Colt’s 1911 model achieved something that remains beyond the reach of most handguns – and currently its success story shows no signs of abating. Designed as a military pistol long before the First World War, it enjoyed the trust of the U.S. Army for more than 70 years. Over recent decades, Colt’s timeless classic has continued to inspire droves of fans and sports shooters, and has increasingly made a comeback in the service of US government agencies.
The SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target has a modern look: SIG Sauer has installed skeleton components, fiber-optic elements on the sights and sporty grip panels. It also has a fresh and sophisticated style with light-colored wooden grip panels that offer a tantalizing contrast to the stainless steel look of this 1911 replica. But what about its inner values? How much of the Colt 1911 is found in the modern SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target?
SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target: The technical details
The answer is astonishingly simple and a delight for all Colt fans, as the engineering built into the SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target gets fairly close to the original. For instance, the SIG Sauer has a barrel with the two classic locking lugs, a single chain link and short recoil spring guide rod – a Browning system that stays refreshingly true to the old original design.
But there are also modern elements: Handy checkering on the front and rear of the frame, a grip safety with high beavertail spur and the pronounced memory groove improve the haptics and position in the hand. The trigger and hammer are both skeletonized. Not only does it look good, it shaves a couple of grams off the weight.
The SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target has a kind of hybrid slide, eschewing the familiar SIG Sauer edge, but still reflecting the classic shape in the rounded lines in front of the dust cover. There is also a polished SIG emblem on the sides of the slide.
SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target in practice
The SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target experienced no malfunctions with any of the loads we shot. The tightest group of 53 millimeters came using the Remington rounds. The hollow tip bullets by GECO achieved 86 mm, but only because one outlier wrecked the group size. Otherwise it would have recorded the narrowest pattern of 42 mm. So the PPU full metal jacket cartridges claimed second place with a score of 82 mm, making the results of the shooting test par for the course for.45 caliber 1911 replicas with five-inch barrels.
The trigger appears similarly configured to SIG’s other 1911s in sports style: the trigger pull a shade north of 2,000 grams and minimal slack before reaching the release point – altogether an accomplished trigger. The sights combine a front sight with inserted fiber-optic rod in green, and a narrow, pre-adjustable match rear sight. It’s a fairly unusual concept for a 1911, but it can be helpful in poor light conditions. The grip plates are particularly useful for people with large hands, and create an additional jet funnel at the lower end of the frame to facilitate magazine changing. The manufacturing tolerances are outstanding. Although the Super Target does not quite match the tightness of a Les Bear 1911, it does cycle pleasantly.
SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target: Our summary
Introduced exclusively in SIG Sauer’s US program, the Stainless Super Target is a classic replica with modern and sporting elements. The workmanship and finish are high quality. Anyone looking to buy the model in Germany should contact importers like The Duke. The handgun comes in a black plastic case with two eight-round magazines, a large pistol lock, an orange safety flag and a recommended retail price of €2,290.00.
Go to the SIG Sauer USA website for more information on the SIG Sauer 1911 Stainless Super Target.
Click here for a comparison between the SIG Sauer 1911 Match Elite and the Colt Government M 1911 at all4shooters.com.
