Officer's Model 1911

[rhino]

I'm impressed by all of the reports of compact 1911s that functioned flawlessly! We must have an exceptionally fortunate group of individuals. Over the years, I've seen some Officer's ACP-sized guns that worked well even when driven hard. I've seen more of them that . . . did not.

Among guns I've owned, I bought a Springfield Armory ultra compact (SA's version of the Officer's ACP) from a friend after watching him shoot it a lot and then shooting it a lot myself. It ran great . . . until I bought it and tried it on my own. My opinion is that it was on the edge of function/non-function and normal wear on parts pushed it to latter. It happens. After some work and a then-new SA dual recoil spring assembly, it worked okay again, but I don't think I'll ever trust it.

Gun's with 4" and longer barrels/slides are the minimum I would prefer, but I don't think we can really call them Officer's size anymore. That's Springfield Compact/Champion, Kimber compact, etc. length and just 1/4" shy of Colt's Commander length. An Officer's size frame does not make it an Officer's size gun in my opinion, but rather the length of the barrel/slide is the critical component.

And I am pontificating to avoid continuing some homework problems drilling the elimination method for solving 2x2 systems of ordinary differential equations. So feel free to ignore me!

 

[Hopper]

Do the 9mm Officer Models seem to be more reliable than the .45 ACP? Are the recoil springs for the 9mm versions more likely to last longer before changeout? Do the 9mm versions seem to be more accurate than similar sized plastic pistols?

I can't speak to Officer reliability between calibers, but it does make me wonder if my reliability success with the Ruger and DW officer models is due to being 9mm instead of 45. Both have flat wire recoil springs, and as Dean Crail mentioned upthread, the ECO is rated at 15K rounds before the recoil spring needs replaced (don't know if this is the same for both the 9mm and 45 ECO versions, but I *think* it is). Truly, both my 9mm officer models have been nothing short of perfect. FWIW and IMHO, the 1911 platform is over-engineered for 9mm, so from a longevity standpoint I believe a 9mm officer will last a long, long time.

Accuracy with a 9mm officer vs. a 9mm striker/hammer double-stack is a good question, but subjective to answer. I am more accurate with my 9mm 1911s due to the SA triggers. There is less opportunity for flinching or pulling shots with a nice, crisp SA trigger vs. what you would typically have in a SA/DA or striker-fired trigger. I'm sure there are plenty of cats on here who can outshoot me with their striker-fired pistols, but my 9mm 1911s make me look like a lot better marksman than I really am.

One thing I'd definitely recommend for the OP of this thread is that if you are looking at an officer's model with an alloy frame (regardless of caliber choice), be sure it has a feed ramp built into the barrel. Non-ramped barrels will allow an alloy frame to get chewed up with hollow points. But with a steel frame, this wouldn't/shouldn't matter.

 

[calcot7]

I have two Colt Defenders. One in .45ACP that will run just about any 230gr. ball ammo. It likes the Speer 230gr Gold Dots for carry. It is very reliable with timed spring changes at 450 rounds. The other one is in 9mm and is also pretty reliable with the routine spring changes. I have had a few malfunctions with it with different types of ammo. It hasn't been shot as much as the .45 and I still haven't found the ideal round for carry. A SA V10 Ultra Compact has also found it's way into the herd and so far it's been a good shooter and also runs good with the Gold Dots so I haven't tried many other types of ammunition through it. I also had the Kimber SS Ultra II for awhile and had more malfunctions than the previously mentioned guns but I didn't really give it enough time or fair chance in the ammo testing. It was traded for an AR pistol and I had no complaints from the new owner. I can't remember if I ever changed the springs in it. All these guns were previously owned and in excellent condition with the exception of the Colt Defender in 9mm, which was LNIB, and I was
told by the seller that he had run less than 50 rds. through it.

 

[Dean C.]

I'm impressed by all of the reports of compact 1911s that functioned flawlessly! We must have an exceptionally fortunate group of individuals. Over the years, I've seen some Officer's ACP-sized guns that worked well even when driven hard. I've seen more of them that . . . did not.

