Tisas 1911’s any good?

Damn_Yankee

Damn_Yankee

"Now go away, or I shall taunt you a second time"
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Looking at the Tisas 9mm 1911 carry model. Looks pretty good for the money especially with a forged slide and frame and no internal MIM parts. This would be my first 1911 and I am pretty much clueless about them but I’ve always loved the look and way they feel in my hands.
 
I’d handle whichever one you want to buy first. They get rave reviews here. I drove to Ed’s in Vass to handle a particular variant I was looking for that they had in stock and the lock up was looser than any 1911 I’ve ever handled, from Rock Island Armory to Wilson.
 
I have the Tisas Raider in 45acp. I've shot around 350 rds through it about the last six months. So some, but not a ton. Off hand I can recall having 2x malfunctions that I'm pretty sure were mag related. It seems to run fine with the one it came with and standard USGI 7rd mags. I haven't tested any Wilson Combat mags with it yet but likely will in the future.

Trigger is good IMO and the frame to slide fit is better than the WW2 M1911a1 I got from the CMP a few years back. I like the sights it comes with but those can be easily swapped out if you want to upgrade to fiber options or night sights. Thumb safety has good positive engagement. Was a bit stiff at first but has worn in pretty nicely now. Grip safety is easy to disengage with a proper grip. Grips are very nice. Of the 1911 savy folks I've shown it to none have told me it's crap, esp. at the price point they go for. Fits exactly as it should into a safariland holster. Slide serrations are wonderful and provide good positive control when manipulating the slide. My only real complaint would be that I'd like some checkering on the front of the grip... but that's being super nit-pickey.

I'm not a "1911 guy" but that's my personal experience with it. I don't view it as a daily carry or duty piece. It's more of a fun gun range toy imo that you could easily compete with in IDPA or something like that if you were so inclined. I'm pretty happy with it. We'll see how it holds up as the round count increases...

It made a "Top 10 best guns of 2023" list of the 1911 Syndicate guys:



And there are a few other good YouTube vids on them:



It's funny to me how the 1911 platform has morphed over the years from a basic utilitarian / combat oriented pistol into this idea that they are these custom hand fit masterpieces of gunsmithing that should cost thousands like its some kinda London's best SxS from Purdy... lol. I have a 1911 from WW2 I got through the CMP. Guess what, the trigger is muh, there's tons of slop on the slide and the whole things rattles like a can of Krylon. People who complain about things like slide fitment are funny to me. Is it reliable? Is it accurate? Is it durable?

In short, I don't regret my purchase and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend picking one up.

Hope that helps.
 
A bit looser is design correct. Tight requires pmcs that never gets done in combat. Refer to the ak vs the ar. Our troops in the desert funning about with mags in Ziploc bags, bagged muzzles etc. Won't see that on an ak.....or a basic spec 1911
 
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Tisas are perfectly decent cheap 1911s. Expect to need some work done. Mine had interference between the hammer strut and grip safety requiring some relief, the plunger spring tension was basically non-existent and needed replacement, the thumb safeties are thick and oddly designed (requiring relief cuts on all my grips), and it shoots much better now that it has the old bushing off my Range Officer installed (went from five thou barrel clearance to just over one).

As it sits now, though, it is so close in feel and performance to my former TRP that it is scary.

IMG_3835.jpeg

Basically a clone. Even more a “clone” now that I have installed a true 3-hole Videcki trigger and the stainless bushing.

I think they’re better out of the box than Rock Islands, but not exactly the incredible pistols many folks are hyping them up to be. They’re still inexpensive guns assembled by cheap labor. If you’re handy and used to tweaking 1911s, that’s where the Tisas guns really shine.
 
B00ger said:
My basic GI model Tisas is probably one of my favorite pistols to shoot. Accurate, reliable, looks cool, and was inexpensive. Wont say cheap, because it certainly doesnt act like a cheap gun.
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I have the same opinion about the Tisas 1911A1 I owned, except that the WW2 style sights were just too hard for these cataract growing eyes to use. The pistol itself was as good as any WW2 era GI 1911A1for accuracy and reliability. It handled lead SWC reloads with no problem.
 
rufrdr said:
I have the same opinion about the Tisas 1911A1 I owned, except that the WW2 style sights were just too hard for these cataract growing eyes to use. The pistol itself was as good as any WW2 era GI 1911A1for accuracy and reliability. It handled lead SWC reloads with no problem.
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Yeah, I agree. The GI sights are tough. I have a newer Ruger SR1911 and a RI 1911 tactical when I want the fancy sights I can actually see. :p
 
I think most people see cheap = garbage, which does happen to be true in many cases. It's not exactly like the 1911 is a new design based on proprietary components. That thing was made mass produced on the cheap.

