Some years back, I did a review of the (then new) Springfield Armory Enhanced Micro Pistol (EMP) 9mm handgun. It was quite a little powerhouse to be sure. However, the gun under review in this article is a different model: I elected to test the slightly bigger model – but it is still a small 1911, and perfectly-sized for the 9mm round. For a lot of years, many 1911 makers produced some of their 1911 handguns in 9mm as well as .45 ACP – and a number of other calibers as well. I always wondered by the guns in 9mm weren’t reduced in size, to match the 9mm round. Well, their idea was simply to reduce the size from full-sized 5-inch Government model to the slightly smaller Commander and Officer sized guns – however, they were still big guns for the 9mm round. I’ve owned a good number of 1911s…