I just bought a “Loaded” Springfield. Beautiful gun. Fit and finish were perfect and comparable to my Novak custom. I did have to polish the feed ramp with the dremel though before it would feed corbon HP’s. Took it to the range yesterday and fired about 250 rds through it without a cleaning and no jams or misfires. Grouped on average about 1.5″ at 25 yrds. Thats better than the Kimber Royal that I spent 150.00 more to have it feed and fire reliably. Out of the 6 that I have (colts, kimber, para, Ithaca) It is best one. I highly recommend it.
I have recently purchased two Springfield Armory 1911-A1 pistols, a parkerized Mil-Spec and the OD fully loaded service model. I bought the Mil-Spec last November and have put about 400 rounds thru it so far. The pistol has performed flawlessly, no feed jams, failure to extracts, etc. Accuracy was dead on; fit and finish were excellent, the only draw back being cheap plastic grips and a poorly staked front sight. I called Springfield and told them about the problems, but unfortunately their customer service dept is not familiar with their own products. They wanted me to ship the pistol back for them to fix the front site, but it might take 3 or 4 weeks to fix. I paid $7.50 for the gunsmith at my local shop to fix it. What aggravated me the most was that I wanted the front sight silver soldered and the customer service dept wouldn’t let me talk to a technician and this dim wit also told me that Springfield doesn’t recommend silver soldering the front site (after first not even knowing what that meant).
Two weeks later I added double diamond rosewood grips from Altamont, and flat mainspring housing and 18 lb. recoil spring from Springfield. Here began another misadventure. I assume Springfield is using a shorter strut on the hammer due to their ILS system in the mainspring housing, thus they do not pin the mainspring in its housing. The new mainspring housing I got from Springfield did not have ILS, so I pinned the mainspring normally. Wrong answer – the hammer strut was too short, no bang when you pull the trigger. I called Springfield and their incredible customer service dept (after supposed consultation with a technician) told me to remove the mainspring cap and it should work fine. Obviously that didn’t work either. So I put the mainspring in the new housing unpinned and everything works fine. The moral of the story is that if you have a Springfield and need help, don’t call customer service – talk to someone in the custom shop… if you can get them on the phone.
On the other hand the OD fully loaded, full size model I bought last week is something else. While it might be ugly with the green finish, it shoots like a bat out of hell. It has one of the smoothest actions I’ve seen on a 1911 style pistol, great factory trigger pull, and the OD Armory Kote finish is very smooth and protective. Overall the pistol is immaculate except for…..(wouldn’t you just know!) it has a set of $1.99 grips from Pearce Grip, Inc. and two of the crappiest blue magazines I’ve ever seen. The grips are black rubber and have no support inserts of any kind, so they are very flexible. The magazines are almost unloadable as the follower catches on the forward lip of the magazine and hangs up. Fortunately I have 4 stainless 8 shot magazines made by Chip McCormick and they function flawlessly with the gun. I replaced the original grips with a set of Altamont double diamond ebony ambidextrous grips and they look and function wonderfully. I have owned 7 different 1911 style pistols and shot many others, this one is by far the best. The pistol retails for $829….I got it for $650 brand spanking new. Even with the new grips I still got a great deal. If you want a superb 1911 style pistol this is the one.
Springfield Armory Ultra Compact High-Capacity 1911
By Joe Cornelius
Well after nearly seventeen months and about fifty E Mails, I finally received my new Springfield Ultra Compact – High Capacity model PX9701L , 45 cal. handgun. When I originally placed my order, the pistol was shipped as a V10, stainless model but somewhere in time the factory changed my plans.
The new 2001 model is now shipped as a parkerized, non-ported pistol with Novak Low Mount sights. It’s the “FULLY LOADED” 45 caliber that has earned many kudos for Springfield over the years I have to admit I was a little surprised that it did not come with the new I.L.S. safety feature; the factory told me that the there was not enough space in the grip to support this safety, but a retro-fit should be available later according to the factory.
The spec sheet says the weight is 32 oz. but I weighed mine and fully loaded (10 + 1)*, using 200g JHP’s and it came in at 42 oz. If you are interested in this hand gun as a concealed carry weapon, you’d better get a hefty pair of suspenders.
This is my second Springfield. About a year ago, I purchased the V12 “FULL SIZED” Springfield model PX9151L, in stainless and it’s great. I am certainly not an expert or even a good shot, however in my opinion, this is the finest weapon I’ve seen, especially for the price. If you want a lot of fire power in a small package, this is the handgun to consider.
