I wanted a place to discuss my handguns and firearms in general. Everyone seemingly has lots to say about guns, so I promise you this won't be a rant blog.
Regarding the SDS Imports 1911D B45R I recently purchased, I mentioned here that it had problems with some non-OEM mags. Specifically, Wilson Combat mags were hanging upon insertion attempts. The Metalform GI mags were exhibiting the same symptoms, too.
I stated that I’d ordered a Wilson Combat magazine release. Well, it arrived Friday. I’d never removed and installed one, so that was something new to me, and it took awhile to understand how I needed to remove it, as well as how I needed to install the new one. It was simple, once I understood what I needed to do.
Once it was installed, I checked to see if the mags would snag/hang on the mag release catch. For the WC mags, they don’t. The GIs are weird, as they begin to stag and end up not snagging – there’s some slight resistance. The feed lips on the GI mags are not rounded, so I believe they’re more susceptible to resistance. I think they’ll wear-in over time, though.
So, I recommend the WC magazine release button, spring, and screw (they’re not a set…you’ve to buy each). As of now, the cost for the three parts is approx. $25.
I went to the range today to have my new 1911 transferred to me – the SDS Imports 1911 Duty B45R.
I got there at 9 AM. I turned in the paperwork by 9:15 AM. I was given the gun at 9:20 AM.
The gun was immaculate. It also appears that someone cleaned the gun. It wasn’t pristine-clean, but it had no cosmoline on it (I’m not sure how these guns are normally shipped/stored – many are covered in preservative, which is what cosmoline is). It did have lube on the the frame and slide rails. I cleaned it anyways.
Surprisingly, the gun came with two Mecgar mags! I was expecting one mag, so that’s a big plus. I’ve spoken with other folks and they state that theirs came with one mag. My gun also came in a case. Those other folks stated theirs came in a cardboard box.
The gun is cerakoted but almost looks like it’s parkerized. It is black with a silver trigger and barrel. It has backstrap serrations but has a bare frontstrap. The ambi safeties are not bulky and have extended levers…they look nice!
I’d two other mags – branded Wilson Combat. I planned to use them with this gun at the range this evening. I also planned to use my ACT mag that came with my Metro Arms ACC 1911.
I had a small stash of 45ACP – two boxes of International 155-gr frangible ammo, which doesn’t perform all that well. I also bought two 50-round boxes of PMC Bronze 230-gr FMJ from the range when I arrived. Before I’d left for the range, I’d had the time to swap out the black plastic OEM grips with brown/tan/black grippy G10s that complement the gun.
I ended up shooting the two boxes of International and shot one of the two boxes of PMC. The PMC felt as if it were hot ammo (it always does). The International ammo surprisingly had no misfeeds.
One of the mags caused a failure at the very first round within it’s mag – It was the ACT mag. I ejected the mag, stripped it of ammo and put it to the side. I would not use it the rest of the range session.
The Wilson Combat mags were not flawless, but I’ve found it wasn’t a fault of the mags. The gun has a mag release that will work for the Mecgar (and ACT) mags but will not work well with the WC mags because it needs to be beveled. The mags would sometimes not want to be inserted. To fix this, I need to order a mag release from Wilson Combat. It will swap into the SDS 1911 without issue and will work with non-WC mags.
Pics of the gun:
A photo of the SDS 1911DB45R after the transfer.These grips are NICE but a bit too slick for range use.I shot the gun for the first time tonight (17 Feb). I used these G10 grips. I’ve no complaints…they work well, and I had no issues controlling/gripping the gun.
