American Tactical Imports Fx45 Gi 1911 45 Acp 425-inch Review

Final year, we began testing suppressors on rifles and handguns because nosotros saw that the sound-abatement equipment was becoming a lot more pop. This was a surprise considering suppressors are expensive and hard to transact, so it takes a lot of patience and money to become started, and at that place is a fair amount of legal liability if you get it incorrect. Despite these drawbacks, since nosotros began this journey suppressor regulations have become much more than relaxed across the country, with all but a scattering of gun-restrictive states allowing the devices. All the same, it will take a couple of generations for suppressors to become mainstream and for the misconceptions about them to evaporate.

For some, these unobtrusive pieces of hollow metal volition always be tied to clandestine assassin or spec-ops utilise rather than as portable hearing protection. Pity, because during our testing with them, we have found a lot of salutary benefits behind the gun, whether long gun or sidearm. Suppressed firearms not only accept shown amend accuracy in virtually cases, they are certainly improve mannered with a can hanging off the front. Muzzle flip and nail are easier to command with a can in place, and that improves accuracy and enjoyment.

We initially chose handguns chambered in 45 ACP because they offered a lot of full-power bullet weights and shapes that run below the speed of sound, so it'southward easy to find good ammo that suppresses well. For the handguns, we started with three full-size non-1911 45s from Glock, HK, and FN, all of which come from the factory suppressor-ready. Reviewed in the September 2018 issue, nosotros recommended the FN America FNX-45 Tactical FDE 66968 45 ACP, $1200. We had office trouble with a Glock G21SF PF2150203TB 45 ACP, $511, and didn't recommend it. The 3rd polymer gun was the Heckler & Koch Marker 23 45 ACP M723001-A5, $2300. It was big and expensive and very nice to shoot. Some of our testers said that if they were to buy the HK Mark 23, they would remember the day equally fondly as when they got their favorite domestic dog, which is high praise indeed.

Our 1911-style exam guns this fourth dimension included the Kimber America 1911 Warrior SOC 3000253 TFS with Crimson Trace Rail Main Light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation Sight, $1309. Nosotros had loan of this immaculate early-model SOC with about 250 rounds through it, half of which were fired with an Osprey 45 suppressor like the one in this test. The Warrior SOC has an accessory track built into the dust cover, which allows plumbing equipment a desert-tan Crimson Trace Rails Master light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation as part of the package.

The second gun was a Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced Threaded Barrel 96339, $675, a contempo in-stock price from TombstoneTactical.com. This was a well-outfitted gun for the money, coming with the 5.5-inch barrel threaded .578-28 like the others, two 8-circular magazines with bumper pads, and a lot of other features we detail beneath.

The third handgun was from American Tactical Imports, the ATIFGX45K FX1911, which has become discontinued during our test period. However, used, new, and like-new versions exist on gun boards across the web, usually for around $525, a recent price from BudsGunShop.com.

The fourth gun was a tester's custom 1911 build from Carter Custom Weaponry, into which we planned to drib aftermarket barrels. We did change the barrel twice, both times requiring gunsmith intervention. But there were issues with the plan that required us to spend more than money than we wanted to, which nosotros detail below.

45 ACP Range Data

Prvi Partizan (PPU) 185-gr. SJHP PP-R4.31	Kimber Warrior SOC		Remington 1911 R1 ETB
	Unsuppressed	Suppressed	Unsuppressed	Suppressed
Average velocity	942 fps	884 fps	876 fps	920 fps
Muzzle energy	364 ft.-lbs.	321 ft.-lbs.	315 ft.-lbs.	348 ft.-lbs.
Average group	1.eight in.	ii.3 in.	2.2 in.	1.half-dozen in.
Fiocchi Ammunition 200-gr. JHP 45B500
Average velocity	1004 fps	1041 fps	987 fps	1025 fps
Muzzle energy	448 ft.-lbs.	481 ft.-lbs.	432 ft.-lbs.	466 ft.-lbs.
Average group	2.3 in.	one.half dozen in.	1.6 in.	i.8 in.
Winchester USA 230-gr. FMJ Q4170
Average grouping	866 fps	895 fps	843 fps	879 fps
Muzzle free energy	383 ft.-lbs.	409 ft.-lbs.	363 ft.-lbs.	394 ft.-lbs.
Average group	2.ii in.	2.v in.	1 in.	ane.5 in.

