My formative pistol years were spent shooting striker-fired DAO autos with polymer frames. I was certainly familiar with 1911s, like most shooters on the planet. But I don’t hang a halo around the 1911, because, after all, it’s just a pistol, one whose design is more than 100 years old
Having become familiar with John Browning’s Masterpiece at an early age, I have always had a 1911 close at hand. I have owned 1911s from companies such as AMT, Springfield Armory, Randall, Colt, Auto Ordnance and Kimber, as well as some lesser-known manufacturers. While these pistols are all built on the same basic design, quality control and parts tolerances can vary greatly from brand to brand and even from one pistol to the next.
In 2012 I wasn't carrying the SR1911 for duty or off-duty purposes. It was strictly a recreational shooter. The first time I took it took to the range I broke it in with 100 rounds of FMJ. As expected, it performed flawless. I did field strip, clean, and lube it before it's first use. Reinstalling the slide release was a little tricky on this particular gun. Tolerances on the SR1911 are apparently nice and tight.