curriek
06-09-2011, 08:49 PM
Thought I’d write a review on a gun most people haven’t heard of…
I have owned a couple of 1911s in the past; Springfield’s TRP & Champion Operator, Kimber’s Warrior, Dan Wesson’s CBOB and S&W’s 1911SC… so I have something to draw comparisons from. I love shooting 1911s, but never really liked carrying them so one by one, I got rid of them. Figured it was time to get one back… I didn’t want to break the bank so I decided to stay under $1000. Enter Sig Sauer’s Tactical Operations, or TACOPS (1911R-45-TACOPS). I had never considered Sig 1911s as being a legitimate contender in the 1911 world. They make a great gun in the P-Series models, but their 1911s didn’t appeal to me. They had a non-traditional look and I had never heard much (good or bad) about them. After reading a well written review online about the TACOPS model and doing some further research, I figured I would take the chance. I considered buying a used Kimber Tactical Pro or a new Springfield Loaded, but the TACOPS really caught my eye. I found a Sig XO in a local gunshop that was just under $1000 and didn’t offer the same features that I wanted. I found a good deal on GunBroker and bought a TACOPS. With the transfer fee I was a little over $900 (Sigs MSRP $1213).
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0220.jpg
My initial handling of the TACOPS left me really pleased. Ordering a 1911 can be a little risky as the quality from pistol to pistol can differ. The TACOPS comes with features that you would see on a lot of $1000+ 1911s. The TACOPS has front strap checkering, ambidextrous thumb safety, beavertail grip safety, night sights, match grade barrel, extended magazine release, and a 1913 rail. It’s kind of a hybrid between the Kimber Warrior and Springfield TRP.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/warriorTRP.jpg
The night sights are genuine Trijicon Novak style night sights green/green. The front strap checkering is not overly aggressive, but provides a good grip. The TRP has the checkering as well and it was a feature I definitely liked and wanted. The mainspring housing is full metal, not plastic like on some Kimbers. The grips that are included are Ergo XT and they are functional. A little slippery if your hands are sweaty, but the front strap checkering helps maintain a good grip. I have already planned on replacing the grips with a set from VZ.
At the local gun shop, I handled a S&W 1911 that had a thumb safety that wouldn’t click on/off. It would just begrudgingly move without a sound or the feel of a positive engagement. The TACOPS thumb safety has a very positive engagement and a loud audible click. I was worried that Sig’s short thumb safety might be a problem, but it is not. The thumb safety has some grittiness to it, but I think it will go away with some use. The beavertail grip safety is well fitted. The extractor on a Springfield Loaded I looked at stuck out like a sore thumb. The gunsmith told me that it was just a matter of fitting and it differs on each particular gun. I was happy to see that the extractor is flush with the back of the slide on the Sig. It might not matter with functionality, but it pleases me to see that Sig tries to put out a well fitted gun. The external extractor is something frowned upon by the die hard 1911 lovers, but it didn’t really matter to me. My S&W 1911 had the external extractor and it was the only 1911 out of the box that had no problems. The CBOB, TRP, and Warrior all had a break in period.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0215.jpg
The slide/frame fit is exceptional as well. The only other 1911 I’ve had that was nice and tight like this was my CBOB. Onto the trigger… The solid lightweight aluminum trigger leaves a little to be desired. It’s not a bad trigger, but definitely not the best I’ve experienced. It’s a little loose feeling and I might have it replaced. Again, this may be a minor fitting issue that varies from pistol to pistol. There is one thing that bothers me about the overall appearance of the gun is the hammer. Sig uses an all stainless hammer which doesn’t really match the rest of the gun. Would have much preferred a blued hammer. Doesn’t affect functionality one bit, but just seems off to me. The slide profile may turn some people off, but it has grown on me. It might make finding holsters more difficult, but there are companies that accommodate Sig’s 1911 profile. The rail might turn some off as well, but it didn't really matter to me. It wasn't really a positive or negative factor for me.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0217.jpg
