So, as you can see I'm from Springfield MA, an area rich in firearms manufacturing history. I own Smith & Wesson pistols made in Springfield, I own a Dan Wesson revolver made in Monson MA, and until recently I had a K9 from Kahr out in Worcester (locally pronounced Wooo-stahhh) As most of you know and it was already mentioned Auto Ordinance and Kahr are the same company, and I support anything built locally.
On that note, I bought the 1911 when it came out a couple years ago, it was priced well, and MA compliant. I was very happy to own my first .45 and quickly learned how to field strip it and how all the parts work. I really liked the old WW2 look as well. The day finally came to go shooting, and I went to the Smith & Wesson indoor range in Springfield, inserted the magazine, shot 3 rounds and it started jamming up. I cleared it, shot once, and it jammed again. Not being a 1911 expert, I had the range gun smith look at it and he determined it was a broken extractor, the hook that pulls out the empty brass simply snapped off. Perhaps it wasn't made well, or heat treated or something, but it just snapped off. I had my local shop send it in for repairs, it came back, I shot it and the same part broke again almost immediately. I was starting to get a little mad, because I really wanted this gun to work and be good. I sent it back again and they reworked the slide and changed parts out, and then it came back and it looked really butchered like some guy had been hand filing the slide, so I asked my gun shop guy for a trade in and he let me trade it for a used Beretta 92FS. I don't know what he did with the 1911, maybe he sent it back for a dealer refund, but after that I swore off Auto Ordinance for a while. I have to say that I did enjoy my Kahr K9 with Hogue rubber grips with the K logo, but it was too heavy/chunky as an every day carry so I sold it and bought a Walther PPK/S made by Interarms in 1994 (based on my serial number research).
I would like to give an Auto Ord 1911 Parkerized another try, does anyone know if they have fixed up their quality control? Did I just have the bad luck of getting one of the only lemons, or guns made on a Friday at 3pm? I do remember mine had wood grips, and what I've seen online for sale are all plastic, I would like to get one again with wood checkered grips with the GI look.
I don't have many other 1911 options in Massachusetts, cant get a Springfield Armory, can't get Wilson Combat, can't get any Kimber, I CAN get some Para Ordinance models, I can also get the new Remington R1, or old WW2 Colts or Remingtons, but they cost $1000-$2000 depending on condition.
Nice Tommy gun Shooter13, looks like that would be fun at the range!
Squelchtone