[IPSCGuy]

Hi all. Wondered if anybody has input on who might make the most reliable 9mm 1911 these days? Reason I’m asking is cause hubby got a Springfield Range Officer about a year ago, in 9, and it’s been horrible. Don’t want to repeat that experience If I get one for myself. (His worked most of the time at first, with the occasional hiccup, and it’s just gotten worse instead of breaking in like normal, it’s now a failure to go into battery nearly every time). At any rate, we’ll get his fixed, but I wondered if any other brands are having similar issues, or if there is one out there that could be the better choice? We are not new to the 1911 platform, far from it, but not for 9mm, and I’ve heard there are differences in getting them to be reliable vs a 45 caliber 1911. Would like to hear stories, experiences from you please. ( his is full sized, I’d be more interested in a commander length).
thanks!
adding this: been contemplating an older Colt in 9mm, just don‘t know if they had issues either.

Most major brands are very reliable. My Springfield Armory 9mm 1911 ran reliably since day 1 with multiple loads and bullet weights with 3k+ through it, and using multiple brands of mags.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I bought a 9mm Range Officer in 2016. I have never had a problem with it. It is accurate and pleasant to shoot.

I also have a Springfield .45 Black Stainless that I bought in 2003. The front sight was off center and pinned in place. I sent it to Springfield and had it back in a couple of weeks. They fixed the front sight and sent me a sample target to show that it was fixed.

 

[deano5150]

Hi all. Wondered if anybody has input on who might make the most reliable 9mm 1911 these days? Reason I’m asking is cause hubby got a Springfield Range Officer about a year ago, in 9, and it’s been horrible. Don’t want to repeat that experience If I get one for myself. (His worked most of the time at first, with the occasional hiccup, and it’s just gotten worse instead of breaking in like normal, it’s now a failure to go into battery nearly every time). At any rate, we’ll get his fixed, but I wondered if any other brands are having similar issues, or if there is one out there that could be the better choice? We are not new to the 1911 platform, far from it, but not for 9mm, and I’ve heard there are differences in getting them to be reliable vs a 45 caliber 1911. Would like to hear stories, experiences from you please. ( his is full sized, I’d be more interested in a commander length).
thanks!
adding this: been contemplating an older Colt in 9mm, just don‘t know if they had issues either.

My only experience with 9mm 1911’s is my Ruger SR1911 9mm lightweight commander. It has been extremely reliable with brass and aluminum range ammo as well as 10 different types of hollow points. I did change the factory 10# recoil spring after a couple of hundred rounds to an 18#. Immediately after changing the spring I had a couple of stovepipes within the first two magazines. I think the spring had to break in a bit. After that I haven’t had a single problem with the pistol. I now have almost 3000 rounds through it. It would probably work just as well with a 14# or 16# spring. It’s my favorite pistol to shoot. It has a very pleasant recoil impulse with the heavier spring.

 

[Che]

Wondered if anybody has input on who might make the most reliable 9mm 1911 these days?

We are not new to the 1911 platform, far from it, but not for 9mm

I had the same predicament 40 years ago. I needed a EDC as a lawman and choose the Browning High Power. It’s the original improved 9mm 1911. No grip safety, no bushing and higher capacity.

Just the “Tenth Man” Rule advocated by me.

 

[Thinman]

Most 9mm 1911s on the market these days are very reliable. The old bugs were worked out a long time ago, mostly involving the magazines. That and ramped barrels.

With all due respect to the many that espouse the opinion ramped barrels are important to 9mm reliability in feeding, have still not heard a cogent argument for why a ramped barrel is better than unramped. Have a basically stock Colt Government model in 9mm without a ramped barrel; it feeds flawlessly. Have a home-built Caspian 1911 with a Kart barrel in 9mm without a ramped barrel. Caspian, too, feeds flawlessly when properly cared for.

So, Colt runs everything just fine. Have found that magazines matter a lot with the Caspian. I set the Caspian up pretty tight and it is pickier about magazines and ammo generally but works fine when fed quality ammo and, I might add, it likes to be kept well oiled. If I do my part the Caspian runs flawlessly.

What does a ramped barrel do better than what the unramped barrel does and why does it do it better? Thank you.

 

[Michael W Cuber]

I had the same predicament 40 years ago. I needed a EDC as a lawman and choose the Browning High Power. It’s the original improved 9mm 1911. No grip safety, no bushing and higher capacity.

Just the “Tenth Man” Rule advocated by me.

