Category Archives: 1911

1911 related pistols

1911

The Magnum Research DE1911G10 10mm Pistol At The Range – It’s A Keeper

In the previous post I outlined my first impressions, cleaning and lubrication of the Desert Eagle 5″ 1911 in 10mm (model DE1911G10). I finally had a chance to get to the range and I was so impressed.

It was a nice Spring day as I set up at the Berrien County Sportsmen’s Club’s pistol range. I have always liked the club in general and I like to use their pistol range with metal plates at about 30 feet when I am testing pistols.

The 1 0 yard pistol range wih metal plates is great for testing pistols. I like how I can pull the rope and reset the plates for another round.

For testing,I brought some Ammo, Inc. 180 grain TMC rounds that I had bought in bulk from Palmetto State Armory (PSA). I have to confess that before I bought the ammo I had never heard of “TMC” and had to look it up. TMC stands for Total Metal Case where in the entire lead bullet is covered with copper vs. Full Metal Jacket (FMJ) that leaves the lead at the base of the bullet exposed. TMC is not a magic silver bullet though – there are pros and cons with the process but regardless, it is another option for you to explore when you are looking for range ammo.

I also brought with me a variety of other rounds including S&B 180grain FMJ, Underwood 155 and 200 grain XTP hollow points.

I also brought a number of Wilson Combat and TRP Cobra Mags with me. There are a ton of magazine makers out there and some tend to be better than others. I’ve not had a problem with Wilsom or Cobra 1911 10mm magazines yet.

The left magazine is a 9-round Wilson. The middle magazine is a 9-round Tripp Cobra and the right magazine is a 10-round Cobra.

For safety, I was using my shooting glasses and my Leight Howard electronic hearing protectors.

Looking Over the Pistol

You know, really wasn’t sure if I would like a two tone pistol but it has grown one me. The attention to detail is just remarkable and I wanted to share a few more photos:

Skeleton hammer, nice beaver tail, checkered backstrap. The G10 handle plates are surprisingly comfortable. Note the safety is not ambidextrous but since I am right handed, it really doesn’t bother me.
It’s a sharp looking pistol. I really wasn’t sure how I would like the two tone finish and blue/black handles but it actually looks really good in person. By the way, it worked just fine with all of the Wilson and Tripp Cobra mags I brought.
I kid you not, I was really surprised about how good the trigger pull was.
You can see the bull barrel and lack of a bushing. I really have grown fond of front serrations on slides in general to aid with getting a good grip to rack the slide. A 10mm 1911 tends to have a pretty stout spring so I like the serrations. My RIA 52009 does not and I can tell you it is not as easy for me to rack from the front.
I really like the attention to detail. Notice how the bottom of the G10 slab is beveled, the front of the grip is checkered and the mag well is beveled to aid in loading? That helps you get an idea of the attention to detail.
All the controls functioned just fine.

Shooting the Pistol

I got up to the line, loaded my first mag, racked the action, took aim and squeezed off a round of the Ammo,Inc 180gr TMC. The first thing I noticed was how smooth it cycled – It’s hard to explain what I am thinking when I test a firearm but the first few rounds are all about function – feed, cycling, ejection, etc.

I proceeded to shoot more magazines and noticed there were no failures to feed (FTFs) or failures to eject (FTEs). Matter of fact, after I shot probably 100-150 rounds of all the different 10mm loads I brought and had zero problems. Folks, that is remarkable right there. So often firearms have to wear in and I am kind of used to having a few problems as stuff gets to know each other. Not here – it ran like a top from start to finish.

In terms of accuracy, I was regularly hitting the plates. I’m good enough with a pistol so I’ll just say the pistol was hitting what I was shooting at reliably. I’ll try it from the bench some time and see.

The ergonomics were all solid. I liked the whole package – the trigger, checking, feel of the grip panels and the serations on the front of the slide. Matter of fact, this is the first 1911 in ages where I think I may well leave the G10 grip panels on it vs. swapping out to the Hogue wrap-around models I usually use.