I mean, who among us would turn down a $13 M-3 grease gun because it was stamped and cheap?

I know diddly -squat about Tisas, but the favorable to unfavorable review ratio is probably 30:1.
 
B00ger said:
Turkey, I believe, has stepped up their game as far as offering decent pistols at a good price. I’ve really not heard many people with complaints with Tisas or Canik.
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and a lot , and I mean A LOT of new shotguns are produced there. Winchester being one. All well made.
 
Damn_Yankee said:
Looking at the Tisas 9mm 1911 carry model. Looks pretty good for the money especially with a forged slide and frame and no internal MIM parts. This would be my first 1911 and I am pretty much clueless about them but I’ve always loved the look and way they feel in my hands.
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When I worked for AAC as a ballistics quality tech we had a Tisas gi model in .45 and I never had any issues with it we must have put thousands of rounds through it without fail
 
My devil ray model commander length .45 had problems loading last round consistently. I contacted sds and they sent me a shipping tag right away. As soon as they received it I was contacted and was given a possible diagnosis. They are going to look at it Tuesday and decide what they will do. Either a new slide or or possible replacement. Sure I’m disappointed it didn’t run out of the box, but they have been great to deal with. Every manufacturer has issues. I would have no issue getting another.
 
I always find the “great pistol! I I had to do is X,Y & Z and now it works great!” Entertaining. Not as entertaining as the talking heads telling me inflation is good, but close.
 
JRV said:
Tisas are perfectly decent cheap 1911s. Expect to need some work done.
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^this has been my experience as well with n = 1 Tisas service model in 45 auto. It’s perhaps the most basic model they offer. Was $270 + tax/transfer fee so I couldn’t say no. Unfortunately mine flung brass everywhere including to the face. It required fitting a new extractor and firing pin stop. Thanks to some members on this forum i got some helpful advice on it. those parts were $60 from EGW plus my time and reloads burnt up for testing. Is the Tisas a great value? I think so, but as @JRV noted I’d expect it may be a project gun. I feel the same about rock island so between the two I’d save some $$ and go Tisas.

while I’m not a 1911 expert by any means, my experience with the various Springfield 1911 models over the years has been very positive. If I were looking for a solid budget 1911 with manufacturer support I’d just drop the extra $2-300 and get a Springfield 1911.
 
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92G said:
If I were looking for a solid budget 1911 with manufacturer support I’d just drop the extra $2-300 and get a Springfield 1911.
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Springfield will do almost anything you ask for minimal cost (if any) to one of their 1911s. There are plenty of reasons to have quibbles with SA, but customer service and product support are not them.
 
keepcalmandcarryon said:
I always find the “great pistol! I I had to do is X,Y & Z and now it works great!” Entertaining. Not as entertaining as the talking heads telling me inflation is good, but close.
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It’s right up there with “Glock aficionados” who take the Theseus approach to pistols. Perfection… with a big ol’ asterisk. A Glock needs sights—maybe, depending on the SKU—but somehow those guns have the largest aftermarket in the game. People can’t help themselves.

Three types of people get cheap 1911s that work “perfectly” out of the box:

- lucky people
- people that only shoot ball ammo in 1911s
- people with oceanfront property in Arizona

The benefit of a cheap 1911 is they’re half the price of a modern production base Colt. And, the Colt is going to need the same work, anyways.

A cheap 1911 that consistently needs only a few cheap DIY tweaks to keep pace with guns like the TRP is impressive. It outside the purview of the plug-and-play polymer crowd—totally fine, it’s not the same animal—but it’s impressive for anyone that has had to put up with the absolute garbage the 1911 market has been since the 90s.
 
