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Thread: Auto Ordnance ZG-51 Pitbull 1911

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  1. #1
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    Auto Ordnance ZG-51 Pitbull 1911

    I traded a few boxes of ammo for this Auto Ordnance ZG-51 Pitbull 1911.

    My buddy that I traded it from said he had issues with it, including the slide locking back after each round. My research shows that this particular model is know for having issues. (And I knew this before trading for it.)

    I had a hard time trying to find out what spring kit to get for it. I contacted a couple places including BHSpringSolutions but never heard back from them.

    I ended up getting a Wilson Combat 1911 Officer's spring kit.

    It appears to be firing okay now. Although, I only put about 10 rounds through it because that's all I had.

    I replaced the recoil spring (18.5#) and the firing pin spring. The firing pin spring that was in there previously was in backwards. I don't know how significant an issue that was

    Also, I completely disassembled it and found a few other issues. The barrel bushing was misshaped and had rough dings and gouges in it. I reshaped it as best as I could and smoothed out the gouges.

    The inside part of the grip safety also had deep gouges in it. I smoothed those out.

    I fired the pistol a couple times before I owned it when buddy buddy brought it to the range. The checkering on the mainspring housing was painful on the palm of the hand after firing. Now, after the changes I made, that is not an issue. Is this because I used a more accurate recoil spring? I think my buddy had bought one that wasn't correct and cut it to what he thought was right.

    Auto Ordnance Pit Bull 1911.jpg

    Auto Ordnance Pit Bull 1911b .JPG

  2. #2
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    I've never seen one of those. I'm happy it found a good home.

    What happened to the front sight?
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Likes (1) :
    Twain55 (8th January 2021)


  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hawkmoon View Post
    I've never seen one of those. I'm happy it found a good home.

    What happened to the front sight?
    Great questioned. It was missing when I got the handgun. I was going to ask if anybody had any tips for replacing it.

    Image.jpg

  4. #4
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    How about the grip safety? It was removed and replaced with something? The mainspring housing was replaced with a MSH for a FS 1911, that's how I see it though. And the hammer was supposed to be a commander hammer. The previous owner(s) experimented on the pistol. Anyway, good it found a good home. You can bring it back to its original configuration. MSH should be for an officers ACP size. Experts please correct me if I'm wrong.

    P.S. I believe the frame of the ZIG51 is FS not officers ACP size as shown.
    Likes (1) :
    Twain55 (8th January 2021)

    Last edited by Ric4509; 8th January 2021 at 10:29.


  5. #5
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    Never heard or saw one like that, best of luck on keeping it running.
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    Twain55 (8th January 2021)


  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ric4509 View Post
    How about the grip safety? It was removed and replaced with something? The mainspring housing was replaced with a MSH for a FS 1911, that's how I see it though. And the hammer was supposed to be a commander hammer. The previous owner(s) experimented on the pistol. Anyway, good it found a good home. You can bring it back to its original configuration. MSH should be for an officers ACP size. Experts please correct me if I'm wrong.

    P.S. I believe the frame of the ZIG51 is FS not officers ACP size as shown.
    The grip safety is there but it's small. I'm not 100% sure that it's functional. I'll have to make sure to check it the next time I go shooting.

  7. #7
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    It looks like a 3-1/2" barrel. That's the same length as a Colt Officers ACP and a Para-Ordnance P12.45. According to Wolff Gunsprings, in .45 ACP the standard recoil spring should be a 22-pound, but they also list 20-pound and 18-1/2-pound for use with lighter loads. If your pistol functions reliably with the 18-1/2-pound spring, it probably won't hurt to leave it in there but, if you shoot a lot with full power ammo, I would recommend installing at least a 20-pounder.

    The Wolff part numbers are:
    49022 for the 22-pound
    49020 for the 20-pound
    49018 for the 18-pound

    https://www.gunsprings.com/PARA-ORDN...D48/dID193#828

    I'm curious about that grip safety. Could you post a photo that's sort of a 3/4 view from the left rear so we can see it? Judging from the top of the mainspring housing, the grip safety must be tiny. What's the overall height of the pistol from the bottom of the mag well (no magazine) to the top of the slide? And what's the center-to-center distance between the grip screws?

    The front sight appears to be a wide tenon (post mount) sight. They are installed by pressing the pust into that rectangular hole in the slide and then using a special tool to peen over the bottom end of the post. It's not rocket surgery but, if you don't have the tool, it's probably better to just have a gunsmith do it. Here are some possibilities:

    https://www.brownells.com/search/ind...ight&ksubmit=y

    Before ordering anything, it would be prudent to verify whether the slot is for a wide tenon or a narrow tenon. Both types have a propensity to sheer off in use, which is probably where yours went. A better solution would be to have a gunsmith mill a dovetail across the front of the slide to accept the dovetail-mount sights. That also opens up more possibilities for sight style and height.
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside

  8. #8
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    FWIW, here's a listing for one that appears to be in the original configuration.

    https://simpsonltd.com/auto-ordnance-zg-51-pistol/

    It appears to have a standard, Officers ACP grip safety. I'm going to make a wild guess that the previous owner of your pistol stock a MSH from a full-size 1911 in there, and then chopped the grip safety to fit!
    Hawkmoon
    On a good day, can hit the broad side of a barn ... from the inside
    Last edited by Hawkmoon; 8th January 2021 at 15:39.


  9. #9
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    I still have mine and a lot of the parts are proprietary this Is about all I ever found trying to research It:

    https://www.gunpartscorp.com/forum/h...pitbull-236808
    Last edited by grayman; 11th January 2021 at 22:53.


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