Prvi Partizan (PPU) 185-gr. SJHP PP-R4.31	ATI FX1911		Carter Custom w/ Briley Barrel
	Unsuppressed	Suppressed	Unsuppressed	Suppressed
Boilerplate velocity	924 fps	NA	867 fps	902 fps
Muzzle energy	351 ft.-lbs.	NA	309 ft.-lbs.	334 ft.-lbs.
Average group	2.half dozen in.	NA	2.two in.	3.5 in.
Fiocchi Ammunition 200-gr. JHP 45B500
Average velocity	994 fps	NA	997 fps	1020 fps
Muzzle energy	439 ft.-lbs.	NA	441 ft.-lbs.	462 ft.-lbs.
Average group	iii.ii in.	NA	one.6 in.	i.6 in.
Winchester Us 230-gr. FMJ Q4170
Average velocity	886 fps	NA	853 fps	878 fps
Muzzle energy	401 ft.-lbs.	NA	371 ft.-lbs.	394 ft.-lbs.
Average group	iii.i in.	NA	one.8 in.	1.viii in.

To collect chronograph and accuracy data, we set up up at American Shooting Centers in Houston (AMShootCenters.com). We recorded velocities using an Oehler Model 35 Proof Chronograph ($595 from Oehler-Inquiry.com), with the first screen ready 5 feet from the cage. Velocities were recorded with an air temperature of fifty degrees and 40% humidity, with 10 o'clock 20-mph winds. For demote-accuracy shooting at 25 yards, nosotros fired the handguns off Caldwell DeadShot shooting bags. Accuracy is the average group size for five v-shot groups, measured center-to-center of the widest-apart bullet holes in each grouping, so rounded to the nearest 10th of an inch. The suppressed data were collected with a SilencerCo Osprey 45, $756 at SilencerShop.com in Austin, Texas. 45 ACP ammo sources: Prvi Partizan Ammunition (PPU) 185-grain Semi-Jacketed Hollow Indicate PP-R4.31, ($eighteen/l from SportsmansGuide.com); Fiocchi Ammunition 200-grain Jacketed Hollow Point 45B500 ($24/50 from MidwayUSA.com), and Winchester United states Ammunition 230-grain Total Metal Jacket Q4170 ($17/50 from PrimaryArms.com).

The Suppressor

For this exam, we attached a SilencerCo Osprey 45, recently $756 at SilencerShop.com. This is just for the shell; you must also buy a piston threaded for your specific handgun. To fit our pistols and replacement barrels, nosotros needed just the 0.578×28-tpi piston , $71. The polygonal Osprey has a monocore stainless-steel baffle design within a black-oxide aluminum beat out. It weighs xi.1 ounces and is 8 inches long. Co-ordinate to Silencer Shop's data, the SilencerCo Osprey 45 provides a hearing-safe 131.iii dB output with subsonic 45 ACP ammo.

Of course, you must likewise buy an NFA tax stamp for the suppressor, which SilencerShop.com sells for $205. We would too advise ownership Silencer Shop's NFA Single Shot Trust service, $25. The Single Shot Trust simplifies the registration process by using i trust per silencer (or other NFA detail). Your Form 4 and trust volition be generated simultaneously, and they will be named automatically later on the particular'due south serial number. Moreover, no notary is required, but your fingerprint data and photograph. Trustees may be added once ATF approval is received, and electronically signing your Form four via DocuSign completes this streamlined procedure. You don't have to track down a agglomeration of trustees and get them all to the notary to complete the forms. If you program on purchasing more silencers in the time to come, be sure to check out the Single Shot Unlimited version of the trust paperwork.

