I just got this gun this morning after spending weeks reading about it and looking at reviews. From everything I read, this baby eats anything you put through it, even hollow points, which is surprising since 1911's don't seem to like HP ammo much. The gun cost $399.00 and they weren't wrong when they said they quality was superb. I am dying to go shoot it. Ammo is very expensive now thanks to the patriotic conspiracy theorists who keep hoarding all the ammo. A box of 50 rounds is a ridiculous $59.00. Go figure. Anyways, here's a pic of the gun.
![599631]( "599631")
![599632]( "599632")
Spacelordmaster
21 - 32 of 32 Posts
Just to reply to your request for information:
Way back, right before WWII, Colt made 1911 pistols, for the civilian market only, that had a passive firing pin safety. This was designed by a Colt employee with the last name of "Swartz" (Not "Schwartz" as some people mistakenly pronounce it.) wherein the grip safety, when depressed, operated a plunger in the frame which engaged another plunger in the slide which, when at rest, blocked the forward motion of the firing pin. The problem with the Swartz safety was that, depending on the point at which the grip safety disengaged from blocking the trigger, it was possible that the trigger could release the hammer before the Swartz system released the firing pin. Note that a 1911 grip safety normally releases the trigger at somewhere around 50% of it's travel. However, a good feature of the Swartz safety was that, since the safety was disengaged by the grip safety and not the trigger, the trigger pull was in no way adversely affected.
Again, the Swartz safety was only produced on civilian-market guns and were never purchased by the military. A side note is, right after Pearl Harbor and the entry of the U.S. into WWII, the War Department placed a very large emergency order with Colt for 1911-A1 pistols, with delivery on an ASAP basis. Colt at the time had a fair number of civilian 1911 pistols in inventory awaiting shipment to distributors, and offered them to the government in order to fill as much of the order as they could, as fast as they could, out of inventory. The government accepted this offer with three provisions:
1. The "civilian" serial numbers were to be ground off of the pistols and they were to be re-numbered with new serial numbers to meet the government's format.
2. The beautiful polished blued finish had to be removed and the pistols were to be re-finished using the Parkerizing process.
3. The Swartz safety had to be removed. I understand that this was because the army already had a large number of armorers trained on the pistol, but not on the Swartz system.
As regards to Colt, this was the end of the Swartz firing pin safety. When civilian production resumed after the war, no firing pin safety mechanism of any sort was installed.
(The WWII 1911s that were provided from civilian inventory still had the square broached hole in the top rear of the frame and bottom of the slide which was an artifact of the originally-installed Swartz safety. These are a subset of collector pistols nowadays, which are known as "commercial conversions", and are much sought after by collectors.)
Much later, in the 1980s I presume, and due to product liability litigation threats, Colt decided to design and again begin installing a passive firing pin safety on their 1911 pistols. Instead of simply resuming production of the Swartz system, they instead designed a new safety mechanism that was overcome by levers activated by the trigger bar. This prevented the timing problem of the Swartz safety allowing the trigger to be pulled before the firing pin was taken off-safe. It did, however, have a slight effect on trigger pull, but, if one was going to fire repeated shots, it only affected the first trigger pull, as one could just let the trigger reset and then start the pull again. It was only a problem if the shooter completely releases the trigger between shots, so that it is necessary to start the trigger "take-up" all over again.
Pistols without the Series-80 system were still manufactured and offered for sale, but were simply re-designated as Series-70 pistols. The only other difference is that the Series-70 pistols have a half-cock notch on the hammer, while that is omitted on the Series-80 version.
I have two 1911 pistols with the Series-80 system. If I am dry-firing the pistols, and I take special care to feel for it, I can feel the Series-80 levers doing their job during the first little bit of the trigger pull. But if I am at the range my mind is occupied with making a good shot and I don't notice it.
By the way, I believe that Kimber and Smith & Wesson install a slightly updated version of the Swartz system on their 1911s - which would be a good reason NOT to buy either. (Let me pause here and don my asbestos long undies.)
