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TISAS ZIG 1911 A1 .45 ACP Review/Modifications

169K views 126 replies 59 participants last post by  adwright2012 
#1 ·
Hello,

I am new to the forum and i really don't ever post anything on forums. I had just purchased my Tisas Zig 1911 .45ACP from Buds Gun Shop for $400 shipped, I have to say it was the fastest shipping i have ever had on a firearm, it arrived Tuesday and i had purchased it on Saturday!

I am writing this review and listing all the upgrades and the outcome of the install of those parts as time comes, I am doing this due to the fact i cant really find much about the gun or anything about modifications.

I have not yet fired the gun so i am not modifying anything until i put a few hundred round through it! I did order two extra Mec-Gar mags to go with it, that's the mag it came with, I also ordered the Houge wrap around grip with finger grooves for it, I'm personally not a fan of smooth wood grips all tho the ones that came with it are not bad.

Here is a list of what the gun came with,

1. Hard plastic case with foam padding

2. One bore brush and a plastic rod for cleaning patches

3. One Mec-Gar 8 round mag

4. One spent shell from test fire

5. cleaning rag

6. Gun manual

7. A paper packet with a checklist for gun safety


First and foremost I have to say that this seems like a really nice 1911 for $400, as the reviews on Buds state.

Here is my review of it out of the box before firing,

The slide is tight, the Parkerized finish is nice and seems pretty durable, mag fits nice and tight and the mag release works good, the safety is smooth, the slide stop is tight and with the slide locked back its pretty hard to release without applying a lot of pressure (should be easier to release the slide once broke in) I believe some of the controls on the outside are MIM, they are definitely cast.

Once i field stripped the gun i found the frame to be cast and if i have to guess it is a Investment casting, the slide seems to be machined, the barrel is polished cold forged stainless, the trigger has some slop probably around a sixteenth before the trigger even touches due to the palm safety, the hammer looks to be cast as well.

I loaded the mag with some ammo and cycled some ammo through it with the slide, everything seemed to be fine, just the feed ramp needed to be polished it had the parkerized finish on it.

All in all the gun seems to be a great quality 1911 for the money, it seems to spec from what i have seen, not sure what the mil spec measurements are nor could i find a list of those measurements, if anyone knows what they are or where i could find them that would be awesome, i am curios to take some measurements on this gun.



After i fire a few hundred through it and see what she can do out of the box i plan to upgrade the trigger, the hammer and the slide stop for sure, than depending on how it shoots i am going to look into replacing the springs to a different spring rate and maybe a trigger job, also, i plan on going with mostly Wilson Combat parts. The GI sights it came with have to go so i am most likely going to go with trijicon night sights. The front sight is staked and looks to be braised as well.

Some may say why stick the money into modifying this gun and say you could have just spent the money and bought a Kimber or something, well i personally love building and modifying firearms and i did not want to build a 1911 from scratch due to the high cost, i believe this gun is a good starting point to build a nice quality 1911 for around $900 including the price of the gun and i will have the pleasure of doing it myself and it will be personalized the way i want it.

I will keep everyone updated with a range report and the mods i do and how well the parts fit and what fitting will be required.
 
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#4 · (Edited)
I got one of these too and I am impressed with Bud's customer service. Still haven't shot it yet, it is just too freaking cold today.
My impression so far. The storage box is no big deal, it is pretty cheap and the foam doesn't hold it in tight. I would have gladly traded it for another Mag.
The manual cracks me up the first safety rule is " Weapon is not dangerous. The cause of the danger is ignorance and carelessness." True but wouldn't pass the PC test for US manuals.
The trigger is a little long and rough but should get better with time, at least the rough part.

Fit and finish seem very good, The coating is good and there is no advertizing on the slide.

Probably the only near term mod for me will be a ambi safety since I shoot south paw.

And just to prove I have this fine piece of Turkish steel here are the pics.
 
#11 ·
That is a nice auto sir, sorry about the bite.............:grumble: we all hate that.
I have a Regent, also made in Turkey.......I have shot the poop out of that puppy and it just gets better and better.
I have the opposite problem, I have small hands, so I like thin grips, prefer GI type and has been awhile since one got me, but has happened........high grip will get you every time.
Like the green color of the grips, really gives it a military look.
Thanks for the details in photos, wished more would do that......as you already know, this is a well built auto with a high level of craftsmanship.
I have come to have a great respect for 1911's from Turkey.
Rick

Looking for a SS version of mine now, more set up f/target than GI.:hrm:
 
#14 ·
It's funny really, I remember when these autos from Turkey started showing up @ Gun Shops and everyone was kinda leary about them, myself included....but after you handle, shoot, break down and see for yourself........made in Turkey is starting to mean to me, a quality 1911, heck I already know they make one of the badest 9mm in the World, so why not a 1911.......amoung other military hardware they are providing to EU Countrie's Military!:hrm:
Rick
 
#16 · (Edited)
I am new on these forums but I am 52 and been shooting a 1911 since I was 8 years old. I have carried a GC every day for almost 30 years and I am becoming very worried about it being stolen when I have to leave it in my vehicle.

I bought this and the more I shoot it , the more I like it. I did remove the smooth Turkish walnut grips and put a set of G10 checkered cheap grips on it and that made it even better.
 
#15 ·
I will hopefully soon be the proud owner of the same tisas 1911 - stupid Maryland gun law require a 8-10 day wait until one can actually take possession of the regulated firearm they purchased (I would like to see one case where this wait accomplished or prevented anything)... and do to the gun buying craze the wait has been extended to 30-45 days (so state police can process the paperwork and background checks...but I digress. I own a few pistols but only glocks and an xd. this will be my 2nd 1911. I had a R1 briefly but had to sell it after some money issues. On my r1 I replaced the hammer and GS with Wilson combat hammer and "semi-drop in extended GS". Well the gs was definitely drop in bc I made no modifications and the pistol functioned fine. The only downside was a god awful gap between frame and grip safety (far more than in the pic above of the two tone tisas) mine looked horrible... anyway I removed the parts before selling the R1 and plane to install them on the tisas, along with a new trigger and flat msh I purchased in anticipation of my new gun. I am an industrial electrician and am good with my hands but and pretty mechanically inclined but have very little experience working on guns (actually fitting parts).. anyone can work on their glocks lol. My question is, what can I expect with fitting the trigger and msh and can one complete these tasks with just a dremmel? I do not own any precision measuring tools or gunsmithing files. I am fairly nervous about doing the work but I am confident I can do it with some direction and if I know what to expect. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 
#18 ·
Yes, a stiff slide release is very common with new 1911s.
It will loosen up in no time after you shoot it a bit.
 
#19 ·
I also recently purchased a new Tisas. I went a different route on the grips however



Gotta' love the zombie green! :rofl: I have 200 rounds thru mine at this point and things are starting to smooth out. I had 2 stovepipes out of the 200 rounds, and found that the pistol nosedives with JHP's. (At least the PMC's I had with me) I am going to continue the break-in with FMJ's and see if it improves. If not the ramp will get a good polish. Loving the Zig so far though, really a solid, well built machine!!
 
#20 ·
I really like mil-spec/Series 70 looking 1911s, especially the arched MSH and classic hammer and safety. I fortunately learned to shoot them first so hammer bite hasn't been an issue. (I don't ride the safety with my thumb - helps keep the web of my hand clear of the hammer).

I was going to order one of these from Buds when I saw the lettering on the frame. 'WARNING: Before using read owners manual'. That is an absolute show stopper for me. I wish I wasn't so dogmatic, but I could not stand that on any gun I own.

But it sure does seem like one heck of a great value.


dakotaTex
 
#22 · (Edited)
I bought one of these as well, first 1911. Took it our for 160 rounds and it shot Tula and Federal with no issues. I did do a cleaning prior as there was pleny of oil throughout. The safety was a bit tight for thumb use but its breaking in. As stated before, very tight, no rattling, sllight trigger play, (and as OkSlim stated, same hammer bite). They came back on sale at Buds again but has since sold out. Get on the reserve list, great price, but use the credit card as the echeck will delay shipping for 3 weeks. I picked up bone grips and black rubber, cant decide which I like better.


 
#23 ·
I took my ZIG1911 out for a spin for the first time yesterday. Other than shooting a GI 1911 in basic training 30 years ago I haven't touched a .45.
I put a few boxes of Blazer Aluminum rounds through it and it digested them all with no problems.I was a little surprised by the lack of recoil and I thoroughly enjoyed shooting it. I was goofing off too much to know really how accurate it is but it hit everything I aimed at.
I have ordered a new set of grips and another magazine. Now if I can just find enough ammo I will be a happy camper.
Granted 100 rounds is barely enough to say it works, but I can't say anything bad about it.
 
#24 ·
Finally made it to the range the other day and put 200 rounds through it with no problems well other than the range only allowing me to buy 2 boxes of overpriced target ammo!
I have to say with my high expectations from reviews i am impressed! The only complaint i have is the factory grip safety/ beaver tail has to go. It left my hand pretty sore, kind of has some sharp edges or maybe I'm just being a *****. No hammer bite tho have yet to experience the hammer bite. So i ordered some stuff last night from Midway and Brownells.
 
#25 ·
I agree about the factory grip safety having teeth. I came away from the range with a sore hand and 2 raw spots from the square edges on mine. I think a bit of reprofiling will help. I am already noticing holster wear on my pistol after just 2 weeks in a Blackhawk Tactical. There are several square corners on the slide, particularly around the muzzle, that are already showing bare metal. I am all that impressed with the durability of the finish.
 
#27 ·
I have had mine for abit now, and yes, the finish will wear, this has to do w/the amount of times you cycle the auto thru a holster, the more you do, the more the wear. For ole schoolers we find this pleasing for that all to do .45 we like to grab the most. If you are using a leather, in-side and out w/no lining, wear off of the finish is to be exspected!:scratch:
 
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