Any new firearm purchases?

[Blmpkn]

I did bad tonight...

Some of you may have seen that I'm having some problems around the house. Water heater apparently started leaking while back and I've got some spots in the floor to repair as a result, so several potentially big expenses there. Well I spent the money on a gun instead. (It in no way puts me in a bind or tight spot, but I probably shouldn't have spent it with the looming bills.)

I'm a fan of 1911s, have a couple of the 5" government models. Like the way they fit and feel shooting them. I'd say especially 45 acp, but I've never fired another caliber in a 1911 to compare it to. That said, I wanted more features one would find on a modern firearm. Features that I ahve on some modern firearms, but they aren't 1911s (or 45 acp). Namely things like a threaded barrel for a suppressor host and weapon mounted light (not a fan of the retrofit options). Unfortunately, I just couldn't find one that checked all of the right boxes to entice me to purchase. Most important box they failed to check was price, I could get everything I wanted and then some in a 1k+ gun, but the most expensive handgun I've ever bought (for myself) was < $700 and didn't want to go higher.

I'd about decided to try my hand at self tought 1911 gunsmithing. Buying a barrel, reading/watching the tutorials, and fitting it to one of my existing guns. If that was successful, maybe try to fit a railed frame to the slide. Combine the spare slide with a Mechtech CCU for a PCC that uses 1911 magazines, threaded barrel and SBR stamped of course. I even dreamed up a few more builds after those (which may still happen eventually). I was hesitant because of messing up my working guns and time it would take, but I was willing. There's also the issue of modified guns being frowned upon for self/home defense scenarios (potential legal complications), and the light mounting was all about things going bump in the night.

That changed tonight. Meet the Tisas 1911 Night Stalker FS:

View attachment 137160
Photo courtesy of Palmetto State Armory, unfortunately couldn't find a good glamor shot and PSA is easy to give credit to as a source (plus I gave them my money).

This thing popped up in today's (or yesterday's?) PSA sales ad as part of their christmas sales. As soon as I saw it it checked a few boxes I wanted. Looking and reading also added a few to the list that I hadn't thought about.

Light Rail ✔✔✔
Threaded barrel ✔✔✔
Night Sights ✔✔✔
Optics Ready ✔✔
Ambi Safety ✔
Magwell ✔
Cerakote Finish ✔
Price ✔✔✔✔✔

The magwell and ambi safety are nice additions, but would have been a sell with out. The cerakote finish was a nice plus. Being Optics Ready was a hug bonus I didn;t know I wanted, but thinking about how my eyes are I really like the idea. The price sealed the deal.

TISAS website shows $1007 and I wouldn't even consider it tere. Most places list the MSRP $879 and sell it for a bit less, I'd have been interested at that price, but would have left it sitting. Shipped to my FFL the price came out to just over $500. Figure another $35ish for the transfer fee.

The second of my two 1911s I already had was about $370 used in 2016, and I think that the first was closer to $450 new several years earlier. If I'd persisted with modifying my existing guns, I'd have spent just as much in parts and tooling and potentially ...likely ...made them shoot worse. As long as it isn;t a complete blout, I think I'll be pretty happy with the purchase. If I'm not (very unlikely), wait about 6 months and I can probably sell or trade it for profit.

I recon that I'll be on the watch for 45 ACP suppressor and red dot sales in the new year. I guess I should make that a 460 rowland rated suppressor. Having three 1911s, I'll probably pick up that Mechtec CCU in the future to use with one of them. They offer it in 460 Rowland which will fit the 1911 45 ACP magazine, and the chamber will still work with 45 ACP or Super.

Now if I could just find that Reverse CCO at an agreeable budget... (please, not for a few years)

In regards to potential legal complications due to "modified" firearms & home defense...

Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

I've never heard of such complications anyhow.. but to be fair Its not like I seek out information about such cases.

 

[JoshT]

In regards to potential legal complications due to "modified" firearms & home defense...

Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

I've never heard of such complications anyhow.. but to be fair Its not like I seek out information about such cases.

I'd somewhat agree, but that removes one more excuse to buy another gun. Removing excuses to buy another gun are not acceptable.

FWIW I have heard of prosecution arguing that point in such cases, and I don't seek them out either. The argument typically gets overturned, but simply being presented is enough to plant the seed in the minds of the 12. Just because the judge throws out evidence and arguments that are presented, does not mean that the evidence and arguments don't affect the outcome. Look at the news. There's no such thing as an unbiased jury whether it's public opinion, or the 12 in the courtroom. The brief mention of something is enough to cause all the harm, even if that something is proven to be false.

More important excuse is that modifying a firearm in the way I was mentioned can easily turn an accurate and reliable firearm, into one that can't hit the broad side of a barn from 5 feet away and isn't reliable enough to be used as a paperweight. Unlike a glock, AR, or many other modern firearms, most times on a 1911 you can't simply slap parts together and go. There are some caliber conversions and stuff that are designed with a loose enough fit that you can get away with it. but matching a different barrel to slide or slide to frame can require quite a bit of fine work to get it functioning reliably. Atleast that's what I've read.

I have no doubt that I could teach myself off of youtube videos and articles and end up with a very nice gun. The question is how long would it take and how many times would I lose interest or be pulled away for extended periods. The whole time I'm not working on it the gun is sitting there in pieces unusable. I've got a revolver sitting in a box beside me that I took apart to clean a month ago, decided I wanted to ultrasonic it and it never made it that far. I'll get back around to it once I get some hotter projects squared away. Hopefully I'll still remember how it goes together.

 

[SenorNoob]

I have a 1911 in .22lr and can say, it's definitely fiddly to assemble. Weird mix of things you have to be gentle with and smack it with a hammer. I probably wouldn't do much more than fit grips on mine. I did toss the mag safety. I saw now way to assemble it without 3 hands and lost of comments calling it "useless".

 

[JoshT]

I have a 1911 in .22lr and can say, it's definitely fiddly to assemble. Weird mix of things you have to be gentle with and smack it with a hammer. I probably wouldn't do much more than fit grips on mine. I did toss the mag safety. I saw now way to assemble it without 3 hands and lost of comments calling it "useless".

Never messed with a .22lr 1911 so don't know how they compare to the normal, but I have no problem with assembling a normal one. Considered buying the 10mm or 9mm variant of this one, but just couldn't do it. I'm pretty happy with the .45 ACP in this platform. Might get a 22 versiuon someday, but I've got a Ruger Mark III 22/45 that shares the same controls.

As for modifying my 1911s, many modern firearms are factory fitted such that parts can be swapped and interchanged freely, and the aftermarket can make parts that are drop in fit and function. From my understand it takes a fair bit more gunsmithing work to make unmatched 1911 parts work together and be accurate, even more to be fairly relaible. Might be able to take slides and frame from the same company and make them work together properly, but the aftermarket parts I'd be using will definitely require machining, fitting, and finishing.

On other note, I was supposed to wait, but already got red dots on the way. Well technically green dots. Primary Arms makes a 3 MOA green dot and AR 15 Performance has them for $99 right now. Not many reflex sights available for less than $100, but Primary Arms ones seem to have good reviews, and so so their other optics. Never tried a green dot, but allegedly it's better for an astigmatism which I definitely have. Bought two, an RMSc mount for the 1911, and a RMR mount for the Canik. If I don't like it on those, I've got plenty of other places I can use one.