The Osprey comes with a tool to remove the piston. To install the piston in the end attaching to the muzzle, the user slides the piston (a stainless cylinder with spokes on one terminate) into a spring inside a threaded adapter, which then screws into the suppressor body. Installation was simple: With the magazine out of the pistol and the action locked open up, we screwed off the thread protector, then held the pistol muzzle at 12 o'clock and started the Osprey onto the provided muzzle threads. We had no problem attaching the suppressor to whatsoever of the pistols. Nosotros must reiterate that to make installation safe, remove the magazine, clear the chamber, and lock the action open up on the unloaded pistol. These are musts for your safe because the working mitt gets in front of the muzzle when removing the thread protector and installing the can. We then screwed the Osprey downwardly equally far as it would become onto the muzzle threads, aligned information technology with the acme of the barrel, and tightened the locking collar. So equipped, nosotros were gear up to shoot the examination guns with a lot less muzzle blast and sound. Hither's how they performed:

Kimber America 1911 Warrior SOC 3000253 TFS with Crimson Trace Rail Master Laser Sight 45 ACP, $1309

GUN TESTS Course: B-

Ran haltingly and accuracy wasn't every bit proficient as the Remington R1-ETB overall.

Activity	Semi-auto unmarried activity
OVERALL LENGTH	9.iii in.
OVERALL LENGTH w/ SUPPRESSOR	16.ix in.
OVERALL Acme	5.25 in.
MAX WIDTH	1.four in.
WEIGHT UNLOADED	44 oz.
WEIGHT LOADED	48.8 oz.
WEIGHT LOADED west/ SUPPRESSOR	59.ii oz.
Butt	v.5 in., 1:16 LH twist; match-grade stainless steel westward/ match grade bushing; polished chamber and feed ramp; cage thread 0.578×28 w/ thread protector
Capacity	7+1
MAGAZINES	1; polished blued steel, single stack; apartment basepad
SLIDE	Desert tan stainless-steel Service Melt treatment; front/rear cocking serrations; KimPro II finish; standard military-length guide rod
SLIDE-RETRACTION Endeavor UNCOCKED	10.5 lbs.
SLIDE-RETRACTION Effort Artsy	5 lbs.
FRAME	KimPro II night greenish steel; 4-slot MIL-STD-1913 rail; 24-lpi checkering; left-side slide-end lever; lanyard loop
FRAME FRONT STRAP HEIGHT	2.53 in., 24-lpi checkering
FRAME Dorsum STRAP Meridian	ii.81 in., 24-lpi checkering
GRIPS	Kimber G-10 tactical
GRIP THICKNESS (max)	1.33 in.
GRIP CIRCUMFERENCE (max)	5.5 in.
Front end SIGHT	Suppressor-height post, tritium dark-green dot
REAR SIGHT	Suppressor-peak square notch, serrated rear face up; 2 tritium green dots; cocking shoulder
SIGHT RADIUS	6.8 in.
OPTIC	Desert Tan Crimson Trace Rail Master red light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT (SA)	5.6 lbs.
TRIGGER SPAN (SA)	2.78 in.
TRIGGER	Serrated aluminum, match grade
SAFETY	Ambi frame-mounted lever, beavertail
WARRANTY	one-year limited lifetime
Telephone	(888) 243-4522
WEBSITE	KimberAmerica.com
Made IN	U.s.a.

The $1309 price listed above is a recent cite from SportsmansOutdoorSuperstore.com. Two acronyms in the Kimber's name are particularly meaningful: SOC stands for Special Operations Capable, and TFS means Threaded For Suppressor. Since we began testing this gun three months ago, the webpage for this particular model has been pulled off the Kimber website. If yous're still interested in the Kimber after reading this summary, the Desert Warrior TFS 3000237 is much the same pistol in all-over Desert Tan, but information technology lacks the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. We recall that's fine considering the supplied Crimson Trace ruby light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation wasn't visible in daylight anyway. Information technology was fantabulous for dusk and dark piece of work, but it also precluded the use of a light on the gun. We always want to be sure of our target earlier firing, so not existence able to put a light on the gun while using the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation created a trouble. The red dot of the laser was certainly visible with all the handheld lights we tried, so it'southward possible (and for some, preferable) to concord the low-cal with the off-hand. Also, nosotros noted that the Osprey suppressor did non block the laser when the can was fastened. Nonetheless, on its website Kimber offers Red Trace Lasergrips for $339 (4000932, a carmine variant), which would allow the shooter to put a light on the rails and have apply of the suppressor. If you choose to practice that, a improve choice, in our opinion, is CT's LG-904G Green Main Series Lasergrips G10, $479, because the green dot is visible in daylight and the Lasergrip frees slots on the rails for a lite on the gun. Crimson Trace also offers less-expensive dark-green variants and other green lasers with different console color schemes if you desire to colour-coordinate the Kimber'due south color scheme. Another option would be to apply a philharmonic light/light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation unit like the SureFire X400 Ultra — Green Laser unit (X400U-A-GN) mounted on the rail.

