Dakota-you got a nice stable

 

My shorties are a 4" SA Champion (just cerakoted and it looks awesome) w/XS Big Dot sights and a 3" Kimber Ultra Carry. I carry either when the mood strikes. Both fit great in a matte black 1791 Gunleather rig and eat anything they're fed. I load Golden Saber +p only because I got a heck of a deal and bought a case of them. Only shoot one magazine each time I go to the range of those though - still kind of pricey. The other 150 rds or so per trip are reload HP or FMJ Round nose.

 

Champion w/ XS Sights and dark green Cerakote

Read a guy say he can hit "minute of trash can lid" with these Big Dot sights so didn't really like them much. I'm still getting used to them but typically hit five second single head shots drawing from concealed. Gotta get those flyers under control though. I'm going to learn how to shoot with them one way or the other...pretty pricey if ya get the tritium rear and throw the $50.00 install in with it.

 

After carrying a Colt Gunsite Government Model pistol as a duty gun for ten years, when it came time to replace my off duty carry S&W model 60 with a semi auto pistol, I chose a stainless Colt Defender. That was eight years ago, and I've carried that Defender daily since. I've put around 4,000 rounds through it since I bought it and it's been flawless. Recently I've added two used compact Wilson's, a CQB convertible in 9MM / .38 Super, and an Ultra Light Carry Compact in .38 Super. The CQB was set up in 9MM when I bought it, but was fit with a rather heavy recoil spring that let fired 9mm and my mid range .38 Super hand load cases just dribble out of the ejection port. It would also not lock the slide back. The original owner was running hot Georgia Arms .38 Super ammo in the pistol so that explained his set up. I replaced the heavy recoil spring with flat wire springs from WC designed for the respective cartridges and have successfully cured all of the issues, and can still run hot .38 Super ammo with the gun properly configured. The ULCC has been flawless with all .38 Super ammo I've tried in it including my hand loads.
I think the common denominator in these pistols are the bull barrels, and in the case of the Colt, the duel recoil spring system and reverse plug as compared to the bushing type recoil system of the original Colt Officers Model 1911's. I believe that the more modern recoil system has been somewhat of a fix for the reliability problems of the bushing barrel Officer's Models.

 

THhs tread could have been cover well if only the OP did some searches and reading a lot of pleased owners of modern short barrel 1911's .

 

And those who have not been pleased. I personally have been very pleased with my SA 4" 1911 45 compact, but unfortunately did not have a good experience with the my 3" Defender. There are a lot of reasons some very good manufacturers will not make a 3" version of the 1911. With all due respect I only tried one and that was enough for me. I personally think the OP is quite smart to ask the question. For those of you who have had good luck with 3" 1911's, I'm not knocking you, I envy you.

 

shooter It's a production handgun not a custom build so like any thing standard nothing special production you can have a higher change of a failure . You poor guy !! You did sent it home for some tlc and make it right not just dump a possible problem for some one else to find , right . Some people might just unload it for some one else to find !!

I just had to send a ruger American ranch rifle I bought as a birthday gift new month for a grand son but it seemed to have a tight chamber and after test firing it I noted chamber issues on the brass . Talked to ruger CS and they had it picked up at our home yesterday . Am I concerned , nope !! Several friends have the same rifles for there kids or grand kids that shoot very well . Just the luck of the draw some times .