JB: Much obliged for your website. Has some excellent links. You already have the few that I would have sent you. I noticed you consider Springfield the “best bang for the buck.” I’d be interested in contacting other Springfield owners, as I purchased a Champion, lightweight model, last year, and have been rather disappointed with both the gun and the company’s service to its customer (me). You run into anyone with similar sentiments? Your thoughts, if you have the time.
Syd: Well, I ran into one of their compacts fresh out of the custom shop that couldn’t seem to fire three rounds without jamming. What is your pistol doing?
JB: Reliability was not a problem, but fit & finish were sloppy, and all ammo shot two inches high from point of aim. Sloppy barrel-to-frame and barrel-to-slide link up, extractor not flush with rear face of slide, gap between firing pin stop plate & disconnector runway, all edges very sharp (new ones have “carry bevel” treatment). Groups were three inches at ten yards. When I called Springfield, they told me that was acceptable for a production gun. Dovetail cuts in slide were not horizontally even (one side higher than the other). Tool marks in barrel. Firing pin hits low. “As long as it doesn’t misfire, it’s acceptable.”
I did my own dehorning. Refinish work was promised 4 weeks, took 13 weeks. (Refinish job was decent.) Front sight replacement was promised in three days, took over two weeks. Custom shop was curt and didn’t want to be bothered talking with me.
When time to replace recoil spring, I called to ask poundage, and what I was told was not correct. Embarrassing at IPSC match, jamming up. It took three different calls to get correct info on the spring.
I wonder if they’d have treated me differently if I said I was Rob Leatham.
I’ve replaced the slide stop, firing pin stop, link, extractor, sights, trigger, magazines, grips, mainspring housing (including strut, spring & cap), installed full length guide rod, dehorned and had hard chromed, and am looking at fitting an oversized Barsto barrel.
For the money put into it, I’d have bought Kimber, Wilson, or Les Bauer.
I won’t buy Springfield again.
Syd: If it’s any consolation, I forwarded your comments to a St. Louis police officer who was contemplating an SA compact lightweight and it changed his mind.
My bang-for-the-buck appraisal was based on my own SA, a Mil-Spec Government Model that I bought in 97 for $400 NIB. Of course, they’re considerably more than that now. The gun has been terrific and remains one of my all-time favorites. I think SA is having more quality control problems with the “Loaded” line.
With your permission, I will be happy to publish your critique on The Sight. I think these folks need to be held accountable for their customer support.
As I said in my first response to you, I was at a match recently at which I witnessed one SA fresh from the custom shop that was a total jam-o-matic. The user was not a newbie. He’s a decorated Nam vet, a colonel in the Army Reserve, and actually held a position all night against the NVA with only a 1911 because they had used up all of their rifle ammo. If he couldn’t get the gun to run, I would tend to blame the gun.
JB: Feel free to publish my critique on your site. Incidentally, it now shoots to point of aim, and groups are 2 inches at 15 yds. It looks and feels great. But Springfield didn’t make that happen — I did.
The Sistema has an interesting history. Manufactured in Argentina from 1927 to around 1960 with Colt-supplied tools, it had parts interchangeable with any other standard government model, unlike the Ballester-Molina which also comes from Argentina. When the Argentine military changed pistols in the late 90s, their Sistemas were arsenal-refinished for sale in the U.S. at $300 or less. When I found that price for a Sistema online, it seemed too good a deal to pass up, especially after I’d heard positive things about the pistols from a local gunsmith. Mine turned out to be a decent shooter for the money, if a little quirky.
That Sistema had the usual markings. Along the left side of the slide was a row of letters: “D.G.F.M. (F.M.A.P.).” These stood for Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares (Fabric Militar de Armas Portatiles). On the right side was “SIST. COLT 11.25 mm MOD. 1927. It had been manufactured in the late 50s, then had apparently sat unused for most of its career.
The pistol arrived at the gunsmith’s with near-perfect Parkerizing, a pristine barrel whose serial number matched the others, nice walnut grips, and a lock-up as tight as a tick. The aftermarket magazines that had come with it were obvious junk, so I replaced them with two surplus USGI mags. They worked fine, with only a few failures to feed or eject, either with ball or hollowpoint.
