I generally refrain from flaming guns outright- especially when I haven't had a chance to personally put them through the ringer. However, while at the gun shop today, I saw my third Remington R1911 that I have had a chance to inspect and field strip with a fair level of scrutiny.
All I can say is that the thing looks like a total piece of shit.
The first one I inspected was shortly after they came out. There was a noticeable gap between the slide and the rails on the right side of the frame that opened up an angled channel into the back of the gun. I gave it a pass as I assumed QC slipped while they were trying to meet demand
The second one I inspected had grip panels so misshapen, that you could actually see the gap into the magazine well from the back of the gun. Grip panels aren't a big deal I thought- Hell people rag on RIA and Metroarms all the time for grips, and I like both of them just fine.
The third had a trigger that had a quarter inch gap along the top side of the frame, again had screwed up grips (bad cuts by the grip safety) and looked like it had been checkered by an autistic cat who mistook the panel for a scratching post. At this point I gave up on them.
I have never shot an R1911, but if anyone out there is a happy owner who has one of these guns in spec- PLEASE comment- I have not seen one and it pains me that a company that makes such phenomenal rifles and shotguns, who knows darn well how to make a 1911, has not been able to put one within 50 miles of me.
I did see a nice essex 45 that had been built up, (I assume) sometime in the early 1980s. A fairly faithful A1, the 1911 had only non-GI sights to distinguish it from a true US Mil style gun. Price was reasonable at 400+tax.
Rant off.
4 comments:
I handled one in a gun shop about a month ago. I didn't notice the fit and finish, but it had a horrific trigger for a 1911, like it was lubricated with flour.
Well I guess it is comforting to know I am not the only one who has seen crappy examples of this gun.
It'd be nice if folks looking at crap like the R1 would just buy a Dan Wesson and be done with it.
Or hell, just pick up an STI Spartan at the R1's price point.
Hey Mike W-
As per usual, you speak truth. Dan Wessons, STI, Springfield Armory, even the nicer RIAs can all be had at the near the same price point (well, not dan wesson but you get my drift). Even the occasional used colt drifts into that price range- yet the R1 continues to sell, and continues to make me sad.
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