dry-firing a 1911

[nightrunner]

reason i asked about dry-firing is i thought i heard that some guns will be damaged if dry fired much. and ive always thought of the 1911 as delicate to start with.

i remember molonlabetn posting that the firing pin or something broke in his xd and blamed it on probably dry firing it too much(approx. 5-10k times i believe)

but i get it, dry-firing a 1911 is ok. but you cant drop the slide on an empty chamber.

[Oh Shoot]

...

i remember molonlabetn posting that the firing pin or something broke in his xd and blamed it on probably dry firing it too much(approx. 5-10k times i believe)...

Striker Retainer Pin.

They do seem to break once in a great while in a few guns.

Whether caused by "excessive" dry firing is debated regularly.

- OS

[TN9mm]

ive always thought of the 1911 as delicate to start with.

Not sure all would agree there...messupable, perhaps.... delicate, I don't classify 1911's in general as delicate. Maybe it's because they are so dang pretty and built to such tight tolarances in general, people have the perception they are delicate but they are pretty dang tough IMHO.

[nightrunner]

probably because the vast majority of 1911s now are approx. $1k customs or semi-customs and built with tight tolerances and some have reliability issues.

[Oh Shoot]

probably because the vast majority of 1911s now are approx. $1k customs or semi-customs and built with tight tolerances and some have reliability issues.

Guess that's why I never bought one.

- OS

[nightrunner]

Guess that's why I never bought one.

- OS

all dont have reliability issues.

im starting to get the feeling that everything i say about them is about to get rebuked by someone with experience with a good one....

[Oh Shoot]

all dont have reliability issues....

I know.

But compared to a rock solid Glock or XD, LOTS do. Even 10% is a HIGH problem rate to me, and seems that most any 1911 build has at LEAST that degree of problems.

I'd have had an EMP by now, if it weren't obviously even more problematic than .45s.

- OS

[TN9mm]

OS. This is just my experience but I could not more highly recommend the EMP.

Objectively I do realize that when you spend that kind of $ on a gun you want to love it. But that thing is one hell of a pistol. I can not make it malfunction, it is a work of art, and probably the nicest weapon I will ever own. It has eaten all ammo with no hickups of any kind, and unbelievably accurate for a small package. Maybe I just got a good one. I am no brand honk either, this is my one and only Springer and I would not sell it to you for 2x what I paid. My advice give the EMP a chance I don't think you'd regret it at all.

[dunndw]

My EDC 1911s have run 100%

[Oh Shoot]

My EDC 1911s have run 100%

Geez, didn't have to at least buy different mags, fire 3700 rounds of ball before trying hollow points, fluff and buff, tune extractor to B flat and ejector to A sharp, and change sights so you didn't miss the entire barn?

Sounds like real rarities, then.

- OS

[Mike.357]

I know three people with EMP's ,not one of them ran 100% out of the box.

I believe, (nothing to back it up with, just in general what i have seen, read and heard) that maybe 70% of 1911's will run 100% right out of the box, the other 30% have issues.

I have seen people post on this very board how their guns never malfunction, and how great they are, but then at shoots I have seen them all have hiccups.

I have owned maybe 12 auto loaders, only have four of them now. Only one ever ran 100% failure free. It was a Smif and Western Sigma, 9mm version. 2000+ failure free rounds.

I maybe can see how dropping a slide down on an empty chamber might could be harmful. I am not convinced but I don't care, its not like I sit around racking the slide all night long on my 1911. but for the life of me I can't understand how dry firing a center fire weapon can hurt the firing pin or spring.

[TGO David]

Striker Retainer Pin.

They do seem to break once in a great while in a few guns.

Whether caused by "excessive" dry firing is debated regularly.

- OS

Two of my four XDs have had that problem. The two that didn't had low round counts. The two that did had more than 2,000 rounds through them. I wouldn't call it a rarity.

all dont have reliability issues.

im starting to get the feeling that everything i say about them is about to get rebuked by someone with experience with a good one....

It pretty much will be. If you want solid 1911 information, check www.1911forum.com or www.m4carbine.com and ask in their handguns forum. 10-8 Forums is one of THE best places for 1911 info but you want to just search and not post. They don't tolerate any BS and their membership is made entirely of industry professionals (cops, military, armorers, etc.)

My EDC 1911s have run 100%

As have mine.

