Micro .45

[Bowcephalus]

Bought this the other day in the interest of doing my part to prop up the world economy.The Springfield Armory's Micro Compact .45 ACP is a mini version of the single action 1911. This particular version has the ambi-safety, night sights,and beavertail grip safety. The "bushingless" 3" bbl. squeezes 930 fps from a 200gr Speer Gold Dot over a +P load. Very controlable. Very functional. Very compact. Fits my hand better than my Sig without letting the pinky dangle.The thin grips make it a super thin package for a .45. Just starting to run some loads through it but so far the hollowpoints are functioning flawlessly. This looks to have the makings of an excellent defensive pistol.

[Desert Archer]

Both the wife and I have/had the Kimber version. She kept her's wile I traded mine off a couple years ago. I must have bigger hands than you because my pinky finger dangles in the air under the mag base (LOL).

At one time I also had a Glock 36. It was a little more controllable for me, probably because that same pinky finger had somewhere to go. Trouble was, in recoil the space between the shortened grip and the mag extension pinched the ring finger. Every time I went to practice I ended up with a blood blister on that finger. Got so I wasn't practicing with it and that's when I decided to sell it.

Sub compact 45s have been around for many years. Some ideas work better than others but most suffer from reliability problems. If the one you have works, hang on to it. You have a good one!

Dave

[Lambow]

That's a nice pistol, and glad to see Springfield makes the EMP, in 45acp.
Thought it was in 9x19 only.

I've got a Springfield XD in a 45c i like pretty good. The only problem with the XD line of pistols, is they won't cycle LSWC's. I've had to get another mold to cast for it.

[Sam Dunham]

OK Guys I have to get in on this conversation and tell you the ends and outs of the little 1911's. I used to work for Wilsons and Nighthawk. I worked my way to 3rd Master at Wilsons before I quit and went to work at Nighthawk which turned out to be a bad move. The little guns have to be fed a steday diet of the warmer loads to make them work. They have to have the recoil spring changed every 400 rds. and they have to be gripped with a strong wrist. The slide travel is reduced for the recoil cycle which relies heavily on the extended ejector to jack the rounds out upon ejection. Just look at the amount the slide passes the disconnector in the little guns versus the full size and you will see how much it has been reduced (rearward movement). The commander size has 150 thous. difference in it's travel, so they moved the VIS rearward to compensate. Buy good quality mags and do not be stingy. They are the heart of this platform's reliability. What Kind? well Wilsons of course, or the Italian Mags that Novak carries. Another tidbit is to not load the mags all the way on these little critters until you know they function flawless. The top round of high pressure mag springs sometimes makes them feed hard. Remember that John Moses Browning made this design around a seven rounder with plenty of room for the spring to rest. I carried a 1911 for 15 years on duty and always carried Wilson seven rounders without any trouble. Aluminum frames wear fast in these little guns so limit hard core shooting to your fullsize pistols, and never put a shock buff in any duty pistol. They also limit slide travel (rearward) movement upon ejection. Clean and lube with Breakfree.

[Bowcephalus]

Thanks Sam. Good info. I ordered two Wilson mags. before I even picked that little number up. As for the alum. frame,(same as my Sig), I do intend to limit the shooting to maintaining familiarity. I have a couple of full size steel frame .45s for the regular everyday shooting. And I never have been a fan of running hot loads disproportionate to the gun. As for the "newness" of the compact versions, I remember the Detonics and AMT from as far back as 30 years ago. Definitely a specific purpose item.

[Sam Dunham]

