Ruggles
06-16-2011, 17:51
I wanted a new car gun to replace the revolver I sold last Sunday. I set these lose requirements and started looking around.
1. Under $800 (I wanted a less expensive gun than my carry guns that I could leave in my car at work, at the airport on vacation, a day at the amusement park etc. Just incase it was ever stolen I did not want one of the Wilson or my Brown stolen)
2. 1911 based. (Reason I sold the revolver was to go strictly 1911)
3. Sized to fit in the console of my car. (A 5" 1911 with a beavertail will fit but the it will not close fully as it hits the beavertail)
So after looking around I settled on this. (sorry for the grease in the pics I just broke it down)
http://i52.tinypic.com/20kr3sz.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2mr76u1.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2ez43u9.jpg
Regent 1911-A1
http://i51.tinypic.com/2pt82o5.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2i110sn.jpg
Made in Turkey. As you can see it is a bare bones 1911-A1. There is a ton on internet fodder that these are rebranded Norinco 1911s, even heard the same thing from the guy where I bought it. Story is that Norinco is bypassing the "ban" by producing these in Turkey on the same machines. Common belief is that this is not true it seems. I do not know anything about Norincos so I can not speak to this.
Overall seems / feels like a solid gun. Fitting is pretty good as you can see and the internals look well machined from the initial cleaning and oiling I did. Trigger feels 5-6lb pounds and is fairly crisp but a wee bit mushy. The brushing fit is tight but can be removed with some strong fingers. The "feel" of the slide as it travels back and forth on the frame is pretty smooth really. The gun can be "racked" from the hammer down position using only my index finger pressing back on the recoil spring plug, that is a more than I can do on most 1911s :rofl:
It came with Houge branded rubber grips and 1 7 round ACT magazine. Also a wide spur hammer which I really like. Sights are typical G.I. which work fine but a little hard to use with my "older" eyes. As you can see no beaver tail safety so it fits perfectly in my console. At $489 ($459 pre tax) including the sales tax it also came in under my budget.
Overall a solid 1911-A1 with no frills. If it is reliable with 230Gr FMJs I will be happy, I most likely not even put any JHPs thru it. If it works then I have found my new car gun. I would have been as happy with a RIA or Citadel but this ones felt better in my hand for some reason. The RIAs are about $410 pre tax around here BTW so this cost a little more but not much.
I am on vacation next so I will get a chance to shoot, thank goodness cause I have this gun to shoot, a Sig 238 I have to shoot and a new 20" AR to shoot, all for the first time. I also have a 16" AR with new sights i need to sight in.
Does anyone know anything else or have any 1st hand feedback on the Regent 1911?
Thanks in advance.
1. Under $800 (I wanted a less expensive gun than my carry guns that I could leave in my car at work, at the airport on vacation, a day at the amusement park etc. Just incase it was ever stolen I did not want one of the Wilson or my Brown stolen)
2. 1911 based. (Reason I sold the revolver was to go strictly 1911)
3. Sized to fit in the console of my car. (A 5" 1911 with a beavertail will fit but the it will not close fully as it hits the beavertail)
So after looking around I settled on this. (sorry for the grease in the pics I just broke it down)
http://i52.tinypic.com/20kr3sz.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2mr76u1.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2ez43u9.jpg
Regent 1911-A1
http://i51.tinypic.com/2pt82o5.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2i110sn.jpg
Made in Turkey. As you can see it is a bare bones 1911-A1. There is a ton on internet fodder that these are rebranded Norinco 1911s, even heard the same thing from the guy where I bought it. Story is that Norinco is bypassing the "ban" by producing these in Turkey on the same machines. Common belief is that this is not true it seems. I do not know anything about Norincos so I can not speak to this.
Overall seems / feels like a solid gun. Fitting is pretty good as you can see and the internals look well machined from the initial cleaning and oiling I did. Trigger feels 5-6lb pounds and is fairly crisp but a wee bit mushy. The brushing fit is tight but can be removed with some strong fingers. The "feel" of the slide as it travels back and forth on the frame is pretty smooth really. The gun can be "racked" from the hammer down position using only my index finger pressing back on the recoil spring plug, that is a more than I can do on most 1911s :rofl:
It came with Houge branded rubber grips and 1 7 round ACT magazine. Also a wide spur hammer which I really like. Sights are typical G.I. which work fine but a little hard to use with my "older" eyes. As you can see no beaver tail safety so it fits perfectly in my console. At $489 ($459 pre tax) including the sales tax it also came in under my budget.
Overall a solid 1911-A1 with no frills. If it is reliable with 230Gr FMJs I will be happy, I most likely not even put any JHPs thru it. If it works then I have found my new car gun. I would have been as happy with a RIA or Citadel but this ones felt better in my hand for some reason. The RIAs are about $410 pre tax around here BTW so this cost a little more but not much.
I am on vacation next so I will get a chance to shoot, thank goodness cause I have this gun to shoot, a Sig 238 I have to shoot and a new 20" AR to shoot, all for the first time. I also have a 16" AR with new sights i need to sight in.
Does anyone know anything else or have any 1st hand feedback on the Regent 1911?
Thanks in advance.