Crazy. During WWII we had what 10 companies making them. Now we have maybe 3 companies left in the country with the ability to mass produced a 1911 on their own.
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ODT Gun Show & Swap Meet - May 4, 2024! - Click here for info
Springfield Armory Inc 1911s now 100% USA made
- Thread starter NWSharpshooter
- Start date
Crazy. During WWII we had what 10 companies making them. Now we have maybe 3 companies left in the country with the ability to mass produced a 1911 on their own.
Smith & Wesson forges LOTSA' STUFF for other Gun Manufacturers...And Golf Club Makers...And Bicycle Makers...And...Well, you get the idea! Don't know if they let you see the forge area on the Factory Tour these days, but it's AWESOME to see 'em hammer a glowing-red hunk o' steel into a Revolver or Pistol Frame with 100 Tons plus of hammer power...
....mikey357
I heard about this some time back, and also that Springer was not letting out who/where the forgings are coming from.
I have a couple of USA produced Springer 1911's and they are nice for sure, I wouldn't say any better than many of my other 1911's but equally good.
If I had to take a wild guess on where I would say The phillipines as they make some of the best Forged slides, frames around now days.
running a Forge is a whole lot cheaper and more legal outside the USA and as for instance Armscor, as well as SAM makes a lot of 1911 slides and frames as well as complete 1911's.
personally if a forging is properly done then its just as strong regardless of where its made, Hell Turkey has the highest rated tooling and machinery factories in the world.
at the end of the day its how well the final forging and parts are fitted that usually makes the difference, which shows up in the NM Springers.
I have a couple of USA produced Springer 1911's and they are nice for sure, I wouldn't say any better than many of my other 1911's but equally good.
If I had to take a wild guess on where I would say The phillipines as they make some of the best Forged slides, frames around now days.
running a Forge is a whole lot cheaper and more legal outside the USA and as for instance Armscor, as well as SAM makes a lot of 1911 slides and frames as well as complete 1911's.
personally if a forging is properly done then its just as strong regardless of where its made, Hell Turkey has the highest rated tooling and machinery factories in the world.
at the end of the day its how well the final forging and parts are fitted that usually makes the difference, which shows up in the NM Springers.
Ruger developed the modern casting process many years ago, you seldom hear of any Ruger falling apart so I think that says the process is pretty good.
its kind of like MIM parts, some people don't like them just because its a modern process.
its all about the quality of the MIM /cast part and how well its finished/fitted.
personally I will take all the Ruger 1911's that anyone wants to give me.
I don't believe Armscor produces a single forged frame 1911 or has a foundry forging 1911 frames. I know Armscor has a hand in the production of Rock Island Armory, High Standard, Charles Daiy and Armscor 1911s , and they provide frames for STI's Spartan 1911. There may be a few others I missed. At any rate all of those guns have cast frames. I believe all the SAM manufactured 1911s have cast frames also.
I once owned a RIA 1911 4 inch mil-spec looking (Parkerized, GI trigger, Hammer, Grip Safety, Although it did have a Bull Barrel/No Barrel Bushing). I think I paid $390 something out the door for it at a brick and mortar gun shop. It was a fine shooter, cast frame and all, although I got rid of it before I had put more than 500 rounds through it.
