Update on "new" M1911A1?

The owner of a local gun shop near me said Colt sent him a letter stating that they were going to make this pistol available and that it would cost about $1400. If this is true I will be very upset. Keep in mind, however, that this is the same dealer who, in the last few months, has told me that Colt no longer makes 1911 style pistols. That among other bunk.

I'm working on a M1991A1 project gun, and one of my first priorities is replacing as many of the cast parts as possible with machined barstock. Virtually every part on the G.I. pistols is a machined forging, and while such parts are few and far between, the modern barstock parts are probably at least the equal of the old forgings. If you have a '91A1, and want to upgrade it to nearly G.I. specs, swap the mag release, slide stop, sear and disconnector for Ed Brown parts (my '91 has an awful recoil spring plug, and Brown makes a great replacement for that, too). The SV/Infinity hammer is configured slightly differently than G.I. on the inside, but the spur is right. Metal mainspring housings, with lanyard loops, are available at gunshows (there's one on ebay right now. The guy says it's a Colt, but I don't know how he'd prove it). Short, steel triggers can also be found at gunshows, or you can go with a Videki, if you don't mind the hole for the overtravel screw. So, with the addition of $200 in parts, your M1991A1 is probably at least as close to being a M1911A1 as the new Colt gun. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have one of the new Colts, but for someone who wants a reasonable replica, and doesn't have $1000+, the '91A1 is a pretty good start.

Rick B, as was covered on another post, the methods Colt currently uses for the various parts seem to result in a durable, reliable gun, but I understand your desire for an "original JMB spec" gun. I wish we could still do things the original way, but times are different. Fortunately the Government Model has weathered it all pretty well in spite of the "modern" methods.

Add to your list the Cylinder and Slide Shop Spring Steel Extractor. Bar Stock is NOT the correct steel - the Extractor on a 1911 is a spring, in effect. Part of the reason current guns have extractor problems is this modern substitution. Also, ideally the barrels should be fitted up snug (like current 2001 production!), with lug locking, and the slide should have slight play - no play is wrong for a combat gun. Interesting project. Perhaps we could get Colt to make an original 1911 - not "A1" for the next special run!

Warmly, Col. Colt

"Beware of Counterfeits and Patent Infringements"



[This message has been edited by Col. Colt (edited 05-11-2001).]

Col Colt, you are exactly right about the extractor - the C&S part is what I'm putting in my '91. The original spec called for "spring steel", and as far as I know, the only ones on the market are the aforementioned C&S, and one made by Barsto. I don't know what the life expectancy is for an extractor, but the one in my M1911 lasted 83 years and the one in my M1911A1 lasted 58. The C&S extractor is one of the few top-grade 1911 parts not available (not cataloged, anyway) from Brownells. It's interesting that 1911s with external extractors are becoming more common, supposedly to address a "weakness" in the 1911 design. Some of Browning's prototypes had external extractors, but he designed the internal model as it wasn't as likely to get fouled, and it didn't need a separate spring and pin. The 1911 didn't just sprout out of the ground, it was the result of fifteen years of development by Browning, Colt and Army Ordnance - a group that collectively knew a lot more about combat pistols than the combined knowledge of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and all of the other countries making the world's "combat" weapons today.