I'd been looking for a beater 1911 to mess around with and learn more about how to disassemble and work on them for a while when I saw a black friday deal from Buds.  The Girsan 1911 gen2 sport for $399.  After reading the reviews and getting an idea of what issues I might encounter I ordered it.

Here's a pic and the specs






It came in a nice plastic box with a couple bore brushes and a bottle of oil.  

The good.
Frame to side fit is pretty tight.
Barrel fit is tight at the bushing and chamber.
Barrel finish is a nice polished stainless steel.
Exterior machining is nice with no noticeable machining marks.
Finish is nice and smooth with no defects.
Extended safety that snaps positively into position.
Extended beavertail grip safety
Novak dove tail sites that are easy to see and use.

The Bad.
The grips. Way too thick.  Checkering is hideous.  Grip screws and bushings are metric.  Also the screw heads are too big and have to be turned down to fit standard grips.
The trigger.  It's a little sloppy in the frame.  Kinda heavy and mushy.  Dad summed it up best with "it's like pushing a pillow".
Not a fault of the gun as much as a realization by myself.  The rail makes the gun heavy.


Shot it yesterday.   I did not bother to strip and clean the pistol but cut the inspection sticker off the trigger gaurd and shoved a loaded mag in it.  Ran the factory supplied ACT mag 3 times,  a couple old Chip McCormick 8 rounders, and a factory Springfield 10 round mag.  I'm pleased to say that the pistol functioned 100% with zero malfunctions with the 70 rounds of reloads and some cci blazer.  The gun seemed pretty accurate but I was only shooting 8" plates at 25 yards.  I was happy to see the gun shoot very close to where the sights pointed.  I'd heard they had issues with shooting very low.  I'd say it shot a couple inches low but that could of been me dealing with the trigger.  Hopefully none of this changes as the pistol breaks in.


Upgrades.  The grips have to go.  I'll be drilling and tapping the bushings to the standard thread.  I'd ordered a complete spring kit for it anticipating the cycling issues that didn't happen.  Don't know if I'll replace them now or not. The trigger spring most likely when I clean it up.

Overall I'm very pleased with my cheap 1911.

*Update 2nd trip to the range

Took the Girsan to the indoor range by work and put another 100rnds through it.  I was initally a bit disappointed with the accuracy I was getting and I was shooting a couple inches low.  After a couple mags my groups started coming around and it started shooting to point of aim. By the end I was keeping them touching.   I had 3 FTF towards the end of the session that only needed a tap on the rear of the slide to get the round chambered.   Initially I was concerned and then I remembered that I hadn't cleaned or  lubed the pistol since I pulled it out of the box.  The slide was starting to feel gummy by the end.  

The trigger is pretty hidious and need attention.  Haven't decided if I can get by cleaning it up or if I should order a new trigger and sear.  Would those need fitted?
New springs and grip bushings are waiting for installation.
I will be putting a set of fiber optic or night sites on it.

I was considering ordering the TISAS.  I may now.

I looked that one over also.  The GI version was $329. I figured the sights, beavertail, extended safety, were worth the $70.  Really wanted the hard chromed one with all those upgrades and no rail.

Hope it treats you well, but that beavertail fit is atrocious.

When you do that, please post what drill bit size and tap that you used so that it can be duplicated.

Regards,

I didn't quite write that correctly.  I meant drill and tap the frame for standard bushings.  I believe it's a 7/32 bit and a .236"-60 tap.

AccidentalGunsmith has a good 13 part series of the upgrades he did to a Girsan.  Girsan Upgrades

I doubt I take it that far.  There is something kinda sharp on the left side by the safety that kinda irritates the web of your hand (I'd forgotten about that before someone said something).  Maybe that's the beavertail fit a poster mentioned.  

I want this gun to be reliable and fairly accurate but I got it to learn how to disassemble and tweak it.  If there's something I don't like I want to be able to change it.  If I find something sharp I won't hesitate to take a file to it.  It's just a tinkering toy.  Maybe when I get it to a place I'm happy with it I'll have a buddy ceracoat it.

I did shoot it next to Dad's Rock island GI 45.  The RI had a better trigger, not as mushy, but it seemed to shoot all over the place. Maybe it was the sights but the hit percentage was about half of the girsans.

I trust RIA/Philipino guns, but those Turkish Girsans are definately not the same quality... hell, not even Mil.-Spec. Why not use mil spec grip screws/bushings? Maybe on par with a Llama.

If the RIA really is that in-accurate send it to Pharump and they will fix it! My RIA shot clover leaves the first time I shot it.

Enlighten me as to what is and is not mil-spec on the Girsans besides the grip bushings.  As far as I know that's the only thing that won't swap.

Rock Island must of stepped up their quality control.  I have limited experience with them but years ago when I worked in a gun shop they seemed 50-50 whether the customer kept them or returned to trade for something nicer or have us send them back to the factory.  The prices have sure gone up a bit in the past years and the internet bitching has subsided.  I'm betting Girsan has gone through the same process and they seem to be on a bit of a steeper learning curve.  All the threads I can find about issues with them come from early 2013 when they started hitting dealer shelves with sight issues and feeding issues.  Those people also seemed to get prompt customer service and most got new pistols.  I couldn't find any recent threads even talking about Girsan 1911s.  I hoped that meant they got their issues figured out.

I'm quite tickled with my $400 1911 that so far has exceeded all my expectations. I didn't expect it to look this nice, feed so well, and shoot to point of aim.

Dad won't mess with sending in.  It's a cheap gun that goes bang trading fodder.  He's got nicer ones if he's serious about hitting what he's shooting at.

I wouldn't trust a company that can't even source standard spec grip screws and bushings. Yeah, about a year ago when they came out a guy posted a pic here of one, a GI model, even just looking at the pic the proportions didn't even seem right, kinda like someone built one from a verbal description or from memory of one they's seen or something, dust cover, MSH, the shape of the grips..... all a little odd. If they really are getting better I'll wait a few years untill they have a solid reputation before I'd buy one. Just my oppinion.


This is what I'm talking about.

My dad has a Girsan. - it runs like a top. Goes bang every time and it's accurate. But those grips... holy shit are they WIDE.

The A1 receiver cuts are kind of strange.  

Uh, yeah, now that you mention it.

OP: I didn't mean to be a dick. If it runs it'll be fine. Let us know how it performs, give us a range report. I see you did in original post. Reading is for.... well you know the rest

I'm not really a 1911 guy so I don't get alot of what the gripes are about ill fitted beaver tails and odd looking receiver cuts.  I've only had a 1911 for a year before buying this one.  I bought it off of a buddy who had it built/finished by a gunsmith that had worked for les bear and wilson combat. It locks up tight, is slicker than snot, and very easy to shoot well. It's not Ed brown tight but I think it shoots better than dads Sig platinum elite.

I have nothing against the Rock Island, just my initial experience of shooting the two pistols for the first time, both brand new, side by side. If a RI had been the same price I'd probably of gotten it instead. To me comparing the two is like comparing two $250 glock clones to see which one is more glock like.  Neither is or will be a "nice" gun. As long as parts and mags swap, that's all I wanted.

I'll drill and tap new bushings or just turn the screw heads down to get different grips on it.  Learn how to clean up and or replace the trigger and install a fiber optic front sight and shoot it. May even let a buddy with a cnc machine something gaudy and ridiculous into the slide like flames and have another buddy ceracoat it.  It's not my first pistol or even my tenth, probably closer to twentieth.

can you direct me to an article or gallery showing what a beavertail safety should look like when properly fitted ?

Colt factory fit beavertail


Custom gunsmith fit beavertail

the lowly rock island, not bad for a lower priced production pistol

After having a couple fail to chamber from slide lock yesterday, I took the girsan down and it was dry as a bone and pretty dirty.  It cycled fine when shooting but was having issues getting the first round all the way chambered without a little slide tap.

Trust me: buy a new quality recoil spring. I've had the same issue from useing cheap springs. It doesn't need to be extra power, just good quality. The gun should function 100% wet or dry.

Yeah I've got a brand new Wilson set of springs sitting next to the new bushings waiting on the tap that I mistakenly ordered from canada and is now on the slowboat to my door.  

I'm assuming that it wasn't going into battery from the slide release due to the finish still wearing off of the rails and almost zero oil left to thin it out.  The gun ran fine after chambering the first round.  It seems to be sprung tight.  The recoil spring is a little heavier than the other 1911 but the mainspring is a beast.  I'm hoping to get another 200 rounds through it before we tear it apart and start replacing things. Atleast give it a chance to fail in a factory configuration.

Drilled and tapped the frame for standard bushings.  Replaced the hideous factory grips and fitted a fusion flat checkered mainspring housing with a magwell funnel.  Also picked up a $30 kydex holster off ebay that fit the pistol with minimal adjustments.  This weekend we're tearing it all the way down to replace the rest of the springs and add a match trigger.

The beavertail doesn't looked fitted. It looks a like a drop in beavertail was used instead. Not a deal killer by any means.

The grip screws and bushings would concern me more. But like was previously posted, that can be fixed with a little drill and tapping.

For a basic GI gun this doesn't seem all that bad. Provided the frame and slide are in spec.

Yes. You can also buy a pre-fitted hammer/sear combo from Brownells. I'm not sure how well they work, perhaps others have used them?

But you can't just drop in a new sear with an old hammer & not have to fit them (or old sear & new hammer). Not to say they won't fire the gun, but it may not be too safe or terribly much of an improvement.

My .02

We fitted a fusion lightweight tigger this weekend. Didnt take much fitting, more adjusting than anything.  This along with some stoning and polishing made a big difference.  Trigger fits the frame better and no longer has a 3 stage mushy feel.  Cleaning the overspray off the factory trigger bar would have done a lot to help.  We're guessing that the new trigger is around 4.5 pounds and should improve a bit with the spring swap.

ETA
The mainspring housing and trigger are Fusion.  Both bought from Ebay in an effort to keep this as cheap as possible.  The point of this exercise is to see what it takes to make a cheap reliable beater 1911 and learn some stuff.  After this weekend, I can tear a frame and slide all the way down without sweating it.

they need fitted. Everything in a 1911 (regardless if they call it drop in) needs fitted.

 
QFT.  Drop-in just means it's dimensionally closer to spec and needs LESS fitting.  If you read product reviews on drop-in parts you can tell which reviewers are new to 1911's and which are more experienced with them.  

Really can't understand why they don't use standard bushings

It's irritating because the Tisas's have regular bushings and they're made in Turkey also.  Now I know how to drill and tap a frame for reg bushings.  Took some guys from work out shooting at lunch today and put another 80-100 rounds through it.  The new trigger is nice!  After I got settled down I pulled a couple stamp sized groups at 7 yards.  I really enjoy shooting this pistol. The grips, flat mainspring housing, and the trigger makes this a comfortable (for me) gun.  After the upgrades I'm still under $500 in it.

A new guy I took had just bought his first pistol (walther ccp) and after he started to get tired and jerking the long striker trigger on that he shot the Girsan and shot it well.  It was a good confidence boost for him to end on.