Hi All, After saving money for a couple of months to buy something I've always wanted, I picked up a brand new blue Colt 1911 last friday. A Wiley Clapp government model. Got it home and field stripped it and gave it a good cleaning, everything seemed in order. My son and I headed to the range Saturday to try it out and things went south in a hurry. First shot at 10 yards was dead on the money but the empty shell casing flew straight back and hit me in the face. (Always wear your safety glasses kids) Figured it was just a fluke and kept shooting hoping things would smooth out. Got thru about 100 rounds of 3 different brands of factory ammo before I quit. Empties were flying everywhere, to the right, left, straight back into my face, a few landed on my head. A couple popped straight up, bearly clearing the ejection port. Got home and stripped the slide to see what was up. After removing the firing pin stop, the pin and spring I tilited the slide up and the extractor slid right out.Usually you have to work them out but this one was sloppy lose. I looked it over carefully and compared it to an extractor out of another gun.I tried to fit the other extractor and it required effort to insert it were as the colt extractor just slides in and out and jiggles around in the slide. Thought about buying a new one online and trying to tune it myself but really have no experience tuning one so with that in mind and a few other issues with the gun I decided to call Colt customer service. my gun is on its way back to Colt right now and their current turn around time is 30 days so another wait has begun. I'm confident Colt will make it right and I can't wait to get it back. This gun has a really nice trigger on it and may well be the best trigger I have ever felt on a new gun. It is also dead nuts accurate. Which is somewhat wasted on me cause I'm not. This is the second 1911 I've bought this year and it's the second one to go back to the manufacturer for repairs.:cry: :banghead: :cuss:
I feel your pain, brother. Seems like quality control is not quite up to snuff these days. That being said, when it's repaired i'm sure you'll love it. I purchased a new Remmington R1 1911 a few years ago when the dealers were receiving only one each. I got lucky and found one at little country dealer near me for a great price. As i'd always wanted a 1911, and couldn't wait to shoot it, I over paid for a couple boxes of ammo and rushed home to fire it. Couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. Now mind you, i'm not a very good pistol shot, especially with auto loaders, but 1 foot groups at about 7-8 yards is not what I expected. After more rounds and much inspection, I found that the rear site was floating in it's dove-tailed anchoring point. Meticulous eye lining and a tiny touch of epoxy cured that factory problem. That's been 3 or 4 years ago and my half-assed repair is still holding up. When it does break lose, I will machine a new, slightly larger rear site to replace the original. Just wanted to let you know your not alone when it comes to factory boo-booes on brand new gun purchases.:cuss:
Colts quality control has not been the same since mid 70's. It has been hit or miss the revolvers are the same way they seem to ride on their past workmanship and not the present. Remember they turned their backs on the shooting world for many years was in the military side of the firearms. Doesn't Cerberus own them now? I could be wrong but they have their hands in everything.
I believe you are right about Cerberus, Dan, they also own most of S&W. They bought the plant I worked for back around the late 90's. Kept us for a year and sold us to the Russians.
I have a older Colt 1911 with Bomar rear and front sight. Nice deep bluing can almost read the paper in the finish doesn't get out much. My only other Colt is a 45 Colt SSA for around 1876 single line Manufactures marking on the barrel serial # 22,597 last digit may be off a number or two as I'm writing this. This gun is a safe queen along with a loaded box of original ammo. The lead is been whitish color and flaking in the box of 20 I think. As some of these guns don't see a lot of daylight. Took the weekend off and a little shooting and gun cleaning is on the menu.
