Opinions on alloy framed 1911s?

Flashpoint

Flashpoint

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Didn't want to crash the $800 1911 thread so I'll ask here. What is the general consensus among the 1911 crowd regarding the wear characteristics of aluminum alloy framed 1911s? I ask because I've been getting the 1911 bug lately, mostly just because I'd like to own at least one for posterity but also maybe to compete with on occasion, and maybe the occasional BBQ? :)

So I'm not the most well heeled and am always looking for bang for the buck, but that's not the main reason I'm looking at an aluminum framed 1911, this one just happened to catch my eye. I'm not attracted to two tone guns at all, but a solid color with a little bling around the edges looks cool to me. This is the Kimber LW Nightstar:

kimber lw nightstar.jpg

And it's priced like an RIA. I can only assume that's because of the alloy frame. I've read some reviews and some owners report thousands of rounds with no appreciable wear, but I'd trust more the opinions of folks here. I expect part of the lower perceived value is the fact that it's just not the original design, almost a desecration, if you will. I'm not too concerned about that, I'm mostly interested in wear and/or reliability. It comes in 45ACP and 9mm. If wear is an issue, would 9mm extend the life?

It wont be my first 1911, I've had two but neither for very long. A 3/3.5" (can't remember) Springfield Loaded that was never reliable, and a full size GI RIA, both were like 10 years ago. Thanks for any advice on the above.
 
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There are no problems unless you plan to compete or put a billion rounds through it. Hi-volume/hard-use will wear it out. But as a carry gun, a range gun, a glove box gun, a nightstand gun, will last years and years and years....

I see reports of hi-volume, they are on the right side of the bell curve. That's not the norm.

Edited to add, my first 1911 was a SA alum frame. Early 90s. Still going strong.
 
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I forgot to mention that the one significant issue I uncovered was that some of the alloy framed models have a built in feed ramp rather than it being part of the barrel. Some have attempted to "polish" it with a dremel and wound up taking off the anodized layer down to the raw aluminum and now are experiencing wear of the feed ramp. I don't know why some of them are this way but if the one I like is of that design would that be a red flag?
 
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I believe armslist has one like that with a vortex venom for 830 or close to that... Its in 9mm if that matters to you. I prefer 45 in that platform.
 
Unless you want it for weight reduction would not get an alloy 1911. The feedramp can be an issue but most of the time it is going to run without needing to be polished. You will have to avoid certain mags like Chip McCormick Shooting Stars because they will hit the feedramp and damage the alum. As far as longevity unless you are shooting a lot of rounds you are not going to shoot that frame to failure.

I personally would not touch a used Kimber unless you trust the source of the gun. +100 for an alum one. They look nice but too often the dog does not hunt.
 
ouch! i shoulda known.... armslist:rolleyes:. i dont know what the vortex venom goes for but either way, i guess its better to buy new and configure the way you like. thanks flash
 
I have two alloy framed 1911s, both are Wiley Clapp Colts, 9 mm and .45. The 9mm has a Vortex venom red dot. Both are very accurate, and holding up well. Both look LNIB.
I wouldn't worry about an aluminum frame, just buy and shoot it.
 
I would never carry a 1911 so weight doesn't matter in that regard and I think it helps in competition so I would get steel. The solution to frame feed ramp wear from polishing is don't polish it...it rarely helps feeding anyhow.
 
I've been carrying on an off, an SA Lightweight Champion (4") with zero issues.

The black finish is falling off the slide, the frame is OD but holding up well.

Did I mention I had no issues, ever!

Opinions are like, well, you know!
 
Ikarus1 said:
I've got a Colt defender, and haven't noticed anything but extra recoil lol. Of course it's a 3" barrelled aluminum-framed Officer's model so yeah
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+1 for the Colt Defender. I have one also. I shoot it better than my full size Springfield. Can't really notice the recoil.
 
Coltdefender1911 said:
+1 for the Colt Defender. I have one also. I shoot it better than my full size Springfield. Can't really notice the recoil.
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If you shoot HST +P out of a steel 1911 and then a Defender you will definitely notice it :D

Mine is the one that came stock with Hogues so it's really not harsh but it's a small aluminum pistol with a big heavy bullet flying out of it at 900fps so yeah...
 
Ikarus1 said:
If you shoot HST +P out of a steel 1911 and then a Defender you will definitely notice it :D

Mine is the one that came stock with Hogues so it's really not harsh but it's a small aluminum pistol with a big heavy bullet flying out of it at 900fps so yeah...
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Don’t choot HST.
 
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Aluminum is fine for carry but not ideal for hard use. Aluminum apparently has a finite life due to repeated stress, whereas steel is far more resilient and does not retain the cumulative effects of stress.

