JWard79

At this point there doesn't appear to be a viable solution outside of welding the tang, but for the sake of future searches on the same topic I'll add better context the the thread. As mentioned above fitting is required, the .220 is the appropriate size for a Springfield RO, and EGW has information concerning which grip safety is appropriate for your frame type. My previous experience with 1911 home gunsmithing was based on an STI frame, which uses a .250 radius, and was not aware of manufacturer specific frame designs and the appropriate radius.

Discovered the frame required a.220 grip safety after some research on multiple forums and manufacturer websites. This of course was after purchasing an Ed Brown safety for the RO, but plan on using that for another 1911 after I discovered the fit issue. I do believe the tang received some extra love at the factory which results in the gap at the top of the .220 EGW safety. Initially thought of the having someone weld up the frame, but hoped there was an easier solution.

Have introduced all of my children beginning at 3 years old with airsoft shooting small stages in the backyard, before advancing to livefire and then competition. So far the only child that has progressed to "real" firearms and competition is my daughter (gave her the M&P for her 9th birthday). Four kids in total with one needing airsoft work, my boy transitioning from 22lr to 9mm, and my oldest getting classified (youngest can't even hold a bottle yet). Trying to give them the exposure I wish I had, and didn't experience until it became necessary for my job. Sorry to ramble on about my kids, but this current build is for my son and at some point my collection will be passed on to my children. My hope is that they fight over what is in the gun safe apposed to what's left in the bank account.

Thanks for the recommendation. My son will be turning 8 years old in June, so I have some time to get this right. Will likely put a short trigger in the gun once he can manage the recoil. Will take him to the range this weekend to see how the build suites him (doesn't know it's his gun yet). On a side note, I started my daughter out with an M&P core 9mm with a leupold optic in open minor and plan on starting my boy on the opposite end of the spectrum. I started in limited minor then transitioned to production, single stack, and then open. Not sure which is the preferred approach, but my son is averse to recoil impulse above 22lr so I figured a 9mm 1911 would fit the bill. He wants a dot like his sister & father, but I want him to work on fundamentals and recoil management before dropping cash on an open rig.

Picked up a 9mm RO for my son and was wondering what grip safety to purchase. Have already tried a .220 EGW, but the the geometry was not a good fit. Initial fit (without modification) produced a sizable gap between the frame and beavertail. Not sure if a wilson combat has the appropriate geometry, and hoped someone could provide their insight to an aftermarket grip safety. This is purely a preference modification (not satisfied with how the stock safety feels), but would like to fit a safety if there is one on the market that will fit the application.

If he is holding the slide stop low enough to release the slide and it does not chamber a round it could be one or a combination of issues. The top round in the magazine and the disconnect apply upward pressure to the bottom of the slide that must be overcome by the recoil spring.

Blade tech holster mounted on a BOSS hanger.

I own a 40 Trojan & 9mm RO, and believe they are both good pistols. If you are looking to purchase a new 1911, the RO list price is less and there are more vendors (opportunities) to purchase at a lower cost. I recently picked up the RO because I came across a deal too good to pass up. I had a spare 1911 pin kit and 17 pound ISMI main spring that I swapped for the stock components in the mainspring housing, which reduced the trigger pull to 3.5 pounds after adjusting the sear spring. Took it to the range just after the parts swap and confirmed the 17 pound main spring reliably ignited winchester primers, and that a 12.5 pound recoil spring functioned and ended up being my preference over 9 or 10 pounds. As is the thumb safety is the only other component that would require additional fitting or replacement to make this serviceable in my opinion.

Moly and high-tek coated bullets work fine in stock Glock barrels. Pure lead bullets on the other hand are best left to an aftermarket barrel. Another consideration is the powder you plan on using, which can make your shooting position look like a civil war skirmish line (especially on a classifier). Regardless of the powder the order in term of most to least smoke is lead, moly, high-tec/FMJ, and then CMJ/hollow point. If cost is a consideration and you reload your own, 124gr high-tec bullets will give you the best bang for you buck with marginal smoke.

I run a .115 rear with a .105 front from Dawson. I can hand this setup to anyone and they can place solid hit on targets out to 25. Larger sight widths may give the appearance of a faster transition, but also allow for a greater margin of error when you fire the shot.

The factory sights on a core are decent, but Dawson makes quality sights that are designed to fit this model pistol. The question that you need to answer is, are the iron sights a benifit or disadvantage? In my case I found the co-witness to be a disadvantage and replaced the iron sight with standard height. This is a question that can be sorted out in dryfire, if you find yourself drawn to the irons first and then transition to the dot you are waisting time and should not co-witness

A quality punch set & hammer are the only tools you need for routine maintenance. Needle files, flitz, and a dremel for trigger work & polishing. Spare trigger, sear, and firing pin springs are nice to have, and if you notice rounds fall out of the magazine when it impacts the ground replace magazine springs. Other than that, fire and forget.

The Dawson has a replaceable insert whereas the Springer does not, and beyond that the choice is personal preference. I would recommend matching the manufacturer for the magwell & basepads.

Sand paper will always provide a better surface than stippling, the difference is the adhesive used to apply the grip tape. You can experiment with stippling the blackstrap, and potentially decide if your work is good enough to sacrifice the frame, or you can experiment with "skateboard tape". I've been able to make comfortable grips with a soldering iron, but they cannot compete with a quality skateboard tape grip. The easy way to determine this yourself is to check out your dominant hand after 20 minutes of dryfire training. If your hand looks like you've ran it over a cheese grater, then it it's grippy enough. Have never had this happen with a stippled grip or over the counter grip tape.

