1911’s in general, 9mm versions specifically
- Thread starter Formidilosus
- Start date
ResearchinStuff
WKR
I found this list of drills the other day, figured it might help other guys who also don't really have a great game plan for what specifically to work on with their pistol range time
Billogna
WKR
If you go with the Hammerli, Taylor Tactical has a bunch drop in aftermarket parts. I opted for the set of Dawson sights and SS guide rod.
I tried the Kimber conversion and while it worked OK at times, was not satisfied. Did a lot of research, probably 10 years ago, and bought two of the Nelson Custom conversions. They are marked “Designed by Bob Marvel”. One is set up with irons on an old Les Baer frame. The other has an RMR and is on a Caspian frame. Both are quite accurate and function flawlessly.
JohnJohnson
WKR
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2019
- Messages
- 2,104
People should also look into Joel Park, Ben Stoeger, and Hwansik Kim for drills as well. They've all got great pistol training content.I found this list of drills the other day, figured it might help other guys who also don't really have a great game plan for what specifically to work on with their pistol range time
Billogna
WKR
If you don’t post pictures, do you really own them?
Probably lost in a boating incident......
Fair enough.
- Joined
- May 8, 2022
- Messages
- 790
I picked up a bladetech and I’ve been really happy with it for range use. I recently shot a match using it and retention seemed good. I’m still pretty new to all this so take that for what it’s worth, but as a starter holster for the range, the bladetech came highly recommended.
Yooper
WKR
Thank you! I checked them out briefly but I need to go back and do a deeper dive. Appreciate the feedback.
- Joined
- May 8, 2022
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- 790
To anyone following along, I’m a novice with 1911’s and have been learning a lot from the Tisas 9mm SS I picked up, which is my first 1911.
I recently shot a match and towards the end I had multiple malfunctions, mostly mag seating issues and a few stovepipes. I’m still troubleshooting and diagnosing but I’ve identified a few issues I thought I’d share.
The first was obvious once I got home but couldn’t sort it out in the moment at the match. I added the front grip plate from Wilson combat
( https://wilsoncombat.com/frontstrap-checkered-blue.html ) and it seems during the match it slowly slid down the grip to the point the bottom edge was getting pinched between the magwell and the mag. This made it really hard to seat the mags and I had multiple that were not in all the way, causing a failure to feed. I’ll be finding a way to ensure this panel can’t move or may just remove it for now. Long term. I think a flared magwell would also prevent it from sliding down.
The other issue I had towards the end was a few failures to eject all of which were stovepipe malfunctions. I was using Winchester NATO 124 grain ammo and hadn’t seen any issues in ~500 rounds of various ammo up to that point.
The gun was filthy so I cleaned everything really well and will be switching from oil to grease as described by many helpful contributors to this thread. I think that should help a bit and I’ll also be more diligent about regularly cleaning.
I did replace my extractor with the Wilson bulletproof one but hadn’t done any “tuning” yet, so this led me down the rabbit hole that is extractor tuning. I’ve now spent a few hours reading and watching so I’ll try to sum up what I’ve learned for anyone else getting started. I’m no expert but from all I’ve read, most seem to agree on the general approach to tuning.
Of note - if you need to put a lot of tension into the extractor by bending it significantly, you’re probably missing something. I initially bent mine to add tension to the point I could barely remove it (bad idea). After what I’ve learned, tension from bending it is pretty subtle and if you get to the point it’s difficult to install or remove, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Here are some posts/videos that guided me before I detail my experience.
The best resource I found, bar none:
www.1911forum.com
A few videos that also helped me:
*****
Okay so first off, a concept I misunderstood that affected my approach is that a 45ACP round should be tensioned by the tensioning wall of the extractor whereas for a 9mm, it seems most common to apply tension via the hook/claw and very difficult (though not impossible) to get a 9mm extractor to tension off the tensioning wall.
I checked mine using an empty case as a starting point and what do you know, there was no contact at all with the unmodified Wilson combat extractor.
As a comparison, here’s the unmodified factory extractor from Tisas that I had replaced when I got the gun.
After a lot of tinkering and filing, which provided a lot of hands on learning, I got the Wilson extractor to look a lot better, though not perfect. I think it’s still a bit long as the nose touches the case so I may file that down a bit yet and continue my learning.
After watching the second video posted above, I’d probably take a different approach to how I modified it, so I’m not going to share photos of what I filed to avoid confusing or misleading anyone. My next extractor will be modified like the second video shows and I may even buy a new one to do just that.
When all was done, here’s the modified wilson extractor. It perfectly passes the “shake test” and I’ll be going to the range this afternoon to shoot it with and without a mag to see how it functions. I may also compare with the factory extractor out of curiosity to know if it’s a valid backup or if it also needs tuning.
Edit to add a photo of the front strap getting pinched in the mag well. I also decided to just finish the extractor and made the nose shorter and round the bottom of the claw it as shown in the video above. It looks even better now and is no longer contacting the case with the nose.
