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Thread: Springfield 1911A1 Mil-Spec fit in "Speed Vault" aka "Velocity Vault"

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  1. #1
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    Springfield 1911A1 Mil-Spec fit in "Speed Vault" aka "Velocity Vault"

    I'm sharing a minor problem I had, so others who use the Speed Vault to store a Springfield 1911A1 Mil-Spec in Condition 1 won't be taken by surprise, as I was.

    I had a problem fitting my pistol into my Velocity Vault. (That was what they were called when I bought it. Now it's "Speed Vault). The pistol was in condition 1 with a fully loaded Wilson Combat "E.T.M" 8 round magazine. Unlike how this locking device worked with my other 1911s the door wouldn't close. The problem seems to be the combination of the Springfield 1911A1 Mil-Spec's muzzle protruding a bit beyond the barrel bushing, and the base pad on the Wilson magazine.

    I took the rounds out of the Wilson mag and put them into a "Colt" branded (mfg by Metalform) 7 round magazine that I had previously converted to 8 rounds with a Wilson spring & follower. This magazine works great in all my guns. Immediately a second problem surfaced. The magazine wouldn't seat in the Springfield pistol with the slide closed.

    Previously I had a problem with some mags only seating about 80% of the time in my Sig Sauer 1911, but in the instance at hand the failure to seat rate was 100%. After I stripped the top round out of the Colt magazine it seated perfectly in the Springfield, and the door also functioned flawlessly in the Speed Vault.

    Some months ago there was a thread in another forum discussing problems with some gun / magazine match-ups not seating the mag with the gun in battery. In my instance, simply reducing the number of rounds in the mag from 8 to 7 made it all work just fine. Here's how it looks in the Velocity Vault now: IMG_0997.jpg
    i sold all my handguns. . . . . . . . . . except for the 1911 style pistols in .45 ACP.

  2. #2
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    I have no idea what that photo is supposed to show us. All I see is a blob of black.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  3. #3
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    As you probably know, a barrel protruding slightly from the barrel bushing is the normal 'state' of a 1911. I know deep-cut crowns and flush-fit barrels have been de-rigeur in custom 1911s in the last decade and a bit, but if anyone out there is selling a vault that supposedly fits a 1911 pistol with a 5" barrel and the protruding muzzle is a problem, IMHO the maker/seller of said-product hasn't thought it through.

    1911 magazines with extended floor plates, intended to fit 8 rounds properly (i.e. without squeezing them in a space designed for 7 rounds) are pretty normal now, and have been for, oh... two decades now? So again, someone selling something that doesn't fit a 1911 so-equipped, needs to rethink it. Just my opinion.

    Any chance there's some sort of rubber spacer in there, that can be swapped/altered? Both on the muzzle end and on the vertical side (maybe interfering with the rear sight)?
    Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
    M. Setter

  4. #4
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    Spyros, I've also been thinking it's the barrel protruding beyond the bushing. I measured that dimension on my 1991A1, my Sig Sauer 1911, and my Kimber Custom II. They're nearly identical to each other, and all fit perfection in the Speed Vault with all my mags. I think later today I'll unload the Springfield and measure that protrusion. Just visually it does appear more than on the other pistols.

    Thinking "path of least resistance" I may buy a few top quality 7 round mags with no base pad, solely for use with the Springfield when it's in the speed vault. If memory is right Hawkmoon posted months ago about one particular Checkmate 7 round mag he liked.

    As to the photo, a black pistol with black grips in a black box surrounded by white walls requires photographic skills beyond mine. I will try again, hoping for luck.
    i sold all my handguns. . . . . . . . . . except for the 1911 style pistols in .45 ACP.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spyros View Post
    As you probably know, a barrel protruding slightly from the barrel bushing is the normal 'state' of a 1911. I know deep-cut crowns and flush-fit barrels have been de-rigeur in custom 1911s in the last decade and a bit, but if anyone out there is selling a vault that supposedly fits a 1911 pistol with a 5" barrel and the protruding muzzle is a problem, IMHO the maker/seller of said-product hasn't thought it through.
    However, the flush muzzle folks haven't made 1911 barrels shorter to get that flush appearance. Many custom and semi-custom 1911 makers (as well as some of the barrel makers) have been using double-thick barrel bushings. The extra thickness of the exterior flange brings it flush with the muzzle. So I don't think that's got anything to do with this particular pistol not fitting into whatever a Speed Vault is.