Otherwise, the SOC is a 1911 pistol with a two-tone colour pattern, dark green on the frame and flat dark globe on the slide. Both parts have the corrosion-resistant KimPro Two end practical. The controls, including the ambidextrous thumb safeties, trigger, and grip rubber, were black. The grip carries earth-tone G10 panels that our shooters liked when wearing gloves, merely which abraded the within of the firing-hand thumb a lot when shooting gloveless. We had a similar complaint nigh the Remington 1911R1. The grip panels on the ATI and Carter Custom gun were less irritating, we found.

The pistol has an ambidextrous thumb safety, which makes information technology suitable for lefties or righties, a skeletonized hammer, and an extended beavertail grip prophylactic with a bump for amend engagement. A serrated aluminum trigger was supposed to pause betwixt four and five pounds from the manufactory, but on our unit the trigger activated at 5.6 pounds on average. In our view, the triggers on the R1-ETB and the Carter guns were ameliorate than the Kimber's. Kimber's Warrior SOC comes with a match-grade v.v-inch barrel and match-class bushings. The extra half inch of barrel length across what's common on Kimber's other 1911s is to accommodate the 0.57828-tpi threading, which will work with many 45 ACP suppressors. A knurled thread protector is also included. A military machine-length guide rod allows for quick field takedown without tools.

The SOC features a lanyard-hole-equipped mainspring housing, the backstrap of which has an ambitious checkering blueprint on it as well. The frontstrap was also checkered, but the blueprint was less abrasive on the shooting hand'southward fingers, and, in fact, offered a good grip. The front points of the magwell were extremely precipitous, and we would accept removed them with the pass of a file except it would have taken the green stop with it, we believe. The top of the Kimber's slide, which has been dehorned, did not marker soft tissue. Capacity is vii+one, and we got simply a single mag with our gun. Relatively speaking, the Kimber-marked magazine was harder to load than all the others.

The pistol had a tight slide-to-frame fit, and the slide operated smoothly. All the controls operated every bit expected. The magazine-release button allowed the magazine to autumn cleanly from the gun, and the ambi safeties immune seamless both-hands functioning. The durable KimPro 2 finish, applied to withstand harsh employ in rough environments, showed no habiliment even after all-encompassing handling and shooting. The slide had both front and rear serrations.

Meprolight MH3 three-dot tritium night sights were spaced to six.viii inches of sight radius, and the shooter-facing side of the rear sight was finely grooved to reduce glare. Nosotros liked the sights; they offered cracking visibility above the Osprey and were like shooting fish in a barrel to read. The aforementioned was true for the R1-ETB and the ATI, but not on the Carter gun. Also, the muzzle-side face of the rear sight is squared off, then the shooter who needs to rack the gun with one hand can do so on whatever handy tabular array, window ledge, or other firm surface. Both sights were dovetailed into the top of the slide, and the rear would exist windage-adjustable by drifting in the dovetail. A minor hex-head screw locks the rear sight into place.

The laser was very piece of cake to operate. Push-to-operate tabs on both sides of the laser turned the Crimson Trace unit of measurement on, and they could be manipulated with a single hand on the gun. On the down side, the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation sometimes switched itself on during recoil. Installation on the runway is uncomplicated using a apartment-blade screwdriver, and the laser is adjustable for windage and acme using a small Allen wrench. We liked shooting with the laser in low-low-cal conditions because the bright-blood-red dot downrange removed whatever bug for aging eyes, and the laser shows the shooter's hold quality depressingly well. Reading the dot's motion immediately shows the reward of proper grip and trigger control, which can dramatically meliorate accuracy and reduce fourth dimension between shots for any level of shooter.