I recently shot a match and towards the end I had multiple malfunctions, mostly mag seating issues and a few stovepipes. I’m still troubleshooting and diagnosing but I’ve identified a few issues I thought I’d share.
The first was obvious once I got home but couldn’t sort it out in the moment at the match. I added the front grip plate from Wilson combat
( https://wilsoncombat.com/frontstrap-checkered-blue.html ) and it seems during the match it slowly slid down the grip to the point the bottom edge was getting pinched between the magwell and the mag. This made it really hard to seat the mags and I had multiple that were not in all the way, causing a failure to feed. I’ll be finding a way to ensure this panel can’t move or may just remove it for now. Long term. I think a flared magwell would also prevent it from sliding down.
The other issue I had towards the end was a few failures to eject all of which were stovepipe malfunctions. I was using Winchester NATO 124 grain ammo and hadn’t seen any issues in ~500 rounds of various ammo up to that point.
The gun was filthy so I cleaned everything really well and will be switching from oil to grease as described by many helpful contributors to this thread. I think that should help a bit and I’ll also be more diligent about regularly cleaning.
I did replace my extractor with the Wilson bulletproof one but hadn’t done any “tuning” yet, so this led me down the rabbit hole that is extractor tuning. I’ve now spent a few hours reading and watching so I’ll try to sum up what I’ve learned for anyone else getting started. I’m no expert but from all I’ve read, most seem to agree on the general approach to tuning.
Of note - if you need to put a lot of tension into the extractor by bending it significantly, you’re probably missing something. I initially bent mine to add tension to the point I could barely remove it (bad idea). After what I’ve learned, tension from bending it is pretty subtle and if you get to the point it’s difficult to install or remove, you’re barking up the wrong tree.
Here are some posts/videos that guided me before I detail my experience.
The best resource I found, bar none:
Steve in Allentown Extractor fitting
Because of Photobucket's new policy of not allowing common folks like me to link our pictures on their site into discussion forums unless we gave them $400 all of my pictures here have been blocked. So at the request of several members I've spent time over the course of the past couple of weeks...
www.1911forum.com
A few videos that also helped me:
*****
Okay so first off, a concept I misunderstood that affected my approach is that a 45ACP round should be tensioned by the tensioning wall of the extractor whereas for a 9mm, it seems most common to apply tension via the hook/claw and very difficult (though not impossible) to get a 9mm extractor to tension off the tensioning wall.
I checked mine using an empty case as a starting point and what do you know, there was no contact at all with the unmodified Wilson combat extractor.
As a comparison, here’s the unmodified factory extractor from Tisas that I had replaced when I got the gun.
After a lot of tinkering and filing, which provided a lot of hands on learning, I got the Wilson extractor to look a lot better, though not perfect. I think it’s still a bit long as the nose touches the case so I may file that down a bit yet and continue my learning.
After watching the second video posted above, I’d probably take a different approach to how I modified it, so I’m not going to share photos of what I filed to avoid confusing or misleading anyone. My next extractor will be modified like the second video shows and I may even buy a new one to do just that.
When all was done, here’s the modified wilson extractor. It perfectly passes the “shake test” and I’ll be going to the range this afternoon to shoot it with and without a mag to see how it functions. I may also compare with the factory extractor out of curiosity to know if it’s a valid backup or if it also needs tuning.
Edit to add a photo of the front strap getting pinched in the mag well. I also decided to just finish the extractor and made the nose shorter and round the bottom of the claw it as shown in the video above. It looks even better now and is no longer contacting the case with the nose.
- Joined
- May 8, 2022
- Messages
- 790
For sure. Just know that if your gun has a rail, you need to buy the holster for a full size 5” 1911. From my search the only way to get a holster that fits a commander size with a rail is to get a custom holster made. Most companies only offer a holster that can accommodate a rail in a 5” model. I spent hours searching and just gave up, bought the 5” bladetech and I’ve been really happy with it. I bought their mag holder as well and I like it too.
Billogna
WKR
Thanks for posting about this issue! I also have the WC front strap installed on one of my pistols and have another on order. I'll need to keep a close eye on this!
Hypernatremia
FNG
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2025
- Messages
- 33
Took the dive into 1911s a month ago with a Tisas 1911a1 9mm Tank Commander.
For shits and giggles I decided to have a gunsmith buddy at my church turn it into a ripoff of the Wilson ACP Commander. Since it's a government model, I needed the slide cut for the Novak style sights. He's a 1911 nerd so I figured I'd have him toss in all my parts and see if it needed any tweaks. Here's the parts and work breakdown.