After about 1,000 rounds I had the gunsmith add new sights, re-contour the feeding ramp, and sweeten the trigger a little. I still liked the gun, but by then I’d found out a few things. Purchasing actual U.S. military surplus magazines had been a lucky accident. With any others, the pistol was almost certain to jam trying to eject the last round, and the gunsmith never could figure out why. I learned this the hard way with two McCormick 8-rounders I had bought for IPSC matches. They simply would not function properly in the Sistema, though naturally they worked fine in other people’s 1911s.
Meanwhile the gun was getting a lot looser, and I had begun to notice a few metal shavings on the interior of the slide where it fitted into the top of the barrel. Somebody explained that the equipment Colt had supplied in 1927 was only able to handle the softer steel of that era, so later models could not be made of newer, harder metal. Therefore the pistol was going to wear faster than is usual with today’s guns, and as a result wouldn’t ever be very accurate. (I was amazed at what a friend’s target-tuned Kimber could do in comparison.) But it was a plain military pistol after all, and I consoled myself with the price difference while continuing to have fun plinking and stumbling my way through practical matches using a couple of extra USGI magazines. As time went on, my greenhorn mistakes and mishandling gave it a combat-worn appearance, but that only made it seem full of character.
Finally a guy who liked how it felt in his hand offered me more than I had paid for it, and that was that. He’s using it as a glove-box gun for his old pickup, and I’ve upgraded to a target-grade Springfield Loaded, so we’re both happy. All in all the Sistema wasn’t a bad first .45—cheap enough to ding up as I gained experience, and fun to shoot despite its eccentricities.
The Rock Island Armory M1911A1 By James Lindsey Brown
Recently, I purchased a new Rock Island Armory .45 at the big gun show in Houston about a month ago. When I went to the show, I was impressed at how the show was oriented more towards the military style self defense kind of guy than just something for everyone. SKS’s and AK’s were everywhere and so were a lot of good deals. But the buyer definitely had to know what they were viewing and a real idea of actual costs. So, I had recently mentally armed myself with the most recent reviews and costs of various guns and ended up with a new Rock Island Armory .45 which is parkerized in black which really caught my attention. I paid a small $300 for it. I felt very good about the purchase and checked the handgun as well as possible at a gun show, but was it a cool deal or not?
Well, I immediately went to a black finger grooved pistol grip by Hogue. Now, it is totally black in appearance and most likely why I will misplace it one day. Not hardly. Anyhow, I cleaned the gun down to military specs. and oiled and greased as required. I then took it out for a real shooting. I bought several off the shelf brands of ammo and set up the targets and went to work. I and two friends took turns blasting several pistols all afternoon. The Rock Island held up like a champ and went through over ten boxes and never missed a beat. I kept waiting for stove tops and so on, but it never happened. It shot where you aimed and shot very good groups.
I really was worried about this .45 needing to be tweaked and was ready to order whatever I needed to fix any problems I encountered. I was concerned with “you get what you pay for” coming back to haunt me. But nothing bad or negative occurred. After having taught over four years with many students in the concealed handgun carry course, I know that new guns can perform like crap and it happens even to the best and most expensive. But for this .45, I would not hesitate to buy a second or third. It made a believer out of me. Now, is this cool or what and cheap? No, I am not a gun promoter or affiliated with the Houston gun show. I am just a consumer.
Pistol: Rock Island Armory Milspec .45
Mags: 5 McCormick 8rd Shooting Star SS & 1 Novak 8rd Blued
Mods: Meprolight Nightsights, Pachmayr Signature Grips, Wilson
18.5 lb recoil spring
Ammo: 100rds Winchester “White Box” 230gr ball
100rds Pro-Tech 230gr ball
32rds Federal Expanding FMJ 200gr +P
First Impressions: I was a bit leery about purchasing this budget .45 (how good could it be for only $350 out the door?) However, being on an extremely tight budget and after reading numerous positive owner postings I decided to take the plunge.
I’m glad I did…
Fit, finish & trigger were very good right out of the box. I didn’t care for the smooth hardwood grips so I installed a set of Pachmayr Signature Grips. I wanted night sights so I installed a set of Meprolights (Note: the RIA front sight tenon is smaller than the Meprolight’s .125” so the Meprolight had to be thinned a bit to fit). Since I plan on firing only ball & +P, I installed a Wilson 18.5 lb recoil spring. The barrel to bushing lockup is tight, and the barrel is hard-chromed both inside and out. I cannot discern any movement of the barrel where it contacts the bushing, yet I can still remove the bushing by hand without using a bushing wrench. Shaking the pistol reveals a very small amount of rattle.
