Inland 1911 .45 Auto, plain Jane slab sides.
You can’t swing a keyboard commando by his 511 pants without hitting a manufacture that is building a “1911”. Some may see this as a market saturation, but can you really have too much of a good thing? The fact that the 1911 is so popular makes it a buyers market that allows the consumer to get what they want, or damn close, straight from the factory with options on price point. Traditional 1911s and 1911A1s have become pretty popular over the past ten years or so, and while that is great for the market, it has driven up the costs original pistols. That being the fact original 1911s and 1911A1s can be too valuable to shoot much, if any, as most are seen as investments and the metallurgy from the early 1900s is not what it is today . For those of us who do like the cool factor of the original 1911A1s but would like a modern shooter there are a few options. The one we are looking at now is made by Inland Manufacturing. Though having the same name, the new Inland is no longer associated with General Motors. It was last year when I reviewed their new M1 Carbine, and that review can be found by following this link.
Though the original Inland never manufactured a 1911 or 1911A1, think of this as a “what if”. Externally it is very close to a traditional 1911A1, but made of more modern steel.
One thing I need to point out is this pistol is equipped with a Colt style Series 80 firing pin safety. For me this is really not an issue, truthfully. As far as a firing pin safety in a 1911, I can take it or leave it but I know for some this is a big deal, so there you go.
The trigger broke at 6 pounds with a bit of take up and overtravel , which is a bit heavy for me but it is not as bad as others I have tried.
Standard GI sights, though traditional they are minimal but proved good enough for accuracy testing.
The barrel bushing was a snug fit but it did not require tools to remove.
The Inland field/detail strips as any other 1911. After somewhere between 1600-2000 rounds, the innards were all holding up just fine.
Initial Range Trip
Right out of the box, I ran a few magazines through the pistol and went right to accuracy testing. A couple of friends stopped by and we all took a turn with the pistol.
Click the chart for a larger version of the accuracy at 25 yards from a rest.
Second Range Trip
Conclusions
Due to the popularity of the older 1911/1911A1s pistols it makes sense for a manufacture to build one for the people who either cannot afford to spend thousands on the original, or have the originals but want to keep the miles off of them. If you find yourself in either category but feel the pull of the traditional pistols, the Inland version is worth a look. Don’t get me wrong, I can appreciate the newer pistols but there is no denying the romance of the GI 1911 pistol. When that pistol was designed, the Wright Brothers were still running a bicycle shop. So much has changed in the world but this one thing, this piece of history and Americana, is still viable, unchanged over the decades. I know that having the firing pin safety is a step away from tradition, but truthfully, for me anyhow, this is a non issue. As far as firing pin safeties, for range guns I don’t really care but as for a pistol I intend to carry, they are a must. This is all about personal preference. Like was said in the video, this pistol was sent from MKS Supply to Shawn of Looserounds for review and he sent it directly to me. Between he and I we logged somewhere between 1600-2000 trouble free rounds through the pistol during his and my review. Though that is not even the beginning of the service life of a pistol, after those rounds the gun showed so signs or premature wear or breakage. All in all I am satisfied with the Inland 1911 A1 and how it preformed.
Specifications
Caliber: 45 Automatic
Magazine capacity: 7+1 rounds
Barrel length: 5″
Total length: 8.5″
Width of slide : .915″
Twist rate: 1 turn in 16″
Weight: 39 oz.
Finish: Parkerized
MSRP: $749
Acknowledgments
Hi Hunter,
Great review, how does it compare to the auto ordnance 1911? They look very similar.
Thanks
They are very similar but the Inland is a little more “polished” is that makes sense.