Posted: 2/5/2013 8:00:01 PM EDT
| Just put some money down on my first 1911A1. Anyone have any experience with the Auto-Ordnance 1911? I tried to conduct a forum search on this pistol, but came up with zero results. Hopefully this isn't a bad sign. |
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Welcome to the board, Srek. And congrats on your first 1911.
I am not an expert, but... Auto Ordnance has had a varied past and developed a very poor reputation up through the 90's. Sometime right around the turn of the millennium, the company was bought by Kahr, and quality seemed to increase substantially. I've only worked on one in recent years, but it seemed to be a perfectly serviceable pistol--especially considering it's low price. The one I worked on was well-used but showed no unusual wear. It was brought to me to have the thumb safety replaced and I lightly tuned the trigger. Internal parts appeared to be good quality and it felt no different working on the AO than working on a Springfield or a Colt. The finish wasn't particularly "pretty" and the overall fit could have been improved, but again--considering the price, I think it was a good gun. As long as your pistol doesn't have "West Hurley" stamped on it (where they were made before Kahr took over), it's probably good to go. I think it should make a good first 1911, and could probably be nicely customized if that's what you decide to do. Next one I come across as a bargain price will probably come home with me. Good luck! |
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| I've had one for 25 years, bought NIB. After polishing the feed ramp and replacing the mag it's been 100%. A lot of people, mostly those who never owned one, bad mouth them but you won't find much wrong with one that can't be easily fixed by anyone who isn't a complete klutz with basic hand tools. |
Still have it, and it's still my go-to 1911.|
Congrats on your new AO M1911, OP.
I recently acquired one. It's a nice GI replica, although it does have a couple of nods toward the modern (tight fitting and Series 80 system). Which doesn't bother me as long as the gun works. With any tight 1911, I always break it down, clean it lightly, and well lube it before shooting for the first time. I ran 250 rounds through mine, using the factory mag, Colt seven rounders, Wilson Service Mag Pluses, and Para eight rounders. The ammo was a mix of Winchester USA "white box" and Federal Champion. The gun ran well, with only two stoppages. That was due to a bum cartridge in the Federal lot (I reloaded the same round in a different magazine, same issue). I also had the same stoppage, with the same cartridge, in my "control" gun (Colt Government Model). So, it wasn't an issue with the Auto Ordnance. This is a promising start. Overall, I'm satisfied. I would recommend the newer weapons made under Kahr Arms ownership in a heartbeat. And I plan on picking up that Thompson 1911 Custom I've been eyeballing come tax refund time. |
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Quoted:
my fiancee bought one too her second pistol her first was a lavender lady .38 special She likes single stack semi auto pistols only. Thin full size grips. My wife's 1st was the Charter Pink Lady .38spl, Now she likes my 1911's so much that she wants one for herself! 
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I had an AO purchased in 93 from the West Hurley plant.
Had a problem with the sear not holding and was promptly repaired by AO. Was carry for years and ate anything I could find. Saved my ass once in downtown Philly. The exact second after I got $275 (paid $225 new with my FFL) for it after 5 years of carry, I knew I FUCKED UP! Now, even though I don't need another pistol, it's too big to carry while motorcycling, and ammo is nearly double as compared to my daily carry G19, I'm looking at this very same model for purchase. |
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A friend bought one that was a bit of a lemon.
The bullet nose would hit the slide stop on the way up and nosedive...another slidestop fixed that. Failure to go into battery from slide lock was the next problem. Looking at the spent brass, there was a large dent on the back of the rim, opposite the extractor. A look at the breech face revealed a "goiter" of metal that was missed somehow. An hour with a caping chisel and magnifing glass cured that. While better, it still gets an occasional random stove pipe about every 50 rounds. Extractor tension, etc. was good. Guess I'll look through my pile of extended ejectors and try one of them. It seems plenty accurate enough and looks like the old GI model of WWII without any gaudy rollmarks of some other brands. |
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I bought a new Kahr made version about 3 years ago.
Had several issues. Out of the box it was a jam-o-matic. 1.) Shit can the factory mag(s). Get some USGI, Wilson, or other quality mags. 2.) Mine had extractor issues. Tuned the factory part and it worked fine. 3.) Polish the feed ramp. 4.)Replace all springs with Wolff. Mine lost the front sight after about 500 rds. Replaced it. Mine would NOT feed HP's worth a flip even after throating/polishing. Ran 100% with good old RNFMJ's. Accuracy was meh. About typical for a GI type gun. |
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Update on the lemon...
The extended ejector did not improve the stovepipe problem but instead started denting the brass. Back to the drawing board. Tossing the factory extractor and installing a Colt series '80 piece cured the problem. It dropped right in, BTW. And yea, I had to restake the front sight too. If you ever remove the firing pin, that spring is like 10 times what it should be ! Again, stuck a Colt spring in and test fired, no problem. |