More than 100 years after God delivered His pistol design to John Moses Browning, the 1911 semi-automatic pistol is still as popular as Moran Atias at a pool party. Not to miss a trick, SIG SAUER is churning out several versions of the venerable handgun. The 1911 Nitron is the gunmaker’s “standard” model (i.e., the one with the fewest bells and whistles). As a SIG fanboy, I had no qualms about exploiting my position at TTAG for some serious trigger time. What I discovered may astound you . . .
From the moment you open the box, you realize that this isn’t just a carbon copy of John Moses Browning’s masterpiece. The SIG SAUER Nitron looks like the love child of a USGI 1911 and a P226 — coincidentally my two favorite handguns.
Externally, the Nitron’s all very 1911-esque. The slide has some standard SIG SAUER modeling on it; the horizontal ledge along the slide’s reminiscent of their P series handguns. Everything else could have been designed in . . . wait for it . . . 1911.
SIG’s made some minor mods: a skeletonized hammer, beavertail grip safety, external extractor and an adjustable trigger. All of which you’d expect to find on a gun that retails for around a grand. Missing from the “Greatest Hits” of high priced 1911s: a bull barrel. SIG opted instead for a precision machined barrel bushing.
There’s a Novak-like cut in the Nitron’s slide that allows for some better options in the rear sight department (e.g., target sights). SIG’s done the right thing, installing some first rate night sights. They’re as bright as an Oxford scholar — for now, that is. Unlike Bill Clinton’s appeal to the Democratic base, tritium decays. With a half life of 12 years you’ll need to replace them sometime before the Obama tax cuts expire.
The insides are where everything goes all SIGgy. The Nitron boasts a firing pin safety similar to the one in the P226, which keeps the thing from going forward unless the trigger is depressed. There’s also a strange protrusion at the back of the slide. I have no idea what it does, other than getting in the way of re-assembling the gun. I wasn’t able to take a good picture of it, but rest assured it’s quite annoying and not standard for a 1911.
The Nitron has the overall look and feel of an extremely well-polished piece of machinery. It has the same soft finish as the P226, which is as pleasurable to handle as Ferrari shift knob (back when they used to have them). The Nitron’s aggressively checkered front and backstraps make the grip grippy, without sacrificing the gun’s ergonomic sensuality.
The acid test, though, is how well the gun shoots. And the answer is mixed, to say the least.
When the gun runs, it’s a beautiful thing. Thanks to the five-inch barrel, the Nitron’s recoil is manageable if not enjoyable. The trigger is absolutely positively excellent, combining a short take-up with a fine, glass-like break. It’s as accurate as you wanna be; I could pop eight rounds very nearly through the same hole at 10 yards all day long.
But (and as a SIG fanboy, this hurts me to say it) the gun doesn’t run. I’ve tested a lot of guns in my tenure here at TTAG. None of them have had as many malfunctions as I’ve had with the SIG SAUER 1911 Nitron.
All of the failures were either failure-to-chamber or failure-to-feed. In 1911s, FTC and FTF issues usually indicate a bad magazine. Nope. I tested the handgun with the two standard-issue factory mags. Both had failures in equal proportions. So I grabbed some of the fullsize Wilson Combat magazines I had lying around and ran them. Same results.
I tried changing the ammunition, switching from Winchester White Box 45 ACP to Hornady’s 230gr 45 ACP. Same issues. Some other reviews have mentioned that hollow point rounds failed to feed in the Nitron. I didn’t even attempt it given the terrible round nose performance.
Could it be the shooter, then? I may not be the best shot in the world, but after tens of thousands of rounds downrange this year with my own handguns (including a 1911) and not a single malfunction I’d think that I at least was shooting it properly. Nevertheless, I handed the SIG Nitron 1911 to a green shooter as well as a seasoned veteran. They experience the same malfunctions.
The progression is predictable. For about the first magazine after the gun has been stripped, cleaned and lubed, the gun is fine. Usually. There were one or two times where the gun would malf straight away, but for the most part it ran fine. Then, after loading the second magazine, it started to have issues stripping rounds from the magazine.
My theory: the internal components’ tolerances might be a little too tight. Tight tolerances make for accurate guns, but as Mikhail Kalashnikov has taught us, tight tolerances also lead to malfunctions. An accumulation of grime from firing the gun adds friction to the operating parts and decreases the available force to slip the rim of the brass under the heavy external extractor — which would exactly explain the problems I experienced.
When I contacted SIG SAUER to tell them about the “challenges,” they said I was the only person having these problems. So it’s entirely possible that I just got a lemon and everyone else is having a grand old time with their super-reliable 1911 handguns. But this wouldn’t be The Truth About Guns if I didn’t truthfully and accurately report exactly how this gun ran. Or, in this case, didn’t run.
SIG SAUER is sending me another 1911 Nitron to test, a different flavor this time. Watch this space.
Specifications:
Caliber: 45 ACP
Barrel: 5″
Overall: 8.65″
Weight: 40.3 oz
Capacity: 8 +1
Price: $835 (Bud’s)
Ratings (out of five stars):
All ratings are relative to other similar guns, and the final score IS NOT calculated from the constituent scores.
Accuracy: * * * * *
What you’d expect from SIG.
Ergonomics (Handling): * * * *
The grippy panels will be a little too grippy for some, but I’m used to them from my Wilson Combat 1911.
Ergonomics (Firing): * * * * *
Crisp clean break of the trigger, reasonable recoil and easy-to-see sights. The holy grail.
Reliability: *
It ran . . . sometimes. When it felt like it.
Customization: * * * *
The gun takes standard 1911 parts for the most part, like the barrel and the safety, so you can upgrade if you want. The Novak cut on the slide also makes installing aftermarket sights much easier. But there’s a model with a 1913 rail on the bottom of the gun, and honestly I’d much prefer that.
Overall Rating: * *
I can’t go a hair above two stars due to the reliability issue I experienced. Everything else about the gun is great, except the fact that it sometimes refuses to work.
I will say the same thing here that I said on TFB.
I think one of the big problems with modern 1911s is that so much has changed when compared to the old military ones from the first half of the 20th century. They are building them to much tighter tolerances and trying to feed hollow points in a gun that was only designed to use ball ammo. The modern ones that seem to work best usually are the ones that are closest to the original design and aren’t built to insanely tight tolerances.
As someone who plays these types of games, I can honestly say if one implements the same self-defense procedures and avoid fights, you quickly find out that you’re carrying too much ammo and the world of GTA becomes a rather quiet place… (Deus-Ex and Red Dead Redemption comes to mind)
Games nowadays usually give you freedom to do what you want. The ‘hero’ is only as merciless as the player. I went on a murder spree in GTA/Fallout,Deus-Ex and to be honest, I don’t see the enjoyment/entertainment killing random pixelated people…
I have just purchased said weapon haven’t even fired it yet, was cleaning it in preparation for a range visit and had the exact same issue as king of hearts did. the whole upper assembly went completely to the rear of the weapon and breaking the trigger assembly, AND I WAS FOLLOWING THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!! hoping that the point of sale will be able to help resolve this situation… only had the weapon 3 weeks?????????
I think I’ve change my mind on the sub2K. Was looking for a 9 for cheaper shoot but for HD, the forty looks better. Does the .40 Sub2K hold up under the more punishment that the .40 cartridge dishes out?
RSR is correct on the pinned mag and 18″ barrel model being the 858. They came with a nice real hardwood stock stamped with a maple leaf for around $700-$800.As of about 1 month ago they were reclassified from non-restricted to prohibited.The Canadian government has offered a 5 year amnesty on ownership which basically means you can keep it locked in your safe but if you take it out you could go to jail.
Awesome!
In other news and on completely unrelated notes…
Future articles to follow…
“Liberty Ammo, the best damn ammo on the planet.”
“Liberty Ammo: nothing else will do.”
“Liberty Ammo… I just got half chub”
The people who make these policies get elected by all citizens. The only way we get it changed is to make everyone who votes feel the same pain. You exempt LEO, Mil, or Gov and you render a portion of the voter base unaffected and many of them will remain apathetic.
Several people in CT over the last month have been stopped and even arrested for assault umbrella’s
My first thought to this title was “Damn, where will I get spare parts for my recording device”
This picture kind of makes me sad. That kid is doing what he has to do, and is likely living as an adult in a warzone. He likely has no other choices. We take a lot for granted here in peaceful free democratic countries. This is why it is so important to keep it peaceful, free, and democratic.
-D
Looks like someone tried to design a turd that would shoot, only it doesn’t.
It’s the same as a game ball from a Super Bowl or a World Cup. It’s paraphernalia from some event people are passionate about. Enough of them have money to drive up bidding because of that association and there you are. If you share at least some of the interest, it makes sense to you; if you don’t, it doesn’t. Personally, if I had that kind of money to drop on memorabilia, I’d rather spend it on a scifi prop than a sports item, although in my case I’d go for Stargate before Star Trek.
The Manchin Toomey Amendment does not just give priority to checks orginating from gun shows, it would effectively block all checks from any storefront (non-gun show) becuase it says the gun show check must be COMPLETED before NICS can handle any storefront checks. So if there is a single “delayed” check from a gun show NICS has to COMPLETE that check first — but that could take days to do.
I really do like his writing style
(https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/04/robert-farago/inside-the-twisted-mind-of-a-gun-grabber-pt-2/
I just wish he wasnt on the wrong side of the discussion.
While lightweight and maneuverable, the early versions of the ExerPedalBang were easily stolen and French legislation requiring firearms storage made acquiring an adequately large safe difficult. After it’s failure, the French military made the decision to invest in long poles with white flags. When asked why, the French Premier stated, “It’s for the children.”.
I live here, have most all of my life, save for a few years of college in PA… my father is a retired police commander of some pretty well known repute… Was always a decent guy but always a “company man” and didn’t tolerate even a bit of anti-establishmentarianism …. ; HOWEVER, even he now, 6-7 years post retirement, sees how things have changed, New Jersey gets WORSE AND WORSE, and there was real chances in early 2013 we would all lose a large portion of our firearms and therefore civil rights.
This was some shameful sheeeeeaaat above, by a NJSP Staff Sergeant you would think is on the job long enough to know better. NJ is passing even more laws and requiring home inspections, psychology evaluations, etc. It’s time to get out, move down south (Florida baby!). First thing I’m doing is buying an HK MR762 and perhaps a few handguns right off the rack. You know, the stuff you can’t do here.
Update on my Sig 1911 Nitron. I’ve gone through the break-in period now, 500+ rounds. Mine eats up 230 gr ball ammo, and 185 gr hollow points (standard pressure and +P). I had ONE failure to feed during the entire period, and that was in a session where I was shooting about 200 rounds, it malfunctioned around the 140-150 range, one round. It was after shooting some reloads and it was pretty dirty. Pulled the slide back, dropped it, and it kept going like a champ. It boggles me that people have had problems with them…
Any update on Sig sending you another weapon to test?
One would think that with over 100 years of refinement the 1911 type pistols would be 99.9 % reliable. However all you read in gun magazines and on the internet is jamming problems. This is despite modern precision manufacturing advances and high quality ammo. What gives.
I bought my first hand gun, sig 1911 45 acp Nitron. did everything that I was told to do before taking it out strip and clean oil, took to the range with Federal 230 grain ball point with 4 sig clips, every clip had ejection issues!!!!, even had a guy standing next to me he looked at it and could not come up with a reason. I put 400 rounds that day and 100 with a rented Glock, no issues with the Glock but the sig would have issues 2 or 3 times per clip. I brought for home watched four videos on cleaning sigs. so its well cleaned with extra lube, which I dont like because I duck hunt and all off my shot guns have very little cause of the enviroment. Please I hate to think I have a 1200 gun for home protection and I can’t depend on it, I spent good Money so I could depend on a very good hand gun. Please could someone please advise, even tried my expensive hollow point
Thank you Bill
Frankly I would seriously consider selling it. I would put up to 2000 total rounds throught it just to be sure. The reason I would put up to that many rounds is partly because it usually cost you to trade. If you do not have confidence in a gun, well that is self explanatory…
After reading alot of different web sites and there is a bigger percentage of those having issues with this gun. I Had a wilson combat black trigger on it along with a ambidextrous saftey.
Left handed, and pissed
Since I do not know that much about hand guns as I do shot guns. Any suggestions on a dependable hand gun, to bad because when it did shoot it was accurate
Thanks Bill
And thank you Steve
Seriously? Break in a pistol with 500 to 2,000 rounds
just to see if you can make it work like it’s supposed to?
Isn’t most 45 ACP ammo at least 50 cents per round?
So you blow away another $1,000 breaking it in?
This is sooo wrong.
Well, 1911’s are a different monster altogether. Especially before they break-in , they tend to like more oil than people are accustomed to now of days. Also that’s another thing, they really need to break in. Personally, I’m boggled that so many people are having problems. Mine has functioned as perfectly as any other handgun could right out of the box and has reliably functioned with every type of ammo I’ve thrown at it. Perhaps reconsider oiling it, contact Sig regarding the perceived defective gun, or trade it in and get a Glock/XD or some other modernized, virtually zero maintenance handgun.
I hope you don’t give up on it, though. 1911’s are really a joy to shoot.
I love shooting it, and my son Loves it. When it did shoot it was perfect on the bull or within a half inch and I have trimmers. I Admit I know nothing at all about hand guns, just shot gun and I like the point that I do not need alot of oil for dirt to cause issues and I shoot pump and Semi.I love the feel of Sig. and everything about it. But it needs to be dependable. I went to the gun store were I bought it and they told me to bring it in and they would look at it.
He told me that the gun should not have any issues, so he well look at it and make sure I did not do something wrong when I cleaned it. but it’s not that difficult to break down, My bennelli has more issues than that as far as break down. Any way I am on here to learn and listen. I know nothing is perfect but I spent good money so if I needed to defend myself I need to have confidence on the weapon I have on me. And just for future reference. When I have the money, Kimber, Colt or Springfield for a more compact 45. I kn ow everyone has their favorites, maybe I shld just stick with glock but I didn’t like the feel of it and the way it ejected, one shell went down my shirt, I have no idea if it’s because I am lft handed, But thanks to all and I will let you know what the dealer says and after I shoot it again. Just here to learn and listen Thanks
Bill
Well Bill, there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t much care for Glocks or XD’s either. They’re great guns, very reliable, but, like you, I’m not a big fan of the way they feel. I just hope that you can get the Sig sorted out, as I absolutely love mine. Kimbers are great 1911’s as well as Wilson Combat, I do know that Sig is pretty new to the 1911 world but at the same time, Sig is a top manufacturer so they know what they are doing.
I wonder, though, how many people actually have problems with Sig 1911’s…people are more likely to speak out if they are unsatisfied vs satisfied.
FYI, my buddy who got the first one in our group, myself and my cousin all use FrogLube on our XO’s (no oil) and they are all performing wonderfully. I have a P220 from the 80’s, a P229 from about 2008, this XO and my cousin has just added a P938 to go with his XO and all of these are working great. It’s strange to me that so many are having trouble with theirs. That’s not to say Sig won’t find some production/design/spec flaw that will correct what these people are experiencing, the way they did with the Mosquito. You correct, we always hear more about the problems (mine always seem to be with Rugers) and I wonder how many of the total Sig 1911 buyers are having these troubles.
I own 2 Sig 1911, A 5″ and a 4 1/4″. I guess I got 2 good ones. The 5″ was purchased in 2011 and the Nitron 3 weeks ago. Both run flawless with factory ammo, hollwo points as well as my under powered lead reloads.
Sorry to hear you got a leamon.
reliability is garbage. all just luck of the draw with sig. I have to add that he’s definitely not the only person experiencing those problems. it’s largely due to poor parts quality.
– industry insider
The common concern now among many here is that the State legislature will now go after guns they didn’t ban and find ways to create punishment for arms acquired over this past year.
When SB281 was introduced last year, registration was made mandatory — even on guns you already had registered with them. The feature test was more strict, including telescoping stocks, heat shields, and of course, pistol grips, among others. It would have been a criminal penalty to not register that included jail-time. Asshats like the above quoted were dismayed that many of the more restrictive provisions were struck out.
I used a hair dryer to melt the Cosmoline. Worked for me.
“Modified Military Weapon read:any scary black rifle will do” That’s a frakkin M&P bone stock it looks like. It does however seem to be a very odd PR stunt knowing that you’ll draw a bunch of bad publicity but who knows. Maybe just getting the mention is what they want, kind of a big FOAD statement.
“Modified Military Weapon” makes it sound even scarier if technically correct. Look it’s
“Modified” because we all know the connotation of that word is that it has been somehow improved, in this case to be even DEADLIER than the military variant. “Semi-automatic non-military look alike” just doesn’t fit the agenda.
I did some pre-Black Friday shopping at The Nation’s Gun Show. Bought a standard edition Browning Hi Power. Spent Black Friday morning at the range shooting a bunch of 9mm, 45 ACP, 22LR and 12 gauge slugs. As bonus my club was selling Federal American Eagle 22 with a six box per customer limit (240 rounds). The Hi Power is the smoothest centerfire pistol I have have ever shot. The recoil was almost as benign as my 1911-22.
Kind of a dismal supply of .22 ammo… Just sayin.
Back when fanny packs were cool. I went to Cozumel and had mine on only to find a dozen rounds of 9mm in it. I had fun leaving them on window sills, street corner signs, etc.
The Ruger. Tacticool .22lr’s are a dime a dozen.
I’m hearing a lot of people that don’t know shit about guns it’s not the gun. The gun makers don’t make there own mag’s. 1911 sig’s are great guns just come with bad mag’s go get yourself 2 Wilson combat mags and shoot the gun and shut the fuck up you whiny bitches
I haven’t had any problems with my Sig factory magazines on my Sig 1911. The guy in the video is limp wristing the weapon. That is the problem with the reliability of his weapon. I haven’t had any malfunctions on mine, even during break-in and it is insanely accurate.
I find this whole “limp wrist” excuse nonsense. If you are carrying for personal protection it is entirely possible that in an extreme emergency you will not be able to deploy range perfect technique. You may be using your weak hand or have other debilitating factors. When you pull the trigger the gun should fire and cycle ever single time no matter how it’s held. If it is as temperamental as you suggest in your “limp wrist” comment it should be unloaded and kept at home as a paper weight.
Likewise.
I’ve not had any operational problems after Sig replaced the out-of-spec part. The single failure to feed was due to operator error, namely me! I failed to get the full mag properly seated in the gun, so when I released the slide back to battery, it hung on the top round. Entirely my fault. Cleared the round and re-inserted the mag properly and all was jake.
One of the things that needs to be checked is the chamber. Remove the barrel and see if the ammo goes in and seats without being pushed in. If it does not with good quality factory ammo then the chamber is out of spec. The feedramp and the mouth should be smooth and chamferred. If it is not then the barrel needs some work. The extractor needs to grip the case well but not too tight. Unfortunately $200 worth of work with a good gunsmith can make the gun very reliable, but that is not the point. You are not buying a llama that usually needed all this work.
It’s the grip at least 50% of it, that gun is bobbing around like buoy. I can make almost any gun do that if I hold it wrong. Also you need good mags, not the ones that come with the gun. That is 50 % of the problem right there. If you know how to check an extractor you can eliminate that in 5 minutes. After those 3, the gun should work, unless the ejector is broken.
well mine works fine, just saying.
I have a sig 1911 nitron with rail and have never had a FTF or FTE. I have put about 600rds of FMJs from different companies and a box of Hornady critical defense HPs and have never had an issue and very accurate with all ammo, I’ve had mine for about a year now.
Old thread but I have this exact gun except in fastback and it works as well as any of my other 1911s. It’s not like Sig doesn’t know how to make a gun. My two Kimbers had issues early on, it’s called a break in period, and Kimber has a 500 round break in period in their manual, Sig’s is similar. I think a lot of people use TTAG reviews to decide on what gun to buy so this review is damn near a snow job on Sig and I’m amazed they haven’t responded. The least this reviewer could do is give a more recent review, an update. I’ve even seen Nick give a bad review on a good gun and retract it later. All these people talking about external extractor, my gun has been at Sig for 9 weeks, I have the same issue. Nonsense! Many of these comments are a great example of the viscous cycle, the mob mentality the internet can have. Kudos to the few that stick up for Sig 1911s!
The SR1911 Ruger is a more reliable weapon for much less money. I’ve shot thousands of rounds through mine with very few misfires… Buy one, you’ll love it !
