Garrison Joe

Regarding the name, the model is Model 12 (on the top of both of those pages), variant is Featherweight. Making it a Model 12 Featherweight. I'm pretty certain that the admin of the Winchester Collectors org would agree, but you can contact him if you want. As for "no takedown collar" - I see no collar on the pages you display. It's got a takedown mechanism that allows only for barrel removal, but has no "takedown collar" (receiver extension) that allows both the barrel and mag tube to be dismounted. As for character attack by calling someone an "ex spurt" - I've seen that trick before. No interpersonal conflicts, please. If you want to discuss real stuff, let's do it. good luck, GJ

Winchester collectors hold that the Featherweight is a Model 12 variant, and from comments above by other WB rules followers, would be easily considered as a full-blown Model 12 for WB matches. It's the only non-takedown-collared version of the Model 12. good luck, GJ Reference link: Winchester Collector Org Admin Thread on Featherweights

It was my GUESS, not an assumption, made because I was trying to fill in the details that you left out in your earliest post. You still have not explained the business transaction you had with the dealer, even if he is a friend (that should make little difference). I still stand by my statement that CZ Group, the relatively new owners of Colt, would benefit from hearing of your problems with a new gun from their factory. Perhaps it was made back with previous ownership. But if made by CZ's workforce, they will want to know of the serious problems you had and decided to fix on your own funding. good luck, garrisonjoe

A mounting slot for some sort of flash hider perhaps? GJ

I would have made the dealer on that lemon take it back and get another in, ASAP. Clearly not serviceable. I guess you were buying from a dealer who would not honor factory warranty and get a replacement ordered on his own funding or from a factory rep? Really poor dealer service, and a gun that sounds like it was made on Friday before Labor Day. CZ Group ought to have heard about that many problems! good luck, GJ

Is the cut blued, which could indicate a modification at an armory? A 1 mm deep slot cut into a small part of the barrel probably will not affect the ability to fire it safely. Might it have been an attempt to add a early telescopic sight? What is a "sight level" on a Krag carbine, anyway? Do you mean the rear sight? good luck, GJ

(I certainly am not everybody), but I load 4.2 grains of WST behind any lead slug in the 225 to 230 grain range, to usually make about 160-165 Power Factor. Each 1911 I have loaded for shoots slightly different velocities for the same loading, though, so you need to check the load in your gun. good luck, GJ

Never seen anyone that I would have do pistol smithing who would charge those rates. Especially not for fire-control smoothing and even new sights. Last paid smith job I had done - new sights on a 1911, including dovetail milling and a front sight from scratch - $250. COULD you find a guy ready to charge $1500 to tune it up? Sure. Should you? No. But, I either do my own tuning, or (if I didn't) would send to a reasonably-priced gunsmith for the tune of any NEW gun under about $2000. good luck, GJ

The new production from Colt will be rougher and less tuned than the ones made in the hay-days of Colt Series 70s (1972 to 1985 or so). You certainly would NOT want them to still be making their collet barrel bushing. It was destined to break a leg off and jam the gun - mine did during a match! It's well worth a trip to a good pistol smith to have the gun tuned, trigger set to the pull weight you like (3.5 pounds is my preference), and mag well enhanced for the WB allowed funneling. If you have ever had a 1911 bite you on the web of the shooting hand, I would have the smith add more clearance between the top of grip safety and the tip of the hammer. I would also have the smith replace any MIM (molded and sintered) internal fire control parts with forged-billet-steel. They are easier for him to get a smooth surface on anyway, so if you use a good smith, he should automatically swap those parts out. But then, I'm going by my experience. I put in billet sear and hammer and thumb safety and 100,000 rounds later have not had a bit of problem. Sights on production now are pretty good. About as high as any replacement sight set. If you were expecting to change out the sights, though, now would be the time to do that, too. A new front sight ought to be dovetailed into the slide so it will be driftable and easy to exchange. And much more rugged in use. good luck, GJ

What's your most important requirements that a new gun would have to meet? In other words, what fails to give you full confidence with that Springer you have? My experience is that if the gun runs reliably, I can tune the rest quite easily to satisfy my operation of it. good luck, GJ

Yep, the factory design of the firing pin was not well thought out, had stress points in them, and were not made of the same quality steel as is available today. 12s are famous for broken FPs. good luck, GJ

That would be Condition 4, as defined by Jeff Cooper. Wild Bunch was developed using a Condition 3 carry from the loading table to the firing line - hammer down on empty chamber, and a loaded magazine inserted. And after unloading table, hammer down on totally empty gun. If folks are practicing using Condition 4, they are not really getting ready for a big match. good luck, GJ

Older 1911s made with a "military" throat (intended for 230 FMJ ball) often used to have big problems with 200 gr SWC bullets or early (1960s) hollow point ammo. Usually a gunsmith could throat the gun properly for SWC lead or JHP. Or suggest the use of "hybrid" design magazine lips that gave a more controlled release point than the military hardball tapered lips. When that was completed, any ammo would usually run if it could drive the slide properly. I too have shot many thousands of rounds of H&G 68 lead bullets through the 1911 Series 70 I've had since 1974, with no problems when seated with the top land right at the case mouth and lightly taper crimped. But I shoot a Truncated Cone bullet now just to be able to share ammo with other shooters who may come up short. good luck, GJ

Scarlett's ammo will be a lot softer shooting (lower velocity) than the "big factory" 230 grain ammo. I'd try her .45 auto ammo! good luck, GJ

