New 1911's And Mr. Idiot

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  • Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    I'm Mr. Idiot scratch. My first 1911 was a Colt Combat Elite and shooting it made me love the platform. The only problem is that I'm a knuckle-head and created an idiot scratch. While I loved the platform, I avoided field stripping the gun so I wouldn't make the scratch worse. I ended up selling the gun (because of the scratch), avoiding the 1911 platform for a little while.

    Well, I have the fever again. This month I bought a Nighthawk Custom GRP with upgrades (including a nice Permacoat on the frame) and a Colt Special Combat Competition Model in hard chrome. I bought some idiot scratch plastic sheets that supposedly mitigate the risk of creating the mark. Hopefully they work. I am so anal retentive with my guns and cars. I cannot deal with a scratch like that. I pick up the Nighthawk tomorrow and the Colt in a couple of weeks.

    The Colt has all black sights, Bomar rear and Heinie front. Does anyone prefer this set up to white dot sights? I've read that they are easy to pick up quickly, instead of fixating on the dots. I may add a fiber optic front sight if I have trouble with the sights.

    One more question: If I use a bore snake after each usage and keep it lubed, how many rounds before I need to field strip a 1911? The less I take them down, the less chance of doing something stupid. I wish the 1911 was simple to field strip like my CZ's and striker-fired handguns.
     

    Drmsparks

    Old School Rifleman
    Jun 26, 2007
    8,441
    PG county
    John Cardunur in the ip section does a mod to the takedown lever that eliminates the chance of the idiot scratch. Cheap and easy fix.

    link
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    The so called idiot scratch does not bother me in the least. 1911's are made to be used and used a lot, they are going to eventually have "character marks". For sights, it depends on what your intended use is. Personally, I hate the 3 dot sights. The best I have found for all purpose use are the sights that come on the Kimber Grand RaptorII.
    The front has a tritium dot and the bomar style rear sight has a tritium bar. Put the dot over the bar and it's on! The sights are still defined enough for bullseye precision.
     

    Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    The so called idiot scratch does not bother me in the least. 1911's are made to be used and used a lot, they are going to eventually have "character marks". For sights, it depends on what your intended use is. Personally, I hate the 3 dot sights. The best I have found for all purpose use are the sights that come on the Kimber Grand RaptorII.
    The front has a tritium dot and the bomar style rear sight has a tritium bar. Put the dot over the bar and it's on! The sights are still defined enough for bullseye precision.

    I know it's a tool and a lot of people don't care. I was just as anal with my sportscars and even with my SUVs. My wife got a ding in her 4-Runner and it actually drives me nuts. I can't help it. I keep them perfect.
     

    Czechnologist

    Concerned Citizen
    Mar 9, 2016
    6,522
    Idiot scratches are difficult to avoid on 1911's but, with due diligence, not impossible. It sounds to me like you just need more training on reassembly after field stripping. That's all. A certain amount of angst is normal but if you're hesitating to properly clean and lube your 1911's for fear of marring their finishes, training is your friend. There are countless 1911 gurus in our community who could assist you if YouTube videos don't get the job done.

    I field strip, clean and LUBE my 1911's after every trip to the range. Your Nighthawk is built to some of the industry's tightest tolerances and they may recommend a different maintenance/break-in schedule but, regardless of brand, 1911's arguably work best well-lubed in the right places. IMO, lubing takes a higher priority than cleaning and to properly lube a 1911 you're gonna need to field strip that sucker with confidence.

    Don't let basic 1911 maintenance intimidate you. When you're intimidated, you make mistakes that cause idiot scratches. It's that simple. Get someone who knows their stuff to show you how it's done.

    I have Heinie Straight 8's on my Dan Wesson Specialist. I like them a lot but, they're an acquired taste for some folks.
     
    Last edited:

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,877
    So did you ever drive your sports car , or keep it on jacks, under a car cover, in a climate controled garage ?

    Are all of your pistols intended to be kept in factory boxes, inside of a safe as investments ? ( It's ok if so , that's a valid choice, and a real thing .)

    Or actually shoot at least one ? Or heaven forbid, put into a holster ?

    Yes , NIB is a thing. 50-75 years from now will bring top $ from collectors.

    But once it's fired once , its no longer a virgin . Shoot it , get enjoyment/ utility out of it , while using reasonable care.

    Selling a pistol before it needs cleaning is like the joke about trading in a car, because the ashtray is full .
     

    brownspotz

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 22, 2013
    1,765
    Yeesh, forget about plastic protectors. just use a business card to avoid an idiot scratch.
     

    Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    Idiot scratches are difficult to avoid on 1911's but, with due diligence, not impossible. It sounds to me like you just need more training on reassembly after field stripping. That's all. A certain amount of angst is normal but if you're hesitating to properly clean and lube your 1911's for fear of marring their finishes, training is your friend. There are countless 1911 gurus in our community who could assist you if YouTube videos don't get the job done.

    I field strip, clean and LUBE my 1911's after every trip to the range. Your Nighthawk is built to some of the industry's tight tolerances and they may recommend a different maintenance/break-in schedule but, regardless of brand, 1911's arguably work best well-lubed in the right places. IMO, lubing takes a higher priority than cleaning and to properly lube a 1911 you're gonna need to field strip that sucker with confidence.

