1911 help needed.

[sholling]

Um - no you don't. Taken my Compact CDP apart more times than I can remember and never took any particular care about the safety and nothing has broken.
Am I doing something wrong?

You're doing something right by not holding down the grip safety when you remove the slide.

[sholling]

I'm basically saying that if something goes wrong with your Kimber Swartz type firing pin safety, your out of luck. Your gonna have to send it back to the factory. No standard gunsmithing manual for the 1911 covers swartz type safety, nor do they cover external extractor. They might have something about series 80 safety.

I agree on the Kimber flavor of the Swartz safety having to go back to the factory for repairs but to me that's a non issue unless I was carrying it off to war.

Part of the reason S&W went with the external extractor is that they don't require tuning to function properly. I haven't replaced one but the idea was to make a drop in extractor.

[eric90503]

THANK YOU ALL

Just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your input. Going to go to a couple of ranges today, LAX and Sharpshooter to try out a few. SA TRP at LAX, Kimbers and a Nighthawk Custom at Sharpshooter.

Man more and more choices keep introducing themselves.
Q: If Nighthawk Engineers came from Wilson, would it be safe to say you are
getting the same or better quality for a more "affordable" cost?

[SCMA-1]

Just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your input. Going to go to a couple of ranges today, LAX and Sharpshooter to try out a few. SA TRP at LAX, Kimbers and a Nighthawk Custom at Sharpshooter.

Man more and more choices keep introducing themselves.
Q: If Nighthawk Engineers came from Wilson, would it be safe to say you are
getting the same or better quality for a more "affordable" cost?

Insight Range has a good selection; call the and see which 1911's for rent they have:

http://insightrangeinc.com/shoot.html

[TurboS600]

I like them both. The customer service at Springfield is the best in the business, though. Lifetime warranty, they pay shipping both ways... VERY few reported problems though so pretty rare to have to use the warranty process. Don't rule out the Kimbers, though. They are in your price range and a very accurate, too, not to mention puuuuuurty.

[4D5auto]

I thought we had agreed to agree that you're a troll and were done. Do we need to go over that well worn territory again?

LOL, I knew you couldn't stay away! It's always the one with LDS who feels the need to flex.. We agreed to disagree, but you have difficulties understanding the English language, so maybe that really makes you the Smurf Ahhh, to be young again.. Do me a favor and put me on your ignore list!! Problem solved.. Keep it civil and mature. Do you know what that means?? Remember to do what you say when you say it! Must be tough being you.

Oh, you still never owned a true Custom built!

[sholling]

LOL, I knew you couldn't stay away! It's always the one with LDS who feels the need to flex.. We agreed to disagree, but you have difficulties understanding the English language, so maybe that really makes you the Smurf Ahhh, to be young again.. Do me a favor and put me on your ignore list!! Problem solved.. Keep it civil and mature. Do you know what that means?? Remember to do what you say when you say it! Must be tough being you.

Oh, you still never owned a true Custom built!

You brought me back into the conversation troll.

[freonr22]

my .02 and I know nothing. its the shooter not the Gun. I have a old amt longslide hardballer I would have any of you (read better shooter than me) try against your beautiful trophy ferraris, and its only about $600.. I know it doesnt have anything to do with the op's original post, but jeez, you guys are funny. I would LOVE to have a gun I could say I spent that much $ on, but, ive tried the kimber (NICE gun) Colt delta elite gold cup whatever (NICE Gun) springfield (NICE) series 70 (had one) But each person must have their own beat.

[4D5auto]

You brought me back into the conversation troll.

You brought yourself back, by choice! Grow up little one. You said you were done, now leave. You have access to your ignore list, I suggest you use it.

[sholling]

You brought yourself back, by choice! Grow up little one. You said you were done, now leave. You have access to your ignore list, I suggest you use it.

Feel free to add me to your ignore list troll.

[Trendkill]

You brought yourself back, by choice! Grow up little one. You said you were done, now leave. You have access to your ignore list, I suggest you use it.

D*^k

[Black Majik]

Yep, gotta hold the grip safety when taking the slide off a Kimber or else! Seriously, I hate that swartz safety, Colt decided it was too cumbersome to use in the 70's. Why would Kimber revive it. Just use a freaking TI firing pin and heavy duty firing pin spin!! Its pretty freaking easy.

Just to clarify a few points.

You gotta make sure not to depress the grip safety when taking off the slide on a Kimber w/ Swartz safety. Depressing it activates the pushrod to depress the plunger in the slide.

Also, Kimber didn't revive it from Colt. Colt uses a Series 80 firing pin safety, activated by the trigger to activate two levers in the frame, Kimber's Swartz safety is activated via the grip safety to activate the pushrod next to the disconnector in the frame.

[sholling]

Yep, gotta hold the grip safety when taking the slide off a Kimber or else! Seriously, I hate that swartz safety, Colt decided it was too cumbersome to use in the 70's. Why would Kimber revive it. Just use a freaking TI firing pin and heavy duty firing pin spin!! Its pretty freaking easy.

Gotta not hold down the grip safety and have to hold the pistol level during disassembly. Otherwise the pin will be up and be ruined.

Honestly I don't mind the S&W variation and it allows them to pass the mandatory drop test while keeping the trigger light. Yes you can modify the SA to lower the trigger pull weight but like removing the Swartz safety you're disabling a safety feature. Having examined the Swartz variation in my new Kimber I'm not impressed. I can live with it but I'd much rather have a Smith (if they made a CCO, and if it were available in CA) because they did it right. Then again I don't mind a heavier (~5.5lbs for SA vs ~4.5 for Kimber or S&W) trigger on a self defense pistol. I save the lighter triggers for my target pistols.

[sholling]

Also, Kimber didn't revive it from Colt. Colt uses a Series 80 firing pin safety, activated by the trigger to activate two levers in the frame, Kimber's Swartz safety is activated via the grip safety to activate the pushrod next to the disconnector in the frame.

He's referring to Colt's 1930s Swartz design. Colt gave up back then because in those days it was impossible to mass produce the components to a close enough tolerances to make it work reliably. Stacking tolerances could be a bear back then. These days mass production to tight tolerances is child's play.

[hawk1547]

Go with the Les Baer. I have a Springfield TRP Op with full length dustcover and I wish I had gotten a Les Baer instead FWIW. The price range you specified will get you a Les Baer. If you decide to customize it later I think the Les Baer frames and slides are a good starting point (although I believe a lot of custom smiths prefer to start out with a Colt Series 70). Also Les Baer comes with an accuracy guarantee that I don't think Kimber, SA, and S&W has.

+1... Another proud and happy owner of one of the best custom 1911 firearm on the market,when you purchase a Les Baer firearm,you're not buying "just another gun" Go with Les Baer and never look back.