[SATRP]

Hickok shooting a Springfield Armory TRP:

 

[nitesit(+ an e)]

I spent two conversations with the SA Custom Shop about ordering a Professional for myself. As we discussed specs the custom shop told me emphatically that they do not like Wilson 47D magazines in their pistols and that was not an option as they encounter too many times where that magazine has reliability issues in the Professionals they build.

 

[ChrisD46]

I spent two conversations with the SA Custom Shop about ordering a Professional for myself. As we discussed specs the custom shop told me emphatically that they do not like Wilson 47D magazines in their pistols and that was not an option as they encounter too many times where that magazine has reliability issues in the Professionals they build.

*What magazines do the SA 1911's like the best ?

 

[Glolt20-91]

Our SO (Cochise County Arizona) issues Colt Series 80 1911s in 45auto, they work out of the box. Six of my 1911s are Colt (.38Super, 10mm & 45auto), all are reliable carry and three of these have undercut trigger guards, one of my preferences now in choosing 1911.

The Competition series are very well-made, like all 1911s, they point naturally and the front fiber optic sight pops under the Arizona sun, high and low angles, summer and winter.

38Super,..since 1929

 

[Bren]

*Both about the same price with similar features : For all - around use and gun games - which one would you pick and why ?
Thanks in advance !

Springfield has the better reputation for competition guns, but they are basically the same gun. I like the solid front sight of the Springfield, but the fiber optic on the Colt might be better for short rage shooting like IDPA. Given how cheap and easy it is to change a dovetail front sight, that only matters if they are otherwise 100% equal.

I'd probably make my choice based on the slide to frame fit and trigger pull on the two guns. It isn't hard to find Springfields that have a great trigger right out of the box. Find that and, for action shooting purposes, you've got a gun that's ready to go without a gunsmith being involved.

 

[m814]

I’ve been a 1911 guy since the last turn of the century. I’ve had Springfields, Colts, Kimbers, and a Baer. Shot a few others. I’ve sold a lot of the Springfields over the years. Never sold a Colt. Still have a Kimber Super Carry Pro my wife carries and loves. All of that to say this…. Every Colt I have now is worth several hundred dollars more than what I paid for it. Most of them have at least doubled and one has quadrupled in value. None of the Springfields ever sold for more than I paid for them, although they all shot well with just a little fine tuning. I currently own a Garrison 9mm that is still having a high number of failure to return to battery malfunctions after about 150 rds. I believe this will be resolved soon, and it could be fixed immediately with a higher spring rate. I just disassembled it and cleaned the breach face and feedramp. Those are things I’ve done to every SA I have ever owned. That amounts to about 12-13. I also have a TRP that I had to do a little edge and polish work on to get it right for carry. Of all my Colts, I’ve never had to do anything to get them to function reliably. I have fitted new Brown bushings to the Match barrels to get them really tight. They will all shoot a one hole clover group at 12 yds. I’ve done it. My TRP may do that on a good day. The bushing is pretty loose though. I have no problems with my Colts and they are built to run well. I keep my Colts, I’d sell my Springfields. Unfortunately, I’ve only seen one Colt for sale in all the gun stores I’ve been in over the last three years.

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

The Competition series are very well-made, like all 1911s, they point naturally and the front fiber optic sight pops under the Arizona sun, high and low angles, summer and winter.

View attachment 1095473

38Super,..since 1929

I don’t know why Colt doesn’t release the .38 Super Series 70 Competition in blued like they did with the Series 80 Competition.

Are we brothers from different mothers and fathers?

 

[Glolt20-91]

Nice looking Colt... I was Navy Mobile Riverine Force, Mekong Delta, RVN;

My father was 1st Battalion, 506PIR, 101st Airborne ETO...slept at Berchtesgaden and guarded Goring's castle, loved Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland...he also taught me how to shoot an '03 Springfield at extended ranges while I was in high school.

I'm a big fan of the Super, first reading about it, IIRC a Gun Digest article, in the mid '60s...for the handloader, it can push .357mag 125gr XTPs into the mid to high 1400s with N105 powder and Federal primers that are good for an additional ~20fps MVs...with recoil like a G17 +P ammunition.

Sound familiar???

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

Nice looking Colt... I was Navy Mobile Riverine Force, Mekong Delta, RVN;

My father was 1st Battalion, 506PIR, 101st Airborne ETO...slept at Berchtesgaden and guarded Goring's castle, loved Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland...he also taught me how to shoot an '03 Springfield at extended ranges while I was in high school.

I'm a big fan of the Super, first reading about it, IIRC a Gun Digest article, in the mid '60s...for the handloader, it can push .357mag 125gr XTPs into the mid to high 1400s with N105 powder and Federal primers that are good for an additional ~20fps MVs...with recoil like a G17 +P ammunition.

Sound familiar???

Well, I was Charlie Company, 1st of 502nd, 101st Airborne.

The Widowmakers patch was actually from one of my best friends. He was with 3rd of the 502nd.

 

[Distant Thunder]

I don’t know why Colt doesn’t release the .38 Super Series 70 Competition in blued like they did with the Series 80 Competition.

Are we brothers from different mothers and fathers?

A properly blued 38 Super would just be pure class.

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

A properly blued 38 Super would just be pure class.

The problem with the blued Series 80 Competition was that Colt did a matte finish all over the gun for that “business” look and it looks like crap. Lots of complaints made about it. So for the Series 70 Competition blued models, Colt went back to polishing the flat surfaces and matte on the round surfaces. Alas, blued Series 70 Competition isn’t available for the .38 Super.

However a distributor had Colt done up a limited run of Series 80 Competition blued with the polished on flat and matte on round surfaces.

 

[Bren]

*What magazines do the SA 1911's like the best ?

All magazines work fine in mine. I tend to stick with the Springfield magazines they sell with their pistols unless I am shooting wadcutters and need wadcutter feed lips.

 

[JROC734]

Probably either are good. Look at both and decide where you want to spend your $.

BTW Colt didn't just get back into making good quality 1911's. They've being doing it for a while. This isn't the 80's and 90's when their 1911's reputation took a dump, and their competitors started selling quality replicas.

I've always thought that my 2010 Colt Combat Elite felt like a Springer did, back when Colt was making sloppy feeling 1911's. It's smooth, tight without being TIGHT, accurate and reliable. I love it. In fact the Ed Brown magwell I put on it is a bigger POS than the Colt stuff. (Even though the Colt poly mainspring housing is extremely corny and cheap in a 4 figure 1911) This is the 3rd Ed Brown magwell I put on it and they all develop rust. What kind of cheap stainless is Ed Brown using? I got to the point where I said the heck with it, and deal with a little rust, as I got tire of dealing with Ed Brown and exchanging magwells and the new ones quickly developing the same issue over and over.

 

[mc1911]

I like aluminum main spring housings.

 

[poi]

I own both colt and Springfield, not a colt competition but two 73B prefix 70’s government and four O1911C, one in .38 super I like them all but they are sloppier than need be, but they do shoot very well. The super is the sloppiest yet seems to be the best shooter.
Now for springfields I have one RO TARGET 9mm converted to .38 super, three milspec defenders and now a Garrison.
I realize colts, even used will probably gain in value but the springfields are a very good gun and the Garrison after spending the weekend with it has become one of my favorites.
It is tight, accurate and very smooth right out of the box.
Other than investment return the only advantage the competition colt really has is adjustable rear and fiber optic front sight
and I don’t think one can be had for $800 including tax.
So unless you really want colt, which believe me I completely understand buy a Garrison and spend the rest on ammo.
Don’t think you will regret either one!

 

[Glolt20-91]

*Interesting reply about mags the Colt liked to eat ... Wilson mags (Wilson anything) get high marks - yet your Colt wouldn't run on the Wilson mags ? Here are supposedly the best 1911 .45 ACP mags you can buy : [Tested] Best 1911 Magazines: .45 ACP and 9mm .

Four of the five Wilsons I bought in .38 Super functioned poorly in the Colt...and Para

 

[ChrisD46]

I’ve been a 1911 guy since the last turn of the century. I’ve had Springfields, Colts, Kimbers, and a Baer. Shot a few others. I’ve sold a lot of the Springfields over the years. Never sold a Colt. Still have a Kimber Super Carry Pro my wife carries and loves. All of that to say this…. Every Colt I have now is worth several hundred dollars more than what I paid for it. Most of them have at least doubled and one has quadrupled in value. None of the Springfields ever sold for more than I paid for them, although they all shot well with just a little fine tuning. I currently own a Garrison 9mm that is still having a high number of failure to return to battery malfunctions after about 150 rds. I believe this will be resolved soon, and it could be fixed immediately with a higher spring rate. I just disassembled it and cleaned the breach face and feedramp. Those are things I’ve done to every SA I have ever owned. That amounts to about 12-13. I also have a TRP that I had to do a little edge and polish work on to get it right for carry. Of all my Colts, I’ve never had to do anything to get them to function reliably. I have fitted new Brown bushings to the Match barrels to get them really tight. They will all shoot a one hole clover group at 12 yds. I’ve done it. My TRP may do that on a good day. The bushing is pretty loose though. I have no problems with my Colts and they are built to run well. I keep my Colts, I’d sell my Springfields. Unfortunately, I’ve only seen one Colt for sale in all the gun stores I’ve been in over the last three years.

*Interesting 1911 comments - also find the lack of new Colt 1911's in stores a bit of a concern - hopefully we can see more of the Colt newer 1911 models available for sale soon !

 

[45caldan]

COLT for me.
I think the Competition is a better gun than the Garrison even if its not by much.
One nice touch on the Colt that I don't think has been mentioned is the undercut trigger guard.

Even the TRP mentioned in this thread doesn't have this feature.

 

[Bren]

COLT for me.
I think the Competition is a better gun than the Garrison even if its not by much.
One nice touch on the Colt that I don't think has been mentioned is the undercut trigger guard.

Even the TRP mentioned in this thread doesn't have this feature.

Just saw a nice blued Garrison in a gun shop last week. $659. That's a feature the Colt doesn't have. With features like that, I'd undercut the trigger guard myself if there was really any reason to do it.

 

[45caldan]

Just saw a nice blued Garrison in a gun shop last week. $659. That's a feature the Colt doesn't have. With features like that, I'd undercut the trigger guard myself if there was really any reason to do it.

That’s a good price for sure.