    Conversely, I also don't think anyone is making 1911 barrels that are longer than spec, such that they would protrude beyond the face of a double-thick barrel bushing.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkmoon View Post
    However, the flush muzzle folks haven't made 1911 barrels shorter to get that flush appearance. Many custom and semi-custom 1911 makers (as well as some of the barrel makers) have been using double-thick barrel bushings. The extra thickness of the exterior flange brings it flush with the muzzle. So I don't think that's got anything to do with this particular pistol not fitting into whatever a Speed Vault is.

    Conversely, I also don't think anyone is making 1911 barrels that are longer than spec, such that they would protrude beyond the face of a double-thick barrel bushing.
    I was measuring from the end of the barrel to the front of the slide, ignoring the thickness of the barrel bushing. When I tried it this morning with the Springfield I found that distance was 0.3mm longer than the other pistols I had measured.

    Rumaging around in the garage I found a Checkmate CM45-8-B magazine that I bought last year, but demoted it to the "practice mags box" because it wouldn't seat a portion of the time when fully loaded and the slide closed. In range day practice I found feeding was 100% in all my 1911s with a variety of ammunition. So, I loaded it with 8 rounds of the duty ammunition for the PD from which I am retired, seated it in the gun, and hit the slide release. Of course it fed the first round into the chamber, leaving 7 in the magazine. I then tested and found the magazine seated easily in the pistol time after time when loaded with only 7 rounds.

    Lastly I put it in the speed vault and found the door would open and close perfectly. Here's a photo of a open Speed Vault that I downloaded from online, and a closed one as well. I have several of these devices so that my pistols will be accessible to me, so that I will be in compliance with California Law, and so that my grandson will not get his hands on my pistols.
    Unknown-2.jpegUnknown-3.jpeg

    At this point I'm satisfied that the problem is resolved.
    i sold all my handguns. . . . . . . . . . except for the 1911 style pistols in .45 ACP.
    Last edited by MuyModesto; 15th December 2019 at 14:01.


  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkmoon View Post
    Conversely, I also don't think anyone is making 1911 barrels that are longer than spec, such that they would protrude beyond the face of a double-thick barrel bushing.
    Oooh... there was one custom maker who made a habit of equipping his 1911s with 5.1" barrels (instead of 5.031"), with standard-thickness bushings. But I can't remember his name! Ugh, my 1911 nerdiness weakens...

    EDITED to add:

    Nowlin!
    Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
    M. Setter
    Last edited by Spyros; 16th December 2019 at 05:06.


  8. #8
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    I finally found an 8-round magazine that would allow the Velocity Vault (aka) Speed Vault door to open and close freely. That is the Wilson Combat "E.T.M.", item 500BC-HD. It has a "low profile" base, that is of metal, not plastic. The gun fit perfectly in the Speed Vault and the door mechanism functioned perfectly. So now I can store my Springfield 1911 Mil-Spec in Condition 1 with 8 rounds in the magazine in case it is ever needed for self-defense. Here are some photos to show the magazine. Sorry but I still can't take good photos of a black gun in a black vault. I thought this info worthy of sharing both for those wishing to comply with "negligent storage" laws in states where they apply, and for the safety of loved ones who need to be denied access to firearms.


    wilson 500BC-HD in original wrapper.jpg Entire Springfield Armory 1911 Mil-Spec with Wilson 500BC-HD mag.jpgWilson 500BC-HD in the Springfield Mil-Spec.jpg
    i sold all my handguns. . . . . . . . . . except for the 1911 style pistols in .45 ACP.

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