The grip angle of the 1911 has always appealed to me. It enables me to use a natural point of aim meaning I bring my hands up and I am pointing at the target. With a Glock for example, I have to adjust my aim. Now everyone is different — if you are new to pistols, go down to your local gunstore and try different models. Literally see which one feels best for you.

Conclusion

This pistol is probably going to be one that I keep if I were to make a bet. As my friend Scott can tell you, it’s rare that I keep a gun around – I buy it, try it, learn from the design and move on. Every once in a while some design really strikes me and I keep it aroud. That’s the case with this Desert Eagle. They are hard to find right now and I bought mine off Gunbroker. If you find one, I’d definitely recommend it.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

1911

The Magnum Research DE1911G10 10mm Pistol – I Really Like It!

Ok folks, I’m experimenting with 10mms again. I had a run in with a bear last summer and while nothing happened, it sure made me want to carry a more powerful pistol than a 9mm. Years back, I had a Dan Wesson Bruin and a Rock Island 6″ Ultra that were both in 10mm that I eventually sold and was firmly in the 9mm camp for years.

My first 10mm to try out this time around was a Springfield Armory TRP Operator with a 6″ barrel. Folks, I genuinely was not impressed and reliability sucked out of the box (click here for a blog post about that). So I dug around and ran into the Magnum Research 1911-style pistols. Know what? They get great reviews and guys kept mentioning how well they were made and what great triggers they had.

I ordered a DE1911G10 pistol and it arrived a bit over a week later so I rushed over to my friend Scott Igert’s gun store (Michigan Gun Exchange) and checked it out. I was genuinely impressed by how smoothly the action cycle and the excellent trigger right out of the box. I’m used to things being gritty or really tight from lack of lubrication but this pistol was remarkably smooth. I’ve only encountered one other pistol this way – my Dan Wesson Bruin was slick – but nothing has come with this nice of a trigger right out of the box.

Before going further, let’s take a step back and look at who makes this pistol.

Magnum Research Makes 1911 Pistols?

The short answer is “no” but they do sell them. I owned a Desert Eagle Mk.V .44 magnum way back in the 90s so I was familiar with the Magnum Research (MR) of old but kind of stopped keeping track as the years went by. I did some digging and over the years they worked out deals with other firms to make certain pistols (for example IMI/IWI and Saco) they sold and eventually MR was bought by Kahr Arms in 2010.

The firm that actually makes the MR 1911 pistols is BUL Armory of Tel Aviv, Israel. They were founded in 1990 and make a wide range of CZ, 1911 and 2011-style pistols. Their pistols have s great reputation and are in use all over the world.

My Pistol

It’s a good looking pistol and I am glad it doesn’t have the huge gaudy engraved letters on the side that previous Desert Eagle 1911s had. If you don’t know what I mean, just look at some pre-2020 articles or posts and you’ll see.

I had to wait for some time to take the pistol apart, clean and lube it before going to the range. For those folks new to firearms reading this – you always clean and lubricate a new firearm – even if they come in a bag soaked in oil.

The DE1911G10 disassembles like any 1911 with one big exception – does not have a bushing so to remove the slide assembly requires the insertion of a pin in a hole they machined in the recoil spring guide (the round metal rod that the recoil spring rides around).

It seems like I am seeing fewer pistols with bushings – at least 10mms. The ones with a setup like this make takedown very easy – you lock the slide open, put a bent pin (MR/BUL provides one) into the exposed hole in the recoil spring guide, release the slide and then the recoil spring tension is removed. Everything then strips down real easy – easier than even traditional 1911s in my opinion because you aren’t fighting any spring tension trying to shove the slide forward.
With the pin in place and the slide released, the pin holds the spring in place. Note, I released the slide by gently racking it – not just dropping the slide stop as that will slam the recoil spring parts against the pin unnecessarily. If you don’t have a factory pin, you can bend a small paper clip to have a small 90 degree leg on one end. It doesn’t look very good but it does the job.
You pull the spring assembly straight back and out – including the pin. Just take care not knock the pin out. A 10mm pistol uses a stout spring and it will be a bear to re-assemble. Either use a vise to help or a second person. I plan to do a blog post on this at some point.

Cleaning and Lubricating

For a while now, I’ve been using RamRodz to clean pistol barrels and bought packages for both my 9mm and 10mm pistols. I like how tight they fit and I can really clean out the barrels. I coat them with CLP to do the cleaning, lubrication & protection (hence the acronym CLP).

I wiped everything down to remove any dirt or debris from the factory. Other than the oil that coated the pistol from the factory it was very clean. In looking at the parts, everything was nicely made, fitted and assembled. So far, so good.

Here’s the field stripped pistol with all of the major parts plus you can see the RamRodz, CLP and my precision SuperLube applicators.

To lubricate the pistol, I use Superlube liquid to get all of the traditional points except for the slide rails and the heavy bull barrel. On those I user SuperLube synthetic grease to make things slick. Folks, when it comes to lubrication you will get a million opinions and get into arguments. It just so happens that I find SuperLube works really well and I use the grease on all of my firearms now where parts slide together. It’s a synthetic grease and it has tiny PTFE (Teflon) particles in it to help with lubrication. I know when you hear “Super” in anything it sounds like a rip off but this stuff really works and I have been using it for a few years now on my pistols and rifles.

I use an acid brush to lightly apply SuperLube grease to all surfaces the slide – the frame rails and the bull barrel because it directly contacts the slide. It makes one heck of a difference folks.

Re-Assembly

Again, it’s just like a 1911 with the exception of that recoil spring assembly. Just insert the barrel into the spring and then carefully insert the recoil spring assembly so the groove is against the barrel and don’t knock the pin out of the hole.

Re-assembly is easy with no spring to fight. Just don’t knock the retaining pin out of place.

Video For People New to 1911 Pistols

If you are new to 1911s I have great news – there are tons and tons videos, blogs and books about how to clean and care for your 1911. Just remember by comments above about there not being a bushing and the takedown pin you insert in the recoil spring guide — otherwise it is the same.

The following video from Ruger has a very similar bull barrel, no bushing and uses a pin. The person doing the video does a nice job.

This next video covers re-assembly:

These next two videos provide nice overviews of cleaning a 1911:

Conclusion

The action and trigger were so slick at this point! I was deeply impressed. After lubricating, the trigger pull averaged about 4 lbs 2oz using my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge. In general, I like the trigger – I can feel where it is going to break and then can cleanly pull through.

Okay, with this part done and my seriously liking the pistol up to this point, I had to take it the range and that will be the next post.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

1911

Yes, we do have OEMP164015B compatible magazines In Stock

Hi folks, I am just trying to get the word out there that we actually have OEMP164015B compatible magazines that the 10mm and 40mm high cap 2011-style RIA pistols use in stock.

The base magazine I used to create these mags are the very well made Mec-Gar magazines for the Para P-16 (mag model MGP164015B). In addition to being close in terms of the required tube design, the Mec-Gar mags are quality and feature:

  • heat treated tubes
  • high tensile music wire springs
  • the follower is made from high impact nylon and locks the slide open

These mags were all converted by me and then hand fit and tuned to my RIA 52009 high cap 10mm pistol. For most shooters they should be good to go. If there is a feed problem then a minor adjustment of the feed lips (perhaps opening them a tad so the round sits higher) should be all that is required.

This is my personal 52009 10mm pistol. The magazine on the left is one of mine and has a +100 Dawson baseplate on it. The mag on the right is an original OEMP164015B that is made by ACT-Mag for RIA.

To accommodate the flared mag well that RIA put on these pistols, I used a variety of lengths of Dawson Precision base plates. The +100 Dawson model pretty much is flush with the bottom of the flared mag well, the +200 sits just a bit lower and the +300 is lower still. The number refers to the length (0.100, 0.200 and 0.300 inches).

