Springfield Mil-Spec Quality?

[brockgl]

I am in the market for a 1911, and I am really considering Springfield's 1911's. Specifically the Mil-Spec model over the GI-45 because of the upgraded sights and other small changes that I hope will make for an better starter 1911 overall. I eventually will upgrade parts on it, so I am curious to know if the Mil-Spec is the ideal gun as a 'blank canvas' to build upon. Are the basic features of this gun very well built and polished? That is essentially my main question: How is the fit and finish? Does the fit and finish of the Mil-Spec compare to other manufacturers' 1911's within the quality range? Does the slide have smooth action, etc...? Overall is it a well built quality gun even before any upgrades? The only 1911 I have really ever handled is my Dad's Colt M1991A1, and though it is an accurate gun (it is what inspired me to buy my own 1911), the fit and finish on it seem to be on the rough side. The Mil-Spec I want is the stainless steel version. My Dad's M1991A1 is parkerized and (to me) it is a rough gun and not very pretty. Any info would be awesome! Thanks so much...

[Moe Howard]

I bought one a couple of months ago and it has been 100% reliable so far in only a few hundred rounds but after it hit 200 rounds it became really smooth. The slide almost feels like it is on ball barrings. It is as well built as other higher end 1911s I have had in the past.
It is a very basic gun but makes a great project gun since it runs so well out of the box. Here is what I have done to mine so far.

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/maximo92f/Firearm%20photos/milspec4.jpg
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j234/maximo92f/Firearm%20photos/Milspeccc2.jpg

[Phoinex]

I may be able to offer some insight as I just completed upgrading a milspec 1911. To save money, I bought a stock 1911, 45 acp for $400. I changed the grips and the trigger, then the hammer and put on a beavertail grip safety. It worked so well that I needed better sights, a polished feed ramp, beveled mag well and a Wilson guide rod. The sight upgrade was expensive and after a extended safety, I needed a trip to a gun smith to do some fine tuning.
I said all of that to say this, I spent more on the finished product than it cost to buy a new Kimber-which is about what I built, feature for feature, but not with the resale value.
It can be fun to build a custom 45 but for the cost, you can just buy one. A used combat type 1911 is probably one of the best way to save some coin and get a real fine shooting handgun.
If you make a list of what you features you will want on your gun, then price them out and add some machine work and maybe a trip or two to a gun smith then total it up. That should give you a good idea of your total cost when you add the cost of the basic starter fiream.
If I had it to do over, I would. There really is no free lunch.

[hivel37]

Welcome to the show, Phoinex.

Good info.

[benign.neglect]

I think they suck beyond all description. Mine was a jam-o-matic. I would never own another one, and if one was given to me, i would sell it the the first person I could find who would take it.

[Sarge]

Here (http://www.thesixgunjournal.net/milspec.html) you go.

OK gun, sub-marginal barrel & small parts; built into a real shooter with a replacement barrel (on Springfield's dime) and a few other top-drawer components. It now has several thousand trouble-free rounds under its belt and is dearly loved by the fella who wound up with it.

Moe- I don't generally dig two-tone pistols but that bottom one in your pic is one fine-lookin' piece of machinery.

[Moe Howard]

IMO the current Mil-Specs are an overall improvement over some of the ones from years past. More reliable and noticeably more accurate. I know all about the MIM parts but that just does not bother me. I have replaced a couple of parts with Wilson parts but I just don't see the point in making a lot of changes when the gun shoots as well as it does. Now keep in mind I am not comparing it to a top end custom type match grade 1911. I am comparing it to what it was designed to be, a basic GI type gun. Even with most of the original internal parts including barrel and bushing I still constantly get 2-3 inch groupings at 15 yards. That is plenty good for a service/CCW gun. It certainly not what the 1911 platform is capable of with all the high end goodies in it. I only get better groupings with two of my other guns, Sig p229 and S&W M&P. I am more of a practical shooter rather than a bulls eye shooter so the Mil-Spec may be capable of better groupings in the right hands but 2-3 inch groupings with multiple types of ammo if plenty good for defense which is what I have mine for. If you want or expect a high end 1911 with all the bells and whistles look elsewhere but if you want a good reliable, accurate enough 1911 that you can tinker with yourself, the Mil-Spec is a good choice.

[OneClownDown]

RIA would be a better choice in my opinion.

[MTMilitiaman]

My brother bought one four or five years ago for $450 or so. It was a decent gun then. He invested in a trigger job, Hogue grips, ambi safety, and a Wilson Shok Buff kit to handle my dad's hot reloads, and it became a very good gun. The Shok Buff kit was only necessary because my dad felt it necessary to push 230 gr Gold Dots out at close to 1000 fps. The pistol was a little rough at first, but smoothed out after a little use. It is reliable, comfortable, and offers an excellent value for the money--esp if you have plans to upgrade it later. It is like a Romanian AK, in my opinion--decent as is, but really exceptional as a platform to learn the system, customize, and upgrade.

This is really good shootin' by my standards:

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l308/MTMilitiaman/Guns/SAMilspecTarget.jpg

Here it is with my M1A:

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l308/MTMilitiaman/Guns/M1AandMilSpec.jpg

[ASERO45ACP]

Here is my Mil Spec, this one Rocks:)
http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk124/Asero7/Picture004-1.jpg

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk124/Asero7/Picture045.jpg

[p89ruger_9mm]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y117/p89ruger/Milspecmicrocompact.jpg

[brockgl]

I am home with the new Mil-Spec, and I couldn't be happier! It definitely has excellent fit and finish! I stripped it, cleaned it, and re-assembled--hopefully I'll get to shoot it tomorrow. It is next to my Sig P229 and my S&W 642 airweight centennial.

http://www.brockglaze.net/images/three3.jpg

[ECHOONE]

For those knocking it, Isn't it the platform that most custom builders recommend! Take the one I have over a KIMBER any time!

[Sturmgewehre]

I just picked this little guy up yesterday. It's a 50th b-day gift for my father-in-law. He gets it in two weeks over the holiday weekend.

I own a number of 1911's and this thing is absolutely beautiful. Granted, I made sure to get a NM serial numbered gun (assembled in the US) vs. a N serial numbered gun (assembled in Brazil). I much prefer the quality of the US assembled guns... plus they don't have "Made in Brazil" stamped on them... if that's important to you. For my father-in-law it is an issue.

I would love to have this gun in my collection.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m167/tharmsen/Forums/guns/TRP/DSC02187.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m167/tharmsen/Forums/guns/TRP/DSC02190.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m167/tharmsen/Forums/guns/TRP/DSC02189.jpg
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m167/tharmsen/Forums/guns/TRP/DSC02192.jpg