At the range, nosotros ran into problems using the suppressor. The owner of the handgun had fired fewer than 250 rounds through the Kimber, so we ignored problems in the first fifty rounds while we thoroughly broke the gun in. Once nosotros began accuracy testing, however, we saw the PPU and Fiocchi blunt-nose rounds skid to a stop on the ramp and not feed. This led to some spectacular stoppages, with rounds still being captured by the magazine but with their noses wedged confronting the ramp. We'd accept to concur the gun action open, press the magazine release, so push the meridian round back into the magazine plenty for the mag to drop. We had eight such stoppages during the accuracy and chronograph testing, and we had another five failures to become into battery completely. The Winchester 230-grain brawl ammunition didn't exhibit these issues.

Our Team Said: Using its supplied mag, the Kimber was choosy nearly what it would shoot, and we don't similar that. You might be willing to find a sure ammunition that feeds and functions perfectly in the gun, but we can't recommend that uncertain outcome. To its credit, the Kimber Warrior SOC is well built, nicely appointed, and it was certainly accurate plenty for self defense in almost circumstances. But in our view, information technology comes in third here.

Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced Threaded Barrel 96339 45 ACP, $675

GUN TESTS Class: A

This was a well-outfitted gun for the money. If nosotros were in the market for a new 1911, we'd
strongly consider the threaded-butt model over the company's other offerings that lack the
feature. You may not accept a suppressor right now, only mayhap some day yous volition.

ACTION	Semi-auto single action
OVERALL LENGTH	ix.75 in.
OVERALL LENGTH w/ SUPPRESSOR	xvi.five in.
OVERALL HEIGHT	half dozen in.
MAX WIDTH	one.25 in.
WEIGHT UNLOADED	41 oz.
WEIGHT LOADED	46.6 oz.
WEIGHT LOADED westward/ SUPPRESSOR	56.viii oz.
BARREL	five.v in., stainless steel; thread pitch .578-28 w/ knurled thread protector
Chapters	8+1
MAGAZINES	(two) 8-round black-steel unmarried stack; black polymer detachable baseplate
SLIDE	7.five in. long, 1-piece machined carbon steel, front & rear cocking serrations
SLIDE-RETRACTION Endeavour UNCOCKED	15.5 lbs.
SLIDE-RETRACTION Effort COCKED	9 lbs.
FRAME	Matte-blackness carbon steel; Ed Brown-style beavertail w/raised pad, 20-lpi checkering; extended slide-release lever (L); left-side magazine-release button; flat mainspring housing, checkered
FRAME Front end STRAP HEIGHT	three.2 in., vertical serrations
FRAME Back STRAP Elevation	iii.3 in., 20-lpi checkering
GRIPS	Checky black-and-dark-brown laminate west/ magazine relief cut
GRIP THICKNESS (max)	ane.4 in.
GRIP CIRCUMFERENCE (max)	6 in.
FRONT SIGHT	0.256 in. post, white dot, dovetailed; serrated, slanted front face, carbon steel
REAR SIGHT	i-dot, windage adj., slanted and serrated face, dovetailed w/set screw, suppressor height
SIGHT RADIUS	half-dozen.half-dozen in.
TRIGGER	four lbs. pull weight, 3-pigsty aluminum; adj. overtravel
TRIGGER SPAN (SA)	2.8 in.
TRIGGER GUARD	Matte-black carbon steel
SAFETIES	Frame-mounted left side lever; beavertail
WARRANTY	Limited ii year
Phone	(800) 243-9700
WEBSITE	Remington.com
Made IN	Huntsville, AL

We first tested the 1911 R1 Enhanced No. 96328 back in the May 2012 edition. That gun graded an A-, mainly for the sharpness of the front sight housing. We also tested the R1 No. 96323, a GI-manner 45 ACP, in the October 2012 effect and graded it an A+. The standard model looks like a wartime 1911, meaning the R1 standard version doesn't take the Enhanced's beavertail, great rear sight, or the lightened, Commander-mode skeletonized hammer spur, amongst other features. We also tested the R1 Commander 96336 in the April 2015 consequence, giving it a B course because of some early malfunctions. All in all, we've been impressed with the company's work on this 1911. And that continues with the R1 Enhanced Threaded Barrel, which we'll abbreviate as the R1-ETB.

