Essex? Good? or is it another Llama? Quick question.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Essex? Good? or is it another Llama? Quick question.

Posted: 12/20/2005 8:06:22 AM EDT

I saw one of these for sale cheap, and was wondering if Essex is a POS?

I would like to jump into the 1911 bandwagon.

Thanks!
Mike

Edit: Spellcheck.

Posted: 12/20/2005 1:51:53 PM EDT

[#1]

Essex for the most part are built from part kits.

So no simple answer, Bad builder, Bad gun. Good builder, Good gun..

How cheap might be an indicator of the quality of parts, or someone is just in neeed of cash.

Boy am I alot of help

Posted: 12/20/2005 3:01:18 PM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Boy am I alot of help

Anything is better than nothing. Thanks!

Posted: 12/20/2005 3:12:43 PM EDT

[#3]

As of 20+ years ago, the frames were cast and the one I had a defect, easily fixed.
Last I heard. they are still in business.
Mine sported a Colt top end and was quite reliable and accurate.
Improvements in casting in the last several years may make a recent one acceptable...I think Dan Wesson and Detonics uses the Essex frame as a base for their line of 1911s.
Sometimes the frame may say Essex with another brand slide & barrel, although they do make slides too.
Not sure what you would call cheap, regardless, maybe have someone else look it over or even test fire it first.

Posted: 12/20/2005 3:24:56 PM EDT

[#4]

Essex frames are questionable at best. The last one I worked with had a very large porosity due to the casting. It was the first and last Essex I will work on. The bad spot was on the dust cover, so no big deal really but it makes me wonder about the rest of the frame...

Dan Wesson I can see using them, I don't think very highly of their pistols.
I don't think very highly of Detonics pistols either, but I don't think they are built on Essex frames.

You'd be better off with an IMBEL from Springfield, and they aren't so great either...

If you're building from scratch, buy a Caspian.

As always, YMMV

Posted: 12/20/2005 4:01:23 PM EDT

[#5]

I bought 2 of the Detonics frames that Numrich had acouple of years ago.
Build both of them and shot them. Took work but I had crappy slides to deal with.
Then htey were both stolen, one recoverd and is still sitting in evidence

Posted: 12/20/2005 4:40:41 PM EDT

[#6]

mediorce in quality over all but some are better than others. You would have to do a very close visual inspection.

Caspian is the prefered choice AAA+

Posted: 12/20/2005 5:57:29 PM EDT

[#7]

SGB - "Caspian is the prefered choice AAA+"

My Caspian is the only 1911 I have liked better than my Colts and I have owned most of them over the years. JD

Posted: 12/20/2005 6:52:12 PM EDT

[#8]

Posted: 12/20/2005 9:33:38 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I've built or worked on quite a few Essex and Auto Ordnance (their frames used to be made by Essex) over the years. I've yet to find one that didn't have one issue or another, but there are a lot worse ones out there. The steel seems to be of decent quality, and the rails are at least straight. Issues I've seen are out of spec holes, particularly for the thumb safety stud, and also sear and hammer pin holes off parallel. Also, they have a tendency to have the mainspring housing retaining pin hole too high in the frame. I would not recommend one to someone, especially when Caspian is so good and relatively inexpensive.

Sounds good to me... Stay away eh? Oh well. I saw $250 on it and went WHOA!

Big thanks to everyone for the help.

Posted: 12/21/2005 4:50:32 PM EDT

[#10]

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Essex? Good? or is it another Llama? Quick question.

Handguns » 1911 Discussions

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