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THe garand tanker rifle....which never really existed either.
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337 Posts
Pardon moi, if I say that the Swartz, like the Series 80, is a solution looking for a problem. Some will disagree, and I know why... but its just my opinion.
Since this a Tanker thread, let me say my new Tanker is a really nice pistol. Got mine about two weeks ago, and the single flaw I could find was the safety catch (aka thumb safety for those in Rio Linda) overhung the back of the receiver just a tad, It was easily corrected. And that's it. Great slide/receiver fit. Great barrel fit. Nice trigger. Sights are what they are, but you know that going in. Finish is Ceracoat (my first Ceracoat firearm), and seems durable enough so far. My other "complaint" is the black plastic grips. Big deal, a little safety catch issue, and the preference for something more organic in the grip department. Both corrected, and that pistol is good to go! Something about Commander sized 1911's appeals to me more than all the others.
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I have 2, one is black 9mm and a GI looking version, kinda greenish in .45 paid 420 and 450. Only a few magazines thru them with no problems.
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731 Posts
Interesting thread. I’m kind of a newb who’s been around. When I was young. I was intrigued by the WWII version weapons. I grew up in the late 50’s to late 60’s, the Golden sage of rifles and handguns. Lots of vintage weapons available, my deer rifle was and still is a 1917 Enfield. The 45Automatic was “thee gun” for young kids playing Army in the back yard. I had always wanted a 1911 but,,, life dictated what was necessary and what was a luxury, the 1911 was a luxury. By the time I was old enough to buy something my younger brother bought Colt series 70 which I could borrow almost anytime I wanted, and I did. I took it out shooting much more than my brother and enjoyed shooting it. Well, rather recently, he was persuaded by a cousin to trade the Colt for 3 other guns and just like that, it was gone. Getting past all the details of our subsequent conversations, I decided, after all the years, that I really just needed to get my own. I have a small arsenal of carry guns and a few 22’s but never found the cash for a 1911. For me, it is just too big to carry, I carry my Glock 36 at times, it is an easy gun too carry, much smaller all around. When I started to search for the perfect 1911, I knew it had to be as close as possible to a WWII version. The one I had become close to all these years was the basic Series 70 Colt with Combat style sights, pretty much a blued version of the Government Model. So, I have any carry gun for most any situation so now’s the time, finally. Yeah, those Colts demand a pretty penny. When I started seeing the Tisas I thought, those Turks seem to understand what WWII is nostalgically about. The reviews are pretty good and they look and feel like a war version should feel. I really wanted to find the Army Model, standard or Tanker but we only seem to have the Government Model around here and I don’t like ordering a gun without being able to handle it. So, the Government Model is what I bought, the Ceracoat is the only thing I would change, I like Parkerized above all else. Reading about everyone’s need to replace this or that, swap parts to make them personalized is great, the parts swapped are adequate, just not special, so I get it. But, I am enamored with the fact that Tisas has hit a Triple here, maybe not a Home run, but close. When I brought it home, it was as stiff as me on a Monday morning, but like me, it has been loosening up and getting pretty nimble. I may find myself changing out the flat mainspring housing, maybe inquire about getting it Parkerized, but I love that is so basic. And, for the price, I might have to buy one as a base for the coveted Barbecue Gun. It is definitely good start.
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7 Posts
Hello, i have the Duty model also and wow what a Great shooting 45!
I agree completely. If anything, they are a bit tight out of the box and can use some shooting to break em in a bit. I polished a few parts, added a wide grip safety and a polymer rounded mainspring housing to each. I like the small sights. I have two of their tankers, and the only issue I had was slide lockback halfway through a loaded magazine. I gound a tiny dimple onto the end of the slide stop for the safety plunger to bear on, and no more problem ( still locks back at empty mag). Great guns for a more than fair price.
Where are you buying what kind of ammo at $59 for a box of 50 ... and why?
Try ammoseek or ammograb ... or Norma ... or ...
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