Dantankerous

A few years back when I started WB I found a model 12 in pretty good, shootable shape. Turns out it is older by a lot more years than I thought so I found another newer M12 and had that barrel cut down and a front bead attached. Good shooters both, I just couldn't see cutting that older gun's barrel down. Neither of them is in any condition I'd call pretty, just solid and usable.

Had that happen to me several years back. I just stared at the mess (on the clock) and began laughing. I've been out of WB for about 3 years but am getting back in this year. The tip on ordering welded base plates from Tripp is a great one! Thanks!

SOLD This is a 2006 manufactured reproduction of the WWI Colt 1911, 45acp. Finish is what Colt calls carbonia blue. I purchased this used as a back up 1911 for shooting Wild Bunch but as little as I shoot WB I really don't need a back up. I have never shot this Colt but I cannot say if the previous owner did although it looks doubtful. Very low round count, maybe. This does not come with the blue presentation box and only came with one 7 round mag so that's how I am selling it. The gun is beautiful and the pictures really don't do it justice. Serial number suffix is WMK and number indicates it is NOT in the range for which Colt issued a recall. I can send more pictures if interested. $1800.00 plus shipping. I'd prefer a FTF in Kansas (resident) sale otherwise my FFL to your FFL. The sights on this are typical of the early 1911, small. I shoot Traditional WB and have not had a problem with picking up these sights on my main match 1911 (identical gun to this one). The fit and finish on this Colt is superb.

Right now that's about the only place that has 7 rounders in stock.

Is the only place to buy Tripp 1911 magazines from their website? I can't seem to find them for sale anywhere else. On edit. Never mind. I used Google instead of my normal search engine and found a a couple other locations.

Ejector is fine. Very tight in place and straight as can be. My SA GI actually has the ejector pinned, not glued like other SA's do.

Update on the problem. I went to the range last week with the same Springfield GI and put around 200 more rounds through the gun. Same thing happened at about the same round count as at the match where I first encountered the problem. Locked up. Totally locked up in the same position. Disassembled the gun and found nothing overtly wrong. Cleaned it, this time LUBED the PI$$ out of it, and took it back to the range today. Same mags, same ammo. Ran trouble free. About 200 more rounds. Perhaps I simply did not have enough oil on the gun? I'm going to not clean it and run more ammo through it later this week just to see what happens. I always oil my 1911s but maybe this one just needs a lot more oil? Hmmm.

Did it jam open, closed, halfway? About halfway open.

Well, mine is. You can push it out easily with a ball point pen tip. Hence the problem? My Colt 1911s do not exhibit this.

Since I cannot post pics here I am providing a link to the SASSWIRE forum with a description of the worst/most consistent magazine failure I have ever seen. Never had a problem with mags before these. Ugh... Three of three magazine base failures in less than 300 round a piece. https://www.sassnet.com/forums/index.php?/topic/279649-1911-mags-that-suck/

Well... it happened again. Took the 1911 to the range and shot around 200 rounds trouble free but for a mag issue or two (another topic) and the gun jammed up solid as a rock again. Is there a chance the barrel link pin walks out far enough to lock up the slide? I disassembled the gun and inspected it. All looks OK. Nothing seems out of place, scarred or scored, bent, etc... Reassemble and all works fine. Hmmm.

Okay, what does this have to do with Wild Bunch? Simple. As I completed the 4th Wild Bunch stage of the day without incident I went to show my 1911 clear to the timer operator. I dropped the magazine and released the slide. The slide went half way forward and caught. So I pulled the slide rearward. Nothing. The gun was jammed with the slide halfway forward, 100% stuck. I could not get it to budge. The timer operator inspected the gun and declared it clear so I left the stage and went to figure out my stuck gun problem. I'm not a small guy and fairly strong and it still took quite some doing to get that slide to rack forward or rear word. It eventually moved rearward to full lock where it stuck in place again, locked up tight, no budging. Using as much force as I could muster with both hands I finally got the gun back into battery or a closed position. And it took some doing. As in all my strength. I tried to rack the slide again and this time it racked open and closed no problem at all. I then racked it back and forth about another 50 times easily in total bewilderment. The gun shot trouble free all day and then this, although I had to smile since it was after I was done shooting for the day. This particular gun had been field stripped and cleaned the night before the shoot. It functioned properly all day until the day was over. I took the gun home and re-disassembled it for a cleaning and inspection and found nothing overtly wrong. Dry firing it everything works properly. The gun is a Springfield GI model with no modifications. It has been trouble free the entire time I've owned it. All I can think is maybe I got a small piece of debris from either a split case or something stuck in the slide. Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks for any insight and help.

Pete, I have kinda been on the search too. Seems like owning a true piece of history is always a winning combination. Dan

Is there a preferred or at least more useful barrel length with a shot guns used in Wild Bunch? I have a Model 12 with modified choke and currently a 28-inch barrel I'd like to cut down to something a touch more maneuverable. It's a plenty good shotgun so it might see uses a home defense gun as well. At least in theory. What do you guys like to run for barrel lengths on your 97s and Model 12s?

Hey Buckeye! Good lookin' Smith 1917. Indiana Jones made that somewhat popular with gun guys (although modded with a 4"barrel) in Raiders. It recently gained a lot more interest as it was used by Brad Pitt's character in the excellent movie FURY. Always a great gun for the collection!