Okay gentlemen, I've seen "the light" WRT 1911s. It happened like this...
I bought a CZ 75B 40 Cal - with which I'm pretty darned happy. Everything was going fine until I also bought a very nice Steady Point bench rest. The idea of the rest was to get me, as much as possible, out of the equation - and see what the gun could do.
The rest allowed two things to happen:
1: I shot some amazingly tight five-shot groups. Ten yards and overlapping holes under 1" diameter. In some cases you could see that one or two bullets had passed through the same holes as others. Okay, the gun is capable of good accuracy.
2: The rest allowed me to pay a lot more attention to the trigger, and I was not happy with what I felt.
I'm not sure the correct terms to describe the trigger experience, but I'll take a stab at it.....
First there is some distance of "take-up" where you're just overcoming the resistance of the trigger return spring.
Next comes the disturbing phase. After take-up, you encounter resistance from the trigger operating against internal parts (sear & such I imagine). That phase feels somewhat long and subtly "gritty."
Worse, nowhere during that phase do I get any sense of when the hammer is going to let off.
After the hammer lets off, there's some overtravel. Not bad, but it's there.
Since the gun appears capable of great accuracy, and because there's so much else to like about it, I called CZ custom to talk about a trigger job. (Their trigger job includes a new, different hammer). Talking to one of the CZ Custom gunsmiths, and explaining what I wanted in a trigger, he told me that...
A) Their trigger job would greatly improve the gun - make it feel like an entirely different gun actually, BUT
B) The only way to get everything I wanted would be to get a 1911.
Coming from the mouth of a CZ Custom gunsmith, that carries some weight for me.
I shipped the CZ to CZ Custom for the trigger job and adjustable sights. I'm sure I'll enjoy it when it comes back, but I don't expect a 1911 trigger.
On my way home from FedEx, I stopped at my favorite local gun store. I had just one question: "What is the minimum price of entry for a match or semi-match grade 1911 with adjustable sights?"
The owner got a gleam in his eye, reached under the counter, pulled out a box, and handed me a work of find industrial art.
"Try the trigger." He suggested.
Oh. My. Gawd! This is the trigger that Snake, Rev, or Yosemite Sam described here (sorry I don't remember which).
There is a bit of take-up and then you encounter a bit of resistance. Once you do, just a squeeze more and the trigger "gives" like breaking a glass toothpick. After let-off, there's just a tad of overtravel, but not much.
I think I mentioned that the chief reason I bought the CZ was my impression of fit & finish. I remain impressed in that department, but this 1911 compares very nicely. While the CZ has a black "polycoat" finish that looks better to my eye, this 1911 is "Parkerized," whatever that means. It's a much duller, flat black.
Setting aside the Parkerized finish, fit, finish and workmanship are superb. The feed ramp and chamber throating gleam like mirrors. Looking at everything else was similarly impressive. The barrel is externally polished until it looks like chrome.
The dealer told me the entire gun is hand-fitted; hand polished. The barrel bushing is "air gapped" and sufficiently tight as to require a wrench for take-down.
The dealer suggested I compare the trigger (and anything else) to some other 1911s he had: Kimber (close but more $$), Springfield (more money but not close), S&W (more $$ and the worst of the triggers)
This magical little dandy is the Rock Island Armory "Match" model. Asking price at this dealer was $750. I've found it on-line at $644.
If I had encountered this gun when I was shopping, I may well have bought it instead of the CZ -although I'd set myself a budget of $600.
Incidentally, in my reading, it appears there are two fire control systems in use in modern 1911s; promulgated by Colt: The "70" and the "80." This Rock Island Match uses the "70" system.
This gun may not compel me to run out an buy one right away, but it has definitely taught me one thing: In semi-autos, it seems that nothing else is able to compare to the 1911's trigger.
Somebody that understands 1911s far better than I ought to write up the "exclusivity" of the 1911 trigger.
Seriously.
Few of us shopping for an auto-loader are aware of the trigger designs and trade-offs. To me, it looks like the 1911 trigger is the epitome of single-action perfection. There is no way you can build a DA/SA trigger that can match the positive feedback of the 1911.
I have only two other handguns that come close to the (really good) 1911 trigger experience.
1: It's probably not even a fair comparison. It's my Ruger KGP-141 357 Mag, fired in SA mode, after a poor man's trigger job (mostly spring changes).
2: A virtually new Ruger 22/45 .22 auto-loader. It saw it's fist firing today - focus on breaking in the barrel - little attention paid to aiming carefully. I would rate its trigger as "very nice;" nicer even that my CZ's out of the box.
Anyway, I'm going to go our on a limb here and suggest that, if you're on a quest to find the most accurate possible center-fire, auto-loader, you'd be well served to seriously consider a 1911.
Never mind that the design is "ancient." John Browning got it right - particularly in the trigger department. As far as I can tell, there's nothing else "special" about the 1911 and, in many areas, more modern designs have advantages here & there.
But, although there's nothing else "special" about the 1911 design, there is nothing "wrong" with it either.
As a bonus, there's probably no other center-fire, auto-loader design as well supported with aftermarket parts that can take it from the mundane to a truly personal gun.
Now, somebody 'splain to me why I shouldn't choose the Rock Island Match as my first 1911. ;-)
