Smith & Wesson 1911 E-Series - considering for first 1911

[churchmouse]

.....I got nothing

 

[wtburnette]

.....I got nothing

CM speechless?

 

[Ricnzak]

How's the recoil on the bobtail/Scandium frame gun vs. the standard full steel frame?
Light weight usually means more felt recoil.

Try this site. Handgun Database - Compare Handguns

They give a comparison of recoil based on a mathematical formula for handguns. When I want to compare handguns I'm interested in I use my Glock 23, TLE II & J Frame as a baseline. I'm the most familiar with those.

It lists the difference in recoil of the two different Smith & Wesson frames at about 2-1/2 lbs. But both are on the lower half of the chart they have. My 23 is listed at about 3-1/2 lbs more recoil than my TLE II. Maybe this will give you a little more to compare. I love reading up on anything I can about a new purchase. Good luck and post a range report.

 

[churchmouse]

CM speechless?

You guys have this covered. Good solid choices/decisions based on solid research.

Me, I just blew a lot of time and money dinking around trial and error with 1911's over the years. We didn't have no interwebs.

 

[Bennettjh]

I like the one linked in the OP. Good looking pistol for sure. I agree with VERT about getting a 5" barrel first, especially if primarily a range toy.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

I can't help but agree that the 5" version would be a good choice.
I held a bobtailed Sig Nightmare today that was pretty impressive.
Can't help but to like the bobtailed frame.
It fit my hand very well. Better than the standard frame.

A part of me still can't believe I'm considering a 1911 purchase but there's another side that pretty excited by it
Nothing like a good smiley to convey a man's true emotions

 

[VERT]

If Glocks are the darkside what is a nice 1911? "An elegant weapon for a more civilized age"

 

[bjenkins]

I've got one that looks like the photo below. It's the scandium version and though I am not as knowledgable about 1911's as most others, the recoil is nothing out of the ordinary, it's functioned great, and looks beaut
Ditto I also have that gun and it is flawless, dead accurate and a pleasure to shoot with very little recoil!

 

[wtburnette]

You guys have this covered. Good solid choices/decisions based on solid research.

Me, I just blew a lot of time and money dinking around trial and error with 1911's over the years. We didn't have no interwebs.

I knew that's what you meant, just giving you guff

Even with the interwebs, I still did my research the old fashioned way, by buying what seemed good and trying it out. I should have been more patient and tried a few to find "the one", but instead I got some great ideas from you and others on here and took the leap. All three of mine are very nice and I enjoy having them. A fringe benefit is that now I'm learning a bit more about another platform.

I can't help but agree that the 5" version would be a good choice.
I held a bobtailed Sig Nightmare today that was pretty impressive.
Can't help but to like the bobtailed frame.
It fit my hand very well. Better than the standard frame.

A part of me still can't believe I'm considering a 1911 purchase but there's another side that pretty excited by it
Nothing like a good smiley to convey a man's true emotions

So, what's winning for you right now, the Nightmare or the S&W E-Series? Either would make a great first for you!

 

[VERT]

I can't help but agree that the 5" version would be a good choice.
I held a bobtailed Sig Nightmare today that was pretty impressive.
Can't help but to like the bobtailed frame.
It fit my hand very well. Better than the standard frame.

A part of me still can't believe I'm considering a 1911 purchase but there's another side that pretty excited by it
Nothing like a good smiley to convey a man's true emotions

I have been impressed with the Sigs that I have handled and shot. Seems that I remember some of them have a slightly different contour to the slide making them incompatible with some holsters. That is a turnoff for me in what would be an otherwise good gun, but tnere are some of us who are nitpicky about silly things. I am also not a fan of rail guns. I wanted a rail so I chose a P226 SAO instead. So I guess if I would have stayed with a 1911 I would have looked at Sig.

 

[Expat]

I have a Sig compact 1911. It has the commander slide with officer frame, so it conceals very well. It has had no malfunctions to date, but hasn't been shot a great deal.
But it does have that ugly ass external extractor.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

I'm ok with the large external extractor especially if it works better (and it seems to from what I've read), but I don't want to turn this topic into an extractor debate.
Coming from a Glock heavy background, I naturally prefer function over form or originality.

