Colt Plastic MSH > Colt

gojoe

Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 3551

EE: 100% (10)

ME, USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 3:56:43 PM EDT

[Last Edit: gojoe][Edited]

Keep them, or swap it out for steel? I don't trust plastic in my beautiful blued steel and walnut pistol.

Verde

Joined: Apr 2003

Posts: 886

EE: 100% (2)

AZ, USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 4:08:44 PM EDT

[#1]

I say swap. They work but they're ugly.

T-TAC

Joined: Jul 2008

Posts: 3197

EE: 100% (10)

CT, USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 4:12:22 PM EDT

[#2]

They are sturdy, self lubricating, and Lightweight.
Metal is nicer.

osprey21

GD Wrecking Crew

Joined: Jan 2001

Posts: 161327

EE: 100% (297)

FL, USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 4:39:40 PM EDT

[#3]

They're made of Delrin, it's very hard and durable stuff.

The ongoing racial innuendos are not going unnoticed - beware.

GeistACWM

Joined: Jan 2007

Posts: 2328

EE: 100% (435)

USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 4:43:52 PM EDT

[#4]

Seems like an excuse to get a Stan Chen or equivalent MSH.

Plastic doesn’t belong on 1911s

Bumblebee_Bob

Romani ite domum

Joined: Jan 2001

Posts: 39799

EE: 100% (40)

CO, USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 4:49:21 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Originally Posted By GeistACWM:
Seems like an excuse to get a Stan Chen or equivalent MSH.

Plastic doesn’t belong on 1911s

View Quote

I switched out the plastic unit for a Les Bear unit l picked up cheap and used in EE.

Then switched that for a Stan Chen unit. Amazingly both were drop in without any fitting whatsoever.

Drugs kicked in now, need sleep, radiation tastes funny at 7 am every day... a bit like victory. - Ginger

fxntime

Member

Joined: Jan 2003

Posts: 122739

EE: 100% (9)

MI, USA

Posted: 4/5/2025 4:57:27 PM EDT

[#6]

Bleh looking but they don't break.

Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.

I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...

Andrapos

aka modrapos

Joined: Aug 2008

Posts: 13645

EE: 100% (16)

CT, USA

Posted: 4/6/2025 8:00:31 AM EDT

[#7]

I swapped out the plastic one in mine, tossed it in the box.

LEGALIZE FREEDOM!

dfariswheel

Joined: Feb 2005

Posts: 10574

EE: 0% (0)

USA

Posted: 4/6/2025 7:57:19 PM EDT

[#8]

Other companies used plastic MSH's and some were known for splitting down the middle.
Colt housings never broke.

There were a few match shooters who installed Colt plastic housings because they were light weight and self lubricating.

d16man

pickin' and grinnin'

Joined: Feb 2013

Posts: 124406

EE: 100% (63)

SC, USA

Posted: 4/6/2025 7:59:44 PM EDT

[#9]

Swap for a Stan Chen funnel

"Some people have issues. Sounds like he signed up for an entire subscription." ~Brohawk
Proud member of Team Ranstad.
Arfcom St Jude Mafia 3 years
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mlin

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 1325

EE: 100% (23)

CA, USA

Posted: 4/7/2025 5:01:32 PM EDT

[#10]

You already answered your own question in the last sentence. You will not be happy until it is swapped.

Brianvr6

Member

Joined: Jan 2006

Posts: 406

EE: 100% (44)

MI, USA

Posted: 5/5/2025 1:06:49 PM EDT

[#11]

You can't go into battle with that plastic piece!

When you have to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.

gojoe

Joined: Jun 2001

Posts: 3574

EE: 100% (10)

ME, USA

Posted: 5/25/2025 2:18:47 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Originally Posted By Brianvr6:
You can't go into battle with that plastic piece!

View Quote

And It won't, I started this thread and then within a week picked up a Wilson MSH on the EE. And changed out the very nice, but blue Colt grips for a pair of checked Coco bolo grips.
A civilized weapon for a more civilized time.

Rollin20s

Joined: Dec 2020

Posts: 72

EE: 100% (2)

OH, USA

Posted: 6/7/2025 8:13:16 AM EDT

[#13]

Originally Posted By gojoe:
Keep them, or swap it out for steel? I don't trust plastic in my beautiful blued steel and walnut pistol.

View Quote

If you don't trust polymer, then go ahead and change it. Your confidence in your firearm is what matters most.