Our first impression of the R1-ETB was that it had a great finish, was tightly assembled, and had a not bad trigger, breaking at 4.0 pounds. The R1 Enhanced has the aforementioned Serial 80-fashion internal firing-pin safety as the original R1, which many shooters don't like considering information technology can touch on trigger-pull quality. That wasn't the example here.

We liked the dull-black end and the coarsely-checky forest-laminate grip panels. The left-side panel features a thumb groove for a correct-handed shooter. However, after merely a few rounds, nosotros wanted to cover the bare trigger hand with a glove because the panel texture under the right-mitt pollex was pretty abrupt. This was also a problem with the Kimber and ATI guns.

Midway downwards the left side of the slide a demure "Remington" was cut into the metallic. In small letters below the ejection port, the give-and-take "ENHANCED" was stamped, and "1911 R1" appeared virtually the forepart serrations. The front strap had vertical serrations that helped go on the gun from twisting in the hand during recoil. The rear strap was straight, with a xx-lpi checkered-carbon-steel mainspring housing. The checkering extended to the bump on the grip safety, a overnice bear upon, we thought. The left panel was cut away slightly to permit access to the extended magazine release, which was vertically serrated.

The R1-ETB'south front (4) and rear (vii) flat-bottomed slide cuts were easily used to lock back the slide or, with the forward serrations, press-check to see if a round was in the chamber. There'southward likewise a slot at the back of the barrel that lets you see contumely in the chamber. At that place were two well-made 8-round magazines in the fitted and cut pistol box. The magazines both had polymer drib pads that composite into the frontstrap and witness holes to evidence how many rounds are in them. The didactics volume was very thorough and descriptive. We should notation that on page 15, at that place was a warning not to "use armament marked with Plus P, '+P' or whatsoever other loftier-velocity or [high-] pressure ammunition."

The aluminum trigger had an adjustable end and three holes for weight reduction. The left-side safety lever was 0.335-inch broad, which made it like shooting fish in a barrel to utilize, and the shooter could ride the tiptop of the safety with a thumb on it while shooting. The thumb safe had positive clicks upwardly and down and no malfunctions.

The butt was stainless steel, and the muzzle cuts for the suppressor were crisp. The carbon-steel thread cover was very finely machined, which looked adept and worked fine. Remington says the tube is a lucifer-grade model, and the results at the range propose that's truthful. Slide-to-frame fit and barrel fit were very good. The R1-ETB has a stainless-steel butt bushing and a standard GI recoil spring/plug organisation.

The tall rear sight was a combat style with rounded edges and was migrate-adjustable only for windage, with a small Allen-head screw locking it in place. The two dots, stacked on top of each other to form an "viii" shape, were piece of cake to see and align in the rear notch. The sights easily cleared the suppressor and came perfectly regulated for a mid-target concord at 25 yards. Both shooter-facing planes on the sights were angled and grooved to eliminate glare. The beveled forward surfaces of the rear sight allow easy and cut-costless clearing of stovepipe jams, and the edges of the ejection port too didn't cutting us, which our hands surely appreciated.

Takedown was traditional and easy. Inside the slide was a trigger-release pivot on the firing pin, which means the firing pivot cannot move unless the trigger is pressed. Workmanship inside was excellent.

We had a handful of failures to go into battery at the starting time, requiring the shooter to push the back of the slide forward to allow the gun to fire. That worked out after almost 50 rounds. By the fourth dimension we got to the suppressed firing, the gun ran like a champ. Likewise, information technology was very accurate with the can or without, shooting the best of the examination overall, although the Briley barrel edged it with the Fiocchi 200s.