The Arcadia Machine and tool stuff was all Junk. The Detonics was a Gem of a little 45. I carry all Glock SF models now. I reload all the dept. ammo on a Dillon 10-50. My loads are 200 gr. H&G'S hard cast, with 5.6 of 231. I prefer the 230 bullet for serious work, and carry either 230 Gold Dots or the dept issue Golden Sabre's. I like the Cor-Bons. but they are too expensive. Do not underestimate "Hot Ball" loads. They seem to kill pretty good compared to the ice pick FMJ's of 9 mickey mouse. I trick up my personal 45 acp Glocks with a Ghost connector and a Wilson match bl. I also get the wood burner out and make my grip ugly, but I can hang onto it. I use a heatgun to mash in the rear of my grip frames before I heat stipple the grip frames. They are just Glocks who cares? I use my stuff! I do not trade pistols much. I also carry razor sharp spydercos all the time. I had two punks try to mug me in a Wal-mart bathroom 3 years ago. I left a 18 in. scar on the biggest one as he relized when he pulled his cheapy out that I was a predator. I could have opened the neck vein in him, but I decided to just put a damper on his career as a mugger and just cut him a little. I train to fight with pistols, rifles, knives and hands , feet. I am too old too get scrappy with my hands so I just cutem instead. I ran them out of Wal-mart with a spyderco in each hand. I let them outrun me on purpose. I just wiped it off, and went on to the sporting goods to look for deals. My philosphy is to love people! But if they want to hurt me or someone else, I will de-fang the snake! or bleed out trying.

[Bowcephalus]

Those Wilsons came in today. Much nicer than the stock mags. I'll probably fire up the Dillon myself this weekend and mash out a few. I've got some 185 JHPs I bought in bulk a few years back I wanna run through it. I usually opt for the 200s but these were on sale. Also might load up a few 230 gn round nosed lead.

[Sam Dunham]

Looks like you are ready to go. I like the old summer special inside the pants holsters. Yep, those 185's will work just fine for the price. I always carry a flashlight too. You never know.

[Sam Dunham]

Hey Lambo. I bought a full size XD 45 when they first came out. I shot the piss out of it, and could not find a problem. I just prefer the Glock. I am used to the reset on a Glock, and stage the trigger. I have my Glocks down to 3 pds. or so. I am allowed to carry personal weapons which is a good thing for me because I can tweak em. I quit my 1911's for carry, and sold most of them a year or so ago. Three of them gave me about 4.000 to pay bills and buy other toys. I have shot them all and figure this is pretty close, Colt, Glock, Sig, XD, Beretta. I have not shot the M&P yet. I just do not like the swinging trigger they have. The Sig sometimes has to have the Throat adjusted to feed correctly. The XD I had? I ran a chamber reamer in it before I shot, and adjusted the throat so I bet that was a cure for any trouble I might have had.A J frame Smith or Taurus is a hard to beat leg gun in the 5 shot 38 specials.

[Lambow]

Sam, did you aquire a Vickers Special when you worked at Nighthawk?
I really wouldn't figure the Nighthawks are any better than a Wilson, though.

Yea, the XD trigger had more pre travel & reset than i liked, so I installed a Powder River overtravel stop & safety lever, a couple of days after i received the pistol. It made it much better. Just about as short a reset as a 1911, with no overtravel and a short pre travel.
It's the compact model with a 10 round mag. with a Pearce grip extension. The 13 rounder with a grip sleeve, makes the grip the same length as a service model. It sure does carry better than my 1911... as much as i hate to admit it. It doesn't have nite sights, but the TLR-1 lights up the world!
Why did you feel you the need the ream the chamber on the XD?

I actually wanted a S&W M&P in the 45 compact, but they were slow getting them out. I liked most of the features & trigger in the XD better anyway, so that's what i decided on. The M&P compacts are in the stores now, and i handled one the other day, and the ergos are really good, but that damn trigger.... it's the same one that Smith uses in their Sigma line of pistols. I also handled the new XDM .40 & 9, and liked the way it felt in the hand better than any other polymer framed pistol. SA hasen't come out with it in 45acp yet, but i imagine they will in the future.

I'm using W-231 with 5.6 grns. also, but the bullets weigh 230 grns. I'm getting around 800 fps. from them thru my crony.
I like the Speer Gold Dots, and would like the Cor-Bon DPX rounds, but i think the heaviest in them for 45acp, is 185.... and they're plus P's. I don't see the need for a +P myself.