I had the same take when I had a series 80 and changed out the MSH for a steel one. The polymer one never gave me problems and required less care. Since then, my trust in polymer parts has changed. If I had to do it again with what I know now, I'd have left it be. YMMV.

sgtlmj

Joined: Jan 2002

Posts: 9078

EE: 100% (444)

CO, USA

Posted: 6/18/2025 8:20:16 PM EDT

[#14]

I've had several over the years. Usually put them in a lightweight commander type 1911. Knocks down the weight a bit more, and it is noticeable.

TheQuadfather

Joined: Aug 2011

Posts: 20971

EE: 100% (796)

TX, USA

Posted: 8/23/2025 2:04:15 PM EDT

[#15]

Mechanically they’re fine, but they’re slippery. I always swapped wm out for something checkered .

dfariswheel

Joined: Feb 2005

Posts: 10622

EE: 0% (0)

USA

Posted: 8/23/2025 6:45:14 PM EDT

[#16]

I checkered a few plastic Colt housings for people.
I suggested replacing them but for various reasons they wanted to keep the factory part.

AK-12

Carbine of the future

Joined: Apr 2020

Posts: 22085

EE: 0% (0)

USA

Posted: 9/14/2025 6:40:51 AM EDT

[#17]

I replaced mine with a Stan Chen magwell, largely because I prefer checkered to serrated.

nipster74

Joined: Mar 2011

Posts: 1128

EE: 0% (0)

FL, USA

Posted: 10/8/2025 8:26:06 AM EDT

[#18]

I had one of them, it worked well but I eventually replaced it with a checkered metal MSH.

Personal preference: metal
Practical: "plastic" is fine

patw

Member

Joined: Aug 2005

Posts: 11209

EE: 100% (126)

FL, USA

Posted: 10/9/2025 12:02:30 PM EDT

[#19]

I replaced mine with a Wilson Combat with magwell.

Be the change you want in this world.

Daryl_Licht

Member

Joined: Feb 2004

Posts: 935

EE: 0% (0)

OK, USA

Posted: 10/15/2025 11:32:04 PM EDT

[#20]

I replaced mine with a Wilson stainless checkered part. Not a magwell guy.

GLShooter

Joined: Aug 2001

Posts: 1025

EE: 100% (20)

AZ, USA

Posted: 1/15/2026 10:38:46 PM EDT

[#21]

I put one on my 9X21 Para years ago to cut down weight. It's done well for 30 years.

benrsp

Joined: Jul 2025

Posts: 90

EE: 0% (0)

USA

Posted: 4/5/2026 1:30:33 PM EDT

[#22]

They grew on me, I keep them in. Plastic and MIM get a bad rap JUST because they're not steel, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone in person, that had failure with either in a firearm

fxntime

Member

Joined: Jan 2003

Posts: 132895

EE: 100% (9)

MI, USA

Posted: 4/5/2026 1:47:46 PM EDT

[#23]

Quote History

Originally Posted By benrsp:
They grew on me, I keep them in. Plastic and MIM get a bad rap JUST because they're not steel, but you'd be hard pressed to find someone in person, that had failure with either in a firearm

View Quote

MIM absolutely doesn't belong in some parts use but in other parts, it's fine if done right. MIM and extractors in 1911s are an absolute fail. Period. Wrong process and steel for a part that needs to be tensioned.

Liberals are a curious mix of communism and fascism, they want to destroy you but want to use your own money to do it.

I'm getting down to the last box, the others have all been destroyed...

afultz075

Joined: Dec 2011

Posts: 739

EE: 100% (187)

PA, USA

Posted: 4/19/2026 5:43:27 PM EDT

[#24]

I leave the plastic MSH alone on lightweights and 9mm. Anything else I swap with a steel EGW MSH.

SaulGoodman

Joined: Feb 2024

Posts: 27

EE: 0% (0)

TX, USA

Posted: 5/15/2026 7:38:57 PM EDT

[#25]

I got an Ed Brown arched housing for my Colt Competition.45, steel, just because I prefer steel and arched

ar15a292f

Joined: Aug 2002

Posts: 398

EE: 0% (0)

IN, USA

Posted: 5/18/2026 12:15:04 AM EDT

[#26]

I replaced the nylon mainspring housing with a steel blued arched serrated mainspring housing with a lanyard loop from EGW.

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