Think the Brownings were so utterly reliable back then, because only FN / Browning was making them, and they could keep their product to their specifications. Even in the 70’s there were a bunch of upstart companies trying to sell their version of a 1911, plus a host of parts makers, and not all were exactly Spec.

 

[lefty319]

I've had my EMP 9mm since 2010 about the only thing it doesn't like is Winchester white box ammo. Other than that it's been a trouble free pistol. View attachment 673302 View attachment 673302

 

[Thespis]

I have heard good things about Ruger, but don't have personal experience with their 1911s. I have a Ruger Vaquero, LCP2, and 10/22. They have great customer service and fully back their products.

 

[m1009]

I have bought 3 Wilson Combat in my lifetime. All 3 and over many years I have never had a stoppage of any kind. I bought my first Wilson Combat simply because I always wanted one. The next 2 Wilsons were best described as impulse buys. But honestly I have also bought 2 Colt 1911's and one Sig in .45 and another Sig in 10mm and 3 Springfields. Maybe just luck but all of my non-Wilson 1911's have been as reliable and as accurate as Wilson Combat. All my 1911's are 45 ACP compacts except for a Sig full size 1911 10mm because I never bought into the theory 9mm is just as good a weapon to end a gunfight .

All my Wilson Compacts hated 45 + P ammo in 230 gr so I had to change the factory recoil spring to stiffer because the + P powder charge and the heavy 230 grain bullet threw the timing of the slide off.

So as to your question. Knowing what I know now I would probably buy only one Wilson or Nighthawk or Ed Brown then shop for a good name brand 1911 like a Sig Sauer 1911 . Or maybe skip the high end Wilson type brands altogether and skip low end discount brands in favor of a good Sig Sauer. Semi auto pistols have come a long way as to reliability. I have been a law enforcement officer my whole life. In the early 70's most auto loaders hated everything but full metal jacket ammo. Now most are ok with most hollow point ammo. I have been in law enforcement so many years I experienced the transition from revolvers to autos. In my opinion nothing can stop a gun fight better than a .357 magnum revolver. Then we transitioned to Glock 21's in 45 acp. Of all officer involved shootings I was at the scene of .357 magnum shootings stopped the fight and if not deceased the person hit was at the very least incapacitated and begging us for an ambulance and doctor. Exact same when we went to 45 Glock automatics. Both calibers are showstoppers. 357 is getting the job done by the velocity and the .45 gets it done by diameter and weight. I am not interested in killing a person as long as the gun stops the fight. Look at the gangmenbers in Chicago. News report says the gangbanger was hit for example 19 times by a 9mm and was treated and released from the hospital.

Good points! I do think the Sigs make a fine pistol, and I have their fastbacks in 45, which is my preferred round. I also have a Nighthawk, same commander length, which actually cracked the barrel bushing right after a few hundred rounds, which surprised me, as to me, that was a high end pistol at the time, quite a few years ago. (And we don‘t shoot +p.) We replaced and fitted a new bushing, and it’s ran fine ever since. Just nice to have options. I really like the 357 as well, that’s a good caliber, and i like taking the revolvers out as well. of course, I like the 45 LC too.
thanks for all your info!

 

[deano5150]

If you’re having failure to go into battery issues you might consider replacing the recoil spring with a heavier one.

 

[jtq]

If you’re having failure to go into battery issues you might consider replacing the recoil spring with a heavier one.

With a 9mm 1911, my money says it would be the opposite. I think it is short stroking because the rounds aren't driving the slide with enough force. A heavier recoil spring would make it worse. Of course it's just a guess.

 

[ratwhacker]

With a 9mm 1911, my money says it would be the opposite. I think it is short stroking because the rounds aren't driving the slide with enough force. A heavier recoil spring would make it worse. Of course it's just a guess.

Not with the weenie 9lb. springs that Springfield uses, it's not short-stroking, it's just not got enough ass behind it to close the slide. Also, when new, a 9mm 1911 needs, NEEDS, to be run "wet" until things settle down.
Those two little things really help them work smoothly. And they're so easy to do, that it ought to be in the manuals, had the new owners bothered to read them. Springfield ain't helping matters with 9lb. springs, though.

 

[M60 teamleader '65]

Hi all. Wondered if anybody has input on who might make the most reliable 9mm 1911 these days? Reason I’m asking is cause hubby got a Springfield Range Officer about a year ago, in 9, and it’s been horrible. Don’t want to repeat that experience If I get one for myself. (His worked most of the time at first, with the occasional hiccup, and it’s just gotten worse instead of breaking in like normal, it’s now a failure to go into battery nearly every time). At any rate, we’ll get his fixed, but I wondered if any other brands are having similar issues, or if there is one out there that could be the better choice? We are not new to the 1911 platform, far from it, but not for 9mm, and I’ve heard there are differences in getting them to be reliable vs a 45 caliber 1911. Would like to hear stories, experiences from you please. ( his is full sized, I’d be more interested in a commander length).
thanks!
adding this: been contemplating an older Colt in 9mm, just don‘t know if they had issues either.