Pics of the range targets:
SDS 1911B45R first shots. This is 32 rounds of PMC Bronze 230-gr FMJ at 7 yards. I was getting familiar with the trigger, sight picture, and the ammo.I wanted to directly compare the PMC Bronze 230-gr FMJ and the International frangible 155-gr ammo. I bought maybe 250 rounds of the International maybe 2 years ago and it’s inconsistent ammo but it’s better than not having ammo. Upper left and lower right is PMC. Upper right and lower left is International. All targets have 8 rounds. All were shot at 7 yards.These were shot at 10 yards, using International frangible 155-gr ammo. First, I shot center, then I shot upper left, then upper right, and lastly I shot lower left. I’m getting tired and it’s showing…the rounds aren’t hitting where I’m aiming. The groups are still decent, though, especially the first group.These were at 10 yards, and all are shot with International 155-gr frangible ammo. 8 rounds were shot at each target. I’m getting tired. The groups aren’t bad, though.This is 4 mags of 8 rounds each. The distance is 7 yards and I used International 155-gr frangible ammo. These were fast (not exactly rapid) fired, maybe 2 shots a second, starting from low ready for each mag. Not bad for me.
Before I left the range, I looked at their store items. They carry WC mags and had one full size 1911 mag left. I bought it (since it’s price was $34, which is rather inexpensive from what I remember of WC mag prices).
The gun is solid. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it, aside from the mag release. It’s accurate. It’s smooth. The trigger is awesome. The finish and fitment is on par with $700-800 guns (Springfield Armory Garrison), in my opinion, yet I bought this gun for under $500. My only misgiving was that I didn’t get it in stainless steel (that version is $100 more).
I’d been wondering why the order was sitting. My first thought was that they didn’t have the gun in stock. I’ve seen gun stores sit on orders, awaiting for a new shipment of guns. I was going to give them another day before contacting them to cancel the order. I also did research and other folks that bought firearms from them stated they were very prompt with processing orders.
I waited maybe 24 hours to see if the order would progress, because I needed to contact my FFL to inform them of the shipment. Well, I checked today at noon and the order was fully processed and had shipped! It caught me off-guard and I had to complete a web form notifying my FFL that a gun was inbound to them for me.
As well, they no longer have them in stock. I must’ve got the last available B45R.
The gun arrives at my FFL on 2/14 (it is currently 2/11). So, they use quick shipping too, which is unusual during Covid times, as most gun stores are using the cheapest shipping possible and it’s usually USPS, which is slow 90% of the time.
Even when the gun arrives on Monday, I still have to await the FFL to contact me so that I can make an appointment for pickup. When I pick it up, I will try to shoot it before I leave (my FFL is a range/store).
I also bought some things for it, but those will probably arrive later in the week.
I bought 3 sets of full-size 1911 grips (I couldn’t decide on one type and I’ve other 1911s that I can install those grips on). One is a set of dark red wood grips with gold screws that may look nice on the black 1911 – they might be slick, though, so I bought an extra set that I can use for range duty. The site I bought from was Cool Hand Gear.
I also bought a 3-pack of full-sized 45ACP Metalform mags with flat base plates. They are GI mags. I need more mags anyways and I think flat base plated 1911 mags look good in certain guns. I bought these from eBay.
I also thought to buy a new recoil spring, just in case I need it, but I think that can wait a bit.
I’m also thinking I will eventually want a silver barrel bushing (the one on the gun is black)…the silver will match the silver of the trigger blade.
I usually try to buy a gun a year, specifically around this time. Last year, I bought a RIA 10mm 5″ double-stacked 1911 and Canik TP9 Elite SC. The year before that, I bought nothing. The year prior to that, which was the year I started making this an annual experience, I bought the PSA AK-V and AK-P.
I’d planned on getting another AK and had my eye on a 5.56/.223 variant but had a number of problems committing to another AK.
For one, higher end AKs are difficult to find in stock and when they are in stock, they quickly become out-of-stock.
Secondly, I’ve one pistol caliber AK pistol, as well as an AK pistol chambered in 7.62×39. I also have two AK rifles (both in 7.62×39). I’d wanted a 5.56 AK but couldn’t decide on if I wanted yet another long gun or pistol chambered in that caliber – I have both types already. I wouldn’t have cared but when I asked on the AK subreddit, the absolutely stupid replies back soured me to any AK, so I ended up not no longer wanting an AK.
