MacEntyre
Shoot on Sight!
2A Bourbon Hound OG
Charter Member
Benefactor
Life Member
Multi-Factor Enabled
About 20 years ago, I had a Para P13-45 that had a problem... I don't remember what it was, but I do remember what John did about it!
I joined a 1911 forum run by some feller in Greece and soon discovered a user called 1911Tuner. What a surprise to find that he lived near Lexington, and invited folks with 1911 problems to stop by so he could have a look.
At the time, John was in the middle of an in depth online discussion with self proclaimed experts, and in person talks with Check-Mate Industries, the Georgia based 1911 magazine manufacturer. John was trying to get folks to understand the dimpled magazine follower, and why hybrid tapered feed lips improved controlled-round-feed.
When I showed up with my Canadian made double stack 1911, John was gracious. I only learned later that he strongly prefers firearms that adhere to the original JM Browning specifications, including 7 round magazines. The problem with my P13-45 was an out of spec guide rod, and he fixed it by asking me to buy one made by Colt. When I told this story on the 1911 forum, someone commented, "You mean John fixed a Para with a Colt part?" 🤣
Afterwards, John did a demonstration for me, showing that some mags fed a round with a Ka-Chunk, but others fed a round with a much quieter Sploosh. The smoother feeding was with the mag that had hybrid tapered feed lips. That's when I learned that the bullet is never supposed to hit the barrel feed ramp, and why polishing a feed ramp is a fool's errand.
A while later, I purchased one of the last Colt Sistema 1911s, sold by Gander Mountain. I took it to John, and we had a grand time with it. We replaced most of the internal parts, as well as the grip safety. John gave me a vintage Colt trigger and a Springfield barrel. He fitted the barrel, but wasn't satisfied. So, as he says, we beat on the frame with a hammer! His slide fitting tool worked well, and the result was a very tight gun, a sleeper actually... a gun with almost no finish, but one that shoots very well!
Yesterday, John had a look at my Tisas Government Model and said he was impressed. It was a good visit. It made me wonder how many folks on CFF have been there to get problems solved, or just to visit. I think there might be more than I imagined!
I joined a 1911 forum run by some feller in Greece and soon discovered a user called 1911Tuner. What a surprise to find that he lived near Lexington, and invited folks with 1911 problems to stop by so he could have a look.
At the time, John was in the middle of an in depth online discussion with self proclaimed experts, and in person talks with Check-Mate Industries, the Georgia based 1911 magazine manufacturer. John was trying to get folks to understand the dimpled magazine follower, and why hybrid tapered feed lips improved controlled-round-feed.
When I showed up with my Canadian made double stack 1911, John was gracious. I only learned later that he strongly prefers firearms that adhere to the original JM Browning specifications, including 7 round magazines. The problem with my P13-45 was an out of spec guide rod, and he fixed it by asking me to buy one made by Colt. When I told this story on the 1911 forum, someone commented, "You mean John fixed a Para with a Colt part?" 🤣
Afterwards, John did a demonstration for me, showing that some mags fed a round with a Ka-Chunk, but others fed a round with a much quieter Sploosh. The smoother feeding was with the mag that had hybrid tapered feed lips. That's when I learned that the bullet is never supposed to hit the barrel feed ramp, and why polishing a feed ramp is a fool's errand.
A while later, I purchased one of the last Colt Sistema 1911s, sold by Gander Mountain. I took it to John, and we had a grand time with it. We replaced most of the internal parts, as well as the grip safety. John gave me a vintage Colt trigger and a Springfield barrel. He fitted the barrel, but wasn't satisfied. So, as he says, we beat on the frame with a hammer! His slide fitting tool worked well, and the result was a very tight gun, a sleeper actually... a gun with almost no finish, but one that shoots very well!
Yesterday, John had a look at my Tisas Government Model and said he was impressed. It was a good visit. It made me wonder how many folks on CFF have been there to get problems solved, or just to visit. I think there might be more than I imagined!
Last edited: