help me spec out a pin-shooting .45acp gun

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:51 pm

I'm looking to buy or build a pin gun in .45acp
I'd like some help, so help me spend my money, gentelmen!

It has to have at least 8+1 capacity
It has to be willing to eat cheap ammo when not shooting pins, reloading is not an option any time soon
I like 1911 pattern guns and XD (not XD-m) styles
No Glock
I like what Armscor is doing these days
I have a couple officer-frame 1911 based .45acp guns already
There is a budget, and the Mrs may want a similar/identical gun so she can beat me (but not with my own gun, at least!)
I'd like optics to be an option
I don't care if it is carry-appropriate, because I have carry guns covered (in fact I'm shooting carry guns at pin matches now)

So ... do I hold out for a railed 1911 from RIA/Armscor with 5" or 6" barrel, or do I go with a full-size XD45? Can any of the bullseye shooters here comment on optic mounts for 1911-pattern and/or XD guns?
Am I better with a rail mount or a rear sight replacement?

I've had good runs with my 3.5" Citadel(Armscor) 1911 and an XD45compact, I think the capacity advantage on the compact (10 rounds) is helpful, but I know there are 10 round magazines for 1911s (do any work?)
I'm doing really well with my RIA TCM 1911a2 set up to shoot 9mm in the intermediate stages, so sticking to the 1911 pattern has an appeal ... ideally I'd run a 1911 in all stages (xt22 for rimfire, TCM for intermediate CF, this gun we're talking about for unlimited centerfire)

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:53 pm

Oh, and if it has a safety lever, it has to be "up for more safe / down for less safe" ... I'm not smart enough to run an upside-down safety lever

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 5:24 pm

why not a full size 1911 with a small holo-type sight in place of the rear sight? trijicon RMR Burris Fastfire type. that might just be the ticket.

Post by **Bullseye** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:01 pm

First off the 1911 platform would provide the trigger you like for pin shooting. You can run a full-size model, with or without optics, I'm thinking a compensated barrel for pins, whatever mainspring housing style you prefer, flared magwell, extended and ambi controls for safety.

R,
Bullseye

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:10 pm

that's one of the options I've been considering ... but do I want a fatty doublestack (expensive, hard to find) or a singlestack (8+1 capacity, cheaper, easier to find, cheap magazines)
Keeping in mind that I'd like to stick with Armscor, I know that their doublestack .45acp guns are out of stock most places at the moment. Heck, the single-stack guns aren't in stock much at the moment, they're playing catch-up and recovering from a flooded-out city around their factory.

I'm mostly getting 5 pins down with ~6 rounds, so I don't NEED mega-capacity, 8 should be enough and I've had 2-4 rounds left in the mags shooting the 10-round XD45c

If I mount an optic to the slide top, will it have a reduced life from the battering?
How do I go about swapping the rear sight for the optic?
Is there any provision in these optics to revert to irons in the case of battery failure? (like a notch in the optic's window?)

===

on further thought, if I go 1911 I'm staying single-stack - I like the doublestack TCM and it works, but a singlestack with slim grips just makes my hand happy in a special way, and points so naturally that I'll skip the fatties, I think a .45 doublestack would be even wider than my .22tcm/9mm doublestack.

I can get 10 rounds with this:
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/119904 ... less-steel
... if I feel the need, and that's more than enough for 5 pins.

... Maybe all I need is a RIA 1911 tactical and some kind of rear-sight replacing mount if irons aren't cutting it?

Anyone have an optic they got bored with or upgraded out of that they'd want to donate to the cause (for a reasonable price)

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:05 am

I just pulled that pic for optic mounting example..... I guess the side mounted dots are suppoed to hold up if you get a good one not a knock off.... I got a small Sight mark thats nice but the screws holding it together backed out and I had to locktight them (it was super quick on the 10/22)

the fastfires are supposed to hold up to the slide mounting. burris has a mount that fits in the rear dovetail or you can get the slide milled out to mount lower.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 11:17 am

Wow, I knew red-dot sights weren't cheap (at least the good ones aren't)
But some research has pushed me to irons, at least for next year, I'd like to keep the option open for an optic, but it seems that I can always have a slide milled for a mount.

So - these pin shoots happen in the early evening, outdoors. The last one was shot during sunset, facing west with the sun perched on the top of the berm to start with (being 6'3" was a disadvantage, the sun was in my eyes for real this time, honest!)
So ... since I don't need pinpoint (please forgive the pun) accuracy, I think I want a highly visible set of dot sights, maybe even tritium, since the last round is at twilight.

Or I could just buy one of these:
http://centerfiresystems.com/ac-ri1911-2011-ns.aspx
All I'd want to do to that gun is ditch the ambi safety for a right-only, and that would be low priority.

Or I could go with STI:
http://www.stiguns.com/the-sti-trojan/
I wonder if $1,433.80 + $80 for night sights is actually a reasonable price for a dedicated 6" competition gun? Seems like a lot

bgreenea3 · Post by **bgreenea3** » Sat Sep 15, 2012 4:43 pm

BFD,
I like the looks of that RIA they did a nice job on the rails on that going the full length, it doesn't look goofy like some others I've seen....

the STI is VERY nice I would go with the Dawson Fiber optic sights, I got 'em on my ruger mkii and they are very nice, nice square profile with a bright dot to bring your focus to it quickly...

of course the price for the RIA leaves more in your pocket to customize it the way you want it..

now if someone made a scope mount that mounts to the rail on the dust cover, like a quick detach type ......

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Sun Sep 16, 2012 6:24 am

http://centerfiresystems.com/AC-RI1911MATCH.aspx

So the CEO of ArmscorUSA maintains a presence on facebook (one of the few things facebook is actually god for)
Apparently they're hoping to have a batch of 6" models in stock again somewhere in Oct/Nov ... and that has the F.O. front sight already installed
If I got the 6" model I would maintain my tradition of having all sorts of 1911-based guns but not a single "normal" 5 inch model.

I could build it up as a mongo-sized version of my carry guns, maybe adding a magwell if needed. Going down Bullseye's list from above:
Comp - maybe, if a standard 1911 comp would fit a 6" model (I assume it would)
MSH - flat, perhaps another one of these that I'm really enjoying on the TCM and XT22 (no, I don't need a lanyard loop, but this one is out of the way and looks cool)
... ... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/155063 ... nlink-blue
Trigger - RIA is Ok out of the box, but I'm digging this one on my carry and the XT22
... ... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/614895 ... num-silver
Magwell - maybe, if I do a 6" I might as well make the gun even bigger, and the weight couldn't hurt. In general, if I'm putting in a fresh mag I've already borked that table
Controls - the 5" and 6" match/tac models come with ambi controls of reasonable size, I'll likely stick with stock on those at first

Not on the list but a feature I like is grips ... I might have to use something other than my standard slimline alumagrips for this one, I suppose.

Biggjimm · Post by **Biggjimm** » Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:12 pm

My bud at the gun store just got one of those tactical RIA's in the other day. Not site if it's 5" or 6" but it is a really nice gun. Makes me wish I hadn't got rid of mine, not that I regret trading it for the xdm 40, just wish I had both. I actually like that tactical model better than the nickel one I had. Oh well, I'll get another 1911 before too long. Good luck either way on your pin gun, BFD.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Wed Sep 19, 2012 10:32 pm

Those RIA Tac 5inch models are pretty nice. I might have to settle for one of them if the 6inch doesn't arrive.

If your shop bud got a 6inch in - as in "to sell" - I'd appreciate his shop name and phone #

Biggjimm · Post by **Biggjimm** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:06 am

It's definitely for sale & he said he had a couple more in the back that he hadn't got a chance to put out yet. I don't know for sure if they were RIA's or some other 1911's he was supposed to get a couple Remington's in so that might have been what he was talking about. He has several 1911's in stock right now so who knows what he had in the back but i'll find out. I'm almost positive that RIA is a 5". I didn't look at it real close but I think I would have noticed if it was a big ole 6 incher. I'll be down there in about an hour or so & I'll check it out & let you know.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 9:46 am

Thanks, Jim.
I'm ready to buy a 6 inch RIA now, I'll start thinking about anything else if spring rolls around and a 6" hasn't become available.

Biggjimm · Post by **Biggjimm** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 1:57 pm

BFD, it's a 5" & its not the tactical model just the 1911 A1 FS. He sold a 5" tactical a couple weeks back but he thinks he can get another tactical in either 5" or 6" He's gonna do some digging & as soon as he figures something out I'll get that info to you.

bigfatdave · Post by **bigfatdave** » Thu Sep 20, 2012 4:34 pm

Thanks!
if he can get a 6" at a price comparable to centerfiresystems, he's got a deal, I even have a friendly FFL lined up to receive.