There were a few spots on the R1-ETB that were sharp. 2 worth singling out were the bottom of the grip frame and the front of magazine well. We would have liked more than beveling inside the magazine well. The slide-to-frame fit was tight, simply it didn't stick. The trigger pull was behind simply the custom Filly'southward in break weight and crispness.

Our Team Said: The Remington R1 Enhanced Threaded Barrel was an excellent 1911. Information technology had very good accuracy, worked perfectly with and without the suppressor subsequently a small suspension-in flow, looked great, had an excellent trigger, and showed tight fitting and superb workmanship.

American Tactical Imports ATIFGX45K FX1911 45 ACP, $525

GUN TESTS Grade: F

Since we began this examination, this model has been discontinued. If other people's experience was
similar ours, we understand why. We had ongoing function problems with the suppressor.

ACTION	Semi-auto single action
OVERALL LENGTH	8.five in.
OVERALL LENGTH westward/ SUPPRESSOR	15.25 in.
OVERALL Superlative	5.vi in.
MAX WIDTH	1.5 in.
WEIGHT UNLOADED	40 oz.
WEIGHT LOADED	46 oz.
WEIGHT LOADED westward/ SUPPRESSOR	57 oz.
Butt	iv.75 in., 4140 steel; thread pitch .578-28 w/ thread protector
CAPACITY	viii+one
MAGAZINES	 (1) viii-round ACT-Mag blued-steel single stack; black polymer detachable baseplate
SLIDE	6.six in. long, 1-piece 4140 matte-black carbon steel, rear cocking serrations
SLIDE-RETRACTION EFFORT UNCOCKED	24 lbs.
SLIDE-RETRACTION Attempt Artsy	15.five lbs.
FRAME	Matte-black blued 4140 steel; accessory track; beavertail w/raised pad, extended slide-release lever (L); left-side serrated magazine-release button; flat mainspring housing, serrated
FRAME Front STRAP Tiptop	2.8 in., evidently
FRAME Dorsum STRAP HEIGHT	ii.8 in., serrated
GRIPS	Checkered black polymer
GRIP THICKNESS (max)	1.34 in.
GRIP CIRCUMFERENCE (max)	5.vi in.
Front SIGHT	0.236 in. post, white dot, dovetailed; carbon steel
REAR SIGHT	U-shaped groove, windage adj., slanted and serrated face, dovetailed due west/ready screw, suppressor elevation
SIGHT RADIUS	v.6 in.
TRIGGER PULL WEIGHT	half-dozen.6 lbs. pull weight, 3-hole steel
TRIGGER Span	ii.8 in.
TRIGGER GUARD	Matte-black stainless steel
Safety	Frame-mounted ambi lever; extended beavertail
WARRANTY	Express lifetime
Telephone	(800) 290-0065
WEBSITE	AmericanTactical.united states
Made IN	Philippines

The 0.578×28 RH-threaded barrel will be compatible with most 45 ACP suppressors. The gun has a steel frame with blued finish and weighs 39.9 ounces. The FX45-K too features an ambidextrous manual rubber, grip safety and locked breech. It has migrate-adjustable target sights, external hammer, and target trigger.

As we noted, since we began the inquiry and shooting for this article, this unit has been discontinued. And if our experience is whatsoever guide, nosotros tin see why. Set up with the Osprey, our gun was plagued with failures to feed and failures to go into battery, so much and so that we couldn't get it to run long plenty to gather range data. It wasn't unsafe, but it was so unreliable that nosotros wouldn't want our readers to consider it. A phone call to ATI'southward customer-support line said that if the firearm was malfunctioning equally nosotros described, then we should return it for warranty work. That's what we'll try side by side.

Our Squad Said: Don't buy it.

Carter Custom Weaponry Colt 1991A1 w/Replacement Barrels

This is not a test of the handgun itself, which was built several years agone past pistolsmith Ross Carter. Rather, we wanted to run into if adding a threaded butt to an existing firearm was a judicious option if you lot wanted to save some money getting into suppressors, which are expensive enough. At that place were issues from the start.

