Posted: 1/4/2009 4:09:09 PM EDT
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I bought a Springfield GI model 1911 three years ago and really enjoy it. I'm now interested in carrying it as my CCW, but it needs some modifications to make it a good carry weapon. The original sights are tough to see in the day, much less in fading light. I am told I'll need to get the barrel throated and beaver tail safety installed also. When I start to add up all the cost to get this work done, I could get a used Kimber for the same cost. Would it be worth upgrading this weapon or selling and buying another with the options already there? Thanks.
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I have kimber and upgraded springfields so if it was me I'd upgrade just due to the cost of guns right now.
The Kimber I have is the classic model they first introduced in the mid nineties. The only thing I have had done to it was to change out the mainspring housing. I went from a flat to a curved steel housing. Shoots reliably with meggar mags. No other mods. I need to add night sights to it though. My springfeilds are their commander sized, officer sized and the v10 ultra compact. All have had bevertails and extended thumb safeties installed. I polished and throated them my self(you just have to be careful). I also went to shorter triggers and smoothed the pull myself. Again I use Meggar mags with these guns. I ccw with all of them at one time or the other depending on my mood or if I don't want to carry my sigs. If you decide to upgrade, find a good smith you trust because it is easy to screw up a good gun. |
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Sights I can understand. The GI sights are small compared to the ones on the Mil-Spec.
As to the beaver tail. Does the hammer bite you at all? Mine does not, so I do not have one. If it were mine and the pistol was 100% reliable as is, (with the ammo you intend to carry it with) why have the barrel throated? |
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God knows the GI could use some updating.
Everyone will have different opinions of what's necessary on a 1911. The beavertail is a must-have for some of us, not a problem for others. A pro would probably charge you in the neighborhood of $250 for those mods. Getting a good pro to work on it might involve a wait, however. Luckily the Springfield custom shop is pretty reasonable in both pricing and lead time. On the other hand, you could simply send the slide to Novak's for sights. Consider using a drop-in beavertail too, if simple comfort is your goal. Knowing how to install and fit one is a good 1911 skill to have, anyway. |
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OK, take your GI model and get as much ammo as you can reasonably afford of the defensive ammo you plan on using. Take and shoot it all. One-handed, two-handed, left-handed. Stick to rounded-ogive jacketed hollowpoints. I like Federal HydraShoks and Remington Golden Sabers, both in 230 grain. If it feeds it all, and the rounded-ogive JHPs should feed reliably in anything that will feed hardball reliably (which is why smart people designed them that way), you won't need a throat job.
Shoot another box or two of hardball to test all your magazines. Junk any that don't work. Beat them to death with a hammer to make sure they don't creep back into circulation. If it has done this without giving you hammer bite, you don't need a beavertail. Then sit down with a Brownell's catalog, pick your sights, get them installed, and you're done. Save the rest of your time and money for training and training ammo. |
| I like the way you think. I have picked out some sights already and look forward to getting them installed. I checked out SA custom page and they have some awesome packages, but the prices are pretty high. I don't want to spend another 3-4 hundred dollars on a 350 dollar gun. Sights first, we'll see about the other upgrades later. |
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I have had two guns worked on by the Springfield Armory Custom Shop...excellent work. I would certainly go with the upgrade. It's going to take a little while, but that lets you send a little bit each month towards the final bill.
I have a Kimber Stainless II that will soon be sent up that way. |
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Quoted:
OK, take your GI model and get as much ammo as you can reasonably afford of the defensive ammo you plan on using. Take and shoot it all. One-handed, two-handed, left-handed. Stick to rounded-ogive jacketed hollowpoints. I like Federal HydraShoks and Remington Golden Sabers, both in 230 grain. If it feeds it all, and the rounded-ogive JHPs should feed reliably in anything that will feed hardball reliably (which is why smart people designed them that way), you won't need a throat job. Shoot another box or two of hardball to test all your magazines. Junk any that don't work. Beat them to death with a hammer to make sure they don't creep back into circulation. If it has done this without giving you hammer bite, you don't need a beavertail. Then sit down with a Brownell's catalog, pick your sights, get them installed, and you're done. Save the rest of your time and money for training and training ammo. This, except that the Fed Hydro-shok is an older design that does not feed that well. As long as it feeds Gold Dots, Fed HST or Win Ranger-T (RA45T) then you don't need a throat job. Decent night sights by Trijicon or Novak will set you back around $100, I'm guessing a smith will probably charge around $100 for an install seeing as how you will need either a front dovetail cut, or the smith will have to pull and then stake a new trunion style sight (and everyone wants to just mill a dovetail) OR Buy the Kimber, then you have two 1911s so you have a spare, and you can carry the Kimber while a smith swaps out the sights on the springer. |
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UPGRAYEDD! For a double dose of awesomeness... unless you find a deal on a Loaded.
You'll be happier with a memory bump grip safety an extended beavertail. Proper carry sights are basically a must for CCW. Skip throating - newer better JHP's will feed correctly, without upsetting the geometry. If you want to shell out for a trigger job (or drop in a C&S ignition kit) it's worth considering, but beyond that, the only place you'd want to throw money at would be magazines (Tripp Cobra/Wilson ETM/McCormick) |
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Quoted:
UPGRAYEDD! For a double dose of awesomeness... unless you find a deal on a Loaded. You'll be happier with a memory bump grip safety an extended beavertail. Proper carry sights are basically a must for CCW. Skip throating - newer better JHP's will feed correctly, without upsetting the geometry. If you want to shell out for a trigger job (or drop in a C&S ignition kit) it's worth considering, but beyond that, the only place you'd want to throw money at would be magazines (Tripp Cobra/Wilson ETM/McCormick) Upgraded beats Loaded in terms of fit quality, especially in the beavertail grip safety. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
UPGRAYEDD! For a double dose of awesomeness... unless you find a deal on a Loaded. You'll be happier with a memory bump grip safety an extended beavertail. Proper carry sights are basically a must for CCW. Skip throating - newer better JHP's will feed correctly, without upsetting the geometry. If you want to shell out for a trigger job (or drop in a C&S ignition kit) it's worth considering, but beyond that, the only place you'd want to throw money at would be magazines (Tripp Cobra/Wilson ETM/McCormick) Upgraded beats Loaded in terms of fit quality, especially in the beavertail grip safety. +1 |
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Quoted:
God knows the GI could use some updating. Everyone will have different opinions of what's necessary on a 1911. The beavertail is a must-have for some of us, not a problem for others. A pro would probably charge you in the neighborhood of $250 for those mods. Getting a good pro to work on it might involve a wait, however. Luckily the Springfield custom shop is pretty reasonable in both pricing and lead time. On the other hand, you could simply send the slide to Novak's for sights. Consider using a drop-in beavertail too, if simple comfort is your goal. Knowing how to install and fit one is a good 1911 skill to have, anyway. 1911>Glock |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
God knows the GI could use some updating. Everyone will have different opinions of what's necessary on a 1911. The beavertail is a must-have for some of us, not a problem for others. A pro would probably charge you in the neighborhood of $250 for those mods. Getting a good pro to work on it might involve a wait, however. Luckily the Springfield custom shop is pretty reasonable in both pricing and lead time. On the other hand, you could simply send the slide to Novak's for sights. Consider using a drop-in beavertail too, if simple comfort is your goal. Knowing how to install and fit one is a good 1911 skill to have, anyway. 1911>Glock 
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