I am a big fan of updated sights on a 1911, i.e., not the GI front blip. But them, the same can be said of most, I'm a big fan of adjustable sights, since they rarely shoot point of aim for me from the factory, and nobody I shoot with.
First things I change on a bone stock 1911 are the sights, trigger, hammer. I prefer a one piece full length guide rod with a Wilson 18 1/2 lb recoil spring and shok buff.
OK, can you shoot a .40 S&W in your 10mm? - Yes, with qualifications. Shoot a .40 S&W in a 10mm barrel? - Maybe. The 10mm is longer and since both cases headspace on the case mouth, it is NOT safe to shoot .40 S&W in a 10mm barrel. CAN I do it and get away with it? - Sometimes. People do and have. Does NOT mean YOU will however. The case is held by the extractor and it can work. Is it safe to do that? NO! The extractor might not hold it in place and it could slide forward and still fire or some other fun thing. Things you do not want your hands and eyes near. What can I do then? - Simply get a .40 S&W barrel and recoil spring and use them in place of the 10mm barrel and recoil spring. Why not use the 10mm recoil spring for .40 S&W? - The spring will be too strong to let the gun function. If the 10mm spring works with the .40 S&W, get new 10mm spring. Why do they call it the .40 Short and Weak? Isn't this just the same as the 3rd most common cartridge for the 1873 Colt Peacemaker? - Why yes it is! That was called the .38-40 Winchester (.38 WCF - Winchester Center Fire. The "40" was the number of grains of black powder). Isn't the .40 S&W/10mm bullet 10mm/.401"? - Yes. Isn't the .38-40 .38/.357"? - No. The .38-40 WCF bullet is .401"/10mm. Same as the .40 S&W and 10mm. So why is it the .38-40 and not .40-40? - No one knows now. Best guess? It sounded better than 10mm-40 or .40-40. You said it was the same 3rd most common load in the Colt six shooter! What was THAT about?! - The .40 S&W was an exact rimless clone of the .38-40. Same bullet weight, same bullet diameter, same velocity. Worked fine then, SHOULD work fine now. So why doesn't it work now then? - Realistically? No idea. Sort of like why you need 134 rounds in magazines on your person to go outside. But criminals run in packs now! - Here's a news flash for you, they ALWAYS ran in packs! Always have, always will. So why do I need a 20 round magazine for my 10mm and five spares? - Same reason you need a .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag for deer and a .375 H&H Mag for elk. They are getting bigger and tougher due to the small and weak getting killed off. Which is better for snowflakes and lib-tards? .40 S&W or 10mm? - Definitely the .40 S&W! Cheaper, easier to find/buy and you do not need the power of the 10mm. Due to the lib-tards and snowflakes being weak and skinny (and full of BS) they do not need much power to shoot them. In fact a powerful cartridge will go right through four or five of them, which is only good if you are being attacked en mass and WANT to shoot through four or five of them, and their supporters. Anything else I need to know? - Lots of ammo is fine, HITTING your target is what counts! Ten misses with a 10mm is less effective than one hit with a .40 S&W. TWO hits with a .40 S&W is like three hits with a .22 LR or one hit with a .45 ACP.
Well the 40 S&W has proven to work just fine in S&W Pistols, but the 40 S&W in a Glock Pistol has proven to be NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
That is absolutely true sir! In fact I do believe that was covered here: OG - Totally reliable because the chamber was HUGE! A .40 S&W chamber could swallow half a .45 ACP case! Only problem was many .40 S&W pistols blew up, a few other cartridges would too. NG - Still pretty reliable, but the chambers are not cut nearly as large, many .40 S&W pistols still blowing up, possibly not as many other cartridges. Maybe. OG - WHEN (not "if") a case blows out at the rear bottom (the dreaded "Glock bulge"), especially with the .40 S&W which is what nearly always is what blows up due to sloppy, unsupported chamber, the whole gun/frame is trashed. Actually saw five of them do that at my club. Heard of many others that happened when I was not there. NG - WHEN (not "if") a case blows out at the rear bottom (the dreaded "Glock bulge"), especially with the .40 S&W which is what nearly always is what blows up due to sloppy, unsupported chamber, the whole gun/frame is trashed. Actually saw five of them do that at my club. Heard of many others that happened when I was not there. Other cartridges MIGHT blow out a rim, but the .40 S&W as (in)famous for doing it. I was ROing for a guy who had his Glock .40 blow up right in front of my face. Then he turned around and threw it on the ground, nearly hit my foot! Of course he was also jumping around and holding his hand and screaming, so I refrained from using the Louisville rule violation device on him. He actually was not hurt, it just scared the living snot out of him because he THOUGHT he was hurt when the gun turned into several parts in his hand.
I'll admit the glock is better if you are going to fire new ammo with jacketed bullets, all the time. If you are going to pickup glock brass, reload it with lead bullets and keep reloading the brass until the head stamp wears off, then the 1911 is probably better.
. You can fire a 1911 till you're out of ammo and then beat someone to death with it, and NOT warp the frame!
I have no history on the gun. Had pits through the barrel crown and still shot just fine. I swapped out the broken slide release with a Wilson Combat piece, and swapped the grips. The only indication of how worn out it was could be felt in the action. The recoil spring was so weak that the slide would pause at the rear, as if it was catching its breath, before stripping the next round and easing the slide forward with just enough oomph to get it locked into battery. Like slow motion. It was comical. I swapped barrel, bushing and spring from a good USGI spare set and it shoots like any other 1911 now. I call it "Rusty."
Salt water, blood, over-watered potted plant? No idea how it happened, but I've seen similar damage from all of the above. Could've been buried. It was in pretty much the condition it is now when I got it. The rusting had been halted. Everything was dry and clean and only the scars remained.
OK forget the SN. Who made the piece? Colt, Singer, Remington Rand, Springfield, North American Arms???