1911 article from Air Force Times.

[bmcgilvray]

Hah, OD*;

I think the shine is blinding me for I can't see any modification unless your talking about the grips. The grip safety is longer but I think that is the correct contour on an Ithaca. Cool that he gave it to you. That's a good friend. Of course it could be said that you're a good friend too for helping him through his nasty divorce and helping him move.

Yeah, I like all that old stuff you mention. Here's a heartbreaker. I had a crackerjack M1D that I ordered from the CMP. I later traded it to a guy for an 1893-S Morgan silver dollar. Sold the coin for a nice profit but don't have either now. I really like keeping stuff rather than selling it off. Oh well, can't keep everything.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[OD*]

Bryan, a question on your M1911? It looks to have ALL it's factory original parts, nothing appears to have been change in the refurbish, was the pistol even Parkerized, it appears to still retain some of it's bluing?

[OD*]

The grip safety is longer but I think that is the correct contour on an Ithaca.

Good eye, and you are in the correct location. It does have the correct grip safety, but the frame tangs have been shorten also. If it wasn't for that fact, the pistol would be a good candidate for a restoration.

Yeah, I like all that old stuff you mention. Here's a heartbreaker. I had a crackerjack M1D that I ordered from the CMP. I later traded it to a guy for an 1893-S Morgan silver dollar. Sold the coin for a nice profit but don't have either now. I really like keeping stuff rather than selling it off. Oh well, can't keep everything.

Oh man, that is a heart-breaker.

[bmcgilvray]

"the frame tangs have been shortened"

I didn't notice the shortened tangs, still can't really visualize the difference without comparing with a correct Ithaca. I had your thoughts and had salivated over the notion of stripping off the plating, cleaning it up, and Parkerizing it nicely.

It's definitely a rehab. Has one of the common WWII era High Standard barrels in it. Other than springs, I've just left it alone and shot the hooey out of it. It was Parkerized. I remember thinking it looked worn when I got it. Wish I had a photo of it back then to compare with now. I'm afraid that a lot more of the wear that it currently exhibits was acquired through my use of it. It's been marched all over our old family place in a military flap holster, carried beneath a suit coat in a Bianchi X-15 shoulder holster and used in a couple more belt holsters.

It does actually group pretty well considering the typical looseness it exhibits. The groups are nice and round and to point of aim with ball ammo. They are just somewhat larger than groups shot with the Remington Rand or the Gold Cup. Not bad mind you and it would stay well centered on a chest out to 25 yards or so. Part of the problem with precise shooting at distance originates with it's primitive sights.

[mkh]

I traded a Glock 21sf plus some csh for my SA EMP .40.

I love the small 1911 and it complements my Taurus 1911.

[QKShooter]

Terrible base metal prep work on that plating job.

[QKShooter]

Well, LV is not going to sell too many "Vickers" Hammers, Disconnectors, & Sears (that he has now pasted his name onto...if he keeps encouraging shooters to stay away from the 1911.
Kinda like H.J. Heinz making a public announcement that Ketchup causes heart disease.

Here's my take...

He’s a founding member of the International Defensive Pistol Association and also a member of the American Pistolsmiths Guild.

When he says he’s seen everything that can go wrong with a 1911, I believe him.

“Now, I shoot a Glock,” Vickers tells me. “Make sure you tell guys that the 1911 is a pain in the ass. If they don’t like messing around with the pistol and spending a grand to really get it tuned, then they should forget it.”

[Tangle]

...I must be an old fuddy-duddy. My EDC is stock.

I must be an old fuddy-duddy too, again I might add. I went from the Glock and some other platforms and after not finding a gun that met what I was looking for, I re-fuddy-dudded. My EDC is stock also, and gonna stay that way. Well, I did tweak the trigger a wee bit.

...I've been spoiled behind a nice SA trigger too long.

I've shot DAO, DAK, DA/SA, SAO in all kinds of guns. When I shot the guy's Kimber at the range, I realized what I was looking for that I hadn't found. It was there all the time.

...I'm not bashing, but I doubt a safe trigger could get the best of Tangle with his Kimber.

That's kind, and I can say that I find my Kimbers awfully easy to shoot and hit with. I did some stuff last week at the range with my Kimber Tactical Pro that I don't believe I've ever been able to do.

The facts are: 1911s are reliable, rugged, accurate, and easy to shoot. Here's another fact: somebody said Glocks, and this is not a put-down on Glocks but a defense of the 1911, are available in more calibers. Those calibers would be: 9mm, .357 Sig, .40 cal., .45 ACP, .45 GAP, and 10mm. 1911s have been chambered for 9mm, .40 cal, .45 ACP, 38 super, 10mm, .50 cal, and maybe one or two others I've forgotten. That looks about even to me.

There's also the stereotype that 1911s have to be loose to be reliable and tight to be accurate. Todays 1911s are both tight and reliable. They've been thrown in creeks, retrieved, shaken off, and shot until the slide locks back. Todd Jarrott ran 1000 rounds through one as fast as he could - no breaks - no cooling down, no 're-lubing' and it never missed a shot. It got so hot that Todd could hardly hold it.

And this is not a Glock put down, just a report of what happened. James Yeager did the same 1000 round thing with a G19 and had three failures and the guide rod melted. I'm not saying that's typical or that Glocks aren't a good gun, they certainly are, but what happened, happened.

Like it or not, the 1911 is the most popular gun on earth. Pick up any gun magazine and you'll almost be assured to find at least one 1911 article and very likely one will be on the cover. Why? Because it sells magazines.

1911s are made by more manufacturers than any other brand on earth, and it isn't even close. And let us not kid ourselves, gun people don't keep buying 1911s knowing they'll have to put $1000 in them to get them to work right. They keep buying them because the work right out of the box and will continue to do so when they're passed on to their grandkids.

[OD*]

Terrible base metal prep work on that plating job.

You're correct, it is a poor job, but I was still happy to receive it.

[OD*]

"the frame tangs have been shortened"

I didn't notice the shortened tangs, still can't really visualize the difference without comparing with a correct Ithaca. I had your thoughts and had salivated over the notion of stripping off the plating, cleaning it up, and Parkerizing it nicely.

It's definitely a rehab. Has one of the common WWII era High Standard barrels in it. Other than springs, I've just left it alone and shot the hooey out of it. It was Parkerized. I remember thinking it looked worn when I got it. Wish I had a photo of it back then to compare with now. I'm afraid that a lot more of the wear that it currently exhibits was acquired through my use of it. It's been marched all over our old family place in a military flap holster, carried beneath a suit coat in a Bianchi X-15 shoulder holster and used in a couple more belt holsters.

It does actually group pretty well considering the typical looseness it exhibits. The groups are nice and round and to point of aim with ball ammo. They are just somewhat larger than groups shot with the Remington Rand or the Gold Cup. Not bad mind you and it would stay well centered on a chest out to 25 yards or so. Part of the problem with precise shooting at distance originates with it's primitive sights.

I don't doubt it's a rehab, you got lucky and your pistol retains most of it's original parts.