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Embalmer
01-05-2010, 10:38 AM
I got the AO 1911a1 repro WWII Pistol a few months ago, as the price was right for NIB. When I got it the frame and slide hade a nice tight fit. Now after I say 600 rounds, theres some play (IE can pull up on front of slide and will pull up from frame a lil bit). Its this a safety issue I should call AO or normal wear and tear for a pistol breaking in?

Bawanna
01-08-2010, 05:28 PM
Since it seems no one wants to jump on this I'll take that as my cue to take the plunge. You noted that it was a nice tight fit new and now after 600 it has a little play. You didn't say sloppy or loose. Most of the WWII repros are not tight nor were the real ones. That's why they ran so well in less than perfect environments.
Can't say without holding it but I wouldn't think you are dealing with a safety issue. All of mine real and repros wiggle a bit side to side and up and down. If it goes into battery, feeds and ejects properly I'd say enjoy and shoot on.

johnh
01-09-2010, 01:36 PM
Agreed! I prefer a 1911 to work in. The good gunsmiths I have known fitted 1911s a little tighter than one might want (even to the point of having FTFs when first shooting), then said to shoot the heck out of it until it breaks in. It has proven good advice to me on more than one pistol over the years. If it runs reliably and shoots well, you should be in good shape.

John

Embalmer
01-09-2010, 05:25 PM
Thanks for the replies. I too had original 1911a1s and contributed the loosness to 60+ years of use. 600 rounds and yet a malfunction. Ill stop worrying then :)

Bawanna
01-11-2010, 09:37 PM
To me while there are a ton of nice modern guns to choose from out there, there's still nothing in the world that feels better in my hand than a good old steel with wood handled 1911. Maybe I'm just old school, still trying to adapt to all this polymer, and synthetic stuff. It's good and it works, I own a few, but still gettin a grasp. Course I sometimes have difficult time dealing with "change".
Stop worrying, the doc's say that's bad for you. I prescribe a few hours at the range for therapy.

WMD
01-14-2010, 12:46 PM
I think just about every 1911 I have handled has had some play in it. I suppose a $3K Wilson might be tight when brand new, but after a 1000 rounds.... I suspect there will be some movement. I have an older Colt that hits like gang busters and has more play then I would prefer. Bottom line is, it still hits the black every time and feeds like a champ!

Like everyone else, I think you are OK with a bit of play in the AO 1911.

Bawanna
01-14-2010, 09:39 PM
Someday before I cross the river I hope to own one of those Wilson's. I've held a few, never had the chance to shoot one but it just oozes quality. Even without doing anything it just feels quality. I'm getting a fever thinking about it. Until that day comes the others will work just fine.:rolleyes:

getsome
01-15-2010, 11:44 AM
Hi bawanna45cal, take a look at a smith & wesson 1911...I have one and after a thousand rounds down the pipe it's still as tight as the day it was born...It will feed anything you put through it and is my second most accurate pistol, number one is a S&W 629 .44 mag revolver...You can drive tacks with that thing...The S&W 1911 is all stainless and comes with all the bells and whistles...I paid $750.00 out the door and the shop owner threw in 2 50 round boxes of speer gold dot jhp....If you are in the market for a 1911 pistol take a look at S&W...A very nice, high quality pistol at a decent price and comes with 2 mags and Smith & Wesson's lifetime warranty and fantastic customer service!!!

Bawanna
01-15-2010, 05:20 PM
Good idea. I looked at the S&W's when they first came out and they looked really good. Like you say, a lot of nice features for a very reasonable price. I think I was just waiting for a track record since they were new and Smith never had one before. I need to look again. I have received horrible reports from our state police academy on the SIG 1911's. They looked really good also but apparently they still have issues. Thanks for the reminder, we have a local gunshow this weekend so I'll see if I can't check one out.
Have to remember to take an empty pistol rug with me in case the missus catches me. I just tell her "this old thing, had it for years".:ohmy:

Bawanna
01-17-2010, 02:37 PM
Well I found and checked out a Smith 1911 today at the gunshow. We really didn't connect. The price was not good over 800 plus tax license and dealer prep. I think it was the lowest model also, just didn't blow my dress up at all. There was a Taurus next to it that I liked better, more features but we're not even in the same country as a Wilson, Ed Brown or the others. I held a Dan Wesson bobtail that was just aching to come home with me but alas the 1100 price tag on that one was way way out of reach. So the dream just keeps going. I'll keep eye's peeled for the higher grade Smiths and maybe we'll connect.

WMD
01-26-2010, 12:19 PM
Hey Bawanna,

If you do not want to go for the short money AO 1911 (which is a deal in itself), try to locate an early 70 series Colt. Colt was believed to have made their best quality between 1970 and 1973. That is the gun to get. You will not be disappointed. You can tell the early ones by the serial number designation.

Bawanna
01-26-2010, 04:38 PM
Hey Bawanna,

If you do not want to go for the short money AO 1911 (which is a deal in itself), try to locate an early 70 series Colt. Colt was believed to have made their best quality between 1970 and 1973. That is the gun to get. You will not be disappointed. You can tell the early ones by the serial number designation.

Agree with you WMD. I guess when it comes to 1911's I'm in want versus need mode. I have 5. Nothing real high end, a couple were free that I cherish the most. I have a WWII army that covered parts of Europe with a friends uncle. I don't want to mess with it. My constant companion Para is just fine and I love it. Just missed a Colt Commercial which is just before the series 70, I held it, I had it, the price was right but I passed it back. I should be punished. Again I wouldn't want to modify that one either. I guess it's kind of like wanting a corvette or a hummer or something the average working guy will never own. A Wilson, Ed Brown, with our current welfare programs completely out of control, they should just give each adult and nice CQB or whatever just to have, hold and enjoy, fondle. Maybe I'll get an AO to satisfy my new gun needs for the first quarter.:crazy: