[stuartv]

I have 2 Tisas Bantam 1911s and an AF S15.

I agree that the S15 is a higher bar than my Tisas. The S15 has been 100% reliable and shoots amazingly tight groups.

I also got a DWX Compact and, after 1 range trip where I compared them, I'd say the AF shoots as well or possibly better than the DWXc. However, that was the first time out for the DWXc, so the jury is still out until I can run them side by side again, with an optic on the DWXc and it fully broken in.

My Tisas have also been 100% reliable. But, the quality is just not as high as the AF.

My only real knock on my AF - and is the reason I bought the DWXc - is the grip safety. I have never had a single instance, in any of my other 1911s or double stack 1911s, with failure to fire because I didn't have the grip safety adequately pressed. I've shot my DW Guardian in a fair number of IDPA matches and never had an issue with the grip safety.

The very first match I decided to shoot using the S15, I had 2 or 3 failures to fire just from not having the grip safety depressed enough.

It seems like it's just an artifact of having somewhat big hands and the AF grip/frame is so much smaller than even a normal single stack. I notice that sometimes my grip is so high on the back of the gun that it's more like my hand is pushing up on the underside of the beavertail, instead of really pushing forward underneath the beavertail.

I bought the DWXc because I expected it to be close enough in size to the AF as to be basically equal for EDC concealment. But, it is not. It's enough bigger/fatter to make a difference, I think. And while it may be "higher quality", so far it doesn't seem to shoot any better. But, it has no grip safety....

I was thinking I would sell the AF because I don't want anything I cannot rely on to go bang every single time - even if the reason it doesn't go bang is because I didn't grip it just exactly right. But, maybe I'll just do some minor smithing to the grip safety and make it where I don't have to press it as much to defeat it. If I do that and can run it reliably in some matches, then I would keep it as another concealed carry option.

Regarding someone having problems with their S15, it really seems like knowing what gen of S15 is being discussed is something that matters. If the problem S15 was a gen 1, with the straight mainspring housing and no optic cut, then, well, so what? If it's a gen 3, with the bobbed back, optic cut, and threaded barrel or later (ambi safety), then I'm more interested.

 

[stuartv]

Question, because I'm not entirely 100% on some of the lingo used in this thread.

For the S15, which of the following parts can be interchanged with standard 1911 (or Officer) parts:

hammer?
hammer strut?
sear?
disconnector?
thumb safety?

I'm really just wondering how feasible it is to buy, for example, an EGW ignition kit and replace some or all of the original parts with the parts from that kit.

From this thread, I have the impression that none of the parts that I listed are interchangeable with standard Gov't or Officer's model parts.

And not that I have any major reason to do any of that. My trigger is dang near perfect for a carry gun and it has been 100% reliable, so I'm generally inclined to not fix something that is not broken. But, my trigger "broke in" a fair bit from when it was new. It's great now. But, I can't help wondering if that means that what was "breaking in" will continue to happen and be "accelerated wear". Is the trigger going to continue to wear and need some parts replaced after 2 or 3 thousand rounds?

I did not ask about the sear spring because those are easy to adjust and, well, has anyone ever broken a sear spring or otherwise needed to replace one? Adjusting it every now and then? Sure. I can see that. But do they break or somehow lose their ability to hold tension where you set it? Meaning, to the point where you can't readjust it every few thousand rounds or so to restore function to where you want it?

 

[stuartv]

I had emailed the guy at AF not long after I got my S15 and asked. I don't remember exactly what he said, but my recollection of the gist of it was that everything I might want to replace if I was really going for a match-quality trigger is all proprietary.

But, I'd still like to get confirmation from someone that has stripped one down and really compared.