Just tested some Bullseye loads under a 200 grain lead slug. 4.8 grains made a plenty strong load - about 170 PF out of my gun. Made accurate ammo, matched WST for tight groups. Just as dirty as it was in my pistol loads in the 1970s. Kind of a sharp recoil impulse compared to good ol WST. good luck, GJ

OK, that's in version 17.7. I had version 17.6, but I've now updated! I see though that 17.7 says it highlights all changes in yellow, but the change from the 17.6 nonsense did not get highlighted in version 17.7. So, the point still being made to the OP is that he is asking about a bullet weight that is illegal under the WB rules. good luck, GJ

I will assure you that none of replies I have written have EVER been created by AI. I do not trust the junk that most AI produces. I do not even look for AI material to try to better my knowledge. When I said that several points had been brought up on "other forums" and might be considered for possibly solving the poster's problem, those came from real well known LIVE members of the 1911 Forum. Can you please stop with the attempts at character assassination and insults? And also believing that you can comment on how "everyone else" feels. Get on the topic, please. Thanks, GJ

Sounds like you are making a load for Wild Bunch in .45 Auto. Be VERY aware that the minimum bullet weight allowed for 1911 .45 auto ammo HAS been 180 grain, and now is cited (wrong) in the rules as "minimum bullet weight for the 1911 pistol is .45 ACP" Per the current PREVIOUS (2025) rulebook. 😄 Whether that 170 grain slug would be match legal is, as far as I can tell, up for questioning due to this typo. The current Lyman Cast Bullet Loading handbook (4th ed) shows 170 grain cast slug load data of 5.8 to 6.4 grains of Bullseye, making from 971 to 1048 FPS. An old Lyman handbook (48th edition) shows charges as low as 3.5 grains of Bullseye with a 185 grain bullet (probably used for bullseye target shooting). You just didn't look in the right current loading manual. Pick what power factor you are wanting to make (150 is the new minimum for the handgun), and you can figure out what powder weight you want to drop. My guess would be about 885 FPS (making that 150 powder factor) and that might be obtained with about 5.0 to 5.2 grains of Bullseye. Chrono your loads if these are to be used in important matches! good luck, GJ

I am under no such illusion. Do you want to talk about magazine last-round-squirting problem or not? Or would you rather talk the exact proper wording to describe the end of slide rearward travel during 1911 cycling? Years of folks talking about how "heavy loads batter the 1911 frame" has led to the common shorthand that the slide impacts the frame. Which I know is not right, but that is the shorthand that folks use. good luck, GJ

"Other forums" discussions of "last-round-escaping-magazine-early" have also mentioned other possible solutions (besides the dimple on follower) - * heavy recoil loads (or loads not matched to recoil/mainspring combinations) may let the slide recoil hard into the frame and the impact of that drives the last round off the top of magazine early. So, make sure spring weights match well with the power factor of the ammo you are using. Like 14# recoil spring, 19# mainspring when shooting 155-165 PF ammo in 1911. Or factory level springs (16# and 23#) when shooting 185 PF loads. * rounded-top followers seem more resistant to last-round escaping * heavier magazine springs seem to resist last-round escape The gun getting real warm before seeing round-squirt problems may indicate that metal expansion (in slide perhaps) or the lubricant "loosened up" and resulted in faster slide movement as gun heated up, letting slide impact the frame. Hard to diagnose this with only a limited amount of info available, and only a few reports of this problem listed in technical articles and other forums. A test with highest quality mags may be worth the expenditure (Tripp or Check-Mate). As would inspection of the frame for impact marks. As would slipping an extra-strong magazine spring into one of the mags that is suspected of being problematic. As would sticking in a Tripp skirted follower with polymer follower surface and a dimple. good luck, GJ

Recently, I think they contract out their mags to CheckMate. They used to make them in house. But I go by the brand stamped on the bottom (Colt) and don't get involved with their subcontracting operations.

One thing that JM Browning noted early in the life of the 1911 was that putting a small dimple in the flat follower of the magazine, dimple round side upwards, was enough of an improvement to retaining the LAST round inside the magazine to prevent it squirting out with recoil. Colt mags ever since have carried that dimple. My Tripp mags also have a small dimple to help retain last round. Maybe it's something worth duplicating? I have at times used other brands of mags than Colt and Tripp. I found myself adding Tripp followers and springs to my Wilson and Chip McCormick mags because they ran better with the non-diving follower and the stronger springs. At this point, Tripps are what I shoot with, and never have had a "loose last round" problem. (Nor any broken base plate welds, either.) good luck, GJ

I don't know how Ruger shop "repaired" the ejector retaining pin without just putting a new one in. Straightening one or filing off burrs on one at the repair shop would be more expensive than a new pin that costs Ruger almost nothing. Just about the same story with the ejector itself. They must have replaced barrel due to a manufacturing defect. If they found damage from reloads, I expect you would have been charged. Their shooter-unfriendly "No Reloads" policy has been around for several decades, and routinely ignored. good luck, GJ

Glad you got things to work, and I see you ended up with a fairly conventional powder and a proper crimp diameter. In the long run you might want another tenth of a grain of powder just to make sure in all weather you exceed power factor. Clean gun every match and practice session - it's the key to keeping a good load and a good gun running. The OAL that works for a bullet design is highly dependent upon the nose shape. For example, my 200 grain truncated cone nose loads feed perfectly at 1.180" OAL. Nothing beats testing - except practice and shooting matches. So, sounds like you are ready to do both!! good luck, GJ

Yes, any shotgun legal for Cowboy or legal for WB. Any WB shotgun would have already been legal under the previous rules. Welcome to Wild Bunch. good luck, GJ