Base Gun: Tisas 1911a1 Tank Commander 9mm: $499
Extractor: Wilson Combat Bullet Proof Series 70 1911 9mm, 38 Super, Blue: $32.95
Barrel Bushing: Wilson Combat Government Blue: $20.95
Rear Sight: Dawson Precision Novak Cut Low Mount 1911: $39.95
Front Sight: Dawson Precision Sight for Colt 1911 Defender, Fiber Optic Front: $39.00
Trigger Kit: KC Customs TAC-II: $192.50
Trigger: Wilson Combat 1911 Ultralight Match Trigger, Medium Pad: $35.95
Thumb Safety: Wilson Single Side Tactical Lever, Blue: $32.95
Grip Safety: Wilson Beavertail Drop-in Commander, Blue: $37.95
Fitting Jig for Grip Safety: Wilson: $25.95
Magwell: Wilson One-Piece Checkered, Bullet Proof, Full-Size, Blue: $175.95
Labor: 6 hours @ $50 per hour: $300
Total: $1,433.10 plus some shipping
Left To-Do (eventually):
Checker front strap
Undercut trigger guard
Serrate front of slide
Refinish (parkerize)
The buddy and I were very impressed overall with the Tisas in stock form. No burrs or significant cleanup work required, functioned fine with 200rd of cheap ammo. The stock barrel bushing was a bit loose, (he said something about 10 thou on either side vs 2 thou on the new bushing?) and the government profile sights were not great. The trigger was pretty great from the factory, but the trigger pad was a bit thin and I'm a 6'6" slenderman kinda guy so I went with the medium trigger for more reach and the KC Customs hammer and sear/disconnector because I'm a little gay for Form.
Results:
Aggressively lubed her up with CherryBalmz and took her out on the first date. So much nicer to shoot without the GI grip safety. No issues so far with one Wilson and 2 MecGar mags. Was shooting about 8.5" low at 20m so I'll be getting a shorter front sight but that was expected. Once I get the new sight dialed in I'll shoot a few FBI bullseye drill and post results. In factory configuration I was getting 238-242s. (edited from 138-142)
Was it silly to do this with a Tisas vs just getting a Colt and cleaning it up? Maybe, but I like this one pretty good now.
For shits and giggles I decided to have a gunsmith buddy at my church turn it into a ripoff of the Wilson ACP Commander. Since it's a government model, I needed the slide cut for the Novak style sights. He's a 1911 nerd so I figured I'd have him toss in all my parts and see if it needed any tweaks. Here's the parts and work breakdown.
Base Gun: Tisas 1911a1 Tank Commander 9mm: $499
Extractor: Wilson Combat Bullet Proof Series 70 1911 9mm, 38 Super, Blue: $32.95
Barrel Bushing: Wilson Combat Government Blue: $20.95
Rear Sight: Dawson Precision Novak Cut Low Mount 1911: $39.95
Front Sight: Dawson Precision Sight for Colt 1911 Defender, Fiber Optic Front: $39.00
Trigger Kit: KC Customs TAC-II: $192.50
Trigger: Wilson Combat 1911 Ultralight Match Trigger, Medium Pad: $35.95
Thumb Safety: Wilson Single Side Tactical Lever, Blue: $32.95
Grip Safety: Wilson Beavertail Drop-in Commander, Blue: $37.95
Fitting Jig for Grip Safety: Wilson: $25.95
Magwell: Wilson One-Piece Checkered, Bullet Proof, Full-Size, Blue: $175.95
Labor: 6 hours @ $50 per hour: $300
Total: $1,433.10 plus some shipping
Left To-Do (eventually):
Checker front strap
Undercut trigger guard
Serrate front of slide
Refinish (parkerize)
The buddy and I were very impressed overall with the Tisas in stock form. No burrs or significant cleanup work required, functioned fine with 200rd of cheap ammo. The stock barrel bushing was a bit loose, (he said something about 10 thou on either side vs 2 thou on the new bushing?) and the government profile sights were not great. The trigger was pretty great from the factory, but the trigger pad was a bit thin and I'm a 6'6" slenderman kinda guy so I went with the medium trigger for more reach and the KC Customs hammer and sear/disconnector because I'm a little gay for Form.
Results:
Aggressively lubed her up with CherryBalmz and took her out on the first date. So much nicer to shoot without the GI grip safety. No issues so far with one Wilson and 2 MecGar mags. Was shooting about 8.5" low at 20m so I'll be getting a shorter front sight but that was expected. Once I get the new sight dialed in I'll shoot a few FBI bullseye drill and post results. In factory configuration I was getting 238-242s. (edited from 138-142)
Was it silly to do this with a Tisas vs just getting a Colt and cleaning it up? Maybe, but I like this one pretty good now.
OP
OP
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2014
- Messages
- 15,025
That looks solid. Be interested in how it shoots.
Hypernatremia
FNG
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2025
- Messages
- 33
I fat fingered my initial post, my best FBI Instructor drill with it in stock configuration was 242. Best I've ever done with a 22lr is 280 so I was pretty happy with it.
What are your thoughts on an adjustable rear sight for a gun that's getting carried? I have a USPSA and Steel Challenge range near me that I plan to be shooting at as well, so the fine tuning could be nice.
OP
OP
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2014
- Messages
- 15,025
Good adjustable rears hold up just fine to rough use.
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