From: wa3wbu!john@uunet.UU.NET (John Gayman)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: .45 caliber handguns
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:15:43 GMT
Organization: @ WA3WBU, Marysville, PA


In article <1992Nov17.023032.19198@igor.tamri.com>, donb@igor.tamri.com (Don Baldwin) writes:
# At this point, I'm considering various .45 caliber handguns, with an
# eye towards purchasing one of them within the next few months.  Unfortunately,
# purchasing all of them is not an option. :(
# 
# 
# Last weekend, I visited Trader's gun shop in San Leandro (CA) and I thought
# I saw a better alternative.  They had a Springfield Armory clone going
# for $700, the salesguy promised target gun level accuracy...however, when
# I slid the empty magazine in and tried to work the slide release, it
# didn't work; we had to pop the magazine out a little, release the slide
# and then slide the magazine back in.  Is that a Springfield Armory quirk,
# a 1911 Colt/clone quirk or a quirk of that particular gun?  If it's a
# Colt/clone quirk, that would tend to rule out my getting a 1911 COlt/clone.


    I wouldn't be concerned at all by this characteristic. How many times
do you want to drop the slide on an empty magazine ? :-)  Seriously, it
has to do with the shape of the follower in the magazine. Some of the 
metal followers can move forward slightly when they are completely empty.
So when you press the slide release the magazine follower bottoms out on the 
front edge of the magazine and keeps the slide release from working. If
you ensure that the follower is in the proper position and THEN insert
it, you'll be able to release the slide with ease. With even ONE 
cartridge inserted this will NOT happen. And it doesn't happen at all with
plastic followers like the Wilson mags. I've noticed the same thing with all
of my McCormick magazines for both .38 Super and .45 ACP. 

#     Is it possible for me to get an accurate 1911 Colt/clone for less
#     than the price of a Gold Cup (about $800) and STILL have it be a
#     versatile combat handgun?

    This can be very subjective. What do you call "accurate" and how do you
classify a "combat handgun". Unless you get a real dud, most factory Colt
barrels are capable of very good accuracy, I presume the same applies to
Springfield Armory. The only thing you'll really want/need to do to a 
new gun would be a trigger job and throat job. The trigger job will do
more for accuracy than you can emagine. Unless you get a dud, the typical
1911 (Colt/Springfield) should shoot ~2" groups at 25 yards with good
ammunition. The throat job will enable it to feed most anything. Total
cost for both jobs is usually under $100. This should put you in well
under the $800 mark. You will also end up with a very accurate, reliable
combat handgun which can also hold it's own for plinking and non-world
class target/combat shooting....and be VERY easy to maintain.

# 
# If the answer is NO, I will have to consider my next two choices (Sig P220
# or Glock 21 (both excellent guns but I LIKE the Colt) more seriously OR save
# a long time and get the Gold Cup.

    Having all three of the aformentioned pistols you really can't go
wrong with any of them. My personal favorites are the P-220 for carry
and the 1911 for competition. Keep in mind that the Gold Cup is designed
for mild target loads. It can be beefed up with a stiffer recoil spring
for full-power loads but the rear slight retaining pin WILL eventually
shear off. Virtually every one I've seen used in IPSC has eventually 
either sheared off the sight pin or had the sight fall off. 



-- John



-- 
John Gayman, WA3WBU 
UUCP: uunet!wa3wbu!john
Packet: WA3WBU @ WB3EAH