Complaints: The thumb safety was far too easy to manipulate out of the box, a minor mechanical issue and easily corrected by my ‘smith (who, BTW, was very impressed with the quality of the RIA after working on it). The thumb safety is now much more positive w/no danger of accidental engagement/disengagement. The only other complaint was that the factory Novak magazine wouldn’t drop free (however, after a bit of handling and use it now drops free without a problem).
Range Test: I fired the Winchester ball first, then the Pro-Tech ball then the Federal EFMJ last, rotating through the mags in case one or more should prove troublesome. Each magazine was tested fully loaded at least 4 times. Ranges were 25m-100m. I neglected to bring my reading glasses & rest so I did not shoot for group size (this being more of a break-in & reliability test anyway). The pistol was not cleaned during the entire test.
Accuracy: If I did my part, all shots were to POA (point of aim) with numerous hits on small water bottles at 25m-40m. I was close enough at 100m to “distract” the target but registered no hits at that range. However, this was with the Meprolights so I cannot comment if the factory sights were as on or not. I plan on shooting for accuracy from a rest next time and will post the results.
RIA 1911
Reliability: The pistol was 100% with all ammo & mags tested (surprising since I expected some problems with the factory magazine). All brass fell in a neat pile 7′-9′ to my right. The single incident worth noting happened near the end of the Pro-Tech ammo (nearly 200rds fired by then). After the last round in the magazine, the slide locked back as it should and I noticed the empty casing was still in the chamber with a couple of dents/notches at the front of the case mouth.
Current Complaints: The McCormick mags are for the most part still not dropping free although they are improving with use (3 mags will now drop free about 50% of the time), and I have a very mild case of hammer bite. At 200 rounds I had a small welt and the skin barely broken, but no blood. It’s so mild that I don’t want to go the beavertail/bobbed hammer route so I’m hoping I can find a fix that won’t require a lot of work and new parts.
Federal EFMJ: I attempted to recover an expanded bullet by firing a single round through 5 gallon water jugs from approximately 15′ back (not back far enough, still got wet!). Apparently, my aim was slightly off as the slug exited the 4th jug high left and missed the 5th jug entirely. Recoil did not seem noticeably worse than standard ball.
Conclusion: 232rds does not an extensive test make. However, I’m very impressed with the RIA .45 for the price. While obviously not a Kimber or similar make IMHO the RIA .45 is an excellent entry-level .45 you can customize/modify to suit your needs w/o breaking the bank. Only time will tell how durable it is.
I am a 1911 fan, a 1911 man, and never shall this change. The 1911 has taken game for the table, fed the poor, and saved my life on more than one occasion. I fought administrators for the right to carry cocked and locked and ready to rock and after retirement from police work still keep a 1911 or two close at hand. Keep your combat tupperware, please.
I reach for a man’s gun. In modern times, some of us long for a stock 1911 pistol. Oh, this is a perversity of human nature. When all we had were 1911’s we chopped them up, fitting sights into neat little dovetails, chopping the frame to put in beavertails big enough to paddle through a creek with and we also checkered the living demons out of every inch of frame space. Today, we ooh and ahh over any 1911 or Series 70 that has somehow survived this great bath of steel cutting and keep it original. Go figure, but be careful–you’ll end up nutty as a large dump rodent.
A real 1911, not alloyed with any bells and whistles
That being said, I have recently tested two 1911s that are pure GI. They are made in the Philippines but are more loyal to the 1911 template than most anything made in the good old USA. The Filipinos have been good allies and have a respectable handgun heritage. Many a Japanese soldier’s last sight was a Filipino Guerilla aiming a 1911 at him. So, if someone has to make a 1911 clone let them do it if they can do it well. In my opinion, they have succeeded admirably.
The handguns are marketed in America under the name Rock Island Armory. That is fine, they have to have a name. The guns are stock GI – with one difference we will inspect later — and they work about as well as GI guns. With an exception. They seem more tightly fitted. Well, most of the GI guns we have examined are pretty well worn. Few of us have had the pleasure of firing an almost new Colt 1911A1 of any type. Therefore, a value judgment is difficult. After all, look at all of the old well worn Mausers and Lee Enfields on this shore. They are pretty sloppy but find one new out of the crate and you will be surprised how truly smooth and accurate they are. The same with a GI .45. Where will you find a GI .45 of any type?
