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Around the Water Cooler: 1911 Pistols
by Rich Grassi
Take the 1911 pistol and cut it down to subcompact dimensions to make it a better concealment gun - is that a good idea? Over the years, many have tried, starting with custom makers - real wizards with the original 1911 type - and going through rather large manufacturing concerns. How did they fare?
Take the 1911, cut it down and change components' formats (e.g., recoil spring system, front lockup, etc.), then all bets are off. A vastly reputable builder of the 1911 system through all its size variations recommend recoil springs change out at 2,000 rounds fired for the full-size, 1,500 rounds fired for the intermediate (4.25" barrel and matching slide), and at 500 rounds for the smaller-than-normal single action hammer-fired "Browning-like" pistol.
They're right, but that's not all. Specific geometry is changed as the system gets shorter. I confess I've never seen a sub-compact of the 1911 form run for any length of time, until last month.
I actually shot one, as many others did, at the U.S. Shooting Academy, Tulsa OK. Smith and Wesson had a media group there for a new product intro. It was well handled by S&W, ably assisted by their media reps at Blue Heron, and it was a great introduction to a wonderful shooting facility not terribly far from where I live.
A particular pistol line, called the Pro Series, was shown off with examples there to shoot. What is the Pro Series? Take Performance Center specifications to the regular production system and you get a PC-designed gun at a price lower than the Performance Center could charge. There are a number of guns in the Pro Series. Among others was the Model SW1911 .45 ACP Sub Compact - Pro Series.
It shares the external extractor of the regular SW1911 but this is the oversized external extractor. The trigger is ventilated with three holes and has an overtravel stop. The guide rod is full length and the gun uses a single recoil spring.
The magazine holds seven rounds of .45 Auto. The barrel is three-inches long. The low profile rear sight has a pair of white dots on either side of the sighting notch. The dovetail front sight has a corresponding dot.
The gun weighs a mere twenty-four ounces. The stocks are synthetic and have a rough texture. The stocks are held on with Allen head screws. The frame is S&W's Scandium alloy and the slide is made of carbon steel. The entire gun is finished in matte black except for the stainless steel barrel, the guide rod, trigger and hammer.
The frame's front strap has vertical serrations. The slotted hammer is mated to a beavertail grip safety.
The tiny .45 was one of the guns at the Rogers Range bay at USSA. I was standing, looking at it and shaking my head when Performance Center Chief Tony Miele walked over.
"What'sa matter?" he asked.
I told him that attempts to "microfy" the 1911 were doomed to failure.
"Not this one," he said. "It runs like a cham-peen!"
We got to shoot the gun with a few different loads, the ones I remember are the Cor-Bon 230 grain Performance Match and their 185 grain DPX +P load. The DPX was stout in the little gun.
Several hundred rounds of varied ammo ran through the little .45 over the couple of days we had it. I didn't get to accuracy test the little gun though I was able to stay on the 20-yard 8" plate on the Rogers Range if I held tight and controlled the trigger.
As far as I know, the Sub Compact did run like a "cham-PEEN!" I saw no failures to feed, fire, extract, eject or to go into battery during either day. I know it did get a lot of shooting.
Finally, we have a tiny 1911 that shows signs of reliability even during periods of high usage.
I'd still stay after that recoil spring. Tony said they hadn't worn one out yet, but I'd have a drawer full of recoil springs and probably some firing pin springs and magazine springs. Keep the spring tension high. And I'd be careful to lube the gun though there were several times over the two-day media event I know the Sub Compact was dry.
The SW1911 Sub Compact Pro Series is a contender.