Finally got to the range this afternoon with the AO. It came with one Checkmate mag & I had two more 7-round mags from Cabelas(I think they were Triple-K or something like that). I field stripped it, cleaned off the factory oil I could get to, sprayed it down with Remoil, re-assembled, & wiped it down before taking it to the range. I also brought along my 586 to make it an all-steel party. Here's what they both looked like after the range....
With that black oxide finish you can hardly tell the AO has been shot.
I put a couple hundred rounds through the AO at 7 & 10 yards with really good target results, but definitely some cycling problems. I had only two FTE's for the session which I would think is not bad for an "unbroken-in" 1911. However, I lost count of how many mags I had at least one round hang up half way into battery. It was always on one of the last 3 rounds in the mag. If it was No3, I could drop the mag, clear it, slide the mag back in, & the last 2 would cycle fine. I was using 230g ball ammo from LAX & Blazer.
I will attribute some of the problems to my own fault. I caught myself limp-wristing & flinching quite a few times after the hammer bite got me. Also, as mentioned above, a new 1911 with tight workings might need some break-in time. Here's a pic of my severe injury....
I would say the sights on this pistol are right on. Just like all my other semiautos I tend to shoot a little high & left when I picture just above the sights. Here's some samples(the targets on the left are from the 586)....
May have to get the paint out for that front sight :-) I had quite a time finding it a few times. I know there are night sites available for the GI 1911s, but I'm not sure yet if that's the way I'll go.
I'm not sure what the typical ejection pattern is for a 1911, but the AO tossed 2 or 3 right down the front of my shirt. Could be related to limp-wristing. My other autos usually bounce them off the right bulkhead. I'm not that familiar with the extractor & ejector on the 1911.
I really enjoyed my 1st outing with the AO 1911A1 & looking forward to the next trip. I'll field strip it & see what things look like inside tonight.
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