Still Shooting a 1911?

The Echo build, ready to hit the range.

Since the alarmingly high failure rate of the pistols from the Bellevue 1911 Class AAR, I've gotten a few emails about whether or not I even still use a 1911.  Yes, I still do!  I am fortunate that I am in a position of both experience and knowledge where I can successfully set up and monitor my guns, and really don't have the issues experienced by most of the folks coming to our classes.  The folks leaving the classes are usually in a much better place as well, and the feedback is that they left feeling better equipped to run their guns successfully. Further, most of the fixes that I put on the guns only took me 5-15 minutes on average, after which the guns ran well during the range session.  Similarly, 1911 users who don't have me sitting in front of them can get their quality 1911 properly set up from the outset by an experienced shop like the Springfield Custom Shop, and be set up for success.

For the next few weeks, I am back on the 1911 to blow the dust off a bit.  I've been shooting an M&P 9mm Thumb Safety model since October, and I really felt rusty during the class in Washington.  Some important areas to focus on when tuning up your skills with the 1911 include the draw stroke and accompanying thumb safety manipulation, as well as reloads.  The gun just doesn't hold that many rounds, so whatever your application - CCW, duty/tactical, or competition - you need to be able to cram some more ammo in there when you inevitably run out.  Check back soon for some drills!

Bellevue 1911 Class AAR

We just finished our Duty 1911 Class at the West Coast Armory Range in Bellevue, Washington last weekend. Special thanks to Shelley from Gunnuts.net who helped us get squared away with the host site, as well as all of our students who worked hard for two long days and made the class run safely and smoothly.

During Day 1 of the class, we go over the nuts and bolts of the 1911, including a teardown and inspection of all student pistols. I worked on 15 of 19 of the student guns, based on deficiencies found during this inspection. The following items were addressed:

-Hex head grip screws stripped - screws removed and replaced with flat head screws
-Loose MIM factory plunger tube - removed and replaced with bar stock unit
-Cracked thumb safety (cast) - gun pulled from service
-Extractor tension/geometry corrected in 14 guns
-Hammer follow corrected on 3 guns via sear spring adjustment
-Barrel/feed ramp gap corrected on 2 guns
-Trigger overtravel adjustment corrected on 3 guns
-Mag catch trapping magazines - mag catch relieved internally

On Day 2 we headed to the range for a function fire protocol (sorry, it's part of the class and doesn't mean as much without all the context...so don't ask for it to be posted here). A few more guns were found to be deficient, and the following items were addressed:

-Extractor tension corrected on 4 guns
-Feedway and chambering stoppages - feed ramps recut, chambers polished on 3 guns
-False lockbacks on 4 guns - slide stops clearance cut and detents cut

Of the 19 guns in the class, I worked on 18 of them. The 19th actually had feedway issues which were not brought to my attention until after the class was over, and I did not have a chance to work on the gun. One of the guns, an alloy frame 4" barrel Commander style gun, was not able to be brought to proper functional spec with the time and resources we had available during the class.

The key learning point here is that the 1911 user must be educated and vigilant. Many guns that the owners previously thought were ok actually had some setup or function issues. Many of the required fixes were simple and only took me a few minutes in the classroom. After these easy adjustments, the same guns performed well on the range.

Learn more about your 1911 and get it squared away! Find an upcoming class near you on the 10-8 Performance Training Page. Our next class is 04/13-14/2012 in Garland, Texas.

Read some AAR's on our recent classes:

10-8 Consulting Duty 1911 Class, Bellevue WA, by Shelley Rae @ Gunnuts.net

Duty 1911 Class, Liberty Hill TX

Range Fitness: Burpee Plate Rack

The drill used two MGM Targets plate racks, one staggered in front of the other. Three of the plates are painted red for no-shoots.  At ten yards, perform 2 burpees (chest to ground pushup, squat jump), then engage one plate. Repeat for 9 plates. This simple drill gets the heart rate up, and provides a stressor for the otherwise simple shooting drill.

In the absence of real life or death stress and its accompanying effects, the only reasonable ways to inject stressors are physical exercise and competition.  On the range, I like using burpees as they do not require any special equipment, stress the entire body, and also shake out your gear.  Short sprints are also another commonly used stressor, as is some task simulating a body drag or carry.

It is not uncommon for shooting incidents to follow a foot chase, extended hand to hand fight, movement to a target site, or other exertion. This simple drill helps expose the shooter to physical stress, so you can learn how to work through it and concentrate on the shooting.

Handgun Finishes

Your firearm will become worn with use, require periodic maintenance, and require protection from the elements. There is no magic finish that will look new forever and let you neglect your gun. There, now that the critical issues are out in the open, we can discuss the various finishes that you might apply to your 1911. As with everything else, you’ll need to consider your needs and expectations before making your final choice.

Depending on whether you’re looking at a higher end gun with expensive metalwork or a duty grade shooter that will see some serious use and abuse, there will be some different factors to consider. Working guns will typically require periodic rebuilds and parts replacement that can make the expense or inconvenience of certain finishes become an issue. For the high end custom guns, a refinishing vendor’s handling (or mishandling) of your finely checkered 1911 is a key issue. Some vendors are simply not accustomed to handling finely detailed firearms, and dented checkering or crudely buffed/blasted surfaces may be the byproduct.