I then decided to focus on a higher end 1911, either a mid-grade Sig or Springfield Armory. In fact, I wasn’t really caring on a particular 1911 maker. I just wanted the product to have a forged frame, slide, and barrel that was 5″ max with a traditional barrel (ie, no bull barrel). Price was $1000 max with a focus on lower price. I couldn’t find much that was in stock. I saw a LOT of Springfield Armory Garrisons but I wasn’t liking the sights on those (I wanted fully adjustable front and rear sights).
I’d been looking for weeks and couldn’t find much. I even looked outside of 1911s (looked at Sig’s P320 AXG Classic and Equinox – they were all expensive as hell). I’d also looked for the Springfield Armory SA-35 but they’re definitely out of stock everywhere.
I then decided to look at any 1911 that had forged slides and frames. I became focused on the IWI Desert Eagle 1911s until I saw that their frames are cast (precision cast but still cast).
Then I remembered that some of the Turkish 1911s had forged frames and slides. I focused on SDS and Tisas (SDS imports Tisas, I believe).
I found one that was discounted to $439 and tried to buy it but changed my mind right before I committed to the purchase because the website seemed fishy (it was http://www.2agunshow.com). The website seemed “sketchAF” and the price was super cheap, undercutting the next lowest 1911 of the same make/model by close to $40. Also when I tried to select an FFL at my location 5-10 miles round me, none of the usual FFLs showed in the results…it was very odd (maybe affiliated with dealers if it wasn’t actually sketch).
This gun was also listed at $432 here but went out of stock maybe 10 min after I saw it..
I ended up going to that next lowest priced gun of the same type and paying a bit extra for it (after researching the website/store first to ensure it was a legit site for regular buyers). I bought it.
A question that someone is going to ask, either at my Youtube channel or here, or even in the back of his mind when reading this: How in the hell did you go from Springfield Armory to a cheap Turkish gun?
That’s an easy question to answer. A true gun enthusiast will be acutely aware of Turkey’s history of gun-making and this particular brand, which is Tisas. Most uneducated folks think “cheaply made with non-quality materials and bad fitment/finish” when anyone mentions guns made outside of the US and 1st World countries in the EU. It’s a generally ignorant mentality. I’m not even sure Turkey can be considered a 3rd Word country. It’s like folks are thinking Afghanistan when thinking of Turkey! Folks familiar with Tisas-made 1911s know that they are quality. There are many models of US-made 1911s that are still using cast frames and many $1000+ 1911s are still using MIM parts. This particular 1911 has a forged slide, barrel (which even extremely cheap and shoddily built 1911s will have), and a forged frame. I don’t think ANY 1911s currently under production and under $500 have all three of those forged parts, with the exception of Tisas 1911s. Not only that, the fitment and finish of this gun equates more to $900-1000 1911s. If someone handled and even fired this firearm (but was withheld the make and country of origin), I bet they’d heap praises on it. And if they were made aware of the material makeup of the firearm, they’d further pile on the praises. When people know it’s from Turkey, they are immediately blinded and will actively refuse to further consider the gun. When I see this, I immediately have a general idea of their thought processes. “Buy only American products.” “Why would you buy something cheaply made when, for a few dollars more, you can have a Springfield or Sig?” And, it sometimes gets uglier: “Why would you support terrorism by buying a Turkish gun?”
Turkey is a NATO partner and the company named Tisas isn’t operated by the Turkish government. Yeah, no one likes Ergodan, but that doesn’t mean all companies in Turkey have Ergodan’s mentality.
While the price of the gun may be budget-minded, the makeup of the gun itself is pretty nice. I’m getting forged parts and the gun has little MIM parts (while all Springfield Armory 1911s are full of MIM). The Tisas 1911 was the better gun.
Also, going cheaper leaves me with some money for more ammo and options to upgrade the sights (I’m pretty sure the gun will come with contrast non-adjustable sights).
I will also probably buy another gun too, since I originally wanted to spend up to $1K. It will more than likely be an AR pistol chambered in 9mm – that’s something I don’t have. I will almost certainly buy a blemished one from PSA. I’ll post more about that later.