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JRV said:
Three types of people get cheap 1911s that work “perfectly” out of the box:

- lucky people
- people that only shoot ball ammo in 1911s
- people with oceanfront property in Arizona
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I choot only ball ammo in every handgun I own... mebbe a wadcutter now an' then, jus' to empty the brass and load ball.

@BatteryOaksBilly
 
JRV said:
The benefit of a cheap 1911 is they’re half the price of a modern production base Colt. And, the Colt is going to need the same work, anyways.
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At what price point do you get an out of the box reliable 1911? Any sub $1000 1911’s ( Ruger, Kimber, Springfield Armory) fall in that category or do you need to go a tier up?
 
keepcalmandcarryon said:
At what price point do you get an out of the box reliable 1911? Any sub $1000 1911’s ( Ruger, Kimber, Springfield Armory) fall in that category or do you need to go a tier up?
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For a long time, the “buy with absolute confidence, lemons are as rare as it gets” price and maker was about $1,300 and Dan Wesson.

If I have a grand and I’m taking the gamble on a “buy it and run it out of the box with nothing but some oil on the rails” 1911, Springfield Armory Loaded.
 
I view 1911's (esp 9mm) like I view modern revolvers: I am leaving room in the budget for some custom work and/or parts tuning. Unless I am spending thousands.

If it happens to be great out of the box.....GREAT. I'll use the extra money to pimp it out to my preference anyway!
 
JRV said:
It’s right up there with “Glock aficionados” who take the Theseus approach to pistols. Perfection… with a big ol’ asterisk. A Glock needs sights—maybe, depending on the SKU—but somehow those guns have the largest aftermarket in the game. People can’t help themselves.

Three types of people get cheap 1911s that work “perfectly” out of the box:

- lucky people
- people that only shoot ball ammo in 1911s
- people with oceanfront property in Arizona

The benefit of a cheap 1911 is they’re half the price of a modern production base Colt. And, the Colt is going to need the same work, anyways.

A cheap 1911 that consistently needs only a few cheap DIY tweaks to keep pace with guns like the TRP is impressive. It outside the purview of the plug-and-play polymer crowd—totally fine, it’s not the same animal—but it’s impressive for anyone that has had to put up with the absolute garbage the 1911 market has been since the 90s.
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Is there anything wrong with a Glock out-of-the-box? Of course not. But leaving them the heck alone just isn't in our nature. Same with 1911s.

The 1911 was made to be mass produced, cheaply. Where people started going south with them was when they wanted something better than minute of pie plate with a CQB gun or competition gun. There's nothing wrong with either, but the 1911 would take some work to get them there.

Of all the 1911s I had, my fave was my first, a SA mil-spec. It was a great gun, no issues. I sure had some that were a lot more expensive that were a lot more finnicky out of the box.
 
JRV said:
It’s right up there with “Glock aficionados” who take the Theseus approach to pistols. Perfection… with a big ol’ asterisk. A Glock needs sights—maybe, depending on the SKU—but somehow those guns have the largest aftermarket in the game. People can’t help themselves.

Three types of people get cheap 1911s that work “perfectly” out of the box:

- lucky people
- people that only shoot ball ammo in 1911s
- people with oceanfront property in Arizona

The benefit of a cheap 1911 is they’re half the price of a modern production base Colt. And, the Colt is going to need the same work, anyways.

A cheap 1911 that consistently needs only a few cheap DIY tweaks to keep pace with guns like the TRP is impressive. It outside the purview of the plug-and-play polymer crowd—totally fine, it’s not the same animal—but it’s impressive for anyone that has had to put up with the absolute garbage the 1911 market has been since the 90s.
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The Tisas I had shot SWC no problem. Guess I'm that lucky.
 
rufrdr said:
The Tisas I had shot SWC no problem. Guess I'm that lucky.
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Mine is definitely steep/short in the frame ramp dimensions (ramp to barrel is over 1/32” in battery) but runs everything I load just fine. I also consider myself lucky. I haven’t had an issue, so I haven’t felt the need to make it 1/32”/31.5 degrees.

The only “functional” issue with mine was the strut interference. Dropping the hammer would cause the grip safety to pop into the web of my hand. Took longer to disassemble and reassemble the pistol than it did to file the offending oversized parts.
 
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