Lightweight 1911s

[FilmMkr]

I shoot a full-size government model Ed Brown Kobra most of the time, but its a little larger than what I want to carry once I get my plastic.

I am eyeballing a couple of weapons - the Kobra Carry (full stainless) as well as the Kobra Carry LW (lightweight frame, stainless slide and internals). I am also really, really hot for the Bill Wilson Carry.

The EB website cautions against the LW version because of excessive wear on the alloy. For example, wearing a large ring on your shooting hand will ding the alloy during recoil, it scratches really easily, there is a lot of wear in and out of the holster, etc. I've even read elsewhere that you should only shoot minimal rounds to through an alloy-framed 1911 and then just carry the dang thing because the alloy is not as durable and does not like thousands of rounds.

Well, I shoot at least 200 rounds a week, sometimes 300-350 on a regular basis. (What can I say? I like to shoot!)

Anyway, before I go plop down three grand for a BWC, I was hoping for some feedback from folks with some experience with lightweight 1911s.

(No "buy a Glock or an XDm" comments please - I like what I like.)

My fallback is the full SS Kobra Carry or Executive Carry. (My full size is the sweetest, most accurate weapon I've ever fired and i DO love it!)

Its just that I get goosebumps when I look at this:



Do you have to baby an alloy framed 1911? Are some manufacturers more durable than others? Different alloys? Does anyone actually carry one?

Thanks.

Filmy

[USA1]

My main shooter and daily carry is alloy. The rails don't show any signs whatsoever of wear. As a matter of fact, the entire frame still looks like it did when it was new.

[7075-T7]

An alloy frame gun will not be as durable as a steel frame one. While the alloy may be said to be "as strong as steel" they're usually only looking at ultimate strength of the material and not the yield strength, %elongation, notched izod test, etc.

During a moment of high stress, steel will bend, and if the force is below the yield strength it will rebound to it's original position (minus hysteresis) but if it exceeds the yield strength, then it will plastically deform until the ultimate strength, and any plastic deformation will not be recovered when the force is removed. For steel the lefel of force between yield and ultimate is large, so it bends and absorbs energy, without breaking.

The AL alloys used in "alloy" framed guns might have the same ultimate strength, but they will not yield as much as steel, they tend to break shortly after the plastic deformation takes place. That's just the nature of the beast and the tradeoff for it being lighter. The exotic alum. alloys also tend to delaminate and shell more than the lower strength ones, which steel usually doesn't do.

Overall, the alloy will not be as resilliant to abuse as the steel framed guns. and the recoil forces are more rotational due to the raising of the center of gravity relitive to the barrel.

[mbw]

Sorry, but I will not be much help on alloy frame 1911’s. I have only owned 1 and I did not like the balance or the wear that I saw on the frame after several hundred rounds. It was a Colt Lightweight Commander. Rapid wear on the feed ramp and rails. They are meant to be carried and not shot I think.

The Wilson is, I am sure, a fine pistol. But it is a carbon steel frame like your Ed Brown. Take a look at Les Baer’s Stinger. Maybe a better pistol for $1000 less than the Wilson. By the way, I believe that Ed Brown still uses Baer forged frames and slides in his pistols.

http://www.lesbaer.com/StingerSS.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[alvins]

my smith and wessons have scanadium frames and ive never had any issues with them. i consider it more durable then those plastic glock toys.:)

[USA1]

Hmm.. interesting opinions so far. I'm curious if anyone here has ever actually experienced any of the above failures or extreme wear.

[CompVest]

I agree with you on the BWC. It is gorgeous and feels great in the hand. Shoots wonderfully well as well.

[Rex B]

The area that takes the worst pounding in a 1911 is the back of the channel below the barrel. It can get beat up and deformed if the recoil spring is weak. A weak spring allows the lugs to kiss the back of that channel. A good spring stops the barrel and slide just short of impact. In a short-barrel gun the margin of error is much less than a 5" gun. The key is to change the spring regularly, and for sure if you ever see any marks in the back of the channel. For some guns, a plastic buffer can be used.

[FilmMkr]

Thank you all for your articulate and reasoned responses. This is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for!

AndyC - excellent suggestion about rebuild options. Thank you.

Filmy

[AEA]

I vote for the SS Kobra Carry as I have one and LOVE it. I also have a Wilson Protector, but seldom carry it even though it is a tack driver.

The Kobra Carry does everything the Wilson does but in a shorter package and the bobtail is really nice.

GA #924667752 is New in the box and listed at $2369.95 + $15.00 shipping from Arizona.
Also no credit card fees! Maybe you could bargain that down a bit.

[KFP]

I don't think that it qualifies as lightweight, but if I could justify the cost, I would go with a Nighthawk T3 in a heartbeat. It may be worth a look: http://www.nighthawktactical.com/T3_ultimate.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[witchdoctor575]

i had an aluminum kimber. only use mags with a skirted follower for one. non-skirted will nose dive on the last round and ding the frame. nothing detrimental to operation, just looks bad. as far as wear goes, the kimber bothered me because it wasn't a ramped barrel. and the feed ramp showed the wear. I'm not sure if the Kobra carry is a ramped barrel or not, but I would not bother with an alloy frame without one. one last thing is the recoil spring. aluminum frame 1911's have a shorter service interval for recoil springs. my kimber was like 800 rounds, that is to ensure that frame battering is kept down to a minimum.

[Aggie_engr]

Hmm.. interesting opinions so far. I'm curious if anyone here has ever actually experienced any of the above failures or extreme wear.

I have countless rounds through my alloy framed Pro Carry II without any frame problems what-so-ever. I bought the pistol back in 08' and if I had to guess round count it is well over 10,000. Anyone who knows me knows that I run my gun hard in IDPA matches, at times two to three times a month and my kimber just keeps on tickin'. I wouldn't worry about the alloy frame, my feed ramp is missing the finish of course but there is no deformation in the material where the bullet nose travels over the ramp. Get the alloy frame for carry and away!