UPDATE (12/13/2023): The only MIM part in all Tisas 1911s currently produced is the recoil spring plug, and that can easily be replaced with a non-MIM part, without the need for fitting that part. They started doing that late 2022, I believe. Pricing has crept up, but Tisas are still the only guns under $1000 that have no MIM.
Last week I ordered a +4 aluminum basepad for a Canik TP9 Elite SC magazine that had a flat baseplate. I bought the +4 basepad from Taylor Freelance.
It took three days for delivery. I ended up installing it wrong and had a very difficult time removing it (if you buy this part, remember to remove the plastic at the bottom of the mag spring, otherwise you’ll have a very difficult time removing the +4 basepad).
The magazine was a 10-round mag that I converted to 12-round. With the +4 basepad, the gun now holds 16+1. I carried with it yesterday. Other than initial coldness of the metal against my skin, it wore well.
I also bought an 18-lb progressive recoil spring for my .45ACP Commander 1911, from BH Spring Solutions. I compared the old spring with the new and the old one is compressed a bit and also feels a bit lighter than 18-lb). Inside the 1911, the new spring offers noticeable resistance. I can’t wait to take the 1911 to the range. Sadly, I can’t right now, as I’ve some medical issues that currently block me from leaving the house (not Covid).
I’ll capture range footage of the 1911 once I’m healthy!
I returned that brake but wanted to try again with another brake, thinking there was something wrong with first brake.
I bought a used one a few weeks later (slimmer version but has the same threading). That one would not screw down fully flush, either. I decided to keep the brake but was going to ask for an RMA of the pistol, thinking there was something amiss with the threads or muzzle.
Last night, I did some research and found a few folks having the same issue but with other rifles and pistols (some non-AKs). One guy said he took a copper brush to the threads of the muzzle and the threads of the brake, and had success in fully screwing down the brake. I tried it and it worked! There was a lot of crud on the threads of the muzzle and brake (the brake was used and not clean).
I’ll be taking the AK-P to the range this week to test the new brake.
Right now, I think I’m leaning toward the WBP MiniJack, as a primary choice since it’s a beautiful gun. I’d like another milled AK. It’s also currently in stock.
Most of the other guns I listed (what I supplied above is a narrowed-down list of quite a few 1911s) are not currently in stock due to Covid times.
Second choice, for now, is going to be the SA 1911 Vickers Tactical. This 1911 is exceptional and is more than the WBP MiniJack.
The thing that keeps bugging me is that I already have 1911s (lower end non-US makes), so I don’t really need one, but a really nice high end 1911 would be something different.
Another thing that keeps bugging me is that I already have several AKs, even a milled AK and even several AK pistols. I don’t really need another AK, even a beautiful one such as the MiniJack…
Wow, I appears that I just made a very strong case for the Vickers Tactical 1911 as my primary choice. (WATCH ME CHANGE MY MIND AT THE LAST MINUTE).
I can always get the MiniJack Milled next year.
I should find out when the bonus is coming sometime late February or early March. If it’s a lot, I might be able to justify buying two (or getting a lift and wheels/tires for the Jeep).
Well, I bought the Akaso Brave 7 LE. While Akaso offers the Brave 8, I wanted to use Amazon to purchase it (in case the camera was crap) – they don’t offer the Brave 8 on Amazon.
The pros:
The camera costs $118 USD.
The camera comes with many different mounts using the same form factor as GoPro (so you can mix/match parts with your GoPro mounts).
The camera is wifi-capable.
The Brave 7 LE has a front and rear screen
The camera is capable of 4K resolution.
It is water resistant – no waterproof case is needed for quick splashes.
The cons:
Audio quality is bad, even outside of it’s waterproof case. It only has one mic, which is probably why audio quality is so bad.
Bad quality as far as low lighting is concerned, granted, action cameras in general don’t do so well in low light environments.
When using the smartphone app to connect to the camera, it is required that you disable you phone’s mobile data service.