But hey, you know the saying - "They all fall to hard ball". LOL

[Sam Dunham]

Here's the truth about the Vickers pistols. When I worked for Wilson, Vickers would send all his work to us to do. Vickers is a seasoned Delta veteran and a badass, but not a Master Pistolsmith. I worked at Nighthawk for 10 months.Two of my friends were pistolsmiths at Wilsons. My good friend and still is Ron Philips worked for Wilson 24 years. He taught me some tricks on 1911's. The 1911 is not very complicated, but if you have been around the 1911 forum, you have seen that many there think they are the king of 1911's and make it harder. The salesman Craig Gholsen that was at Wilsons was the Boss at Nighthawk after we made our transition. I was making 50.000 at Wilson and went to Nighthawk for the same money. I was the Highest paid thier and built all the high end tactical pistols. I built two a day and worked 12 hrs. to do it. Then Craig wanted three, then four. I said kiss my ass, and got back into a patrol car. Here's the skinny on chambers. All pistols are either too loose, or too tight in the chamber. I built many 38 supers and 9mm's at both places and did you know that we actually freebored 38 supers to bring the initial pressure down? OK, the chamber in my Wilson match grade Glock barrel had to be adjusted for headspace, Tweaked to the perfect chamber length and width, so did the XD. The XD was out of round minutly, not much but a little. I found out by ransom and stationary single shot testing of barrels at wilsons that: A 45 chamber with a little more headspace is just as accurate as a tight one. I like to insure this functional chamber in all my 45's. Now the 38 super is a finicky little prick. I actually would test ny barrels in guns I built from time to time in the concrete single shot fixture to insure that the grooves were deep enough to shoot both lead and jacketed bullets at 1200 ft. I would slug them every 12-15 barrels to do a shop check. 356 or bigger I shitcan them. The XD is considered a single action by IDPA and not allowed in the stock division. Ask me here, and I will tell you what I know about any pistol or rifle. I built several rifles for myself (Mausers) all 98's while I was there. I do not know it all, but I know enough to either tell you I do or don't. The XD is a very excellent pistol! I like the extractor in them. To disassemble it, you simply push the hook outward and tap the botom of the slide with a plastic mallot. I do not like the trigger spring in XD's and Berettas. They are not coils, and as you know that is one attribute to reliability in the Glock and 1911's. The 1911 only has one leaf spring which powers the sear,trigger return, and the grip safety. I have seen only one that broken due to a Monkey boy bending it too much, and then bent it back. The XD has the same grip angle as the 1911. 17 degree's I think.

[Bowcephalus]

That's a nice pistol, and glad to see Springfield makes the EMP, in 45acp.
Thought it was in 9x19 only.
Thanks Lam, I think I'm gonna like it for its purpose. Technically they don't call it an "EMP" which is as you say, 9mm, but they sure look like the same pistol to me.

I like the old summer special inside the pants holsters..... Well that makes two out of two ;). I ordered a Bianchi 100 a couple of days ago. Already had one of "suede out" horsehide for the Sig.

[Desert Archer]

The EMP is a 7/8 scale 1911, chopped in much the same style as Bo's 45. Springfield was going to offer the EMP in 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 GAP, but all I've heard of being offered so far is the 9mm version.

Dave

[Lambow]

Yea Bo, i thought it was the Enhanced Micro Pistol. I'll bet it's so light, you'll forget you're carring it.

DA, i hadn't heard much news on it lately, so i thought SA had of allready came out with it in 45acp, like they'd planed too.

[Lambow]

Sam, you've told me before of your affiliation with WC, but you didn't elaborate.... I'm impressed with your knowledge. You're a man after my own heart with the 1911, and other pistols in 45acp.
Never heard much before about the larger chamber tolerances, but can understand the need for insurance there.

Did you do any work for WC's Scattergun Technologies, and AR's, there?

[Sam Dunham]

I did strictly pistols. I did slide to frame fit, and barrel fitting. I also did what I hate most! Handcheckering of gripframes, trigger guards and the rear of slides. Checkering is hard on your wrists and tedius work. I know about 870's and how to work on them etc. I can tell you that the 1100 does not run short barrelled like it should and would prefer the Benelli. The 870 is the best cheap shotgun for serious work. AR's, well they are a componant system, easy to work on and change parts. I have changed bll's on them with just a hammer and brass punch. The best production 1911 pistol is a Kimber, but avoid the exterior extractors.