That full size Sig Nightmare is pretty nice. Full 5" slide, and it has a bobtail frame which is great.
There's not too many bobtailed full size guns out there. All the bobtails seem to be commander size.

Cost is still a factor for me. Would probably be best to cut my teeth on a 70-series traditional full size like the stainless E-series.
I love all the choices!

 

[churchmouse]

I'm ok with the large external extractor especially if it works better (and it seems to from what I've read), but I don't want to turn this topic into an extractor debate.
Coming from a Glock heavy background, I naturally prefer function over form or originality.

That full size Sig Nightmare is pretty nice. Full 5" slide, and it has a bobtail frame which is great.
There's not too many bobtailed full size guns out there. All the bobtails seem to be commander size.

Cost is still a factor for me. Would probably be best to cut my teeth on a 70-series traditional full size like the stainless E-series.
I love all the choices!

It is close to being the only guy at a sorority dance...............Soooooooooooomany choices. And all of them expensive.

 

[VERT]

Full size 1911 with a bobtail? Mmmmmmmm..................

Only issue I have had with my "70 series" Smith is that they use a titanium firing pin. If you reload you better make sure the primers are seated firmly because the gun doesn't pop the high primers.

You know Indy, you really should just come down here and try some 1911s. Bring The Mouse with you. Scratch that! I think we need a 1911 shoot somewhere.

 

[wtburnette]

Full size 1911 with a bobtail? Mmmmmmmm..................

Only issue I have had with my "70 series" Smith is that they use a titanium firing pin. If you reload you better make sure the primers are seated firmly because the gun doesn't pop the high primers.

You know Indy, you really should just come down here and try some 1911s. Bring The Mouse with you. Scratch that! I think we need a 1911 shoot somewhere.

I'd be down with that

Oh and Indy reloaded some .45 that we tested and it worked fine. Only issue we had was the bullet was seated too deeply on a couple "test" bullets and they wouldn't go into battery correctly. The others he had reloaded worked just fine.

 

[IndyGlockMan]

Full size 1911 with a bobtail? Mmmmmmmm..................

Only issue I have had with my "70 series" Smith is that they use a titanium firing pin. If you reload you better make sure the primers are seated firmly because the gun doesn't pop the high primers.

You know Indy, you really should just come down here and try some 1911s. Bring The Mouse with you. Scratch that! I think we need a 1911 shoot somewhere.

That sounds like a great idea!
WTBurnette (Tom) is one of my best friends and I'm sure he would love to come and bring his three 1911's too.


I do reload. I have a Dillon XL650. Just recently loaded some of my first 45 ACP and tested them out on Saturday.
4.6 gr of Titegroup with a 230gr RN Xtreme bullet proved to be an extremely accurate round out of WTBurnete's SA Loaded and my Glock 41
I'll make sure the primers are firmly in place. It's usually not an issue, but thank you for making me aware of it.

Full size 1911 bobtailed Sig Nightmare

 

[IndyGlockMan]

I'd be down with that

Oh and Indy reloaded some .45 that we tested and it worked fine. Only issue we had was the bullet was seated too deeply on a couple "test" bullets and they wouldn't go into battery correctly. The others he had reloaded worked just fine.

It wasn't a seating issue, it was a crimp issue. The 1911's have a tighter tolerance chamber and some of the rounds were not crimped quite hard enough.
I adjusted the crimp die in a little more and we're good to go now. I also adjusted the power/flaring die to flare a little less.
I loaded up about 20 more at 4.6 and will test them out and make sure that's still our best 45acp recipe.

 

[wtburnette]

It wasn't a seating issue, it was a crimp issue. The 1911's have a tighter tolerance chamber and some of the rounds were not crimped quite hard enough.
I adjusted the crimp die in a little more and we're good to go now. I also adjusted the power/flaring die to flare a little less.
I loaded up about 20 more at 4.6 and will test them out and make sure that's still our best 45acp recipe.

Sounds good. Are you in Indy today, or still up North? I took a mental health day today and plan to hit ITP later...

 

[jagee]

I think we need a 1911 shoot somewhere.

 

[churchmouse]

Sounds good. Are you in Indy today, or still up North? I took a mental health day today and plan to hit ITP later...

OK.....now I am lost. You did not come off as Bat crazy the times we have talked. Seemed pretty normal to me.....

Mental Health day.