Another kudos to Sig for having the barrel throat and feed ramp polished. I don’t think I’ve ever had a 1911 that came that way from the factory. I know I did my own polish job on my Warrior and TRP. For those interested, the TACOPS comes with the plug and spring guide recoil system. It didn’t have the full length guide rod or the two piece guide rod that Springfield has. I prefer the full length or the plug and guide style. The TACOPS model also comes with four 8rd magazines. They all appear to be CheckMate magazines, but only three of them are marked CheckMate. The 4th is identical but without the logo stamp.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0216.jpg
I have only went out to the range once since getting the TACOPS, so long term reliability and durability have yet to be determined. I ran about 4 boxes, 176 rds to be exact, of Federal Champion. With 45 ACP being high priced, I went to Wal-Mart and picked up the only stuff they had. Proud to report that I had no failures in my limited range session. The only problem I had was with feeding a fresh magazine. I inserted the mag on a closed slide and racked it back. The bullet got stuck halfway in the barrel. I wouldn’t really call it a failure, as the gun shot without issue, but it might be a magazine problem or me just not pulling the slide back with enough force to send it forward. This problem didn’t happen when I used the slide stop to send it home. It is a very accurate gun, but most 1911s will “outshoot” the shooter. The front strap checkering didn’t dig in or bother me one bit. The gun was very controllable, due to its hefty weight, and follow up shots were quick.
As of right now, I am very pleased with the Sig TACOPS. It is a very economical choice for those that are looking for a feature filled “tactical” 1911 without breaking the bank. I am impressed with the quality of the pistol and would recommend one of these to anyone. I don’t have any experience with Sig’s other 1911s, but I wouldn’t hesitate to give them a chance. I will probably change some things on it (hammer, grips, trigger). Even as it sits right now, it is a great choice.
Pro’s
Feature filled (NS, magwell, checkering, etc.)
Tightly fitted
No malfunctions (…yet)
Four magazines included
Little details: polished feed ramp and barrel, undercut trigger guard
Economical
Con’s
Trigger leaves a little to be desired
Proprietary slide and the rail makes it a little harder to find a holster
Heavy
Thumb safety style may turn some off
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0205.jpg
Now with some VZ Aliens...
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0231.jpg
I have owned a couple of 1911s in the past; Springfield’s TRP & Champion Operator, Kimber’s Warrior, Dan Wesson’s CBOB and S&W’s 1911SC… so I have something to draw comparisons from. I love shooting 1911s, but never really liked carrying them so one by one, I got rid of them. Figured it was time to get one back… I didn’t want to break the bank so I decided to stay under $1000. Enter Sig Sauer’s Tactical Operations, or TACOPS (1911R-45-TACOPS). I had never considered Sig 1911s as being a legitimate contender in the 1911 world. They make a great gun in the P-Series models, but their 1911s didn’t appeal to me. They had a non-traditional look and I had never heard much (good or bad) about them. After reading a well written review online about the TACOPS model and doing some further research, I figured I would take the chance. I considered buying a used Kimber Tactical Pro or a new Springfield Loaded, but the TACOPS really caught my eye. I found a Sig XO in a local gunshop that was just under $1000 and didn’t offer the same features that I wanted. I found a good deal on GunBroker and bought a TACOPS. With the transfer fee I was a little over $900 (Sigs MSRP $1213).
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0220.jpg
My initial handling of the TACOPS left me really pleased. Ordering a 1911 can be a little risky as the quality from pistol to pistol can differ. The TACOPS comes with features that you would see on a lot of $1000+ 1911s. The TACOPS has front strap checkering, ambidextrous thumb safety, beavertail grip safety, night sights, match grade barrel, extended magazine release, and a 1913 rail. It’s kind of a hybrid between the Kimber Warrior and Springfield TRP.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/warriorTRP.jpg
The night sights are genuine Trijicon Novak style night sights green/green. The front strap checkering is not overly aggressive, but provides a good grip. The TRP has the checkering as well and it was a feature I definitely liked and wanted. The mainspring housing is full metal, not plastic like on some Kimbers. The grips that are included are Ergo XT and they are functional. A little slippery if your hands are sweaty, but the front strap checkering helps maintain a good grip. I have already planned on replacing the grips with a set from VZ.