I have a 1951 Commander 9mm in “meh” shooting condition; had the Coltalloy sent off for nickle-plating and hard-chroming to try and give it a chance at an even longer life. However, I run it with light ammo, slightly lighter springs (early commanders have lightened slides with internal milling), and I keep it lubed and resprung regularly. It ostensibly should survive a match or two each year until I die.
 
at one time, I had a pair of sig Spartan 1911’s... I put thousands of rounds through one of them with ZERO issues.. the other was never fired and I gave it to my son.. ended up trading mine off. Either way, I dumped a lot of different Ammo mostly cheap shit no failure to feed no signs of wear... if you think about it, a steel on steel surface will wear just as fast as an aluminum on aluminum...
 
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I also have the lw defender no issues.
But if you're worried about the feed ramp go with the Ruger lw commander it has a titanium feed ramp
 
chuckcraig said:
at one time, I had a pair of sig Spartan 1911’s... I put thousands of rounds through one of them with ZERO issues.. the other was never fired and I gave it to my son.. ended up trading mine off. Either way, I dumped a lot of different Ammo mostly cheap shit no failure to feed no signs of wear... if you think about it, a steel on steel surface will wear just as fast as an aluminum on aluminum...
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The problem with that is that an aluminum framed 1911 has a steel side so what you have is harder steel running on an alum frame. That is why sometimes you get uneven and accelerated wear.
 
I wouldn't go alloy unless carrying, there is a recoil difference, and if you decide you like competing you may rack up a lot of rounds so there could be a longevity difference.

If I even had an inkling of competition I would not get a Red Dot 1911, you will be limited to IDPA and Outlaw matches, maybe Bullseye has a division. You'd be a fool to run a slide ride low cap in Open USPSA or Steel Challenge, though I have seen people claim not to care I have never seen one actually do it. Almost every game has a suitable home for a fullsize 1911 with adjustable irons.
 
Ben Jefferson said:
I've been carrying on an off, an SA Lightweight Champion (4") with zero issues.

The black finish is falling off the slide, the frame is OD but holding up well.

Did I mention I had no issues, ever!

Opinions are like, well, you know!
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Anyone know what Kimber uses for their black coating? Just looked at the LW model in stainless at my local Bass Pro during lunch. I don't really like how the frame and slide don't match in color so I think I'm still more interested in the black, which I assume is the same finish on the aluminum frame as it is on the stainless slide. Just wondering how long it will be before it starts to flake off!
 
Flashpoint said:
Anyone know what Kimber uses for their black coating? Just looked at the LW model in stainless at my local Bass Pro during lunch. I don't really like how the frame and slide don't match in color so I think I'm still more interested in the black, which I assume is the same finish on the aluminum frame as it is on the stainless slide. Just wondering how long it will be before it starts to flake off!
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not sure but i had that same thing on an old series one kimber tle 2. the slide eventually turned that weird deep purple color, i hated it. Couldnt get past it and sold the thing. Purple 'ish bluing looks aweful to me.
 
I have a colt lightweight commander in 38 super that is the cat's meow.I have two Taurus aluminum frame 1911's as well(bash away).Haven't shot any enough to hurt them but can definitely tell a difference when carrying them.
 
Flashpoint said:
Anyone know what Kimber uses for their black coating? Just looked at the LW model in stainless at my local Bass Pro during lunch. I don't really like how the frame and slide don't match in color so I think I'm still more interested in the black, which I assume is the same finish on the aluminum frame as it is on the stainless slide. Just wondering how long it will be before it starts to flake off!
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Can't relate with Kimber finsish issues. The one I have is a stainless TRE RLII
 
Flashpoint said:
Anyone know what Kimber uses for their black coating? Just looked at the LW model in stainless at my local Bass Pro during lunch. I don't really like how the frame and slide don't match in color so I think I'm still more interested in the black, which I assume is the same finish on the aluminum frame as it is on the stainless slide. Just wondering how long it will be before it starts to flake off!
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I'm not good for much when it comes to 1911s but I can offer you some advice here: You've said you only want one and that you're gonna shoot it. Get something other than a Kimber. I've BTDT and never again.
 
Catfish said:
I'm not good for much when it comes to 1911s but I can offer you some advice here: You've said you only want one and that you're gonna shoot it. Get something other than a Kimber. I've BTDT and never again.
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I must've been lucky. I bought my Kimber in about 2006 brand new.

Never had an issue with it other than the front sight falling out in about 2009 which they fixed free and quickly.

When did their quality go down the tubes?

I listened to an old IstSgt I had many years ago who used to swear up and down about how Kimber was the way to go. Of course I couldn't afford one for the next 30 years though.
 
Ben Jefferson said:
I must've been lucky. I bought my Kimber in about 2006 brand new.

Never had an issue with it other than the front sight falling out in about 2009 which they fixed free and quickly.

When did their quality go down the tubes?

I listened to an old IstSgt I had many years ago who used to swear up and down about how Kimber was the way to go. Of course I couldn't afford one for the next 30 years though.
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Ron Cohen turned a great 1911 manufacturer into a highly profitable marketing company that sometimes got lucky putting working 1911s together.

He then moved on to Sig.
 
JRV said:
Ron Cohen turned a great 1911 manufacturer into a highly profitable marketing company that sometimes got lucky putting working 1911s together.

He then moved on to Sig.
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Ron Cohen eh, Typical modern business model I take it...

