SW1911 with Laser Range Report

I took my second SW1911 to the range today. I purchased it, and another SW1911 simply because the price was so darned good. I never really expected both pistols to be so darned good.....but they were. Both pistols are boringly reliable. The firing pin safety functions without any felt resistance. The trigger is crisp and clean. I put 400 rounds of various ammo and reloads through this 1911 today with nary a hiccup. Nada. The pistol shot to point of aim unerringly, and it's ability to hit small dots at far distances greatly exceeded my own.

As pictured, this pistol is a little different from a factory gun. I swapped in a GI recoil system. This is a carry gun, and the full length guide rods just aren't appropriate in my opinion. I also got rid of the plastic Wilson magazine base pad, and installed a steel low profile pad instead. It's a little extra weight, but it allows the magazine to fall free quickly with mag changes.

The SW1911 is accurate and reliable, but there are a few things I will change if I keep the pistol (and I probably will). The laser grips do not work for me. I index my trigger finger using the slide stop pin as a guide. This obscures the laser when holding a bead on target. The best purpose of a laser, in my opinion, is to let a threat know he is in your sights, and potentially change the outcome of a lethal encounter before the trigger is pulled. If the laser is obscured until the finger is on the trigger, then that purpose is very very dangerous. Thus, the laser grips will be sold. I found S&W rubber 1911 grips at CDNN and placed an order along with a few other items to make the shipping worthwhile. If any reader is interested in the laser grips, shoot me an email at bayouroversATjamDOTrrDOTcom. Sorry Crimson Trace, it's a good product, but it doesn't work for me. The laser grips are now sold.

One of the additional items I placed on the CDNN order is a Chip McCormick trigger. I like the new CMC trigger because it allows adjustment of both uptake and overtravel. Before McCormick came out with this trigger, the only similar trigger on the market was the Dlask. It was expensive, but for some, including myself, worth the cost. The CMC trigger does the same thing for much less.

There are other things that I may change about this pistol. It has a lot of MIM parts. While not necessarily a bad thing, I prefer machined parts. Over time, these parts will be swapped out for machined steel, and as they are changed, the spotted zebra look will become plain old stainless. If I really get after it, I may bead blast off the silly lawyer warning on the dust cover. I hate insults to my intelligence like that.

Smith & Wesson obviously built this pistol as a mass produced gun. It may have a few "custom" features, but it is hardly a custom gun. Overall the fit and finish is excellent though. Little things, like not rounding off the edges of the front sight dovetail bug me, but then I have been called persnickity more than once. The bottom line though, is the SW1911 is a reliable, accurate weapon. I'll keep this'un.