NO pistol that is positioned for self defense can come out of the box with these issues. If you read around, it’s easy to figure out that these newer Sigs have serious reliability issues. I bought a C3 last fall- after reading the reviews I decided to hope for the best and got one of these little jewels. Well. With ball ammo and the supplied, OEM magazines, it will lock back with FTF on the last round in the magazine, 80% of the time. round is loose and will fall out of you turn the pistol over. I got a trio of Chip McCormick magazines – those had the same issues, but about 50% of the time. So I bought two of Wilson Combat’s top-line magazines, and now it has worked perfectly ever since, for at least 500+ rounds. But that doubt is always in the back of my mind. It really bites to spend this kind of $ on a pistol that – as delivered- has such serious issues. How could they POSSIBLY not catch this during testing. Way too many people have had way too many problems with these pistols. Thank heavens that in my case, the Wilson mags cured the problem.
I was checking out the Sig 1911 target for the last month….came acorss a Ruger Highly polished 1911, looked like it was made in packistan, the slide when cycled felt like it was pulling thru broken glass and bone. WHAT A PIECE OF SHIT.
The ruger 1911 is crap.
People who I know own the Sig Sauer 1911 pistols have the same feeding issues, tolerances on the 1911 are to tight.
I purchased one of these Sigs about 2 1/2 years ago. I’ve fired over 10,000 rounds through the gun with 5 or 6 malfunctions. These were due to my reloads and not the weapon. This is without a doubt the sweetest auto pistol I’ve ever owned. At 7,000 rounds I returned it to Sig for inspection and a trigger job. The Sig tech sent me an email saying he showed the trigger to his supervisor and they agreed it was the finest they had seen and it couldn’t be improved. If I could only own 1 firearm it would be this gun.
I have 8 – 1911’s [right now] in various configurations/sizes [Colt, S. Armory, Dan Wesson] and I have owned other brands too over the years. I always “tune” my 1911’s [new or used] when I get them; [flat firing pin stop plate, throating, ramp/rail polishing, extractor] and I’ve really never had any problems to speak of which were not the result of a bad mag or questionable ammo
I’ve considered getting a Sig 1911, but I’ve found the traditional/standard/original 1911 version to be just fine and the “modified” Sig design seems to have “iffy” reviews on all their 1911 models.
I think I’ll just stick with the old reliable version.
Hi, I have 2 Sigs, a P238, and this exact same 1911 Nitron. I have NO problems with either one of these weapons. They have digested every type of ammo I have thrown at them. Jacketed, round nose, SWC’s,. Both weapons have never had a FTF, FTE. As well, the factory provided magazines have performed flawlessly. I have well over 2000 round through both guns and some brands are more accurate than others, but every round has gone bang when I pull the trigger. I currently have a second 45 acp on order, a 4.25 in Commander. Remember anybody can build a lemon, its the support they provide after the fact that shows how good a company they really are. I have no doubt they back up what they sell. Just remember NO-ONE can build a 100% perfect product. I could find fault with every 1911 on the market, But the Sig fits me well, for they money that I have to spend. I would like one them 3000 to 4000 dollar guns but cant afford one. I find the Sig the best value on the market for my money spent, and will work through any issues with Sig should they ever arise.
Tom-KF-Or
Took my sig 1911 to the range today and experienced exactly the same problem. The gun would not chamber when 8 rounds were in the mag. Put 4 or 5 in and it would work. However all the spent brass had marks on them. After reading your article, I think I will go see my gunsmith.
