sixgun0510
11th May 2009, 15:02
In 1979 I bought my first 1911, a NIB blued Combat Commander (serial number has been retouched). The sum of my inexperience and Colt's handiwork produced a combination that wouldn't run an entire magazine (reloads or factory ammo) in the first 1500 rounds. It went to a gun shop, then a series of gunsmiths, for what were considered "necessary" fixes in the late 70s. It's been through generations of triggers, grips, safeties, guiderods, slide stops, sights, bushings, plunger tubes, other parts and boxes of springs since then, and it hasn't had a FTF in more than 58,500 rounds since the original work. Various other internal parts have been fitted but so far have been unnecessary. It'll run like a sewing machine with any of 32 different magazines I have on hand. The hard chrome is 28 years old (these days a mixture of HC and stainless small parts), the gun will shoot three inches all day long at 25 yards on the original barrel, and it's been to Gunsite several times. Amazingly, this gun is about as true as when it was originally 'smithed, and I'd be pleased but not surprised if it ran another 60K or more. Obviously there's no collector value. These days, however, I've got other 1911s—longer, shorter, lighter, etc. that all perform admirably. I've kind of got the itch for a bobtail. I've shot bobtails but not lived with one. Would you cut this one, start the project with a different base, or buy a readymade bobtail?