Hi there ! Without reading all the other replies , I can without a doubt tell you this - My good bud bought a new Canik Mete in 9mm . He shoots every week in IDPA training etc; I have held his high end guns in the same caliber . [ about 2K - 3K ] .His Canik outshoots everything he owns Thanks , M60

 

[Nitro.45]

🤣Ya have one dontcha???🤣

 

[cadillacmike]

Hi all. Wondered if anybody has input on who might make the most reliable 9mm 1911 these days? Reason I’m asking is cause hubby got a Springfield Range Officer about a year ago, in 9, and it’s been horrible. Don’t want to repeat that experience If I get one for myself. (His worked most of the time at first, with the occasional hiccup, and it’s just gotten worse instead of breaking in like normal, it’s now a failure to go into battery nearly every time). At any rate, we’ll get his fixed, but I wondered if any other brands are having similar issues, or if there is one out there that could be the better choice? We are not new to the 1911 platform, far from it, but not for 9mm, and I’ve heard there are differences in getting them to be reliable vs a 45 caliber 1911. Would like to hear stories, experiences from you please. ( his is full sized, I’d be more interested in a commander length).
thanks!
adding this: been contemplating an older Colt in 9mm, just don‘t know if they had issues either.

My SA RO Compact (CCO), that is Commander slide 4" barrel on a short grip Officer frame, in 9mm has been terrible too. Won't go into battery, won't fire when it is in battery, won't extract, won't eject. You name it, and yes it has gotten worse. The failure to fully go into battery is recent as iss the failure to fire with a trigger pull.

I recently saw and bought a Colt Defender (Lightweight) in 9mm, Officer slide & frame and it has been 100% the opposite of the SA. They take the same magazines, so I'm not totally out, but the SA is going to the factory for Something.

 

[cadillacmike]

1911s are pretty easy to diagnose with the type of issues you are having.

Questions:
1. Is/was it clean and lubed?
2. Are they known good magazines? Does it happen with all magazines?
3. What factory ammo? All factory ammo isn't created equal.
4. Did it ever work well?

Answers:
1 Yes
2 Yes and Yes The same magazines work just fine in my Colt Defender
3 Yes - many different types and the same ammo, even the ones that won't fire off in the SA work well and DO fire in the Colt, Beretta M9, and even in my DWM P.08 Lugers and Walther P.38s.
4 NO

 

[cadillacmike]

Thanks for the input, when it warms back up again, we’ll try it again with other ammo. It’s been stopping no more than 1/8 of an inch into battery, possible just under that, and then is completely locked up.

Mine stops with about 1/4 inch from being completely closed and has locked up very tightly the last trip out.

Even 9mm NATO has been an issue, primarily not firing (weak primer strike). I pulled 7 no fires from mags and 7 fired casings from the SA RO compact and 7 fired casings from my Walther P.38s and the Walthers left a noticeably larger indent in the primers than the SA did. No wonder they didn't all fire off. The win fired casings were fired in my WW2 Walther P.38s while the tech ones were from the SA RO Notice the difference. The failure to fires were three different headstamps including a WCC 10 - a NATO round.

 

[cadillacmike]

So you're not trouble shooting like the OP is.

If your gun isn't completing the cycling process you start eliminating possibilities that could be causing your problems. The easy ones for the owner are to make sure your lube isn't too thick and slows slide travel, and you are using a round with enough recoil impulse to sufficiently drive the slide.

After eliminating those simple things, then you can move to the more complex like extractor tension or a poorly cut feed ramp, etc. Of course, if you aren't having problems, then you don't have to change anything.

The cartridge power (recoil), Not the spring, drives the slide BACK, it is up to the spring and clean properly lubricated rails to drive the slide Forward.

 

[cadillacmike]

It didn't work when you first shot it. Rather than examine the gun to find the problem, your solution was to let the gun 'wear in'. The problem worsened and the remedy you've chosen is to complain about it. Failure to return to battery is an easily fixed problem. There have been 1000s of posts here on that issue.

So,,,, what is the "fix" for it then???

 

[cadillacmike]

1st:
'Plunk' test the ammo.
2nd:
Check extractor tension.

Is there a gauge for the extractor tension?