Read on –
The RIA .45 is standard 1911A1, perhaps the trigger is a bit long, and that’s it. There is no firing pin or drop safety. The gun features the same low small GI sights we all knew and could not wait to get rid of it. But, when properly lined up, they are precise. The gun rattles just a little when shook. That doesn’t matter. As long as the locking lugs and the barrel bushing are fitted properly, the gun will shoot well. This is a close range pistol, a gun for trench fighting or for clearing uglies from your domicile in the wee hours of the morning. That is what the 1911 was made for. If you can’t see the sights, well, it sets in the hand very well for body position aiming. And delivers. The RIA gun is finished in a kind of phosphate finish. I found when the inevitable scratches came, I could squirt Hoppes gun oil on the surface and really polish it and the scratches seemed to go away. That’s nice, but this is not an attractive finish. It is functional and well done, which is what counts. I found a minimum of tool marks and good fit of all parts. The controls worked with a certain crispness. When working the slide, the link felt right and the locking lugs seemed to roll into place. Someone with knowledge of the 1911 tribe has had their hands on the gun in making this 1911. I like that. The grips are an attractive slab of dense wood, nicer than anything Uncle Sam ever put on his 1911s, so that is a bonus. The magazine is a quality eight round unit. That’s ok too, as it worked. I have seen some RIA guns with seven rounds boxes, but they all work so that is fine.
1911s like a break in period so I was prepared for my pistol to stutter through the first one hundred rounds and then perform well. I was wrong, and I have noticed this trend in many modern 1911s. They no longer require a break in except in the most expensive, tightly fitted guns. It seems the public wants to fire fifty rounds and put the gun in the dresser drawer.
With Pro Load ammunition and Wilson Combat magazines, this one is a good performer
SIGs and Glocks don’t require break in. Well, it works for me. Flat spots and the occasional too long link are to be expected from a quality 1911. Still, I didn’t see any problem. I loaded my first two hundred rounds with Winchester’s 230 grain bullet over a stiff charge of #231 powder. New Starline cases and a Winchester primer jolted the bullet to a full 850 fps. I commenced by firing at rocks and limbs at the range, then rapid fire at silhouette targets at seven, ten, and fifteen yards. I am glad I had a good supply of Wilson Combat magazines on hand! One hundred rounds went by in a few minutes. No failures to feed, chamber, fire or eject. Sure, I make good ammo but the absence of a break in jam is notable. I also fired a quantity of factory new Pro Load ammunition. The gun worked, and gave solid three inch 25 yard groups when I did my part.
Recently, the big news is a .38 Super version of the RIA gun. I received one of the first six guns in the country. It is a bit different from a standard 1911 in that this .38 Super features an enlarged ejection port, nicely scalloped. That is a good thing. The Super did require a break-in period, but after a few hundred rounds of Zero’s high quality reloads settled in for good function. Zero is the only manufacturer I know of that offers quality remanufactured loads in .38 Super caliber. That is a good thing! The original magazine did not function as I would have liked, so I ordered a number of high quality magazines from Metalform, Incorporated. Perfect function followed. In fact, the break in malfunctions may have been attributable to the magazines. The gun has a lot of power.
Author found the .38 Super pistol very pleasing. Note Caspian grips
The Super was introduced to give cops a better cartridge for use against light cover and vehicles. It does just that, with 130 grains at 1,300 fps being the operative number. Some modern loads do even better. After firing a few hundred rounds, I had the measure of this pistol. It is a good gun, very good. Accuracy was about on the par with the .45, but the .38 is easier to shoot. That does not mean it is a wimp load. Cor-Bon’s 115 grain JHP broke well over 1,400 fps. The sights were well regulated for the .38 Super, and function was good. I added a set of Caspian target stocks after a week or so, and found them a good addition to the handgun. I like the Super very much. I still rely on my .45, and I will tell you frankly I have never shot anything living with the .38 Super. But I have used Magnum loads in the .357 revolver with excellent effect. The Super is pretty close.
