I took two photographs of the RRA polymer 1911’s guts at SHOT 2012. Here they are.
According to the spec sheet, the “polymer frame body” will allow “interchangeable colors.” The weight is listed as 2.04lbs.
Polymer dust cover, trigger guard, and grip/magazine well, but the rails and guts are composed of a steel chassis. Doesn’t appear to have a Swartz type firing pin safety.
Wow, talk about serendipity, I was thinking about a polymer 1911 lower just yesterday.
Looks like they took the “steel taco” approach, a bit like the Sig P250 but hopefully without the failure rate 🙂
I’d love to see it all put together, and a price point. I have moved pretty exclusively to M&Ps but this has potential.
In other news I tested out a Spike’s Dynacomp for myself on a self-assembled 16″ middy standard weight upper, all Daniel Defense parts but for a Troy TRX Extreeeeeme! And dude that comp made some SERIOUS fireballs with PMC Bronze. Was pretty loud too. But it did what it is supposed to do. Very little muzzle rise or recoil.
Just for my laziness sake, do we know the weight of a comparable steel or aluminium 1911 frame.
Steel framed 1911s are about 8 ounces heavier and aluminum framed 1911s are about 2-3 ounces heavier. This depends on the manufacturer. Springfield, Kimber, etc can vary several ounces from pistol to seemingly similar pistol.
Hopefully they send one your way so we can see some of those high speed vids on how this handles recoil over the alloy models!
Err….Where do I start?
Should I come off as a douche with a “Browning/Colt called and want their design back, you’re ruining it”?
Maybe act like “that guy” and ask if this hasn’t been done by, well, every polymer frame handgun (the “GLOCK! IS! BEST!”-crowd).
I don’t know. A while back you had the post about the lack of firearms innovation and here, ladies and gentlemen, we have what I think about when I think “stagnation” (apart from another AR-manufacturer). The design itself is over 100 years old*, polymer-frames are at least 30 years old yet this is still news. Next someone it going to slap pic-rails and some black paint on an AK and call it a “game-changer” on telly (sorry ^_^). I can’t say I blame the industry either, shooters are so damn conservative that Eugene Stoners design from the 50s (the 50s! It’s older than my dad!) is still considered “modern” to the point of being almost edgy depending on who you ask.
*100 years old and still doing pretty fine from what I gather. Still a 100 year old design (have those design engineers no shame? no dreams?).
Looks somewhat similar to the 2011 types from STI except only the grip is polymer and the rails and the dust cover are one piece steel.
I used to shoot a CZ SP-01, and one of the main reasons I switched from it to a Glock was how cold the gun was to shoot in the midwest winters.
Sorry, the 1911 is like the M2, and maybe I sound like the old farts that didn’t like AR’s and glocks because “plastic is crap and will break” era, but the 1911 is a great gun like it is. IMO it is not because it is the best all-around pistol, but it is the best at what it does. For me, I have not held any pistol that feels like an extension of my arm, or as natural as a 1911. It is heavy, sometimes less reliable, and over-sized for the round capacity, but it they just plain shoot and are a ton of fun. I just like it in it’s heavy oversized, “pistol whip you in the face” configuration. Then again, I am pretty bias because a 1911 is what I cut my teeth on in the military, so I like what I am used to…..and you won’t catch me with a plastic one anytime soon.
Hopefully, the polymer frame is solid underneath the conventional stocks. If so, it won’t be long before someone yanks the stocks and grip screw bushings, and texturizes the poly frame itself. The end result would be a nice slim M1911.
Interesting idea. I spent too much time trying to get perfect photos, and was shut down before I could take any other shots of the internals.
well as a man who has packed a custom Colt LW Comander for 28 plus years, I’ll say this,, Alloy wares out. I have to ‘Tune up” my Colt every once in a while and shes nearing lifespan I think. If the poly with steel isert proves to be more durable, Im all for it. But 800 Bucks hmmmm try ayain 600!