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  #1  
Old 03-22-2013, 7:05 PM
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Capybara Capybara is offline
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Default 1911 Shooters - Sight and Ammo Help!

I have finally decided to get serious about my Springfield 1911-A1 Loaded. I have had it for decades, just occasionally shoot it but it is now going to become my primary HD gun.

Issue 1 - Ammo
I bought two boxes of White Box Federal 230GR JHPs, took it to the indoor range to test the feeding of the ammo. I have never shot JHPs out of this gun so I wanted to see how it would work. Everything was flawless except for one FTF, the round looked as if it somehow hung up on the feed ramp. It was the last round in the magazine and after putting it back into the magazine, it shot fine.

Should I be concerned since this is for HD? Should I shoot another box to see if I run into any more FTFs? I don't shoot it too often and I can only recall perhaps two or three other FTFs in years of occasional shooting. I also brought some Miwall Nickel Plated Brass 230GR RN loads and all fed flawlessly.

I know that if my life or my family's life is on the line, this is important stuff and I want to get it right. Recommendations on my plan of action with ammo? Just shoot FMJs rather than JHPs? Run more JHPs through the gun? (this is getting expensive, but I know that it is worth it but I don't want to waste money) Take it to a gunsmith to make sure the ramp is polished correctly? Should I just manually cycle the gun with more JHPs to make sure that they feed and eject okay?

Issue 2 -The sights
I shot at Island View Enterprises, which has probably a bit better than average lighting for an indoor range but to my eyes, it is not exactly bright. I shot several targets today. My first few targets I was consistently grouping low left. To be honest, I was having a heck of a time seeing the front sight post and the rear sights were just a little bit better.

It is hard to achieve a clean 6 o'clock hold when my sight picture is just a dark blur. As an experiment, I replaced my shooting glasses (and I wear contact lenses as well) with my reading glasses. I could instantly see the front sight post perfectly, although the target was then pretty blurry. I could still make out the 10 ring though and my groups moved up to where they should be, although still to the left so I know that I am either anticipating recoil or my trigger finger isn't where it should be on the trigger.

What concerns me is that in an HD situation, I may be shooting in a much darker situation and frankly, I would not be able to see these sights. I don't own a Glock but when I shoot them occasionally, I do much better with the bright white three dot setup. My 1911-A1 loaded is pretty old, I have had it for at least 15-17 years and the front sight post is a sort of reflective gray that I have a hard time seeing against a black target especially. I just bought a new S&W 625 PC and I noticed at the dealer when I was checking out the gun that the front sight is some sort of fiber optic that made it look like it was glowing, very visible to me.

So for an HD 1911-A1 Loaded, what should I do about the sights? What are the hot tips for HD sights but can also be used for practice at an indoor range with so-so lighting? Something that doesn't cost a fortune would be nice too since I will have to pay a gunsmith to change the stock ones out? My vision isn't the strongest but when I can see the sights clearly, I shoot the gun pretty accurately.

Thanks for your help, I know that Calguns has the 1911/HD gurus that will have the right recommendations for these two issues.
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Old 03-22-2013, 7:17 PM
Sundowner Sundowner is offline
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You will probably get many differing opinions on your questions. Here's my 2-cents worth. I have a Colt 1911 as my primary carry gun. Soon after buying it I sent it to Novak's 45 Shop and had a reliability package and a trigger job done and Novak sights installed. That solved the problems that I was having (just like you). Of course, that was pretty expensive. You can try putting another few hundred rounds of whatever carry ammo you plan to use through the pistol to see if it smooths out and the FTF's disappear. Or, yes, shoot FMJ ammo through it. For defense the primary concern is reliability. I once took a class from Clint Smith and he recommended FMJ 230 grain .45acp ammo for that reason and as a way of avoiding civil liability in a possible shooting followed by a civil suit. Since I had the reliability package done, however, mine will feed anything and I carry JHPs. For the sights, an inexpensive fix is to simply paint the front sight a color that your eye can pick up fast. Good luck with your pistol. I love the 1911 platform and trust my life to it (but then I'm an old guy).

Last edited by Sundowner; 03-22-2013 at 7:21 PM..
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Old 03-22-2013, 7:26 PM
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I have Trijicon night sights on my SA1911 and they work well for me. As far as the FTF on your last round, that could be caused by a weak magazine spring or an extractor with too much tension.

As far as easy to see night sights go there are 2 types that I have used that are really easy to pick up in all lighting conditions: Trijicon HD ($150) and TruGlo TFO ($100).
This is a picture of the TFO's on my Glock, they are very bright:


One thing you can do to ease the cost a bit is to buy your sights at a shop that does some gunsmith work. My local shop will install sights for free if you buy the sights from them.
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Last edited by cindynles; 03-22-2013 at 7:29 PM..
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Old 03-22-2013, 7:34 PM
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I shoot inexpensive 230 gr FMJ and don't have problems. At my weekly range trips I take 2 or 3 1911's and average 2 to 300 rounds.

My home defense is a GI 1911 with reflective paint on the sights. You can also a purchase crimson trace type "grip activated" laser for your 1911. Would seem to fit your dark target in a dark environment scenario.
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Last edited by Loubot10; 03-22-2013 at 7:36 PM.. Reason: Stupid computer
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Old 03-22-2013, 8:37 PM
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Cindynyles has you squared away on your last round feed problem most likely.

Personally I'm not crazy about 3 dot sights; they clutter my sight picture. I care about picking up the front sight only in a hurry and like a gold bead front sight for their durability although the fiber optics are very bright. The rear sight automatically aligns for me just like a rear peep sight on a rifle does.

My vision has deteriorated quite a bit over the years, and although I wear prescription glasses to drive I prefer to shoot handguns with just safety glasses as I can still focus on the front sight ok. Doesn't matter to me that my target is blurry as long as I can see the front sight.
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Old 03-23-2013, 8:01 AM
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Cindyles and Redcliff pretty much covered my opinion on your questions. I would suggest putting more rounds before assuming any issues with your gun. It could be a one off instance. If it repeats with similar results then look at the diagnoses suggested by cindyles and find the appropriate solutions.

As far as sights, I usually prefer plain sights but old eyes have forced me to go with fiber optics on the front. Don't worry about a clean front sight picture and a blurry target. That's exactly how it should be. Night sights have their place, but they're mainly useful in a few situations. If it's dark enough that I can only pickup tritium, I'm unlikely to be able to see, let alone, ID my target. If I have adequate lighting to see and ID my target, I generally can pickup my front sight post. Test this out for yourself.
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Old 03-23-2013, 8:39 AM
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Since your pistol, and I'm assuming your mags, is 15 years old or so, my guess would be mag springs too.

In a HD situation, I agree with the previous post about being able to ID the target as well. Get a good strong flashlight. You can also use a red lens so it won't kill your eyes when you turn it on. Most of today's flashlights have variable output so you can go as low as a few lumens.

As far as front sight and magazine options go, since its still covered under Springfields awesome warranty, you could send it to them for a check up, usually $100 if I remember correctly and to install front sights. A fiber optic front is $65. Check out fiber optics or trijicons. If you mention the springs in the mags, they may even replace those for you. Since we're talking springs, you may want to look at new recoil springs too. Not sure if it applies to the older Springfields, but the front dovetail cut on the slide is not a normal size, so you have to get sights specific to SA.

I'm sure that the more experienced will chime in with additional tips as well.

Happy shooting and be safe.
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Old 03-23-2013, 10:00 AM
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A couple of thoughts:

In a true HD situation, you are far more likely to be interested in "bad breath" ranges than the ability to make a head shot at 50 yards. On top of that, your bodies natural instinct is to focus on the target in that sort of high stress situation anyway. Instead of worrying about a good sight picture, learn and practice "point shooting," "whole gun index" or "flash sight" skills.

Even for "point shooting," a visible front sight is a helpful this-end-towards-the-enemy tool. It is easy to put a bit of bright paint or gold leaf on a basic front sight. For night combat, a glossy "bright white" seems to work best for me. As I get older, I've also come to believe that a laser is the best compensation for deteriorating eye sight. Just keep in mind that there is a risk that the laser won't work and retain some basic "point shooting" skills as a back-up.

For a good quality a modern (post-1990) 1911, the first, and most likely, suspect for feeding issues is a magazine problem not a gun problem. First-class fresh magazines should always be used where the gun might have a defensive role. While you are at it, however, look at your feed ramp and make sure it is smooth. If it isn't, a bit of polishing may also help feeding reliability.

With many of my pistols, I use Remington Golden Saber ammo because the bullet profile is much closer to an FMJ than some other loads. This aids feeding in older guns that were not designed from the beginning to use HJP ammo.

Do not use FMJ ammo for personal defense if you have any other option. In rounds like 9mm or above, FMJ will penetrate the bad guy and keep going with enough energy to penetrate a couple of layers of wall board or siding and still kill or injure someone. The "legal risk" argument for of using FMJ ammo may have had some validity in 1990, but these days the legal system is well aware that JHP loads are far and away the most appropriate ammo for defensive use.
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Old 03-23-2013, 1:50 PM
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Thank you all for the great recommendations. I have the Flashlight part of the equation handled, just picked up the Streamlight Protac HL. I am going to buy another box of JHPs and see what happens with the feeding. The projectile of the FTF didn't seem scratched or scuffed up as often happens, maybe it was tired springs/mags. Fresh mags seem to be a good idea, I will pick up a few and relegate my two present mags to plinking. I am going to mull over the sight options, there were lots of good ideas here. Simply painting the front post seems to be the easiest, most economical idea, I will try that first to see what happens.

Which magazines would I want to consider, the McCormicks or something else?

Once again, thanks for the help.
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Old 03-23-2013, 2:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Capybara View Post

Which magazines would I want to consider, the McCormicks or something else?

Once again, thanks for the help.
Tripp Cobra Mags. Buy once, cry once.

http://www.brownells.com/magazines/h...ESEARCH,%20INC.
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Old 03-24-2013, 12:05 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cindynles View Post
Tripp Cobra Mags. Buy once, cry once.

http://www.brownells.com/magazines/h...ESEARCH,%20INC.
Just ordered a couple from Brownells. Expensive but I am sure worth it.
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