Guys,
It's been a REAAAALLLLLLLY long time since I have logged in, let alone found something to post about but I thought I would give you guys a very interesting internal rundown of the Regent 1911 that my brother in law just bought.
First off, I am a Colt snob. I always have been. I have tried other brands and have been sorely disappointed every time. I've been playing with 1911s since I was twelve years old and hav loved them since long before that. I just want you guys to know where I am coming from as I write this.
M brother in law has wanted a 1911 for a long time but he just didn't have the cash for a Colt. I tried to make him wait but he was really dying for a 1911. I gave him every explanation as to why he should save up for a Colt but he was more interested in playing with the design than anything.
Okay, I guess I could see that.
Well, he did a lot of research and discovered that the most liked 1911s out there are either the top tier guns, like Colt.....OR, the bottom tier guns that are made by the Flippies or the Chinese. I found it interesting that the guns with the most malfunctions are the middle of the road guns or the guns that are "semi custom". In other words, the more it deviates from GI or Series 70 spec, the more trouble you are likely to have with it.
Oddly, I have read a lot of good things about Turkish gun makers as of late.
Well, long story short, my brother in law took me to a place to look at a Regent which is made by the Turks.
My first impression were that the parked finish was excellent and, for a cast gun, it was nicely tooled, except for the casting lines in the hammer and the fact that the rear extractor is VERY sub flush with the back of the slide. VERY SUB SUB flush. Clocking, however was right on the money and that is more important if the rest of the internal dimension are properly adhered to.
Well, as far as I could see, the gun felt smooth, the chamber and the feed ramp looked nice and he didn't mind the fact that the cast frame with it's long long long frontstrap made it feel like a 2 X 6 in the hand...so he bought it.
We brought it to my house and I was just going to do a normal cleaning on it. When I pulled the slid eoff the frame the very first thing I noticed was "WOW! This is a series 80!!!!!!!
Well, I like series 80 guns but they do have to be done right so the first thing I decided was to do a FULL tear down.
I was VERY pleasantly surprised. The machine work on this gun, was AMAZINGLY WELL DONE. I mean, I have seen Colts and Springfields that have looked worse in my time.
Casting marks on the hammer aside there was only one minor issue that I am not too fond of, but I think it will be okay until we get a replacement someday. The casting of the grip safety was dimensionally shy outside of the thumb safety pivot hole and, in the middle, thinnest section around the pin hole, there was a structural flaw in the casting that caused the pin hole to break through the casting. Now, mind you, that to the left and the right of this flaw, the grip safety is much thicker and there was plenty of support to allow the safeties to both function correctly.
My worry is that stress risers will eventually start to crack and cause the grip safety to fail at the pin hole. Again, this was a casting error, not actually a machining error. By the way this flaw is located on the grip safety at a point that is INSIDE the weapon, opposite of the backstrap, so it is not visible.
This part will be replaced, as will the hammer some time in the future. The hammer is strctly for cosmetic reasons....at least at this time.
Other than that flaw, the gun is very mechanically sound. The series 80 safety was fitted rather quickly and there was no subsequent finishing to the dog legs BUT they work smoothly and correct. The firing pin system was 100 percent correct.
Amazingly, the sear appears to be made of bar stock. The disconnector is a casting but a very good one, though the disconnect interface is shaped rather oddly....but it is not a flaw, that is how it was made. I can't explain it other than it looks like a ball bearing in the middle. The slide interface section ( the top ) look normal and works normally. The thumb safety, MSH and the grip safety are castings. Except the grip safety issue that I noted previously and the lines on the hammer, the other parts are "well cast". Take that for what it is worth. I, personally, remove EVERY single MIM or cast part from any gun that I won, if it is possible.
Too, interestly, the recoil spring feels to be a very nice 18 to 19 pounds, not the stock weak crap that other makers ( including my precious Colt ) use. You know, the ones that you have to change out immediately after purchasing the gun in order that you don't crack the frame within 500 rounds.
Another plus ACT mags seem to be very well made. This gun comes with one ACT mag. Hand cycling was excellent. We'll see how live fire performs.
The park finish was VERY well done, as was the surface treatment prior to finishing. The finish is a dark, dark charcoal grey with a nice velvety feel. Almost NO park black came off during cleaning. The finish was very well done.
Trigger is fair. I have felt better....I have felt MUCH MUCH worse.
There was no machining debrish found during cleaning and though there are some very minor casting variations in the surface ( which is hard to avoid ) the gun is damn smooth. No nasty end cutter marks, no jagged edges.
Barrel, link, lugs and hood are a GI fit and the slide has just a barely perceptable rattle.
Sights are WWI / WWII style.
To finish, though I, personally, would NEVER in a million years own a cast gun, you could do a LOT worse than a Regent if you only have 400 bucks or so.
My main complaint: the BIG, FAT, UGLY, UNCOMFORTABLE, SLAB SIDED GRIP PROFILE.
How anyone can stand grip that is beyond me. I am gonna help my brother in law get that remedied as soon as I can.
Seriously, I was very impressed with the gun as far as it being what it is.
You could do a lot worse.
You could buy a Llama!!! :barf:
I say, if you have little money and big hands.....then give the Regent a try.
Oh...but remember....big hands + GI hammer = HAMMER BITE!!!