I am carrying my Super in a slick paddle from Gunleather, Inc, of Forth Worth, Texas. It just doesn’t get any better on the hip that this! Ten quick rounds, ten accurate rounds, and the gun leaps into the hand from a top flight rig. Here is a powerful cartridge on the 1911 format that equals or exceeds the .357 SIG. Controllable power? You bet. The .38 Super RIA gun is currently available form the Dealer Warehouse, a showcase advertiser at Shotgun News. I have had the best dealings with this company. If you are tired of the same old format and guns that don’t look like a GI .45, the gun we all know and love, check out the RIA guns. They are excellent performers.
This time, the gun is wearing grips by Esmeralda and is carried in a Gunleather, Inc holster. Enough to melt the heart of any 1911 fan.
[Editor’s Note: Since this article was posted in January of 2004, I have received some problem reports on the RIA pistols. These have included reliability issues, heavy triggers and difficulty in obtaining replacement parts or support from the manufacturer. I have also received many letters from satisfied owners who appreciate the value represented by these guns. It should also be noted that I have received problem reports on on brands that cost much more. When you are paying $350 for a 1911 you can’t expect to get an Ed Brown custom and the factory support of Smith & Wesson. If you want to get into M1911 pistols without taking on a second mortgage, and especially if you know something about them already, enough to do a “fluff and buff” and some basic tune-up, the RIA pistols can be a very interesting and economical option.]
For many of us, the terms “1911” or “Government Model” bring to mind the original blue steel and walnut gripped classic that John Browning, Gen. John T. Thompson and the U.S. Army Ordnance Board created in all it’s venerable, traditional glory.
The grand old gun that truly would make the ghost of Gen. George S. Patton admit with shame that he was wrong when he referred to some long gone, obsolete rifle of all things as the “greatest battlefield implement of all times.”
There is nothing like the traditional “Army .45” to bring a lump to the throat of any real pistoleer or warrior. Many a raw doughboy owed his very life to the genius of Mr. Browning, and we all enjoy our limited and diminished freedoms thanks in no small part to this great gun. Each month, it seems somebody is always rushing to bring out the latest, newest, trendiest, High techiest, polymer-based blaster worthy of a starring role on the hip of some Hollywood Starship Trooper, but despite being considered (by those who don’t know much) as obsolete, the grand ole’ .45 is more popular now than it was when released nearly a century ago.
These days hardly a gun store, let alone pawnshop doesn’t have a wide variety .45’s, chopped and channeled, full sized, compact, alloy framed, two toned, dull matte finished or military original parkerized or ten.
Such was not always the case. Today’s Cooper troopers may take the staggering and bewildering variety of 1911’s from a veritable barbarian horde of manufacturers for granted, but go back a couple of decades and the pickin’s were slim. For example, you could get the full size 1911 from Colt or the alloy framed Commander. You could get military surplus 1911s’ from Union Switch and Signal, Singer Sewing Machine or other wartime makers and….well, that was about it.
Finishes were commercial blue, military parkerized and nickel, and…outside of custom gunsmiths that was that.
One of the first makers to change all this was a small firm that had its’ beginning in the airline industry. Yep, I’m talkin’ ’bout the Randall.
Randall may not have been the first maker to produce a stainless steel government. Model. Some would argue the firm of AMT (then known as Ordnance Manufacturing Company) or Vega were first, but there can be no doubt that Randall was one of the best, and Randall paved the way for other companies like Colt and Springfield to dip into the increasingly popular customization market.
Randall produced a variety of well made 1911 clones of investment cast 17 ph stainless steel. The guns were sturdy, generally well made, and eagerly sought by users as well as collectors. Randall made exact copies of 1911’s, left handed 1911’s, 1911’s with (then) state of the art “combat” features, and chopped down officers model 1911’s, thanks to inspiration from Legendary General Curtis Lemay.
Like many people who bring something out that is too good too soon, the company folded, but oh, what a legacy they left. Would there have been a Detonics, or for that matter a Colt Officers Model if it weren’t for Randall? Probably, but it definitely would have taken longer.
Were Randall pistols as good as everyone says? Well, like the products of many makers, it depends. At different times in the companies brief but glorious history quality control could be sporadic, but Randall’s have a reputation for being solid, well made guns, and if my own experience is typical, that reputation was well earned.