Harley Davidson

Dodge/Chrysler

$ Drives the process, even if it's short term.
 
I had a Kimber Ultra Carry with aluminum frame, and it was 100% reliable. Also still have a Stainless Target 45 that’s also been extremely reliable. Both were bought in 2010. When did Ron Cohen take over Kimber?
 
Aluminum has always seemed like a major, unnecessary compromise given the rise of polymer guns for carry. Personally, when/if I own metal guns, I'll be sticking to steel.
 
wvsig said:
I personally would not touch a used Kimber unless you trust the source of the gun. +100 for an alum one. They look nice but too often the dog does not hunt.
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Put me in this camp^^^^^^^^ I have not seen a Kimber made in the last 5 years that would shoot 100 rounds through it with No malfunctions. I se A Lot of 1911s here...A Lot.
Many years ago Skeeter Skelton shot 5,000 rounds of hardball through a Colt Commander at one sitting with No Problems.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
Put me in this camp^^^^^^^^ I have not seen a Kimber made in the last 5 years that would shoot 100 rounds through it with No malfunctions. I se A Lot of 1911s here...A Lot.
Many years ago Skeeter Skelton shot 5,000 rounds of hardball through a Colt Commander at one sitting with No Problems.
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If I am remembering that article correctly, he put 5,000 rounds of .45 hardball through an early LW Commander... and then it cracked either at the dustcover or slide stop hole.

It didn’t stop functioning, but the crack had to be stop-drilled to prevent the crack from expanding.

Edited to add: https://www.shootingtimes.com/editorial/whats-new-with-the-1911-commander/99670

That’s about as legit a source as I can get for that. Yep, Skelton broke a .45 in less than six months’ worth of shooting for me (200-250 rounds live-fire per week).

Coltalloy sucks for what it is and should not be considered the equivalent of modern frames. Not to mention Colt just kind of slapped guns together back in the day, so slop didn’t help.
 
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Catfish said:
Get something other than a Kimber.
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More good advice....Also we have had only One Ruger Light Weight Commander through here with it's performance with the 100 round session we can say that these guns will not work 100% of the time. We had 1..it wouldn't work so 100% of every one we have tried are no good.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
More good advice....Also we have had only One Ruger Light Weight Commander through here with it's performance with the 100 round session we can say that these guns will not work 100% of the time. We had 1..it wouldn't work so 100% of every one we have tried are no good.
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@BatteryOaksBilly when did Kimber start to suffer reliability wise? I’ve only had two examples to try, but they are 10 years old. My Stainless Target will cycle everything, including hollow points with no problems. I shot it quite a bit at Geezers farewell gathering.
 
I too had a Stainless Target in 9 mm. At least 10 years ago. Honestly, all the King's horsemen couldn't make that thing run1 mag through it. I wanted it to work so bad I owned 6 different kinds on mags trying to get it to work. There have been well over a dozen here in the last 10 years, none would pass the 100 round test.
 
Already been said multiple times.

1) I wouldn't own a Kimber. Some here will swear by theirs. Good for them, but I would never, ever recommend one.
2) Nought wrong with an aluminum 1911. I have a Colt New Agent I carry 50% of the time; never fails to go bang.
3) If I were to own only one 1911, it would be an all steel Government model, true to JMB's original design.
4) If I were to own only two, the next would be a Colt Commander in all steel.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
I too had a Stainless Target in 9 mm. At least 10 years ago. Honestly, all the King's horsemen couldn't make that thing run1 mag through it. I wanted it to work so bad I owned 6 different kinds on mags trying to get it to work. There have been well over a dozen here in the last 10 years, none would pass the 100 round test.
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Our shop was a Master Dealer and we stopped ordering them.

1) Rust on every barrel regardless of PMCS.
2) Extractors were never tensioned or fitted out of the box.
3) Very sloppy firing pin stop fitting, so the clocking was incredible.
4) 9mms never had the ejector fitted, so mags would slam into the ejectors at 6 o’clock when seated.
5) Unresponsive dealer service to all of the above issues.

Politics aside, Springfield ROs and (if you can find them used) the old STI Spartan and Trojan lines were the best Single Stack/CDP guns going for under a grand. Tried to sell them to anyone that would listen that didn’t want to pay Dan Wesson or Baer money. But, we couldn’t talk OFWGs out of Raptors or CDPs or Eclipses because, by golly, they saw them on the back of Guns & Ammo and fell in love.
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
I too had a Stainless Target in 9 mm. At least 10 years ago. Honestly, all the King's horsemen couldn't make that thing run1 mag through it. I wanted it to work so bad I owned 6 different kinds on mags trying to get it to work. There have been well over a dozen here in the last 10 years, none would pass the 100 round test.
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Mine still has the firing pin safety, although I’ve ordered the parts to delete it. A bit of research says most problems come from the extra safety. No problems with mine but I love to tinker,

Been out of the 1911 game for several years. Sold the Stainless Target seven years ago, and recently bought it back from the member I sold it to. Originally bought it in 2010, and shot it for three years with no problems.
 
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