We started with an online trip to Brownells.com to find what barrels there might be for the tight and accurate Carter handgun, which was originally fitted with a Wilson Combat barrel, bushing, and link. We saw that Nighthawk Custom (NighthawkCustom.com) made a serial of match-class threaded-barrel choices (Brownells 100-011-457, $250). It was very articulate on the Brownells webpage that the barrel required gunsmith plumbing equipment, and a barrel bushing, pivot, and link were not provided.

And then we took the gun and Nighthawk parts to a local gunsmith for fitting, $100. When nosotros got it back, information technology was so tight we could barely open up the slide, and the gun wouldn't go back into bombardment without a lot of force. We tried shooting it in, but nosotros couldn't go more than than a few rounds through it. By this time, the gunsmith had moved on, and we didn't have any recourse to go information technology resolved with him.

So nosotros took the Carter Colt to Briley Mfg. in Houston (Briley.com) and asked them to fit the butt, $125. After a couple of weeks, a salesman contacted us and said they couldn't fit the Nighthawk butt into the Colt without a lot of machining hours and parts that would apace add upwardly, only they could fit a new Briley threaded barrel for $275. We elected to do the latter.

Nosotros had some failures to go into battery with the Briley barrel initially, but office firing it most 100 rounds eliminated the problems. We proceeded to accuracy and chronograph testing and were happy to see the keen groups nosotros were shooting unsuppressed. And hither's where the side by side problem cropped upwards.

We had known from the start that the existing sights would be, perhaps, alpine plenty to shoot over the acme of the installed Osprey suppressor, but they were not suppressor-peak by whatever ways, and that turned out to exist right. We could barely see the forepart sight in the rear notch with the suppressor on, but information technology was a very thin sight motion picture. To truly go the gun functional, it needed new, taller sights. Depending on what nosotros chose, that would run some other couple of hundred bucks.

Our intention all along had been to use the Carter Colt as a proven testbed for the barrels and so restore the pistol to its original setup subsequently the test, so this meant changing the sights on an already slap-up-shooting gun. Unsuppressed in its original course, it was a 2-inch gun at 25 yards and perfectly reliable. Information technology was time to cut bait. We added a Cherry Trace Master Serial LG904G Dark-green Lasergrip, $419 at CrimsonTrace.com, which gave united states of america daytime visibility, dissimilar the crimson light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation on the Kimber. Too, it improved our power to shoot the Carter Colt suppressed or unsuppressed and allowed usa to keep the existing Bo-Mar sights. We were able to co-witness the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation and the sights at 25 yards, so the gun shoots to point of aim either way. Only if the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation fails or is blocked, we don't have much accuracy with the suppressor on. Also, the light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation barely cleared the bottom right corner of the Osprey, which it might not on your gun. A smaller-bodied suppressor would be appropriate, or if your gun has a rail, add a green laser/light there.

Our Team Said: We don't recommend y'all take this journey. Allow our mistakes to guide you. If y'all decide to add suppressor functionality to an existing firearm, nosotros learned it's a mistake to use a super-tight gun to start. We noted during the examination of polymer handguns that Glock offered replacement threaded barrels that were driblet-ins. That seems like the manner to go. If you lot have an unthreaded butt, await until your gunmaker offers replacement threaded barrels for your gun model. Or, if you lot accept a tight gun like the Carter Filly, send the gun dorsum to the pistolsmith to go a threaded barrel added, along with new sights if you adopt. Too, in that location are springing issues to take note of that we didn't encounter, merely which are worth mentioning. Putting a weight on the end of a 1911 barrel can change the relationships of some pretty of import parts inside the gun as information technology operates, and that can crusade tough-to-diagnose malfunctions. So y'all're request for problem going that route, we believe.

All that said, we were happy with the piece of work Briley did on the gun, and $275 seems like a reasonable price for the parts and the fitting. But we think y'all'll be better served buying a gun similar the R1-ETB rather than trying to add parts. Finer, we spent enough on the barrel and light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation to make the Carter gun piece of work equally well as the Remington did out of the box. Buy the R1-ETB instead.

Written and photographed past Gun Tests staff, using evaluations from Gun Tests team testers.

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Source: https://www.gun-tests.com/handguns/pistols45/threaded-barrel-1911-pistols-some-choices-come-up-short-3/

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