CQB OPS
1911 Weapon System Resource

"Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter." - E. Hemingway, 1936

Firing Pin Safeties

Full Length Guide Rods

1911 Dependability

There are many circumstances that can cause any semi automatic pistol to malfunction.. yes, even Glocks®. Prudent operators keep a watchful eye on the basics- proper maintenance and lubrication, sub standard ammunition and worn or poor quality magazines.

Mid size and sub compact 1911 style pistols can be difficult to tune for reliable operation. In the mid size and sub compact 1911, the ejection/loading cycle operations take place in a shorter and more volatile time period than in the 5 inch pistols. Most sub compact pistols are equipped with a barrel that has an integral feed ramp. The feeding angle in many of these barrels is too steep and most integral ramp barrels benefit from increasing the feed ramp angle. If you're going to carry a mid size or sub compact, spend considerable time with the gun and address any issues that arise before you trust a sub compact pistol. Be prepared to run a sub compact with standard capacity magazines if your particular pistol requires more magazine spring tension to operate properly.

I generally recommend a group of basic reliability modifications for any 1911 type pistol.

1. Fully Throat Barrel Ramp if Necessary
2. Polish Frame Ramp and Barrel Ramp
3. Increase Feed Ramp Angle on Integrated Ramped Barrel and Polish
4. Radius, Polish and Tune Extractor Tension
5. Square/Polish Breech Face

Consider the above modifications no matter what level of customization you have in mind. Maintain your pistol properly to include regular cleaning and proper weapon system lubrication. Hilton Yam of 10-8 Performance® said it best- "The 1911 is an aficionado's weapon." In my experience, 1911 weapon systems can meet and even exceed the Glock®'s reliability when properly set up and maintained. I believe serious 1911 operators should place their weapon systems on a maintenance schedule (use a round count log) to include using high quality magazines that are inspected closely for wear. 10-8 Performance® has a great maintenance schedule listed on their site.