Among guns I've owned, I bought a Springfield Armory ultra compact (SA's version of the Officer's ACP) from a friend after watching him shoot it a lot and then shooting it a lot myself. It ran great . . . until I bought it and tried it on my own. My opinion is that it was on the edge of function/non-function and normal wear on parts pushed it to latter. It happens. After some work and a then-new SA dual recoil spring assembly, it worked okay again, but I don't think I'll ever trust it.

Gun's with 4" and longer barrels/slides are the minimum I would prefer, but I don't think we can really call them Officer's size anymore. That's Springfield Compact/Champion, Kimber compact, etc. length and just 1/4" shy of Colt's Commander length. An Officer's size frame does not make it an Officer's size gun in my opinion, but rather the length of the barrel/slide is the critical component.

And I am pontificating to avoid continuing some homework problems drilling the elimination method for solving 2x2 systems of ordinary differential equations. So feel free to ignore me!

Only issue i have ever had with my ECO was the hammer /sear was fit improperly so after about 1,500 rounds the hammer started following the slide home (half cock not actually firing) a quick trip to the gun Smith and the issue was fixed.

As with all things small and finicky it's best to not "go cheap" and for the record I consider Colt, Springfield , and Ruger to be cheap officers 1911's not worth messing with.

 

[88E30M50]

That old RIA Compact I had would run just fine as long as you kept fresh springs in it. Small 1911s just are not as tolerant of not being maintained. The only one I own right now is the DW CCO mentioned above and it’s been perfect from the get go, but might be coming up on a spring change. I’ve had no issues but with about 1000 rounds down the pipe, it might be time. I think I’ll check to see if the Wilson flat wire kit will fit that one. I had one in my Kimber Compact and liked how it changed the feel of the gun. The increased spring life was a bonus.

 

[mmpsteve]

My Ruger is the LWT Commander and in 9mm, so consider this a theadjack all around. But it's close to an Officer model, and I really like it. Great crisp trigger, no function issues, and fits my hand like a glove. As my 1st '1911', I didn't want to spend all my fun money, and I like it well enough to investigate the platform further. Great accuracy in my less-than-experienced hands; decent power factor in 9mm; and looks pretty good; - I've got no complaints for my first. The 1st photo is reflections from the tree above. The slide flat is mirror polished.





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[chef1231]

Currently have a s&w performance 1911. I like it. It’s lighter weight. I had an Ed brown kobra carry and that was also 4 inch. Shot fine but kinda a safe queen. Sold her. My first 1911 was a SA TRP and that gun was full size, shot lights out. After my brown I have got used to the rounded grip though. Was checking out DW guardian in 45

I really like the Kimber CDP with crimson trace grips but nervous due to what I’ve read online. If I were getting a 9mm the I would go SA

 

[57schwada]

I shoot a Kimber Ultra CDP... No issues on my end. It runs fine for me. Rather accurate for such a short barrel too!

 

[57schwada]

On a side note, I see that Wilson Combat has their offering of a short grip Commander sized Ultralight Carry Compact. WOW - it's gorgeous! Price? Only $3,650. Hmmm I may have to sell off my Sig 938, Ultra CDP and 340 fir the down payment. : )

https://www.wilsoncombat.com/ultralight-carry-compact/

 

[57schwada]

I forgot to mention - Wilson also made a KZ-45 with a Commander sized barrel. That too (to me) would be a nice carry piece. I had a full sized KZ-45 and it held 10+1 - and the polymer frame was actually narrower than my conventional CDP.

 

[drm-hp]

My pistol is a Colts Officer ACP. It has been 100% reliable, I like it, and I trust it.
Marianne Carniak learned from her father how to make a functional 1911, and has carried on the tradition.
I primarily shoot 185 gr. lead just fast enough to ensure reliable functioning and have never had an issue.

Carniak Custom ? Michigan Pistolsmith Marianne Carniak ? 1911 Pistol Customization

 

[rhino]

I must be the only one who has had an Officer's ACP that didn't function 100%!

