Verifying pistol for concealed carry....

[VetPsychWars]

Folks:

We recently got concealed carry here in Wisconsin, and I recently got my license. What I have to use for that is my trusty Model of 1911, circa October 1918. I bought this pistol about 15 years ago not knowing much about them, so I paid too much for a refinished piece with the UNITED STATES PROPERTY mark ground off.

That said, it's in very good condition. I've pulled out the loupe and inspected the living snot out of it, and I think it's good to go to carry. Let me list all I've done to it, and you tell me if there's something else I need to do to make sure it's as safe as I can make it.

1. All pins were replaced with Wilson Combat or Colt.

2. All parts inside of mainspring housing replaced with new Colt parts.

3. Disconnector and sear replaced with Wilson Combat Bulletproof parts.

4. All springs replaced with new Colt parts.

5. Firing pin replaced with new Colt titanium firing pin.

6. Barrel, link, pin, and barrel bushing replaced with new Colt parts.

7. Magazines are USGI, circa 1983, Checkmate, with new Checkmate followers (they looked suspicious).

8. Grips replaced with Hogue walnut double-diamond wax-finished grips (these feel very nice!). Grip screws are new Colt parts.

Anything else is original 1918.

The NRA Basic Pistol class included range time, and 200 rounds of Blaser 230gr shot with no issues. I had one failure to feed with a new Colt magazine (Checkmate) and as it had hybrid feed lips instead of GI, I set it aside. The instructor shot it, and at 25 feet he emptied a magazine into one ragged hole.

Near as I can tell, this thing will go bang when I want it to, and there's no reason I can't carry it. It passes all of the safety tests in my GI manuals. Is there anything I could possibly have missed?

Thanks

Tom

(no OMFG IT'S GOING TO BLOW UP! comments, please)

[pmclaine]

Not an expert answering here.

I think that vintage military Colt has a slide that was not fully heat treated. It will work fine but if you are firing a lot of rounds the slide can start to get hammered. Again not an expert but I think the military built these with a slide life expectancy of 3-5,000 rounds of military ball (this number may be way off). If this is your carry piece I think you will be firing it pretty regularly for training and you may be using hot rounds. The lack of heat treat and your training may be detrimental to slide life. The lowers seem to last forever as evidenced by the fact that the military still uses equipment that was forged forged no earlier than 1945 (MARSOC and other specialty guns excepted, My understanding is that the WWII guns are still the bulk of the military inventory).

I hope an expert will chime in to confirm or clarify my post.

[Johnny P]

Not an expert answering here.

I think that vintage military Colt has a slide that was not fully heat treated.

The Model 1911 had no heat treatment to the receiver or slide. The Model 1911A1 receiver had no heat treatment, but did have the muzzle end of the slide and the slide stop notch hardened to prevent battering and wear in this area. Also, the Model 1911A1 slide had a hardened insert in the breech face to prevent wear and battering in this area. No mention of blowing up; just an explanation of the lack of heat treatment.

[m1ashooter]

I carry a 80 series, first one in the pipe is a hollow point followed by ball. If she goes bang then you are good to go.

[cplnorton]

Most likely you will never shoot enough rounds to crack a unhardened slide. But with that being said. I have seen pictures of cracked slides before. Especially in the slide stop area. If it were me, I would buy some of those little rubber pieces that go on the spring guide rod. They help to cushion recoil of the slide and really seem to help a lot. I buy mine from Wilson and I think they call them something shoks, or something like that.

Also I would double check my recoil spring weight. Some of the wilson springs get pretty high, like 18# or heavier. As a lot of Kimbers and Springfields use 18's. I personally never would run anything more than a 16 in a USGI gun. But that is a personal preference.

And of course don't run any hot loads in it either.

[joem]

IMHO the 1911 is a bit large and heavy for CCW. If your comfortable with it, I'd say go ahead. If in the event you have to tap some perp be prepared to have your pistol taken in as evidence and it may take some time to get it back. But that just my take on it.

[SMOKEY]

Vintage slides will crack especially if using Israeli ammo. Please do not use IMI ammo. Anything else seems ok. Look into a crossbreed IWB holster. I carry a govt model 1911 in a crossbreed holster and this is the absolute best. I have spent tons of money on other holsters and I swear by this one

[Johnny P]

Very good advice on the 18# recoil spring. While the 18# spring slows the slide down going back, it speeds it up going forward. John Browning beefed up the area in the receiver to handle the rearward travel of the slide, but the only thing stopping it going forward is the slide stop and legs on the barrel. Also, I don't like anything put in the recoil spring area that might impede the full movement of the slide.

[VetPsychWars]

I'm with Johnny P... only original spec springs and no rubber bumpers. I had one for a while and it just caused problems so I got rid of it.

I'd wish that the barrel was dark and not stainless but it shoots so well I can't justify changing it.

Tom

[Gus Fisher]

The Model 1911 had no heat treatment to the receiver or slide. The Model 1911A1 receiver had no heat treatment, but did have the muzzle end of the slide and the slide stop notch hardened to prevent battering and wear in this area. Also, the Model 1911A1 slide had a hardened insert in the breech face to prevent wear and battering in this area. No mention of blowing up; just an explanation of the lack of heat treatment.

Johnny P posting here is one of the reasons I vastly enjoy this forum. I was first trained as an Armorer on M1911A1's in 1972 and as a NM Armorer to build NM .45 pistols in 1974 - and spent a career as a NM Armorer and Ordnance Chielf until I retired in 1997. Still and all, I have learned some VERY neat stuff from Johnny P. This is the kind of info that I would have LOVED to have known in the early 70's and this and other things Johnny P has mentioned in past posts answers the reason for a lot of things I found or experienced over the years. So a hearty Thank You to Johnny P.