As a young man growing up in eastern Kentucky, I frequently saw Randall pistols in better gun stores that catered to serious shootists (as opposed to the types of places that specialized in poke stock shotguns and .25 autos). Last year I stopped in at Mert’s Guns and Ammo in Allen, KY, and Mert, a fellow who knows this customer by heart had two things to show me. A used enhanced Colt .45 GM and a well worn but sound Randall Service Model. Being a man of some dignity and self restraint, I informed the pistol peddler I had two full size .45’s with stainless finishes, and did not need another. I got about halfway to Pikeville before turning around and running back to put the Randall on Layaway until payday.
The pistol was in very good condition, and at a very good price. It had an extended thumb safety, a full length recoil spring with a hexagonal cut on the end, and high visibility (for them days) sights. It was smooth operating, and actually fairly tight, much tighter than a Colt GM from that era. There were myriad scratches as well as some rust stains on the thumb safety, and the skip line checked wood grips showed the dings of the years. But all in all this was still a beautiful pistol.
Taking her immediately out to the woods, I discovered two things. Number one, she shoots as straight as a brand new 1991A1, and two, she doesn’t like hollow point fodder. But with the 1911 you don’t really need hollow points now, do you?
For that matter, my brand new Colt Combat Commander doesn’t like hollow points either, and is nowhere near as accurate as the Randall. Soon, I found myself carrying the gun regularly, and in no time at all it was my primary defense gun.
Oh, every so often I break out the snub .357 revolver for comfort, but sooner or later the big stainless Randall returns to my hip. The 1911 may be “obsolete” but it is no less deadly efficient than it was when it came off the assembly line. Powerful, accurate, proven durable and dependable with ball ammo, it is as good as anybody could possibly need in a serious self defense piece. And it shoots as straight as a long barreled magnum revolver. How many plastic frame .40s’ have owners willing to make that boast and sign their names to it?
The medieval broadsword is obsolete, but it will still deal death in a second. Same thing for the old Colt Peacemaker and the 1911. And, just like the Randall, quality never goes out of style.
Occasionally I toy with the idea of replacing the 80’s style sights with either the currently popular Novak style “Evel Kneval motorcycle ramp” sights and the traditional quick draw spur hammer with a burr head thumb bruiser, but I look at my prize and realize that it is just fine the way it is. There are plenty of Colt’s, Springfield’s and Kimbers out there that are as trick as trick can get. I think I’ll leave this classic the way it is, as a working piece of pistol history.
The Randall is gone, but pieces like my prize acquisition remain, to remind us of the pioneers of today’s .45 industry. One other gun from that era remains, and is almost identical to the Randall in my own experience, the AMT Hardballer. One of my pistolero buddies packed a long-slide Hardballer for a decade, and the two pieces are very similar. With all the new players on the block this old .45 toter hopes the AMT doesn’t follow the Randall into obscurity.
Part 1: Last week I went for my weekly practice session with a friend, Jim, who had just picked up a new Para LDA single stack. The indoor range where we were shooting has rental guns and a couple of those are LDA “hi-cap” models, so I rented one of these to add a bit more fun to our play. I also brought along my Para P14 Limited, a 5″ Kimber Custom and a 4″ Smith 625 revolver in 45 ACP. The P14 Limited is my IPSC match gun even though it is mostly stock though it has received a trigger job and a tungsten guide rod. The Kimber and Smith are both completely stock.
Right out of the box the single stack LDA would not run with three or four jams in the first three magazines we tried to feed it. The owner field stripped it and oiled it up, after which it ran perfectly for the rest of this session. The rental gun did no better when I took it to the line. The problem with the rental was that it was just plan dirt and dry. I took it to the range office where they cleaned and oiled it. After it was returned to me it also ran perfectly for the rest of our practice session.
Most of this session is probably not worth reporting but there are a couple points that the list might find to be of interest. One of the things we did was some groups from the bench with all the 45s we had with us. The smallest groups were done with the revolver, with the Kimber coming in a close second. All three Paras ended up in what amounted to a tie for third though my P14 shot a group that was a touch larger. I should point out that the difference in the size of the groups for the 625 and my Para was well less then 1 inch. Of more importance to both my friend and my self was how the guns grouped when shot unsupported. Unsupported my P14 had the best groups by far with the Kimber second and the two LDAs closely bunched right behind it. The results with the Smith 625 were mixed; my friend had groups that were well off the pace of the autos while my groups were about the same as the two LDAs. When I look back at how the guns (and shooters) did in the unsupported testing I don’t see anything that would surprise any one, because it would seem that the performance difference we saw was mainly due to the trigger pull the shooter had to deal with when working with these guns. That is, the lighter and smoother the trigger the better the groups were. My P14 has a very clean 2 lb pull trigger; the Kimber is a fairly clean but stock trigger that runs about 4 1/2 lb. The LDAs trigger are quit clean for a factory DA trigger and only about 5 1/2 lb while my Smith has only a fairly clean trigger that runs right at 11 lb.