 

[bobzilla]

I’ve had two. My first was a 1991A1 compact with the 3.5” bbl. it didn’t like full size mags fully loaded, but load 7 rds into an 8rd mag and it was fine. Officers sized mags never had a problem. Like an idiot I traded it for a full size.

Second one is what I still have/carry, it’s one of the Philippine imports with some work done to it at some point. I’ve fed it everything I shoot, full size and officers mags. It don’t care. It is getting time for a spring replacement and that will get done this winter.

 

[Expat]

I must be the only one who has had an Officer's ACP that didn't function 100%!

No, Dean Crail says his Dan Wesson had to be fixed by a gunsmith for hammer follow.
My Kimber was pretty finicky at times.
My Colts have run well, but I have only put a few hundred rounds through them.
The Baer is the only one I have really shot much and might have a thousand rounds through it.

 

[drm-hp]

Hi Rhino,
I did not say all of them have been 100% reliable. The first and third were reliable enough to warrant a deeper look. This one, I trust.
No faults as of yet. I do not know for how long this will last, but I do know one thing. If we ever shoot together, you are not going to shoot this pistol!

 

[Trapper Jim]

My pistol is a Colts Officer ACP. It has been 100% reliable, I like it, and I trust it.
Marianne Carniak learned from her father how to make a functional 1911, and has carried on the tradition.
I primarily shoot 185 gr. lead just fast enough to ensure reliable functioning and have never had an issue.

Carniak Custom ? Michigan Pistolsmith Marianne Carniak ? 1911 Pistol Customization

View attachment 81131

100% is realitive to round count. 5 to 8 thousand a year or so should be a good test

 

[BluePig]

Rhino, you are not alone.
I had a Series 80 Officer that was stainless.
I bought to replace a Springfield 1911 that was my first pistol.
Wanted to stay with the 1911 style, but wanted something easier to conceal.
It looked amazing, but you couldn't shoot it with it jamming.
I tried so many different mags, it wasn't funny.
Factory Colts, Wilsons, Chip McCormicks, military mags, it didn't matter.
I had the feed ramp polished out twice by two different smiths, one who swore he was the best Colt smith in Indiana.
Replaced springs, firing pins, bushings, just about everything except the frame and slide.
It wouldn't even feed 230 gr. ball without jamming.
Ended up taking to one of the shows at the Century Center in SB.
Colt had just gone thru the bankruptcy and I thought it the best time to dump it.
Didn't make into the first room before a guy came up to me and wanted to look at it.
Gave me $600 for it, so I was happy.
I even remember telling him it wouldn't shoot right, and he said he didn't care.
It was going to be a safe queen.
It was a major disappointment.
Now my Defender is the complete opposite.
So I think it is really a hit or miss thing.

 

[BE Mike]

I'm kinda confused. Some are calling pistols with 4" or 4 1/4" barrels "Officer's Models" and some are calling the ones with 3 1/2" barrels the same. I am also confused about calibers. Would you call the SA Range Officer Compact and "Officer's Model"? How about a SA EMP?

 

[rhino]

I'm kinda confused. Some are calling pistols with 4" or 4 1/4" barrels "Officer's Models" and some are calling the ones with 3 1/2" barrels the same. I am also confused about calibers. Would you call the SA Range Officer Compact and "Officer's Model"? How about a SA EMP?

I only refer to guns with 3.5" barrels as Officer's models and often use the specific model Officer's ACP (I think Colt only makes a 3" barrel Defender now). That includes the Springfield Ultra Compact and any others with a 3.5" barrel and Officer's frame.

Guns with 4" barrels like the Kimber and Springfield Compact models only share the frame size with the Officer's ACP. That half an inch can make a bigger difference in reliability in my experience. The Springfield Compact has an Officer's frame and the Champion slide/barrel.

 

[BE Mike]

I'm leaning towards the Colt Lightweight Defender in .45 ACP. It looks like the reliability is good, from what I gather, and the price isn't excessive. The addition of the Hogue grips look like that they would provide more shootability without adding bulk or weight. I agree with the opinion that there are too many good plastic 9mm subcompact pistols out there to get one in that caliber.