At the local gun shop, I handled a S&W 1911 that had a thumb safety that wouldn’t click on/off. It would just begrudgingly move without a sound or the feel of a positive engagement. The TACOPS thumb safety has a very positive engagement and a loud audible click. I was worried that Sig’s short thumb safety might be a problem, but it is not. The thumb safety has some grittiness to it, but I think it will go away with some use. The beavertail grip safety is well fitted. The extractor on a Springfield Loaded I looked at stuck out like a sore thumb. The gunsmith told me that it was just a matter of fitting and it differs on each particular gun. I was happy to see that the extractor is flush with the back of the slide on the Sig. It might not matter with functionality, but it pleases me to see that Sig tries to put out a well fitted gun. The external extractor is something frowned upon by the die hard 1911 lovers, but it didn’t really matter to me. My S&W 1911 had the external extractor and it was the only 1911 out of the box that had no problems. The CBOB, TRP, and Warrior all had a break in period.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0215.jpg
The slide/frame fit is exceptional as well. The only other 1911 I’ve had that was nice and tight like this was my CBOB. Onto the trigger… The solid lightweight aluminum trigger leaves a little to be desired. It’s not a bad trigger, but definitely not the best I’ve experienced. It’s a little loose feeling and I might have it replaced. Again, this may be a minor fitting issue that varies from pistol to pistol. There is one thing that bothers me about the overall appearance of the gun is the hammer. Sig uses an all stainless hammer which doesn’t really match the rest of the gun. Would have much preferred a blued hammer. Doesn’t affect functionality one bit, but just seems off to me. The slide profile may turn some people off, but it has grown on me. It might make finding holsters more difficult, but there are companies that accommodate Sig’s 1911 profile. The rail might turn some off as well, but it didn't really matter to me. It wasn't really a positive or negative factor for me.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0217.jpg
Another kudos to Sig for having the barrel throat and feed ramp polished. I don’t think I’ve ever had a 1911 that came that way from the factory. I know I did my own polish job on my Warrior and TRP. For those interested, the TACOPS comes with the plug and spring guide recoil system. It didn’t have the full length guide rod or the two piece guide rod that Springfield has. I prefer the full length or the plug and guide style. The TACOPS model also comes with four 8rd magazines. They all appear to be CheckMate magazines, but only three of them are marked CheckMate. The 4th is identical but without the logo stamp.
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0216.jpg
I have only went out to the range once since getting the TACOPS, so long term reliability and durability have yet to be determined. I ran about 4 boxes, 176 rds to be exact, of Federal Champion. With 45 ACP being high priced, I went to Wal-Mart and picked up the only stuff they had. Proud to report that I had no failures in my limited range session. The only problem I had was with feeding a fresh magazine. I inserted the mag on a closed slide and racked it back. The bullet got stuck halfway in the barrel. I wouldn’t really call it a failure, as the gun shot without issue, but it might be a magazine problem or me just not pulling the slide back with enough force to send it forward. This problem didn’t happen when I used the slide stop to send it home. It is a very accurate gun, but most 1911s will “outshoot” the shooter. The front strap checkering didn’t dig in or bother me one bit. The gun was very controllable, due to its hefty weight, and follow up shots were quick.
As of right now, I am very pleased with the Sig TACOPS. It is a very economical choice for those that are looking for a feature filled “tactical” 1911 without breaking the bank. I am impressed with the quality of the pistol and would recommend one of these to anyone. I don’t have any experience with Sig’s other 1911s, but I wouldn’t hesitate to give them a chance. I will probably change some things on it (hammer, grips, trigger). Even as it sits right now, it is a great choice.
Pro’s
Feature filled (NS, magwell, checkering, etc.)
Tightly fitted
No malfunctions (…yet)
Four magazines included
Little details: polished feed ramp and barrel, undercut trigger guard
Economical
Con’s
Trigger leaves a little to be desired
Proprietary slide and the rail makes it a little harder to find a holster
Heavy
Thumb safety style may turn some off
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0205.jpg
Now with some VZ Aliens...
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh144/kcurrie911/IMAG0231.jpg