Part 2: This week Jim let me borrow his single stack LDA while he was out of town. After our session last week Jim cleaned and oiled the gun and carried the LDA as his CCW for the week until I put him on the plane the night before my weekly practice session. Because the security company I work for is considering putting the LDA on the approved for duty use list I took this opportunity to see how the LDA would fair as a duty gun and to see how it stacked up against my present duty gun the 4″ Smith 625. I also brought along my 5″ Kimber to serve as a benchmark. When I received the gun from Jim the only thing I did was unload it so as not to shoot up his carry loads. For my testing I used Shooting Star 8 round and Wilson 8 and 10 round mags. The gun had no problems from any of these magazines. That is not to say the gun didn’t have some problems, rather that the problems it did have were not magazine related. More on this in a bit. For ammo I used factory American Eagle for most of the session though I did run 20 rounds of Federal HS 230 through the LDA to see how it would handle the hollow point that we use at work in 45s. While the gun did run cleanly for the session after my initial problems I think I would still polish the feed ramp and roof of the chamber if it were my gun because with the HS the gun felt like the slide was dragging just a bit as it fed the round. I don’t think it was a question of the gun getting dirty because the Kimber was not doing this and it had the same number of rounds through it sense it had been cleaned and when I went back to ball the LDA lost this feeling of wanting to choke. I think the problem with this LDA is that it has a slightly rough feed ramp; in fact one can easily see that it is not as smooth as it could be. Other then that I was very impressed with the LDA. When I did the state security guard qualification drill with the LDA I almost beat my score with the Kimber, the gun I’ve always done the best with on this drill, and I easily beat my score with the Smith. When I did 15′ Bill drills (6 rounds as fast as possible) the LDA had the best groups of the 3 guns I was working with, but the surprising thing to me was that my times with the LDA were only about .1 slower then the what I did with the Smith and well ahead of my times with the Kimber. Revolvers, for me, are normally a good deal faster in Bill drills then autos and to have an auto come that close was…well, surprising! Why the LDA was giving me better times then the Kimber was a puzzle until I found out that Jim is running a 16 lb recoil spring in this gun while I’m using a 18 in the Kimber. I think what is happening is that the gun is being rocked less under recoil with the lighter spring just as the revolver doesn’t get moved as much because it has no slide. I’ll have to do some testing with light recoil springs to see if this idea is valid though. I also did some other work with the 3 guns but I won’t go into those drills other then to say that when it was all done I was impressed with the LDA.
At the start to my second session with the LDA I had some feeding problems, and the problems were lubrication related. When I started my first string with the LDA the gun jammed after the first round. I cleared the problem and tried the two round string again and once again the gun jammed after the first round. I took the slide off at this point and found the rails to be extremely dry, I greased the slide rails and put the gun back together and it ran perfectly after that. I knew that Jim had cleaned and lubricated the gun after our last session. So where had the lube had gone? When I talked with him on the phone that night I found out that he had used oil on the slide rails and that he had carried the gun every day at work for the rest of the week. It would appear that with the mussel pointed down all week the oil drained out of the slide area causing the gun to be dry and this caused the slide to run slow. I had a similar problem several years ago with a 1911 that convinced me to start using grease on the rails instead of oil. Though I think most any gun or light grease would work well but I use Tetra and have been more then pleased with it sense my switch to it in 96. Both my Para P14 and Kimbers have never had a round fired with out this grease and after many rounds the slides moves so smoothly on the rails one would think that a smith had worked over the guns yet these guns are stock.
Not to long ago I was ask by a friend if I would recommend the LDA for use as a CCW tool, shortly after that the company firearms director ask me if I though the LDA would be suitable for duty use. At the time I had some experience with the models but I had not really looked at them for these roles because I was satisfied with my present tools, the Kimbers for CCW and the 625 Smith for duty, for these roles. But after these two practice sessions I can see that the LDA could do very well in both roles. Enough so that if and when the company puts the LDA on the allowed for duty use list I’m going be first in line to get one.
