Improvements on a Colt Officers Model

[Meer123]

I do not use my gun for my job nor am I a serious shooting professional or competitor but I do enjoy taking my late model Officers model to the NRA range in Fairfax, VA whenever the wife lets me.

I am writing to get some opinions on how to make my officers model the best it can be. I realize I do not need a "race gun" nor do I want to pour so much into it as to triple the price of the pistol. BUt I know there are some practical mods out there that make a big difference in terms of function and performance that I should consider.

I have junked the stock plastic trigger and also commissioned a local smith to do a basic trigger job so it shoots friendlier. I am using stock wood grips with a rubber "finger groove" insert and I use Wilson Combat mags ... what else would make a nice improvement to this gun ? Not looking to add anything in expectations of making it something it isn't (not a competition gun, I am not a sharp shooter and I am not adding everything on the catalog "just because") ... but if there are affordable modifications to make the gun more enjoyable to shoot - to make it last longer or more accurate - and the mod is reasonably affordable ... that sounds like something I'd like to do

Thanks,
Al

[RIVERINE]

Have you thought about any kind of nuclear night-sights like Meprolights, for instance? On an officers model for self defense ,or, just because.

[stans]

I think the Officer's ACP size guns do well with a good trigger job, about 4 1/2 pounds pull, crisp and clean; comfortable stocks, and a beavertail grip safety (if it does not already have one). As for night sights, I had them (Meprolight) on only one gun and found they weren't all that great as during daylight shooting the outline of the dots was harder to align and focus upon than a painted, whole dot and at night if it's dark enough that I can't see a painted dot then it is too dark to see a target, be it animal or inanimate object.

[mitchjoe]

Meer123:

I'll roll w/ Stans on this...a clean trigger, beaver-tail type grip safety (subjective, but I've never not wanted to have one on any 1911 I own :D ), and sights your comfortable with. If your model has the higher profile or 3-Dot type sights, I'd say that's sufficient.

I like the original military-type sights for shooting targets & point-shooting is well...point shooting, but for certain situations (or personal preference) I don't begrudge folks who prefer a big 'ole ramp full of tritium. :D

mitchjoe

[brickeyee]

After ejecting the recoil plug downrange I changed all my compacts to a reverse recoil plug (Kings has a nice one).
The little tiny tab on the colt stock guns (about 1/8 x 3/32 inch) for the recoil plug is not up to a lot of use and I do not carry a gun with less than about 2,000-3,000 rounds through it.
The slide is modified by removing about 0.080 from the rear of the slide tunnel to create the clearance needed for the reverse plug. Either a milling machine or careful work with a safe edge file can do the job.

[TrapK80]

"some practical mods out there that make a big difference in terms of function and performance that I should consider."
I guess that depends on what you want to do with the weapon. You mentioned you don't need a race gun nor want to dump a lot of money. So...first consideration is reliability. Is your OACP reliable? Mine had a few FTE problems that were fixed with installing a spring steel extractor...no more problems! If reliability is an issue then get those things fixed first. Good mags are a must!
If you have your heart set on modifying your OACP the next consideration would be a good trigger job. After the trigger job consider comfort factors such as grips, safeties, and sights. I changed the sights on my OACP with some night sights. Grips are a personal matter but sounds like you already have that covered. I retained the original thumb safety but changed the factory grip safety with a Wilson drop-in. I also changed the nylon MSH with a Wilson flat/checkered.
After these options everyhting else is just a matter of what you want rather than a need. The recoil spring assembly is always a topic of discussion with an OACP. For those of you that switched to a reverse plug system I would be interested in hearing about your personal results. There were a few threads a while back that addressed FTF's after they converted to a flgr/reverse plug system. I don't recall if the mfr. of the system was mentioned or if it was a gunsmith install or a DIY job (it certainly would make a difference!!!). Another quesiton would be once the slide is modified for the reverse plug, can you switch back to the factory original set up if you wanted?
Good luck with your OACP. Mine has been very reliable, dependable, and also fun to shoot. Email of PM if you have any questions.

[Dale]

I had a full length guide rod put in my OACP (the Ed Brown). The original plug had a large crack in it and I had read about problems with these so I took care of it before it failed. I had a smith do the work and it functions and looks great. You can go back to the original factory set up if you wanted to, but you might see a little of the spring where the dust cover meets the slide depending on how much your smith removes from the slide. On mine there's no gap, but just barely. I would highly recommend this mod, as it addresses an inherent reliability problem with the original design. By the way, I don't like full length guide rods in 5" guns. I can't see that they help my shooting any and they just add an extra step and tool when cleaning. I mention that just so you know I'm not an advocate for FLGR's "just 'cause they look perdy". If that little nub on the factory plug fails when you really need it to work you could find yourself in a really awkward position, to say the least.

[TrapK80]

Thanks for the info Dale. Like a lot of OACP owners I like the compactness and concealability it offers. Other than the full-size vs. compact reliability debate, it seems that the only potential problem with the OACP is in the recoil plug design. I am thinking about having a reverse plug/flgr installed and could use some advice regarding a good gunsmith to complete the work. Thanks!