Bluing: High polish bluing is a very attractive classic finish, but not very applicable for a working gun since it doesn't resist rust all that well and wears poorly. Unless you’re doing a showpiece that you can coddle, polished bluing is not an ideal finish for most users. Matte blue fares a bit better because the porous surface holds some oil, but still does not provide very much in the way of corrosion protection. Bluing has the advantages of being cost effective, easy to apply, and easy to service for parts repair and replacement.

Parkerizing: The traditional military firearms finish, this has a very long and successful track record in harsh environments. It is easy to apply, offers decent corrosion resistance, is easy to reapply for maintenance, and is relatively cheap. Its primary disadvantages are that not all steels come out of the Parkerizing tank the same color; some cast and MIM components barely take Parkerizing at all, and stainless steel does not Parkerize. Well executed Parkerizing looks very much like a matte bluing, and does not obscure fine metalwork. As such, it’s an equally appropriate choice for a high end custom 1911 as well as a working grade gun.

Spray on polymer finishes: 

All the popular types of finishes (Black T, Roguard, Armor Tuff, Duracoat, Gunkote, Cerakote, et al) are relatively similar and share the same general characteristics. They are all applied as a spray, and cured either catalytically (ie. Added chemical hardener) or thermally (ie. Baking). They can either be applied over a bare metal substrate, which is typically abrasive blasted, or over a chemically etched surface such as Parkerizing. The Parkerizing acts like a primer coat, and allows the sprayed topcoat to adhere better. Stainless steel can’t be parkerized, so spray on finishes don’t typically stick as well to it. Some of the finishes include Teflon or molybdenum disulfide (moly) in them, and the manufacturers advertise that the finish eliminates the need for lubrication. These finishes do impart some added lubricity, but the fact of the matter is that your gun will do better with some type of lube. The finishes will all eventually abrade through to the base metal if used enough. The abraded areas can develop rust, but exterior surfaces or high internal wear areas that receive lubrication are not as susceptible. The inside of the magazine well and the areas in and around the mainspring housing and grip safety are common rust areas on the 1911.

The key advantage to these coatings is that they are relatively simple to apply, and also easy to remove from the gun for refinishing or periodic service. No thermal or chemical treatments occur that can potentially damage the gun during the finishing process. The spray finishes can be had in many colors.


Hard Chrome: This finish offers an attractive silver color typically in a brushed or matte (blasted) surface. Hard chrome was the original extreme environment finish. It offers abrasion resistance superior to most common finishes and excellent corrosion resistance. Matte chrome can rust since the matted surface can hold moisture more so than brushed and polished surfaces. The disadvantages of chrome are that it is fairly permanent, and very expensive and difficult to remove from the surface. A potential hazard of misapplied hard chrome is hydrogen embrittlement, where the parts can become brittle during the finishing process. This is far less common than seeing dented checkering, smeared markings, and blurred contours from haphazard surface preparation. Ask any gunsmith, they’ll all have tales of woe about a hard chrome job gone wrong. If any additional work is to be done to the gun after finishing, the chrome must first be stripped, then reapplied after completion of the work.


Misc plating/coatings/surface treatments: 
There are countless new finishes on the market these days, to include electroless nickel, titanium nitride, nickel boron, Melonite, etc. All of these high tech finishes offer some very promising capabilities, but also come with the same drawbacks of hard chroming in regards to permanence and issues with quality of application. Melonite (aka ferritic nitrocarburizing) is a surface conversion which performed by immersing the parts in a salt bath at very high temperatures - typically exceeding 1000 degrees Fahrenheit - which can be problematic for the heat treatment of the parts. The PVD (physical vapor deposition) finishes like Ionbond and other titanium nitride derivative coatings are applied at much lower temperatures than Melonite - typically around 400 degrees Fahrenheit - and do not pose a risk to the heat treat. Both Melonite and PVD finishes boast exceptional wear resistance through enhanced surface hardness and improved corrosion resistance. Keep in mind that Melonite and PVD finishes are more or less permanent, and it can be exceedingly difficult to work on a part with one of these finishes on it. 


Stainless steel: Matte bead blasted stainless steel is reasonably corrosion resistant, and with only a modicum of maintenance (ie. Light oiling and a wipe down) can go pretty far. Stainless is easy to service, as it can simply be blasted and look new again. Note that stainless steel is only corrosion resistant, and not corrosion proof, so a matte finish can rust in high humidity environments.


What to get?
You’ll have to weigh your cosmetic tastes against your functional needs when deciding what finish to apply to your gun. Consider what vendors are available to provide the finish that you desire, and if they specialize in the type of work that you need. Have a realistic assessment of the amount of abuse, environmental hazards, and routine maintenance that your gun can expect. Finally, expect that your gun will wear with age and use, and that it may need rebuilding and/or additional refinishing down the road.