picked up a SA 1911a1 Milspec

[milsurpcollector]

After getting advice from this forum I bought a milspec instead of a G.I colt the someone turned into a bullseye gun. It looks pretty nice with the exception of the commecial style safety and The Imbel brazil stamped on the frame. Why doesnt springfield make stuff in this country. Why do the have to squeeze every dollar they can out of gunbuyers. Would a frame really cost that much more if it was made here by american workers?

It is a nice gun with a real tight slide/frame fit. I cant wait to shoot it. i just wont look at the bottom of the gun.

[binary]

I agree with the Imbel Brazil. But on mine it's faint and hard to read (but it still bugs just knowing about it). Parts are rawed over there and then sent to SA where they are machined and what not. Still I wish it was 100% USA. Many companies are using metals from various countries w/o saying it (Colt for example). If you want a USA-made, I guess that Wilson Combat would be a good place to check (but they are pretty pricey).

[ryoushi]

Why doesnt springfield make stuff in this country. Why do the have to squeeze every dollar they can out of gunbuyers. Would a frame really cost that much more if it was made here by american workers?

Springfield doesn't squeeze gunbuyers. They are a company that realizes many shooters are squeezed enough already and offers shooters quality pistols at a fair price. If you are a collector and feel that strongly about American made, you should have ponied up the extra $400 for a brand new Colt 70 series, they are great pistols.

Me I just looked around awhile and found a Milspec with an NM serial number. You won't find the word Brazil on it anywhere as it was totally machined and assembled in the States using high quality forgings imported from Brazil.

[harytaint]

Who cares? You better start part replacing your cars and trucks too. If it works then great if it takes a crap then its free to fix via SA warranty. I bought the TRP and it still required a trip to the factory to fix the sights. They came loose with shooting and the gun shot low consistently for months before i sent it in. Its 4 months old and 1300 dollars, no excuse for that quality mishap for such a high price.
I sure do love it now though, hits dead on and runs like a champ.
Ps brazil chicks are hot maybe they helped with your model, lol. :D Thats the way i wold introduce it, "some hot chick in brazil built this." Go love your gun and dont stress on such minor details, have fun man.

[westexcruzer]

Bought a GI a month ago, played with one at the counter but when I got ready to buy he got another one out of the safe that hadn't been unwrapped. Looking it over after I left I noticed one of the grip screws had been scratched. Called Springfield, no problem, will send you a new screw. 3 weeks later got my screws(2 of them) blued ones. Said park. on invoice for parkerized, right? Called Springfield again, told them my problem, they said that's all they had. Offered to send 2 more screws so they would all match. Told them if that's the best they could do that was ok. Asked about Brazil and all they would say was that some guns are built there and some are partially built there and completed here. Evidently not only is the GI completely assembled in Brazil they don't even have parts here for them. Not too surprising, it is their base model. Still shoots like a champ. Wouldn't stop me from buying another Springfield(I have an XD) but I would look a lot harder at Kimbers. Jake

[DiN_BLiX]

I would take something made my Imbel everyday of the week! it could be made by CAI or hesse/vulcan... that would be a reason for concern, but not imbel. Ask a fal builder which fal receiver is king, imbel.

[binary]

I would take something made my Imbel everyday of the week! it could be made by CAI or hesse/vulcan... that would be a reason for concern, but not imbel. Ask a fal builder which fal receiver is king, imbel.

Really? Who else is using Imbel?

[DiN_BLiX]

Imbel built 1911a1s/FAL rifles for the brazilian military for a long time (before they switched to taurus/beretta),Im sure they make alot of other stuff for many arms companies that we all know aswell. The first commercial springers were build entirly by imbel. I dont sweat imbel, but if we start seeing springer 1911s made by century arms or hesse/vulcan then it is time to worry about the origins of the slide/frame/barrel. I would worry more about the cast extractor.

[lil toad]

Don't be too quick to dump on SA for the Imbel label. Take a look around your house and see just how much stuff is foreign.

[binary]

Don't be too quick to dump on SA for the Imbel label. Take a look around your house and see just how much stuff is foreign.

And honestly now, that I've had time to shoot 743 rounds of all shapes and makes through it, does it matter? I've had one malfunction with the GI Milspec, but that was due to my manual feeding, an ignorant limp-racking.\

My opinion now that I've owned it for a while: Who cares? Does it work? Ok!