    Don't let basic 1911 maintenance intimidate you. When you're intimidated, you make mistakes that cause idiot scratches. It's that simple. Get someone who knows their stuff to show you how it's done.

    I have Heinie Straight 8's on my Dan Wesson Specialist. I like them a lot but, they're an acquired taste for some folks.

    Great info. Thank you.
     

    Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    So did you ever drive your sports car , or keep it on jacks, under a car cover, in a climate controled garage ?

    Are all of your pistols intended to be kept in factory boxes, inside of a safe as investments ? ( It's ok if so , that's a valid choice, and a real thing .)

    Or actually shoot at least one ? Or heaven forbid, put into a holster ?

    Yes , NIB is a thing. 50-75 years from now will bring top $ from collectors.

    But once it's fired once , its no longer a virgin . Shoot it , get enjoyment/ utility out of it , while using reasonable care.

    Selling a pistol before it needs cleaning is like the joke about trading in a car, because the ashtray is full .

    I drove my sports cars like I stole them and tracked them as well, but I maintained the appearance to the extent that a 3 year old M3, 2 year old M3, and a 2 year old ZL1 looked brand new inside and out.

    I'm not as anal with my striker guns or my CZ's, just 1911's and revolvers.
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,232
    Carroll County
    Do your revolvers have a bolt wear line going around the cylinder?

    1911 manufacturers should offer an optional Factory Idiot Scratch on their new pistols, just to help customers get over that little hurdle.
     

    Mr.Blue

    Living In A Bizarro World
    Nov 21, 2011
    1,523
    Miserable in MD
    Do your revolvers have a bolt wear line going around the cylinder?

    1911 manufacturers should offer an optional Factory Idiot Scratch on their new pistols, just to help customers get over that little hurdle.

    Yes, but I’m ok with usage scars. Marks from being an idiot bother me because they are preventable.
     

    BradMacc82

    Ultimate Member
    Industry Partner
    Aug 17, 2011
    26,177
    Yes, but I’m ok with usage scars. Marks from being an idiot bother me because they are preventable.

    Idiot scratch is like a scar, it adds character, and it reminds you of what NOT to do in the future.
     

    Threeband

    The M1 Does My Talking
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 30, 2006
    25,232
    Carroll County
    But if the new pistol came from the factory with a factory applied idiot scratch already there, it would solve the problem. No anxiety; we could all relax and enjoy our guns.



    Confession: My 1911 has an idiot scratch. I applied it myself.
     

    bpm32

    Active Member
    Nov 26, 2010
    675
    John Cardunur in the ip section does a mod to the takedown lever that eliminates the chance of the idiot scratch. Cheap and easy fix.

    link

    The Nighthawk probably already has that modification to the slide stop pin. All it is is a slight notch in the slide stop where it slips over the ball detent so the slide stop doesn’t accidentally swing down. If it doesn’t already have it, it takes 3 minutes to do it yourself with a Dremel.

    If you’re super paranoid about it, you can always pop the thumb safety out to relieve tension from the plunger tube spring on the slide stop, install it idiot scratch-free, then put the thumb safety back. Use a small plastic punch or an old credit card to assist.

    By the way, with an accuracy fit 1911 like a Nighthawk, it’s tradition to begin disassembly by removing the slide stop first (and it’s the last part to go back). It’s considered bad form to rotate the barrel bushing with the barrel in battery. New Bullseye shooters are always amazed by this.
     

    BigCountry14

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 17, 2013
    1,668
    My first Kimber has one, albeit not overly noticable. My newest does not, but its only been stripped once. It does annoy me.

    On a side note, im always intrigued by those that field strip after every trip to the range. I put thousands of rounds through my dads Kimber Stainless II as a kid and thousands through my Tactical II that Ive had since I was 21. I generally feel like the gun feels a bit off right after cleaning, abd find my groups tighten as I run more mags through.

    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
     

    bpm32

    Active Member
    Nov 26, 2010
    675
    One more question: If I use a bore snake after each usage and keep it lubed, how many rounds before I need to field strip a 1911? The less I take them down, the less chance of doing something stupid. I wish the 1911 was simple to field strip like my CZ's and striker-fired handguns.

    Depends on if it’s a standard 1911 or one hard fit for accuracy. Also depends on how clean-burning the powder is. For an accurate 1911 it probably needs more cleaning, and it’s important to run it lubed....like a lot. A lot of 1911 pistolsmiths tell you you can’t lube it enough. If it’s getting too dirty you can actually feel the slide slowing down—then it’s time to clean it. That could be a few thousand rounds.

    I’ve got to admit though that I clean a 1911 every 300 rounds, which is unnecessary......and I shoot 15-20k rounds a year.
     

    Jimbob2.0

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 20, 2008
    16,600
    I scratched one of mine, but when I do assembly I put a piece of blue painters tape on it. Thick stuff, seems to resist slips well enough.
     

    Alan3413

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 4, 2013
    16,921
    Do your revolvers have a bolt wear line going around the cylinder?

    1911 manufacturers should offer an optional Factory Idiot Scratch on their new pistols, just to help customers get over that little hurdle.

    Mine came with one from the factory. It's not the classic idiot scratch that's visible fully assembled, but underneath the takedown lever. NBD.

    Just remember to put the pin straight in without rotating and you should be able to avoid scratching the finish.
     

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