Firmware support is weird. There’s nowhere you can download firmware (for updates) on their webpage.
The camera has a ton of capabilities and those configuration options can be changed quickly from the phone app or from the camera itself.
The camera display’s UI is quick and simple.
Initially, I had issues with image quality when using it as a range camera, but found that I should use higher FPS settings (I was recording at 1080P). I almost returned the camera when I compared footage with my GoPro Hero 4, which was outperforming the Akaso. I found that the Hero 4 was set to capture at 1080P/60FPS and that I was recording on the Akaso at 1080P/30FPS. When testing the Akaso at 1080P/60FPS, the video footage was much more clearer than before.
The only thing I truly do not like about this camera is it’s crappy audio, but since this is a range camera, I don’t need superb audio…the footage I’ll be collecting will consist mostly of very loud gunshots.
As soon as I’ve 1080P/60FPS footage, I’ll post it up. It should be close to equal what the Hero 4 generates (we’ll see).
UPDATE (11/12/2023):
In my user experience, this camera does NOT record good footage in low light conditions. I can somewhat mitigate this by manipulating the camera’s EV settings. The settings can be adjusted between -2.0 to 0 to 2.0. I’ve found that in low level contitions, I’ve to be below 0, otherwise the footage is quite grainy.
I’ve older range footage that this camera recorded, but I can’t remember the exact EV settings that was used in that footage. Keep in mind that the light conditions at that range (Elite Shooting Sports) wasn’t dark or lacking. The footage appears to be quite yellow and a tad bit grainy, even with good lighting.
I’ll take the Akaso Brave to the range with me when I next visit the range (possibly tomorrow evening). I’ll try both -2.0 and 0 EV setting values (and verbally state, on camera, which values I’ll be using).
Here’s the older footage I have:
UPDATE 2 (11/12/2023):
Well, the battery compartment latch broke completely off tonight. While the battery will not faill completely out of the camera, the battery will not stay stationary within the compartment. The camera has never been dropped, so this isn’t an issue of accidental damage.
This SUCKS! I’ve accessories that can only be used with this particular camera!
Luckily, I bought an extended warranty on the camera. While it didn’t cost all that much, I was approved for a full refund.
I don’t really want a refund but this problem isn’t going to fix itself, and the manufacturer’s warranty has expired.
I guess I need another camera, sooner than later. I’m still using the Hero 4 as my primary camera, but since that camera is so old, the Brave 7 LE was the standby camera.
I took out the Arsenal SAM7UF and PSA AK-P. The former is a milled rifle that I’ve owned 2-3 years but never shot until today. The latter is an AK pistol that I bought 3-4 years ago and have been shooting off and on.
Both are dreams to shoot. I’ve no range footage because I hate recording when shooting long guns (my mounting point doesn’t agree with the rifle shooting position).
I shot the SAM7UF first. I thought it would be hard on my shoulder but it was rather mild, especially considering that the folding stock’s makeup is usually something that folks complain about. It’s supposedly not easy to shoot, but the stock didn’t bother me (I’ve the rails covered with paracord).
I thought the recoil would bother my shoulder with that stock but much of the recoil never made it to my body. The milled rifle is heavy and the heft absorbed much of the recoil.
I shot out to 25 yards. I wasn’t hitting point of aim but I think it’s because the rifle may be zero’d to 100 yards. I need to study the method of zeroing AKs. When I do, I’ll revisit the range with the SAM7 and zero the gun (on the 25 yard range, since I’ll have a difficult time seeing further than that).
The gun has some blast, too. It seems it has more blast than my other long AK (a bastardized AK-63D from Classic Firearms). I shot 30 rounds before I switched to the PSA AK-P.
The PSA AK-P is a flamethrower but I already knew that. I didn’t feel like squinting trying to hit 25 yard targets so I moved the target closer, to half that distance.
I’ve a red dot sight for this firearm but I removed it when I last took it out, as I hated it. I’m decently accurate with the iron sights, so I shot 30 rounds at one of those target papers that have 5 targets on it. all but maybe 4-5 landed on paper (because the targets on the edge of the paper don’t leave much room for error and I was doing a lot of quasi double-tapping). The groupings were pretty tight for the rate of fire I used. I also shot while standing. A picture is below.
12 yards, standing w/ irons…
The gun bucks and throws fire. Additionally, it got HOT! I burned myself once and had to wrap it up in rags before I put it in it’s case so it wouldn’t melt the inside foam. Also, keep in mind that this is a pistol and the brace is HARD on a shoulder with the kick of an AK pistol. I also tend to pull the gun in really tight while gripping the mag. I’ll be bruised tomorrow.
Lastly, I always try to shoot my carry gun when I’m visiting the range, so I shot some defensive ammo from the Canik TP9 Elite SC. This ammo is something new to me, but I bought a batch of it from my range 2 nights ago, since it was on sale at 19.99 for a box of 50. The make and model is Federal 115-gr Hi-Shok JHP. I bought 250 rounds of it, not knowing if it was good or not but liking the sub-$20/box price. I later researched the ammo and found that the ammo is GOOD and that law enforcement uses it. I’d assumed that since the box was white and since the ammo wasn’t being sold in 20-round boxes, it was range ammo. It is not. So, tonight I bought 100 more rounds of it just to shoot with tonight. It shot well, without hiccups, and without feed or extraction issues. I may end up trying to buy it in bulk but my research shows that when looking for it online, the low price is 0.49/round, which is a bit high compared to what I found at my range. My range will carry it until it runs out and won’t let me buy in bulk anymore (the person that sold it to me apparently shouldn’t have let me buy so much without shooting – I bought it after my shooting session).
Right now, I’m right at 482 rounds shot through the TP9 ESC. Expect that number to go quickly as I continue to practice with it.
The AK-P currently has 370 rounds through it. I could shoot it more but for some reason, shooting that gun indoors gets old quickly (it has tremendous blast). I looked at the internals (trunion, bolt, and bolt carrier) and the parts aren’t beat up (this model is a GF3). Most AK snobs hate US-made AK, and think they’re sub-par. If I have any issues, it’ll be something like fire-pin issues, or something stuck in the firing pin channel (primer metal), or maybe a loose firing pin retaining pin (which probably won’t be an issue, as I’ve checked it and it is not loose at all). I will probably buy another firing pin, in case the OEM one breaks.
The SAM7UF only has 30 rounds through it but I’ll try to shoot it more, now that it’s no longer virgin.
In the past, I frequented the r/AK47 page, but there are a few things that are hardcore turnoffs regarding r/AK47.
First, the elitism is heavy on that page. You’ll see folks focusing on trash-talking domestic AKs. They’re tracking US-made AK pattern rifles in a document, highlighting each reported issue. I don’t have an issue with tracking in this fashion, if it’s tracked across all makes. If ALL issues aren’t being tracked, then that’s 100% bias.
I say this because I’ve noticed issues being reported by Zastava owners, yet that make’s issues aren’t being tracked. As well, I’ve seen quite a few issues with WASRs and those issues also go unreported. I’m not the only person noticing the bias. Folks ask about the bias all the time, but their questions are ignored.
Secondly, it’s all frat-boy attitude at r/AK47. If you’ve an issue and asking for help, you’ll get assistance but you’ll have to wait for folks to stop laughing at your issue or your questions/concerns. And if you’ve a US-made AK and are asking for assistance, you’ll be ridiculed to death before someone comes along that’s willing to assist (those folks will more than likely own the same gun). Even simple questions that a new person might ask get laughed at. It’s probably best to not mention that it’s a US-made gun unless it’s absolutely necessary.
To be honest, it’s the same at the AK Files forum, too. That doesn’t excuse the behavior, though.
So, if you own an AK and have questions, you should develop thick skin before asking at r/AK47 and AK Files. Or, search through old posts and send folks that had similar issues a private message in Reddit (or in the case of AK Files, a forum private message).
