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View Full Version : Tried out my Springfield 1911 Mil. Spec.


3.Shot.Group.
August 30, 2013, 05:43 PM
I fired 21 rounds at a 8" Shoot & See mounted on a 16" X 16" piece of cardboard. I used Remington UMC 230 gr MC(FMJ?) ammo.

15 rounds hit paper
14 rounds from 10 yrds
7 rounds from 20 yrds

Results

1 round hit the 10 ring(from 10 yrds), that one I intentionally aimed high looking for my point of impact.

2 other rounds hit the edge of the Shoot & See.

6 rounds grouped in a 3" group centered 6" Left and 5" low in the cardboard, 5 of these were fired from 20 yrds.

I have to admit, I wasn't taking a lot of time aligning the shots since I wanted to just shoot the weapon, but I did expect closer results than what I got.

I actually expected to be able to do quite a bit better than that out of the box.

I'm sure the rear sight will have to be moved right a little. Upon inspection it appears to be about 1/16 or so left of center.

As for the low fall of the rounds I might not have lined up the dots, but I thought I did. I expected to have been hitting high at that range.

Other than that I like it, recoil isn't bad, what few rounds I fired through it feed cleanly with no issues at all.

Trigger is pretty good, slight bit of play and really short you have to squeeze it all the way in to fire wish it were a little longer, or had a medium trigger or less slack would be just as good. The trigger actually rattles slightly if you shake the gun, due to the slack(is that normal).

I'm wondering if I should send it back to Springfield Armory or take it to a gunsmith? After firing a few more rounds of course.

I'm not practiced at pistol shooting, so is it normal for newbies to shoot low with a 1911 at those ranges?

WVsig
August 30, 2013, 06:42 PM
I'm sure the rear sight will have to be moved right a little. Upon inspection it appears to be about 1/16 or so left of center.

I would not move the sights until you shoot the gun off a rest.

As for the low fall of the rounds I might not have lined up the dots, but I thought I did. I expected to have been hitting high at that range.

What sight picture are you using?

Trigger is pretty good, slight bit of play and really short you have to squeeze it all the way in to fire wish it were a little longer, or had a medium trigger or less slack would be just as good. The trigger actually rattles slightly if you shake the gun, due to the slack(is that normal).

For a mil-spec production gun none of this sounds out of the ordinary.

I'm wondering if I should send it back to Springfield Armory or take it to a gunsmith? After firing a few more rounds of course.

Way too early to send it to anyone. If you are still having issues after 300 rounds call SA they have great customer service but I am almost 100% sure there is nothing wrong with the gun.

Another thing I would suggest is to have an experienced 1911 shooter shoot the guns and see if they have the same issues.

3.Shot.Group.
August 30, 2013, 07:45 PM
Yeah, I'm looking now for someone that shoots 1911's a lot, and I want to put the thing in a rest and see what happens to.

I think I saw one that will hold a rifle and a pistol, so I'll probably get that one.

I'm not sure exactly what my sight picture was. I was initially just lining up the top of the front post with top of the rear notch, but elevating the rear of the gun to try to get a look at where the orange bull's eye was. Then I think I might have dropped the nose too much while waiting for the trigger to break, that very short trigger combined with my inexperience with shooting a handgun is probably a big part of the equation.

What sight picture should I have. And what range is the Mil Spec zeroed at from the factory?

Something else, I was thinking the front sight would be dove tailed onto the slide, but it appears to be part of the slide; Is that true for the Mil Spec or am I not seeing how it's attached?

Anyone?

3.Shot.Group.
August 31, 2013, 12:25 AM
I've been looking at how I'm holding and firing the gun, and doing some dry drills.

I think what I was doing before was holding the gun too loosely, so when I pulled the trigger my fingers tightened up and pulled it left and low.

I'll do some more live fire tomorrow using a better hold technique and see if that helps.

DaleA
August 31, 2013, 02:23 AM
WVsig - Way too early to send it to anyone.

This ^^^.

Put some more rounds through it and then see if you can get a good group. Shoot it from a rest to make sure the GUN can shoot a tight group and then you'll have more confidence in the gun while you work on your own shooting.

Also try some different ammunition. Before you move the sights you might want to decide on which ammunition you are going to use in it.

g.willikers
August 31, 2013, 08:45 AM
It sounds like it's more of a shooter problem than a gun problem.
Find an accomplished pistolero to show you how to shoot it.
Lots cheaper than throwing money on what's probably already a good gun.
Trying to figure out how to on your own is frustrating and just wastes ammo.

The front sight on this model is usually staked into the slide.
It takes some knowhow and a special tool to replace one.

The slack in the trigger can be corrected, but again, by someone who knows how.
It probably will require different internal parts.
Springfield might want to fix that, themselves, because it's not normal for a good 1911 trigger to have much takeup.

Kreyzhorse
August 31, 2013, 09:12 AM
^ All of the above is good advice. Don't assume that your 1911 needs work. Spend a lot of time with it at the range with different ammo. You'll learn how the gun shoots as you get familiar with it.

UncleEd
August 31, 2013, 10:35 AM
3.shot.group,

here's a little anecdote from the past:

I know way back then the Illinois State Pistol Champion. He told me he got into pistols after learning what a challenge it was following a career in rifles.

In rifles, he said it's not uncommon to compete against a dozen or more experts. In pistols, especially on the local level, you might be competing against only one or two others.

One day after a rifle match, he noticed a match among 1911 shooters and laughed to himself how bad they were. At a mere 25 yards, they couldn't get a really tight 3 shot group to save their lives.

One of the 1911 fellas asked if he'd like to try his hand and since he was an expert rifle man, he figured he'd show those pistol guys a thing or two. After completely missing a number of times, he decided it was a new shooting discipline he'd have to learn. And down the road he became the state pistol champ.

MJFlores
August 31, 2013, 10:58 AM
WVSig is absolutely correct. The gun isn't even broken in, run a few hundred rounds through it...over several sessions (not one or two) and then decide. Guns take a lot of getting used to. I do a good amount of shooting, and if I spend a day or two shooting with my 1911 I need 50 rounds or so with my Sig 229 to be back to normal. I have a feeling this may be true for most people, and know it is for most friends who I shoot with. Take some time to know the gun, over several days and then see. For a "rest"...use a sand bag or folded jacket off a sturdy bench. Most times I sit in a camping chair and form my legs into a comfortable and sturdy triangle and this becomes my "rest" for seeing what a handgun is really capable of. Almost ALL handguns shoot a lot better than WE do :D

hdbiker
August 31, 2013, 11:12 AM
leave the sights alone until you get a consistant groupe from a steady rest with the load you intend to use. hdbiker

WVsig
August 31, 2013, 11:17 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa50-plo48

Check this out for how to properly grip a 1911.

3.Shot.Group.
August 31, 2013, 09:38 PM
Got rained out today so I didn't get to run anymore ammo through the Mil Spec. So I practiced dry fire exercises, and taking it apart and putting it back together.

Now I've got it soaking in CLP. Maybe tomorrow I can shoot it some more, and put what I've been reading/practicing into live practice.

Hopefully I'll be back with some post worthy pics of the results, and won't have to ship it back for tweaking.

Thanks again for the tips

twhidd
September 2, 2013, 12:36 AM
nevermind