Anyone have experience with a Detonics Subcompact 1911?

[CDR_Glock]

I was curious what you guys think. From what I read, they seem to be reliable and accurate. Supposedly, no MIM parts. I'm trading a knife towards one. I love the 1911 pistol. I needed a subcompact/commander sized 1911...Well, not really needed it. Oh you guys know what DaFuck I mean.

[waterdogs]

I`ve owned a Para-Ordinance P-12 for going on 20 years, and I love that little beast. It has almost the exact footprint of a G19, as a size reference, but doesn`t feel too chunky or clumsy, even though it`s a double-stack....they somehow managed to keep it relatively slim (all things considered). It has been dead-nuts reliable, feeding lead SWCs and JHPs with equal ease (the barrel has an integral feed ramp, which I gave a little polish job). There`s a lot to be said for a small gun that will send 13 rounds of .45 downrange reliably when the situation calls for it.
(Did I mention it`s accurate, too ?)

Para%20P-12%20target[1].jpg

[Parker]

The Detonics had a way of working well when they were not supposed to.

If you can find an older one, so much the better. Detonics has been rebooted a few times at this point. I just wonder how long the current iteration will last, if indeed they still are making firearms.

The current versions are fucking ugly too. Call me old-school. Shitcan that triangular hammer, get the older sights back. It's like taking Cindy Crawford at her apex out of a time capsule, then trying to improve upon her. Or Claudia Schiffer.

But they had a way of working, where the bulk of the cut-down 1911's did not, as these were built as compact guns from the ground up.

Thanks Rick. I almost had the pricey little 1911 bug squeezed out of me. I have 4 1911 left now, all Colts, and was figuring a way to sell three of them. Now you go and do this.....

Ugly as the new profile is, I bet those sights shoot WELL. Reminds me of the ASP Guttersnipe sight picture in terms of accessibility.

[IWantThatKnife]

but I have a Mk VI Professional in .45 acp that is an excellent concealable auto. It is an odd sized pistol; somewhat smaller then a commander sized 1911 but bigger then a sub-compact. With the recoil spring set up it is a really soft shooting compact pistol. The rear sight is farther forward then normal; the thought was to carry hammer down on a loaded chamber; with the sight forward it would be easier to cock the hammer on the draw.


Detonics Mk VI .45 acp

Stack'o'1911s - Detonics Mk VI, Colt Combat Commander, full-size 1911

Detonics with Colt New Agent - note grip and slide sizes...

Parker, the Colt New Agent's sight (well lack of sights) which is a groove milled into the top of the slide, is more like the old guttersnipe trench sight...

[CDR_Glock]

I just picked mine up today. It's from about 1986. I acquired it on a trade.

Man, the recoil is pretty stout. It will take some getting used to it. I cleaned it up after I shot it. It doesn't use a bushing. The captured guiderod is ahead of its time. No grip safety and those sights are set a little bit forward. It was pretty accurate for a subcompact, but not a tack driver for me, yet.

[IWantThatKnife]

I just picked mine up today. It's from about 1986. I acquired it on a trade.

Man, the recoil is pretty stout. It will take some getting used to it. I cleaned it up after I shot it. It doesn't use a bushing. The captured guiderod is ahead of its time. No grip safety and those sights are set a little bit forward. It was pretty accurate for a subcompact, but not a tack driver for me, yet.

Doc_Glock: my Detonics MK VI will never be a "tack driver" nor will any sub-compact Detonics or other sub-compact. A tack driver by definition is a gun that when you shoot it you can hit the head of a tack with it...

Don't misunderstand me, my Detonics is very accurate for its intended purpose - a concealable 45 acp pistol that is minute of center body mass deadly accurate; if you want to call that a tack driver then it is but you will probably not win a bullseye match with it. :-@

[CDR_Glock]

Iwantthatknife: True. It's fun, nonetheless.

[Blademan101]

I carried an old Detonic's "Combat Master" for many years. It was a great concealable point blank self defense pistol. One gun I wish I never sold.

[CDR_Glock]

I carried an old Detonic's "Combat Master" for many years. It was a great concealable point blank self defense pistol. One gun I wish I never sold.

Im learning that selling a gun, now matter what the margin is, always lends itself to remorse (if it is a halfway decent firearm).

[scott308]

Lt. Col. David Grossman is an owner and board member. Nobody knows more about killing (the psychology of killing) than Lt. Col. Grossman.

[CDR_Glock]

I'll shoot the Detonics again today. I'll handle it like my G27. Shouldn't be an issue.

[CDR_Glock]

I took it out three times. I thought it was finicky with ammo and found that it likes Federal. I was having some feeding issues with the magazine so I tried a Wilson combat 8 rounder. It had no issues. I may try to stretch/compress the magazines. The slide is very tight. The recoil is pretty stout but if I hold it like the Glock 27 it's manageable. It's not tolerant of limp wristing. Accuracy today was quite good for me. I'm not a fan of the fixed sights on it but it makes for a solid fighting pistol.

I may switch the Grips to G10 and may get My gunsmith to dovetail a Trtium sight into the front.

By the feel it is far from broken in. The spring is that tight.

[IWantThatKnife]

the recoil spring assembly has three springs in it!



My Detonics is intolerant of a loose grip; but for its size and intended purpose it is a great gun.

Slide to frame fit is tighter (read tighter tolerances) then a typical 1911; it will loosen a bit but keep it well lubricated and it works well. I use Mobil 1 on the rails.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I got the slim G10 grips shown on my MkVI from the (apparently) now-defunct Victory Arms. Since that worked out well I bought a pair of matching normal-thickness grips for the pictured MkI and I also bought a couple complete recoil kits (springs + guide rod + plug + screw) from them. A shame they vanished, they made some nice parts.

I believe AlumaGrips makes grips sized for the Detonics CombatMaster (look under the subcompact section).

[IWantThatKnife]

an unmolested set of Westinghouse Ivory Micarta grips for mine. Im thinking of sending them off to Sandra Brady for some of her excellent scrimshaw.....