[TN9mm]

My EMP was used so as for break in it was a apparently done for me but I have put 1000+ rounds through it w/o an issue FMJ and JHP of all the types I have. .My Ruger P95 has never had an issue either straight out of the box regardless of ammo. Now other autos some issues.

As for tuning on 1911's, I see not much difference in buying a Glock and replacing 1/2 the parts to get it how you want (springs, guide rods, sights, barrels, etc). I can't bring myself to change anything on my EMP it just flat works, now someday I'll see a stove pipe or something but not yet.

[Oh Shoot]

Two of my four XDs have had that problem. The two that didn't had low round counts. The two that did had more than 2,000 rounds through them. I wouldn't call it a rarity....

Well, obviously it wasn't a rarity for you!

But really, if even 10% of XDs did this inside of say, 10K rounds, methinks there would be a sizable clamor regarding a well documented problem, and methinks would be addressed by Springfield. After all, just as with Glocks, there are a lot of folks out there shooting XDs 500-1,000 rounds/month with range and competition participation.

- OS

[Guest kringle02]

It has a floating firing pin that means It wont hurt the firing pin ,but like any thing else you do it enough times is not the best thing for it. it will wear on the hammer ,but it takes a lot

[flyfishooltewah]

I was told when I bought my 1911 to never dry slam the receiver. I just use dummy bullets now, but I really don't know why it could not handle it.

Edited June 5, 2009 by flyfishooltewah

[flyfishooltewah]

"This is just my experience but I could not more highly recommend the EMP."

Do you think it is better than the Kimber Ultra Carry?

[TN9mm]

"This is just my experience but I could not more highly recommend the EMP."

Do you think it is better than the Kimber Ultra Carry?

"This is just my experience but I could not more highly recommend the EMP."

Do you think it is better than the Kimber Ultra Carry?

Honestly I could not say if it is better, have handled one never fired one. A couple items to note, the Kimber Ultra CarryII family from what I can tell is all .45 (could be wrong I'm not a Kimber expert but very familiar with their website). I wanted a 9mm and will take the extra 2 rounds of capacity over the increased projectile diameter.

That said, when I purchased my EMP I did almost, and I do mean almost, purchase the Kimber Ultra Ageis II 9mm instead. It was a very hard decision for me. Since the EMP was LNIB and the Kimber was NIB there was a savings involved, buying the EMP was a budget stretch anyway, but springing for the Kimber was not that much more in the grand scheme of things and the $$ was a small factor that made me go with the EMP. The Kimber melt treatment on the Ageis is amazing and it was a beautiful weapon to be sure. It was very hard, they both had night sights both were dimensionally essentially the same, both aluninum frames, both match grade barrels, both match grade triggers, essentially a tie.

It came down to this: EMP had a slightly smaller grip circumference that fit my hand perfectly, overall I liked the stainless slide/black frame look of the EMP a little better (although the Kimber design does have merrit for long term durability in a carry piece). Also I think the trigger on the EMP looks cooler. It was not all about looks though between the feal, I prefer an ambi safety (just me), the trigger, the EMP holds 9 rounds in the mag and comes with 3 (Kimber 8 rounds and comes with 2), and then the $$ the scales tipped to the EMP.

The original reason for my post was to relay my real world experience with the gun...believe me if it were not satisfactory I'd say so, especially considering what I paid. I was nervous because I have read, like others, that some have had issues. Mine has not, it just works. I've been waiting for it to malfunction but it just does not. I have burned up enough ammo for me to believe in this pistol. I do feel for those who have issues with this gun, I'd be quite upset if I had to deal with that but I have not, and am happy. I use factory ammo only Blazer Brass, Remmington UMC FMJ and JHP, Fiocchi FMJ and XTP, and Federal Hydrashocks. I've invested a lot of ammo going down range through this baby to prove to me that she deserves to be on my hip everyday, and she has not let me down once. I only have one other semi-auto that can be said about my Ruger P95 no FTF, no FTE, nothing but I think that gun could shoot any ammo in any conditions period that thing is a tank. If you are considering a Kimber, start a thread and there are a lot of Kimber owners on here who will tell it to you straight.

Edited June 5, 2009 by TN9mm

[petro]

Dry fire away!

I have a Colt build in 1918 that has seen a LOT of dry firing............with no problems.

[Guest Grout]

No it does not hurt to dry fire a 1911.Tune in next week when we debate revolvers vs. automatics.

[TN9mm]

Tune in next week when we debate revolvers vs. automatics.

LOL