1911 info

and I wanted to bring up a story about my Kimber Ultra Carry II. I won my Kimber at a Friends of the NRA Banquet about 5 years ago and after shooting about 400 rounds through it, it became my everyday carry gun. About 2 years later I had the occasion to shoot a coon that was causing trouble at my house. I was heading out the front door about 10 PM and there was the problem coon that had been stealing dog food by taking the lid off the container we were storing it in on the front porch. I had Crimson Trace grips on it and a flash light in my pocket so I took up chase and he climbed a tree just on the south side of my house. I quickly spotted him with the flash light, put the red laser on him and pulled the trigger. I then heard the loudest click I've ever heard. The hammer fell on a factory round without setting it off. Upon taking the kimber apart when I had made sure it was not an ammo problem I discovered the Swartz firing pin safety was broken. I felt like a real dumb ass mainly because I had no idea how long I'd been carrying a disarmed pistol. I figure it must have broken at some point while I was putting the gun together and accidentally depressed the grip safety while reinstalling the slide. I called Kimber the next day and they promptly sent me a replacement part. I received it within two days and was pretty happy with their customer service. However upon further reflection I started wondering if that stamped out part could break again on me. So I took the replacement one set it on a industrial power hacksaw blade made out of tough high carbon steel and traced it out with a very small hardened steel awl. I then used my Foredom tool and several types of cutting wheels and diamond grinders to carve out an exact matching part. It took a while but after several tries I was able to get it fitted and working great. Now I know I've got a very hard tough part that is not going to brake at the first time I screw up putting the Kimber back together. Since then I've switched to a Colt Delta Elite 10mm that used to belong to my best friend that passed away 1.5 years ago and traded the Kimber off to a friend along with a couple of other guns for a Honda VTX1300C so I could spend time training my 14 year old son with his Motorcycle learners permit by riding along with him while he was driving his Yamaha V-Star 250. Here in Oklahoma 14 year olds can drive a 250 CC and under motorcycle on public roads if they have the proper license. We've put over 1500 miles on both bikes just before he got his license on the 10th of August and then started school on the 11th of August. .

Edited August 27, 2015 by ridurall

planeflyer21 · August 27, 2015

/\/\/\/\ That right there is why the purists insist that it has to be a series 70-style 1911.

ridurall · August 27, 2015

My Delta Elite has a series 70 Forster lower therefore no Swarz safety.

392heminut · August 31, 2015

I have a Kimber and trashed that Swartz safety! I have also removed the Series 80 safety from every Colt 1911 I've owned that had one. These guns worked for decades without that garbage and as far as I'm concerned, it's just something to fuk up right when you need the gun the most, as you found out.

planeflyer21 · August 31, 2015

I have a Kimber and trashed that Swartz safety! I have also removed the Series 80 safety from every Colt 1911 I've owned that had one. These guns worked for decades without that garbage and as far as I'm concerned, it's just something to fuk up right when you need the gun the most, as you found out.

Yeah...I have a 1911 that was supposed to have a firing pin block safety. It must have fallen out when I was shooting it because now there is just this hole where it used to be.

392heminut · September 1, 2015

Yeah...I have a 1911 that was supposed to have a firing pin block safety. It must have fallen out when I was shooting it because now there is just this hole where it used to be.

I HATE it when that happens!

Sisco · September 22, 2015

https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/buyers-guide-for-all-you-1911-addicts.511/

I am starting to research a 1911 as a gift and so checked with my LGS guy, who I trust and highly value his opinion, as to what brand is currently the best dollar for dollar value for a 1911. To my surprise he thought Ruger. I am looking for something in the $600-$950 range. Thought I would check in with the 1911 experts on our Forum here. What are your opinions?