Posted: 9/30/2008 5:09:28 AM EDT
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Hey Guys I want to get a good base gun to build up and my local dealer has a springfield Mill Spec. People seem to frown on the ones with brazillian markings on them. I havent looked at the gun yet, so what am i looking for as a tell-tale. Does it say made in Brazil.?? just curious. Thanks |
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If the Serial # starts with NMxxxxxxx then its a usa made frame, if the serial # starts with Nxxxxxxx then its made in Brazil. In front of the trigger guard on the underside of the frame it could be stamped Made in Brazil. There could be more ways but thats what I've seen. |
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From what I've read on a 1911 site,the serial number can't be a really good indicator of where the pistol was made. In fact some guys have said that ALL of the lowers were made in Brazil for Springfield, but some of the higher grade pistol lowers are finished here in the US. Imbel is the manufacturer that makes these lowers for SA. In addition to making 1911's,they have made worldclass FN-FAL's for their military and Berreta 92's and Colt 1911's(that's where the tooling came from,IIRC). I've got an SA GI stainless and am very happy with it. Shoots great and I have had about 1k trouble-free rounds. I'm not saying that their right up there with Colt,but they make a great base gun,if that's what you want it for. |
QFT I verified this with SA once when considering a so-called "Made in the US" Springfield. None were, although some were/are assembled/fitted in the US. SA makes one of the best production guns and it is only one of two that is accepted for work by virtually all reputable smits (Colt is the other one). If you are building a full-house heirloom, I'd suggest a Colt (although functionally the SA would be just as good). If you were building a no-nonsense shooter or project gun then I'd go with a Springfield (although Colt would do too) |
| My Springfield Loaded has a "Made in Brazil" on the underside of the frame. I have had zero problems with it in the 2 years I've owned it. It never shot low and it's probably my most accurate handgun. Even with the cheap Springfield mags, it was 100% functional. I use CMC Powermags now for added peace of mind. I would not hesitate to turn this pistol into a full-on custom gun if I had the money. Do not fear the Imbel frames, they work just as well as any other ones out there. The GI is a fine platform for a custom build, but you'll have to have the slide milled for better sights. You'll need to have a Bo-Mar or Novak or some other cut in there to accept aftermarket sights. Some people have also suggested the Sistema 1911's as great platforms for custom builds, but their prices have gone up a lot in the last 2 years. They're almost as high as Springfield GI's now. MJD |