I last posted 09/13. At that time my round count was 10k+. In that time period I had less than 6 FTF’s and can’t recall ever having a FTE. First thousand rounds were factory ammo and nothing but my reloads after. Since that time I’ve fired another 3k. Not one incident of operation failure. I purchased 4 extra mags from Checkmate that have been flawless. June 2013 the pistol was sent to Sig for full service package. mag well upgrade, and trigger enhancement. This is the email I received from Sig: My gunsmith was working on your gun and checked it out for the Trigger Enhancement. His determination is that through your shooting the gun and maintenance it has been broken in really well and the trigger pull is actually very smooth right where it needs to be. Doing the trigger enhancement would basically be a waste of money, because it is already one of the best trigger pulls he has seen come in from a customer. He even showed it to the head of the custom shop who was most impressed. We are not going to be charging you for the Trigger enhancement because it wouldn’t be right. He did say that the Full Service Package was a good choice because of the round count
I too heard of Sig 1911 QC issues from range buddies, which had kept me from buying any. But in 2014, I purchased 2 brand new Sigs to see if they had gotten better because I found a great deal. A stainless model and a nitron super target. The price was good, so I said what the heck. After about 500 rounds through each gun, I haven’t had a single failure. I have shot HP, remanufactured ammo and factory Federal. Will it replace my Glocks as a carry gun? Nope. But so far, I am happy with my Sig 1911s and will buy more if the price is right.
TTAG, will Sig send you a newer production gun to try? When you type in Sig 1911, this is one of the first results, so this must be hurting Sig. Can’t believe they haven’t sent you one of the newer models.
I have a sig 1911 45 acp stainless rail. Have never had a problem. Run probably a thousand rounds through it. It’s accurate and I love it. Will be buying more!
I saved up a while planning on getting something else, and bought one cause I like 1911’s and I like sig, I didn’t do my research before hand, and swear it was making sad puppy eyes at me when I saw it in the gun case.
I then came home with that new gun grin on my face, and decided I’d look into what other people thought about this wonderful gun (something I never do BTW). I stumbled across this thread first thing, and thought I was going to PUKE. I just kept reading and reading FTLs and FTCs over and over again. I almost called the gun store to ask if they would buy it back.
BUT…. I decided I would go ahead and see how it shot. Slept a very restless night, and was the first one at the range. I got a box of 45 hardball, as I was walking to stall #5 I swear i heard some one say “dead man walking” and It sure felt like there was a priest behind me. I loaded the mag, and expected the slide to hang on the first round when i let it go… But nope, it chambered just like it should have. I lined up the shot, eased my finger to the trigger and gave it a little squeeze, I think there was a boom, but I was more focused on that beautiful piece of brass flying through the air that said in what must have been God’s own voice “you’re half way there, all is well.” The slide was fully closed, hammer back all the way. Tried it again, and AGAIN. The slide locked back, and my first thought was “here it is, JAMMED” but no stupid the mags empty. I took a look at my grouping on the target, and had to smile. I ended up blowing $120 bucks on 250 rounds of hardball, trying to choke it to death, no cleaning just making sure everything still moved freely and seated well, and it didn’t miss a beat.
Maybe they had some problems when they first came out that they fixed, and maybe I didn’t get one that was built on friday, but I’m glad I bought mine before reading this, I would have hated to pass up one of the most accurate and best performing pistols I’ve ever used.
I’m in love, I hope more people have the same truth that I did. Thanks Sig
I use mine on scorpions. I made the salt fluorescent it’s great fun. The Scorpions and the salt show up under ultraviolet light. That way you can see your spread pattern.
Use grease on the rails, problem solved, I have never ran a 1911 with oil that doesn’t do that same thing, GREASE, GREASE, GREASE on RAILS.
grease on the rails ,reface the breech ,repolish the barrell
ring ,do a throat job ,use 10 round Wilson mags and any ammo you choose except reloads in a new 1911,also adjust the trigger a bit (this is for a new nitride black .45 xo sig pistol)so far so good,it likes +p 230 grain jacketed hollow points ,at 42 ft shoots about an inch and a half) this pistol was made in 2018 I think they listened and fixed some problems.probably own and shoot 70 .45 acp pistols my traditional ss full size shoots as good as the new black nitride xo ,but my favorite is still a p210 legend ,built in the 70″s
I, too, am glad I did not see this review before purchasing my Sig 1911 Nirton. I love it! I’ve put well over 1000 rounds through it and may have had 2 failures to extract in all that time. This was my runner up choice when the wait list for the SA Loaded was over 4 months last year. (was supposed to be for Christmas).
This pistol is reliable and accurate. For a test, I set the 6″ target at 100 feet (indoor range). Fired 15 rounds. 12 of the 15 were in about a 4 inch group. 3 were an inch higher than I intended. Good enough to stop a bad guy, as they were all head shots.
I would love to have read what the follow up was for this review.