Welcome to M1911.ORG
The M1911 Pistols Organization Forums Site


John needs your help
Please read this message.


Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from the companies advertising above, or near the bottom of our pages, please use their banners in our sites. Whatever you buy from them, using those banners, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 11

Thread: Pacific International Vega

THREAD CLOSED
This is an old thread. You can't post a reply in it. It is left here for historical reasons.Why don't you create a new thread instead?
  1. #1
    Join Date
    5th September 2010
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    12
    Posts liked by others
    0

    Pacific International Vega

    I ran a search here and came up with three threads, the newest post being 2008. I figured this new one was better than a necro-thread.

    I had never heard of the "Vega" 1911 made by Pacific International Merchandising Corporation of Sacramento, California. I still have not seen one. But I was thumbing through an old gun magazine and there is a half-page ad with a large bold title, "Finally, Stainless Steel Precision in a .45 ACP"

    It's got forward leaning serrations like a Gold Cup. Everything else I can see from the picture looks completely standard for the day.

    The magazine is the Sept 1978 issue of Shooting Times.

    They offered it with an MSRP of $329.95 with fixed sights and $369.95 with "accro-adjustable" sights.

    Does any know much about these -- anyone see one or own one? And here I thought AMT marketed the first stainless 1911s. I guess not.

    Oh, and in an interesting "sign of the times" and how much things have changed... on the opposite page is a full page Colt advertisement. There are seven shiny new gorgeous Colt handguns in the ad... and six of those handguns are revolvers.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    26th October 2006
    Posts
    1,448
    Posts liked by others
    0
    I remember the Vega from that long ago time. Unfortunately I was never able to handle one, but they sure looked fine in the magazines.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    14th February 2009
    Location
    Saint Augustine, FL
    Posts
    3,725
    Posts liked by others
    11
    I also remember the Vega, they were one of the various "other brand" of 1911s from the late 70s that didn't quite make it.
    Somewhere I have an older Guns & Ammo or Shooting Times that has an article about these "Other brands".
    Ken
    "I like Colts and will die that way"
    "It seems to me that I have forgotten more than I remember"

  4. #4
    Join Date
    17th July 2007
    Posts
    86
    Posts liked by others
    0
    Both the Vega and the early AMT Hardballers were stainless failures, not being able to go many rounds before seizing up with galling problems. Bad choice of alloys and heat treats. (not the best machining either) They tried to overcome their problems with lubricants. It wasn't until the Detonics stainless 45's were built that there was any real success in that arena. The Detonics alloys were later copied by Randall, and after that by AMT, which then saw success (for a while anyway) in the full sized 1911 market. With today's modern alloys, CNC machines, heat treats, etc, almost anyone can make one, but back then, it took some real pioneering to make them work. Detonics gets the kudo's for that.
    Schuyler

  5. #5
    Join Date
    5th September 2010
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    12
    Posts liked by others
    0
    Can you give me even a general idea of some dates when these things happened?

    When did these early AMTs hit the market with the galling issues?
    When did the Detonics hit the market with the proper alloys for success?
    When did Randall pick up on it?
    When were the first AMTs that no longer had the galling problems?

    Best guesses or ballparks would be fine. I'm not questioning you here, I'm trying to learn more about them.

    Thank you!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    17th July 2007
    Posts
    86
    Posts liked by others
    0
    I believe Hardballers began hitting the market in 77, IIRC, along with their galling issues. The Vega tried (and died) in 78-79. Crown City arms also tried and died about then. Detonics did their R&D in 79 and the stainless Combat Masters were on the market by 80. (You can search the Yahoo Detonics Collector's site for more info about that. Some of the stainless CM's did have some galling problems at first, but those were ironed out). Then Randall came along in 82 -83. I think AMT had about died and gone to new ownership, (or switched financiers or some such), and then began using the better alloys when they returned to the market. I don't know the whole story there, or recall when the better Hardballers were finally on the market.
    Schuyler

  7. #7
    Join Date
    28th January 2006
    Location
    The Great American Desert
    Posts
    4,749
    Posts liked by others
    123
    I have Detonics and an AMT. I bought both new in 1984. By then the galling problems were gone.
    NRA Life Member

  8. #8
    Join Date
    31st January 2005
    Location
    Bonner Springs, Ks
    Posts
    169
    Posts liked by others
    0
    Brolin 1911's had Pacific International frames too. Brolin never made it either in the early 0oughtie's. Sarco has been selling off their out of spec and 80 percent complete frames. As for Vega, I bought some garbage gun parts about 10 years ago from an outfit called 45parts.com. They couldn't get stuff delivered and when they finally did it was pure junk. I do remember the person I spoke to on the phone told me they were what was left of Vega. My guess is that Vega parts came from one of the same Philippine factory's that are now making better quality 1911's.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    17th July 2007
    Posts
    86
    Posts liked by others
    0
    I've just seen and handled an AMT Combat, which is basically a Hardballer in a limited run series of 1,000 pistols. I don't know when this run was made, but the slide is definitely soft and is galling in conjunction with the barrel. Yes, the gun malfunctions too. Does anyone have a date on the AMT "Combat" series in gov't (5" barrel) size, out of El Monte, CA?
    Schuyler

  10. #10
    Join Date
    26th October 2006
    Posts
    1,448
    Posts liked by others
    0
    My Blue Book lists the Combat Skipper and states it was discontinued in 1984, no start production date. It futher states the Skipper was re-introduced in 1991 and discontinued in 1991. It also says the Skipper is similar to the Hardballer, but with a shorter slide on a pre-1984 frame.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  



Sponsors Panel
If you intend to buy something from Brownells, please use their banners above. Whatever you buy from them, gives us a small commission, which helps us keep these sites alive. You still pay the normal price, our commission comes from their profit, so you have nothing to lose, while we have something to gain. Your help is appreciated.
If you want to become a sponsor and see your banner in the above panel, click here to contact us.

Non-gun-related supporters.
Thank you for visiting our supporters.