[FNHipowerluv]

I put 1911 in parenthesi because it is not really a 1911 anymore if it is double action. I understand there are dedicated guns out there, like the sig p220, but Browning's design has so many great attributes, like a conveniently mounted safety switch, and barrel bushing that can be fitted to achieve the most accuracy potential. The grip safety can be annoying, but it can be tuned, or disabled completely. I personally like what secamp did. If their was seecamp conversion kits I would probaly buy one, Call me a heathen if you like. There are others such as the Colt double eagle, Colt 1991DA, and certain Para pistols. I think all the guns I mentioned are under respected. Unless there is some fatal flaw I do not know about. The one everyone seems to hate is the double eagle for some reason. To make this thread complete, Please share your experiences and thoughts about DA 1911 style pistols. What is the best, what is the worst, and why. Thanks.

 

[emptymag]

With a conveniently mounted safety switch, and the redundant... yet easily tuned grip safety,
then what purpose does a long, heavy, hammer-cocking trigger serve within such a system/platform?
The double-action Sigs make sense because, like a revolver, they don't have any manual safeties.
At a certain point, a weapon intended for combat/self-defense/law enforcement roles needs to address its own degree of complexity in which it operates.
I won't insist that a single-action 1911 is superior to some other pistol platforms, but I do consider its balance of safety vs. methods of employment to be MORE than adequate.

How many Glock guys would like them if they started making them with external hammers, or floppy grip safeties?

 

[Blue Duck]

As far as I am concerned it's an answer to problem that doesn't exist.

Ok, Open minded version:
A gun dealer friend of mine, had a gun returned to him that was messing up. It was a doubleaction only Para. Since I had worked on 1911's a lot, I got elected to disassemble it and examine for the problem. I found it overly complicated, and it must have had some faulty parts in it from the factory. I could not fix it, so I put it back together, and we sent it back to the factory for repair. They did send it back in working order, but like I said it was IMHO overly complicated and I saw no reason to own one.

But I guess someone that just can't accept the thought of carrying cocked and locked, might like one. I will never own one.

 

[FNHipowerluv]

I have always liked Sigs because the decock only switch, makes them idiot proof. Dont have to worry about cocking hammers, or hitting switches. Just draw, and shoot. The Beretta 92G is nice too. Emptymag does have a point though. The seecamp conversions i have seen look relatively simple.

 

[drail]

De cockers are not idiot proof. Numerous cases of police officers shooting cuffed suspects when they de cocked their sidearm have been documented. There is no such thing as idiot proof.

 

[curtmini14]

maybe an arcus 98 dac is what you seek mine are great shooters.

 

[FNHipowerluv]

I point all guns to the ground when I decock, as I know that feature can fail. The Arcus 98 is a nice and reasonably priced DA hi power type pistol. It is a lot more attractive than than the ugly Browning BDM.

 

[dakota1911]

As close as I could come to a DA 1911 would be the Colt Double Eagle. Pretty warm and fuzzy in the slide area but on the bottom quite different.



I do not consider the Para LDA as a real DA as they are a stage fire like a Glock. Pull the slide back and cock it. It goes click and you have to pull the slide back again. You can not cock it by pulling the hammer back.

 

[flphotog]

I can only say "not interested"

 

[FNHipowerluv]

Hmm, interesting. So the Para is a stage fire, and the double eagle is a true double action. I knew the the 1991DA was a true DA, I just was not sure about the double eagle.

 

[RickB]

My first major home gunsmithing project was building a gun on an ODI Viking frame.
The Viking was a pistol manufactured in the '80s with the Seecamp DA conversion built-in from the start.
While my completed pistol functions, tuning the DA for anything more than mere function is beyond my abilities.
I learned a lot during the project, but maybe the biggest takeaway was, why un-automate and complicate the automatic pistol by including an alternate method of operation?

 

[denclaste]

If I want a DA pistol I'll get a wheel gun.

 

[FNHipowerluv]

If I want a DA pistol I'll get a wheel gun.

I understand this is 1911 forum, but dang, I did not think there would be such hatred for DA pistols. I can see hating a modified 1911. But i dont see anything wrong with an original DA like the Sig p220, or smith and wesson 39. I like the idea i am never having to worry about the mainspring wearing out. The mainspring is always compressed on a loaded glock, unless you have a dud round. On a 1911 it is only compressed if you are cocking and locking. Which is not a problem for me, since I am one of those condition 2 heathens. i know it has been proven many times commpresion does not hurt the mainspring, but with my luck I get that defecive spring that is weaker than the others.

 

[RickB]

Have you ever shot a S&W 39?
I have a 539, put 15-20 rounds through it to sight-in, followed by a 100-round IDPA match, and it's been in the safe ever since.
Cooper was right, at the time, about DA/SA pistols being "crunchentickers", though the SA pull on my gun is pretty crunchy, too.

 

[jr24]

For me, the draw of the 1911 is a sweet single action trigger. If it doesn't have that, I don't want it.

If I need a DAO type trigger, I shoot Glocks second best and a Glock 21 does everything I need in a non-1911.

Specifically the DA/SA SIG. I had a real nice W. German 220, accurate, reliable good shooter carried OK. But I just found that because I prefer a consistent trigger I never used the Sig, it offered me nothing that I couldn' do better with a 1911, so I got rid of it. Don't regret it either.

I like the idea i am never having to worry about the mainspring wearing out. The mainspring is always compressed on a loaded glock, unless you have a dud round. On a 1911 it is only compressed if you are cocking and locking. Which is not a problem for me, since I am one of those condition 2 heathens. i know it has been proven many times commpresion does not hurt the mainspring, but with my luck I get that defecive spring that is weaker than the others.

You are worrying about nothing. That same "weak" spring you worry about will more likely snap (or stretch) while firing than wear out under compression. Do what you feel is best for you, but you are wasting energy worrying about nothing.

 

[jtq]

... I am one of those condition 2 heathens.

I think this explains your point of view. If you don't like Condition 1, it is pretty easy to see why someone would prefer a double action gun.

While not everyone here is a Condtion 1 practitioner, most understand the advantages Condition 1 gives and really see no need for the "DA 1911".

 

[wccountryboy]

On a 1911 it is only compressed if you are cocking and locking. Which is not a problem for me, since I am one of those condition 2 heathens. i know it has been proven many times commpresion does not hurt the mainspring, but with my luck I get that defecive spring that is weaker than the others.

So eve though it's been conclusively proven that there is no harm in keeping a spring compressed, and its also been demonstrated for decades that putting a 1911 into C2 carries with it significant risk, you still engage in such practices...?

I have no clue how to have an intelligent conversation with the fundamentally irrational....

 

[AZ Desertrat]

Guess I am not open-minded.

 

[Snapdragon]

I am not sure why I would want one. I have SA/DA pistols that are small with large capacity magazines that are fine for carrying, but I like the triggers on my 1911 pistols for playing shooting games as well as for carrying. Why mess up a good thing when what you are trying to make already exists?

It is somewhat like someone trying to make a Corvette station wagon.

 

[yeti]

Shot a Para LDA a while back and it wasn't too terrible to shoot. However it was very complicated to fix and had numerous proprietary parts. Stacking tolerance on all those interrelated parts was rough, and not many smiths could deal with them. It was kind of an end run around the double action rule.

I really like the S&W 3rd Gen pistols. Very reliable and durable, but the triggers are nothing like a 1911. They get a worse rep than they really should in SA mode due to worn out trigger play springs (riveted leaf) on used buyback guns that were never serviced/replaced.

Sig line is great. SRT trigger is a nice improvement.