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Springfield Armory Inc 1911s now 100% USA made

NWSharpshooter

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I managed to end up with a couple of loaded Springers. A US produced NM model and a Imbel Brazil built gun. Digging around on the 1911 forums it appears SAI severed all ties with Imbel in 2014. Apparently Imbel was overloaded with government work and couldn't keep up with demand.

Springfield now states that their 1911 line is all US made guns. Speculation is that they are bringing in raw forgings from Korea and finishing them here although for obvious reasons Springfield isn't disclosing where they are getting them. It is also possible that S&W, Colt or Kimber is providing the forgings for them although I kinda doubt it. I guess it is possible.


I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand it is cool that Springfields all say made in the USA now, and I am all about a US made 1911. On the other hand, we knew Imbel was producing some great guns and it saddens me that we are no longer getting their products (although I speculate that imbel is actually making the PT1911 frames and slides. It also concerns me since we no longer know where the 1911s are coming from. At least when they were coming from Imbel we knew it was a quality product.

Anyway, what say you?
 
Where were the raw forgings sourced from for the Imbel built guns?

If their quality goes down, that would be a real shame. But I expect that it will hold consistent with what we've seen from them...at least I hope so!
 
I managed to end up with a couple of loaded Springers. A US produced NM model and a Imbel Brazil built gun. Digging around on the 1911 forums it appears SAI severed all ties with Imbel in 2014. Apparently Imbel was overloaded with government work and couldn't keep up with demand.

Springfield now states that their 1911 line is all US made guns. Speculation is that they are bringing in raw forgings from Korea and finishing them here although for obvious reasons Springfield isn't disclosing where they are getting them. It is also possible that S&W, Colt or Kimber is providing the forgings for them although I kinda doubt it. I guess it is possible.


I don't know how I feel about this. On one hand it is cool that Springfields all say made in the USA now, and I am all about a US made 1911. On the other hand, we knew Imbel was producing some great guns and it saddens me that we are no longer getting their products (although I speculate that imbel is actually making the PT1911 frames and slides. It also concerns me since we no longer know where the 1911s are coming from. At least when they were coming from Imbel we knew it was a quality product.

Anyway, what say you?

I thought you hated Springfield with a passion?
 
Where were the raw forgings sourced from for the Imbel built guns?

If their quality goes down, that would be a real shame. But I expect that it will hold consistent with what we've seen from them...at least I hope so!


Imbel made the forgings. The NM marked guns were brought in as unfinished forgings and finished in the US hench no import mark. I haven't heard any reports of quality going down and being that they made the change in 2014 I would think we would have by now.
 
I am as uninformed about 1911's as I can be, but I have been researching them a lot here lately because I want to get into them. One of the main reasons is because they are all Americàn classics...Or supposed to be.

I would rather know where the forgings are coming from, like before. This is assuming they are importing their forgings...I do have one question...Does anyone know if Colt, Smith, Ruger, etc use all American parts, not importing anything, forgings included?
 
Imbel made the forgings. The NM marked guns were brought in as unfinished forgings and finished in the US hench no import mark. I haven't heard any reports of quality going down and being that they made the change in 2014 I would think we would have by now.
I gotcha. I assumed with the thread that this was a very recent change...I'm not up-to-date, lol...
 
I am as uninformed about 1911's as I can be, but I have been researching them a lot here lately because I want to get into them. One of the main reasons is because they are all Americàn classics...Or supposed to be.

I would rather know where the forgings are coming from, like before. This is assuming they are importing their forgings...I do have one question...Does anyone know if Colt, Smith, Ruger, etc use all American parts, not importing anything, forgings included?


Ruger produces their own frames and slides, but they aren't forgings. Rugers are cast frames and slides. Springfield gets a bunch of their parts for the M1A from Korea so it would make sense that they are now getting their forgings there too. I believe S&W is more than likely producing the forgings for Colt and Kimber but that is 100% speculation.

The EPA has kinda put a kabash on foundries capable of producing raw forgings. I don't know if Kimber got one built before the EPA killed it. I don't believe Colt actually produces anything themselves anymore. I believe they are now like Springfield in that they just do final assembly of parts.
 
Ruger produces their own frames and slides, but they aren't forgings. Rugers are cast frames and slides. Springfield gets a bunch of their parts for the M1A from Korea so it would make sense that they are now getting their forgings there too. I believe S&W is more than likely producing the forgings for Colt and Kimber but that is 100% speculation.

I did not know the Rugers were cast...That rules them out. Thanks. The Springers are looking better to me everyday. I do know that they shoot very well.
 
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