Recommend using a file to get the trigger operational, and sand paper to work the final bit to get you 100% reliable. Take it slow with the file, and once you switch to sandpaper ensure you apply downward pressure to the top of the slide during a function check. The trigger parts may require polishing, but be carefull not to remove too much material. Have been able to get my PRP trigger down to -2lbs with re-contouring and stoning (with stock firing pin spring). On a side-note, Xdm's with PRP parts are the closest I've found to a 1911 break (own glocks w/zev triggers, M&P' w/apex upgrades, and XDMs).

A Springer precision trigger kit won't bump you to ESP, but a magwell definitely will. You'll also need basepads if you go with the magwell.

I run an egw high mag catch on my 40 SS to bring the round a little closer to the chamber with wilson and Tripp 10mm magazines. When fully loaded the wilson magazines hold the round nose high, and the Tripp's are either neutral or nose low. It may be worth looking at the clearance between the slide stop and loaded magazine. Different bullet profiles, magazine profiles, and spring strength can affect the slide stop clearance. I had a slide stop that would occasionally contact the top round resulting in a nosedive, but it only occurred with a full Tripp mag on a slide lock reload (no issue with wilson). After fitting a new slide stop this issue has gone away.

The sights will fit the dovetail, but will overhang the rear of the slide. Dawson makes sights as well that can be purchased to either co-witness the optic or not, which is purely preference. I have found iron sights without co-witness are easier to aquire (less going on in the sight picture).

DAA mag pouches are the way to go, and for your application the racers are ideal. I have four belts three of which are DAA and one is CR. The CRs are decent pouches, but feel like they were designed for 2011 mags but can work with other makes. The metal DAA pouches are more adjustable than the plastic, but require locktite to keep them were you want them. It is also significantly easier to replace the shims on the DAAs than the CRs, which is helpful if you shoot multiple guns on the same rig. I have not used ghost or guba ribas, so I have nothing to add besides checking out someone's rig that is setup with those pouches. The gubas have a significant amount of offset from the belt (not sure if this is something that can be adjusted), but that may factor into your decision.

I changed the factory M&P core sight to Dawson standard height because it hindered the sight picture on a delta point. With the factory "suppressor sights" there was too much going on in the sight picture. The only drawback is shooting in the blind if the dot fails.

To gain a comparable advantage to the other DA/SA guns, I'd recommend a steel framed SIG. The main advantage gained by CZ and Tangfolio is the overall weight of the gun, which aids in recoil management. Trigger weight and sight are based on preference and can be easily modified, but the weight and feel of the gun in your hand can not be changed. I shoot multiple makes of handgun in just about every division, but would not recommend transitioning between platforms. Shooting is seasonal for the most part and because of the Nationals calendar single stack is the first division, followed by production, and then limited/open. This of course is subject to change each year and depending on your interests, but USPSA and IDPA matches are continuous throughout the year. With this in mind you will likely find that if you shoot both with different platforms one will suffer. Will this help build your overall proficiency, yes; but it will also slow progression. Dry fire will help in transitioning between platforms, but I would recommend sticking with one for about 2-3 months before a major match. There are very few 6 division GMs out there, but Cory E. has it figured out. If you watch his YouTube channel you will see that he transitions from one platform to the other throughout the year, but focuses on one division prior to a major match.

A compact slide will transition and draw faster, but a full size will handle recoil better.

Not sure what is available in the way of aftermarket parts in your country, but the .40 with Tripp magazines can be loaded to 10 rounds allowing for major or minor capacity. The current trend in USPSA has leaned towards minor for the majority of major matches, with the exception of nationals. It may be worth looking at the current IPSC major match results in classic division to see if this would be a benefit where you shoot. An SVI will be the best out of the box gun on your list, because it is a full custom with a full custom price tag. I own an STI Trojan and would not hesitate recommending it to some one looking for a single stack/classic division gun. With that said, if the parts are available and you have access to a good gunsmith or can do the work yourself a 1911 is a 1911.

One load for practice and match day for consistency. Changing PF will affect the recoil impulse, dot tracking, and possible recoil spring weight if the loads are far enough apart. Most open shooters will have a preferred powder, bullet, and oal; and will only change if forced by lack of availability. This doesn't mean that load experimentation doesn't occur at some point in time, but for the most part when you find a load that works the comp & feels good in the hand you stick with it.

The nice thing about the C-more slide ride is durability and the ability to change out the diode. The micro red dots provide a smaller form factor and can be slide or frame mounted. Cost is another consideration, depending on the micro red dot of your preference you could likely buy 2 slide rides. I have a slide ride mounted on my open gun and micro mounted on an M&P, and have not had any issues with the slide ride. In choosing a micro you have to accept a little more risk in optic failure. There are plenty of shooters that have had success with micro dots (frame or slide mounted), and relatively few have issues with slide rides. It boils down to personal preference and each shooter has their own flavor of what right feels/looks right. For an open gun the overall size of the setup is not a factor, and I would recommend a slide ride mounted vertical/horizontal. For a carry gun/CO I might recommend a micro slide ride with co-witness iron sights.