Here’s a picture of three converted mags. As the text says in the photo, from left to right the Dawson Precision base plates are the +100, +200 and +300 models.

Our prices start at $69.99 and go down (not up) the more you buy. I just saw some of these magazines listed for the first on GunBroker this morning and they start at $80 and go up!

Click here for the section of our online store where these magazines are at.

Click here if you would like to open my blog post about how the magazines were converted.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

1911, Gunsmithing

Update On My Springfield Armory 10mm 6″ Pistol – Answering Some Questions

H folks – I’ve had a few questions come in about my Springfield Armory TRP Operator 10mm 6″ pistol. I answered the emails but figured a blog post might help others out so I am going to list the question and my answer to each.

Was it reliable out of the box?

The short answer is “no” and for the price you’d expect better reliability out of the box. This is my third 6″ 10mm 1911 style pistol – I had a Rock Island Big Rock (their Tac Ultra (arguably a 2011-style given the double stack magazine) and a Dan Wesson Bruin. Only the Bruin was flawless in terms of operation out of the box. I wish I hadn’t sold it actually.

I am to the point in life where I trust nothing out of the box and have found that ammo, lubrication, magazines, and design factors all can impact reliability. The TRP Operator had issues until I sent it back to Springfield Armory for repair – the slide was randomly locking open so they replaced that and I also noticed the magazine release button was far stiffer. I’d heard that they go over the pistols carefully when they go back for repair and I guess they do. I lubricated it carefully, took it to the range and only then did it run without any surprises. It does run very well now.

At any rate, I learned from my friend Scott Igert what I needed to do to improve chambering for the Big Rock and wrote a blog post about it. I did the same to the TRP and it did solve the chambering problem. I did a blog post on that too.

It does beg the question why did I need to do this in the first place – the TRP wasn’t reliable with any model of mag I had or any type of ammo including FMJ. What it tells me is that they really didn’t put a lot of care into assembly. It also reinforces that you should never trust a pistol out of the box for something critical – hunting or defense – ever.

Note, I am to the point where I also immediately replace the mags of 1911s which leads us to the next point.

What magazines do you run?

I’ve had so many feed problems caused by 1911 magazines over the years that I always replace the mags that come with the pistol with Wilsons or Tripp Research Cobras. I did not have magazine related problems with the 8 round magazines.

I did write up a blog post if you are interested.

What ammo works best and worst?

Guys ask this quite a bit. My go-to ammo maker for 10mm is Underwood. They have a number of offerings and a great reputation. So, I have a number of HP and hard cast rounds from them and they all work just fine. For range ammo, I use 180gr S&B FMJ and it all works fine,

I simply can’t afford to buy a ton of brands and types of ammo to test – the above is just my experience.

Does it use a barrel bushing like a traditional 1911?

In short, no it does not. A match bull barrel is fitted to the slide.

There is no barrel bushing like a traditional 1911 uses. The bull barrel fits directly into the slide. The three piece operating rod and free spring make re-assembly a challenge at first but you get used to it after a while.

Does it use a captured recoil spring?

No, it uses a unique setup of a rod, spring and end cap (see the above photo) that fit together but are not held together in any way. I’ve not seen this setup before and while it makes re-assembly a different experience, it does work and I am used to it now. I would gladly have replaced it with a captured model but I was unable to find anyone who makes one for the 6″ TRP.

Is the 6″ model worth it vs the 5″ model?

I’m to the point that a 6″ pistol really is for hunting and I’d prefer shorter for easier carrying. The weight and balance of a 6″ 1911-style pistol, including the TRP, really soaks up the recoil of the 10mm and makes it easy to shoot – even heavy loads. I really like the 10mm cartridge and think I will get either a 4.25″ or 5″ 1911 model in the future. I may just get a Rock Island and plan on tuning it up out of the box – they are good base pistols in my honest opinion.

I do have a custom shoulder holster from Tucker Custom Gunleather that is a work of art but your’s truly who stands 5′ 8″ is maybe 2-3″ too short to pull it off comfortably. I’d go with a 5″ or even a commander next time if I wanted it for EDC. I have a Blackhawk Spec Ops chest holster that works great for the TRP for field use.

Why did you replace the grips?

The short answer is that I have carpal tunnel and rubber grips are way easier on my hands.

I find Hogue wrap around grips really help my hands.

Do you like your TRP Operator and would you recommend it?

This is a weird question for me to answer. The reliability sucked out of the box and really disappointed me – especially given the cost. It runs great now though and I think I am to the point that I trust it. I only have maybe 100 rounds through it since it came back from Springfield Armory to fix the random slide locking open issue and want to get 100-200 more through it before I decide for sure.

After I did my tuning and SA did the slide lock repair, the pistol ran great. It also needed lubrication when it came back from repair but during the last range trip it worked great with all the magazines I bought and types of ammo including FMJ and HPs.

I will say that Springfield Armory’s customer service was good but the repair turnaround was slow due to all of the pandemic buying – I sent it in for repair in late June or early July and got it back in about six weeks. No telling how long it would be now if someone needed to send in their pistol. I always have a “can I trust this now” thing going on in my head when a pistol comes back from repair.

So I am thinking as I write this. I guess I would say the TRP Operator is a decent pistol but it does not wow me – especially for the cost and what I needed to do. If you buy one, I would absolutely recommend you test the hell out of it before relying on it. That’s a recommendation I would make regardless of weapon to be fair. In conclusion, I do think it is reliable now and may very well keep it – we’ll see how it performs over time.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

1911, Glock, Glocks, Pistols, Polymer80, SIG

What sight pusher do I use and Recommend for my Pistols?

A fellow emailed me the other day asking what I use to remove and install sights on my pistols. For those of you wondering what a “sight pusher” is, it is a device that is used to push sights around on a handgun and can be used to install, adjust or remove the sights.

Of course, one size does not fit all so you tend to see pushers that are pistol specific, ones that are designed to with modular shoes, and ones that really shouldn’t have been made in the first place. Yeah, unfortunately I am not joking on that last part. Investigate any pusher before you buy it. Some are sloppy and if the shift or slip, they can put one hell of a scratch in your otherwise nice pistol.

Option #1: For pros who need to support many different pistols, MGW makes the best modular pusher

My good friend, Scott Igert, owns Michigan Gun Exchange and has been changing sights for his customers for many years. Because he has to deal with a variety of pistols and the job must be done right, he swears by his MGW (Maryland Gun Works) Sight-Pro pusher. It’s modular and comes with a 30 degree block for Glock and HK sights. In addition, there are a number of different pusher blocks available for use on other pistols.

Brownells offers the Sight Pro and has the various blocks for it.

Here’s a video from MGW in case you’d like to learn more:

Note, MGW also has a number of pistol model specific tools that work on just the one type of weapon. I’ll include them at the end of the post – they are good and just too many to list.

Option #2: Personally, I use the Wheeler Armorer’s Handgun Sight Tool

I work mainly with Glocks and 1911s and the Wheeler unit has worked just fine for my needs. It costs around $138 and so it’s economical. It’s very well made and hasn’t let me down after maybe a dozen uses in two years – again, I’m not using a pusher practically every day like Scott is.

One important thing to consider is that it does not have the flexibility of the MGW – Wheeler advertises it for use with 1911s, Glocks and M&Ps but I have read of a ton of other pistols being involved so do some searching before you buy. Unlike the MGW’s shoes, With the Wheeler, you can flip a plate in the back and the pusher surface that goes against the sight is either straight or angled depending on what you need.

By removing those two allen screws, you can flip the pusher around to either be the side with angled or straight pushing surfaces.
Here I am installing a suppressor height Trijicon sight on a Glock 34 slide.

The following photos let you see the Wheeler pusher from different angles – click on one to see them full size.

Here’s a video from Wheeler that will show you more about their tool:

Amazon sells the Wheeler Engineering Armorer’s Handgun Sight Tool and that’s where I bought mine. They also have a ton of copycat tools that folow the same color scheme. My experience with knockoffs is that they frequently cut corners that can come back to haunt you such as poor hardening, inferior metal, poor fitment, etc. Be sure to get a Wheeler – they have an online store within Amazon and you can click here to go there,

Summary

You’ll notice that I am recommending two pushers for different audiences. For pros wanting to do this for a living, get the MGW Pro-Sight because of the need to support a variety of pistols. For people like me who have an occasional sight to do with a supported pistol, go with the Wheeler.

I hope this helps you out.

3/12/24 Update: The Wheeler is still working just fine. I have no hesitation recommending it.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

1911

My Favorite 10mm 1911 Pistol Magazines

I’ve had a number of 1911-style pistols over the years from Dan Wesson, Rock Island, and Taurus. Now, I have a 10mm 1911 TRP Operator with a 6″ barrel. The one thing I learned years ago is that you need quality magazines to help with reliable feeding. I word it this way because there are many different design elements that need to be executed correctly and the pistol to be adequately cleaned and lubricated — it’s not just the magazines that cause the 1911s to either work or have problems. With that said though, they are an important piece of the puzzle and going cheap isn’t something I would recommend.

Over the years, I’ve had two 10mm 1911 magazines recommended to me that both work great with my TRP Operator. One is the Wilson Combat 47NX and the other are the Tripp Research CobraMags and I’ve used both their 9- and 10-round models. Both brands of mags work great and I have no reservation recommending either.

I’ve shot a variety of Underwood HP and hard cast rounds as well as S&B 180gr FMJ out of my mags without any problem and have no had to do any tuning to the feedlips, etc. They just work.

These are two of the 9 round CobraMags loaded with Underwood 220gr hardcast 10mm rounds. Note the part number on the mag body. 9R-10mm-RG.
On the left are two Dan Wilson 9 round 47NX magazines and on the right are two 10 round CobraMags. By the way, they do sell a “tactical” 10 round magazines and the only difference is that they have a black finish to not reflect light – I actually reached out to Tripp Research and confirmed that.
Here is a pile of 9- and 10-round CobraMags. The 9 round mags have the red hard cast Underwood bullets showing and the 10-round ones are loaded with 200 grain XTP if I recall right. I have a few different XTP loads and they all feed fine.
From left to right: 10-round CobraMag, 9- round CobraMag, 9-round Wilson and a flush fitting 8 round Springfield magazine. All work just fine.
This is how far the 10-round CobraMag sticks out.
This a 9-round CobraMag
This is a 9-round Dan Wilson
This is one of the flush-fitting original 8-round magazines that comes with the TRP Operator.

So what do I recommend?

Honestly, I’ve had very good luck with all of them. I prefer the 9-round magazines from both Wilson Combat and Tripp Research. The 10-round magazines stick out quite a bit and I save them for the range, hunting or some other situation where length doesn’t matter.

I hope this helps you out!

Note, for Tripp Research Cobra Mags, I have bought them both direct as well as from Dawson Precision.

Note, I have to buy all of my parts – nothing here was paid for by sponsors, etc. I do make a small amount if you click on an ad and buy something but that is it. You’re getting my real opinion on stuff.

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

1911, Gunsmithing

Adding Hogue Rubber Grips to my 10mm TRP Operator Longslide

After I finished polishing the chamber of my new 10mm TRP Operator Longslide, I also replaced the VZ Grips. Maybe it’s my carpal tunnel but I really prefer rubber grips on my single-stack 1911-style pistols. Fortunately, the Hogue 45000 wrap around rubber grips fits great.

The VZ-Grips that come with the TRP are very nicely executed. Replacing them is as easy as removing the two Torx screws you see on each side.

Replacing the Grip Panels

I did some digging and the Hogue 45000 rubber grips are a drop in replacement rubber grip set for Colt-Government size frames including Springfield Armory pistols. Sure enough taking them out the package they lined up just fine.

To remove each panel, you will need a Torx 15 (T15) bit and I would recommend a container to hold the screws. I like using a magnetic tray to avoid them bouncing around.

My factory screws backed out using a T15 bit and I was surprised that there was no threadlocker or much torque..
You have to love the easy stuff when it comes along. The original grips lift off the threaded inserts and then you slide the Hogue into place until the holes align. Yeah, it’s that easy.
When you go to re-install the screws, use a medium-strength threadlocker. I’ve been using the Loctite “stick” series for a while now as you avoid the traditional liquid making a mess as it drips. Would the liquid work – for sure. The stick is just convenient. In terms of torque, I just brought them down snug.

On the topic of grip screws, you have some options to avoid lost screws. First is to use a medium-strength threadlocker and another is to put an O-ring under the head of the screw. Some guys use #61 plumbing O-rings and others use 1.5x3mm Buna-N O-rings. I’d recommend one of the two vs. nothing.

The Hogune 45000 is an easy install. If you are wondering about the Wilson 47NX 9-round mags, I really like them too.

Conclusion

The pistol passes testing with flying colors – it now cycles fine, the slide and everything operate very smoothing during manual testing and the grip makes a huge difference for me in terms of comfort. Now, I just need to get some range time 🙂

If you find this post useful, please share the link on Facebook, with your friends, etc. Your support is much appreciated and if you have any feedback, please email me at in**@ro*********.com. Please note that for links to other websites, I may be paid via an affiliate program such as Avantlink, Impact, Amazon and eBay.

Sources For the 10mm TRP Operator and Ammo

Here are some reputable vendors you can order either the 5″ or 6″ TRP Operator plus ammo:

1911, Gunsmithing

Tuning the 10mm Springfield Armory TRP Operator To Feed Reliably

After the very disappointing performance of my new 6″ 10mm TRP Operator at the range, I knew I had two options. First, I could send the pistol back to Springfield Armory for repair or two, I could try just a bit of light polishing first. I had good reason to want to try the second option first.

A few years back, I had a Rock Island Armory 52000, that’s their big top of the line doube-stack 10mm, that had problems feeding Underwood ammo but not S&B or SIG. In looking closely at what was going on, I could tell the lip of the case was hanging on the lip of the barrel and not going in. I used a rubber abrasive Dremel bit, rounded the edge of the chamber ever so slightly and the problem was solved.

In looking at the brass coming out of the TRP during test firing, it was getting very scratched and in some cases actually nicked/gouged as it went up the feed ramp and pivoted to then be pushed into the chamber. The rounds that stopped dead and would not feed had to be tapped out with a cleaning rod. They all had a slight nick/gouge in the case where the edge of the barrel literally bit into the brass effectively locking the round in question in place.

I sure wasn’t happy at the range but at least I had a plan of attack. When I had time a few days later, I waded in to try fix the problem.

Before you ever work on a firearm, make sure it is not loaded. Be sure to check the chamber and do not have a loaded magazine in it either.

Disassembly

The 6″ TRP is a slightly odd beast. It does not have a traditional guide rod. You disassemble it just like any other 1911 by pushing the slide forward to the point the slide stop aligns with the disassembly notch and pushing the slide stop out. I don’t know of any tricks to unload the unique recoil spring system the 6″ Longslide TRP has.

As you move the slide forward off the receiver, be prepared for the spring to want to jump out so be sure to have a hold of it before you get the slide half way off exposing it forward of the browning link.

Notice the heavy bull barrel with no bushing and also the unique recoil spring. There is that stubby little guide rod and a long plug that the spring goes into. As far as I know, this is unique to the 6″ Longslide model and is not found in the 5″ TRP.

The spring system is annoying during disassembly and re-assembly but I am getting used to it. I checked with Wilson and Dawson plus did some googling around and nobody has anything to replace it so I’ll just deal with it.

The Barrel

Okay, I took the barrel and looked at the point where the steel transitions from the feed ramp to the chamber. It wasn’t polished and it was practically a knife edge. No wonder the rounds where getting torn up or even caught on that sharp edge.

This is the barrel straight out of the TRP without any cleaning or work done. The ramp is fairly smooth but I wanted to polish it more – same for the chamber but boy is the top of the feed ramp an abrupt sharp angle. No wonder cases were scraping on it and/or getting hung up.
If you look at the angles of the three types of rounds I was test firing with, the most successful was the 220gr hard cast in the middle. The S&B 180gr FMJ on the left has more of angle and the XTP on right has an even greater angle. None of the bullets were damaged during testing it was the cases. Notice that the greater the angle the worse the round fed and the more chewed up the case was.

To address this, I got out my Dremel, rubber abbrasive bits, some felt bobs and also a bit of 800 grit polishing compound.

One thing to remember up front – you do not need to take off a ton of material so use a fine grit abrasive and a relatively low speed. You want to work a bit and test until you get it right where you want it.

That’s a close up of the TEMO rubber polishing burr that I use to round over transition from the ramp to the chamber. Basically you want to get rid of that abrupt sharp edge and round it so that it is easier for a cartridge to tip over and get pushed into the chamber.
You can see the rubber that came off the bit during polishing and also note the slight rounding at the top of the feed ramp – that is exactly what we want.
Next up is to polish the ramp and the chamber. To do this I used a 10mm felt bob and 800 grit grease-based lapping compound. I’ve used Flitz in the past too by the way and it works. I like the Goodson compound due to it being petroleum based. It seems to cut better and doesn’t fly all over the place. Note, this is 800 grit and we just want to polish – our goal is to remove as little material as possible while getting the job done.
Okay, here’s an action photo. I polished the chamber and the ramp already. You move the bob around and don’t sit in one place – back & forth, up & down, in & out. Think of it this way – you are your own random orbit sander and don’t want to stay in any one place too long and remove any more than needed.
I put CLP on a 10mm Ramrodz (think of a Q-tip made for cleaning a 10mm pistol barrel) and cleaned it it out followed by a second to mop any remaining debris. I carefully cleaned the other surfaces as well.

Greased the parts that slide

When we were at the range, I noticed the action was sluggish at times. This is to be expected during the break-in/wear-in period of any firearm. What I do to help the parts get to know each other is to use an acid brush to apply a light film of SuperLube grease to the parts that slide. Not a ton – just a film. For the TRP, I put it on the slide rails, the bottom of the slide. the exterior of the bull barrel and in the slide where the barrel passes. Wow – what a difference. The slide feels smooth as glass now. I also again put a drop of SuperLube oil on the trigger, hammer, browning link, etc.

Re-assembly

Putting it back together takes some practice – re-install the barrel and try to hold the recoil assembly in place as you slide on the receiver. For me, it’s easier if I do it with the slide inverted (bottom up), hold the slide and spring with the left hand while guiding the receiver into place with my right. One the receiver is on about half-way, the spring is adequately captured. Now, this also means that when you go to re-install the slide lock, you are fighting the tension of the spring. I support the pistol on a table during this step and am getting better at it. If someone has found a magic trick, please email me 🙂

Test Feeding

The proof is in the pudding right? I had to test in my shop vs. the range so that meant I needed to be very careful about where the pistol was pointed. Do what you are comfortable with and be safe.

I loaded up three magazines with three rounds of each to start. All hand cycled just fine. Prior to the above tuning, I could not do that. I then loaded up full mags of each and repeated the tests – everything hand cycled just fine.

Conclusion

I hope to get to the range at some point this week to verify the results. I fully expect it is good to go now. Also, let me again use this opportunity to point out this is why you always need to test your combinations of pistols, magazines and ammo. The TRP Operator is an excellent pistol but I knew not to rely on it out of the box. There are just way too many variables to take that gamble.

2/16/2021 Update: Read this post where I list the Q&A between readers and myself about the TRP.

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Sources For the 10mm TRP Operator and Ammo

Here are some reputable vendors you can order either the 5″ or 6″ TRP Operator plus ammo: