Cheap 1911A1

[Collier Kid]

I haven't tried Wild Bunch yet but have always wanted a traditional 1911 anyway and saw a deal on this Tisas one from Palmetto State Armory. Is it any good or should I avoid it? 

 

[Boggus Deal #64218]

The Tisas are some of the better ones I’ve worked.

[Captain Bill Burt]

I bought a Tisas Carry (modern sights, flared ejection port, etc.) for Iron Cowboy and I've been pretty impressed by it for EDC purposes. 

 

The only cautionary note I'll share is that although it runs jacketed bullets fine I have experienced a few failures to feed with lead bullets.  That may be attributable to my reloading, or to the gun.  At some point I'll try to run some of my reloads through my Colt Commander to get a better idea whether it's the bullets or the gun.

[Lucky R. K.]

I bought one awhile back to play with. Right out of the box it was rough as a cob. You could spring a railroad car with the slide spring. The magazine spring was so strong I couldn't insert a round. I forced the spring down with a stick and left it for several days. It was okay after that.  After a lot of slicking, polishing, and attention(shortening) to the slide spring, it is pretty nice. 

Lucky 

[Garrison Joe, SASS #60708]

On 5/2/2024 at 7:26 AM, Captain Bill Burt said:

have experienced a few failures to feed with lead bullets.  That may be attributable to my reloading, or to the gun.

Describe exactly how the feed failures sit in the action and we can make a real good guess.  But failing to feed GOOD lead bullet loads when the gun feeds jacketed rounds, usually means the feed ramp and barrel entry ramp need to be fitted and smoothed.   Take a couple of pictures of how rounds stop in the action when it won't feed, post 'em.

 

Post a couple pictures of the loaded rounds you are making, too.  Seating too long and having rounds stick in the throat of the barrel is a VERY common problem for folks loading lead for 1911 for the first few months.

 

Factories do not usually worry at all about whether the gun feeds lead ammo, since 95% of .45 auto ammo shot is jacketed.   Used to be Bullseye shooters who needed gunsmiths around.  Now it's several action sports, but Wild Bunch may be the biggest users.

 

good luck, GJ

[Captain Bill Burt]

I'm about to leave for the Alabama State match, but I'll post some pics and data when I get back next week.

[Cypress Sun]

I didn't see it on the latest PSA ad, but in the last one, they stated that they were based on the Series 70 and that all of the internals were 70 Series type internals. They were, probably still are, made in Turkey. Turkey has been putting out some pretty nice guns for the price lately.

 

For the price, you just can't beat it.

 

Everything I've put through it fed fine, including some wadcutters although most of it was round nose flat point of varying ammo (lead and jacketed).

 

Grips absolutely suck, cheap looking and cheap feeling - buy new grips.

 

Sights are small, hard to pick up and are not modern sights, weren't supposed to be I guess. Sights on the original A1 weren't any better.

 

Magazine was a little stiff but good quality.

 

 

If I had the funds, I'd buy 3 or 4 of them just to put away for a rainy day.

[Dred Bob]

Love the A1 I bought for wild bunch.  solid gun, groups great or as good as I can aim A1 sights.   Perfect match for Wild Bunch.   As Cyprus said the stock grips were cheap but $30 on Amazon and I had some great service style grips for WB.    I bought 2 more Tisas I liked the first so much.   My Custom Bullseye Springfield sits at home for WB matches.

[Boggus Deal #64218]

8 minutes ago, Dred Bob said:

Love the A1 I bought for wild bunch.  solid gun, groups great or as good as I can aim A1 sights.   Perfect match for Wild Bunch.   As Cyprus said the stock grips were cheap but $30 on Amazon and I had some great service style grips for WB.    I bought 2 more Tisas I liked the first so much.   My Custom Bullseye Springfield sits at home for WB matches.

The sights can be fixed.

[Captain Bill Burt]

14 hours ago, Cypress Sun said:

I didn't see it on the latest PSA ad, but in the last one, they stated that they were based on the Series 70 and that all of the internals were 70 Series type internals. They were, probably still are, made in Turkey. Turkey has been putting out some pretty nice guns for the price lately.

 

For the price, you just can't beat it.

 

Everything I've put through it fed fine, including some wadcutters although most of it was round nose flat point of varying ammo (lead and jacketed).

 

Grips absolutely suck, cheap looking and cheap feeling - buy new grips.

 

Sights are small, hard to pick up and are not modern sights, weren't supposed to be I guess. Sights on the original A1 weren't any better.

 

Magazine was a little stiff but good quality.

 

 

If I had the funds, I'd buy 3 or 4 of them just to put away for a rainy day.

The sights on the carry model are Novak knockoffs. That model costs a bit more but is still a very good deal.

This was one of the Iron Cowboys Christmas presents. Kid Flash got an AR-15 and my in-laws looked like they would have strokes (lol)

[Dred Bob]

14 hours ago, Boggus Deal #64218 said:

The sights can be fixed.

 

I actually enjoy the additional challenge of shooting WB with the original style A1 sights.   Aside from the original plastic grips I love it just the way it is.   It's a great reproduction if you can't afford an original service pistol.  For a little more you can purchase a more modern Tisas 1911 with better or target sights but if you're looking for an A1 reproduction I don't feel you can do better at any price let alone the $300 you can pick these up for.  I think they even have a $10 upgrade for the A1 with wood grips instead of the cheap plastic ones.  I've seen the A1 packaged a couple of different ways.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these guns and I'm very pleased and surprised with the quality.

[Bladesmith, SASS 113085]

53 minutes ago, Dred Bob said:

I think they even have a $10 upgrade for the A1 with wood grips instead of the cheap plastic ones

You’re right @Dred Bob. When I picked one up, it was on sale for $319 and included plastic and walnut grips.

[watab kid]

it looks nice by whats been posted here - ive never heard of them before and i have enough to not be inclined to get one but i see the appeal to a SASS shooter looking to get started in wild bunch 

[Buckeye Pete, SASS # 29941]

Collier Kid, I have two Tisas 1911s.  One is the carry version pictured above by Captain Bill Burt and in .45 acp.  I also have a commander version in 9mm.  Both are well built and function with anything I load them with.  The 45 acp eats my wild bunch reloads like candy.  For the money, I don't think you can find better quality.  Good luck.

 

Buckeye Pete

[Rafe Conager SASS #56958]

I'd have said inexpensive not cheap. These are well built, yes they could use some smithing for our game but what fun doesn't.  Even the proverbial best in the business ruger vaquero needs work. 

Rafe

[Ranger Dan]

Bought one of the Carry versions like CBB pictured for my better half. Put some lighter springs in and it runs great for Wild Bunch Ladies Modern.

[Frederick Jackson Turner]

Hmmm

[Jackaroo, # 29989]

On 5/2/2024 at 11:23 PM, Collier Kid said:

I haven't tried Wild Bunch yet but have always wanted a traditional 1911 anyway and saw a deal on this Tisas one from Palmetto State Armory. Is it any good or should I avoid it? 

 

I've got two of these had them for about 12 years now, faultless they have been and shoot POA.

I took 2 of these and a Para 45 to our local hotshot pistol gunsmith when we got them for action jobs. He commentated that with these cheap guns you usually had to throw out all the internals?? Turns out when we collected them he said the internals of the Tisas were perfect and in fact had to throw out all the internal of the Para ??

[Boggus Deal #64218]

41 minutes ago, Jackaroo, # 29989 said:

 in fact had to throw out all the internal of the Para ??

Same with Kimber, Ruger and most new Colts….