WA SCW3 1911a1

[safx]

Just a quick down and dirty bit of information
I thought I would share with other WA owners/
potential buyers.

Magna — SCW1,2 have heavy abs plastic slides/
frames that are made to feel cold and metallic.
They're unique mixes are said to incorporate
metal powder. The weight is great but the strength
is poor. They're on the soft side when warm, and
prone to cracking/breaking when cold. They can
be snapped by hand.

I've recently owned an SCW3 1911a1 and handled/
repaired a friends well used one. And while taking
out an SCW breech on mine, discovered the plastic
is extremely strong and durable. Since I was going
to trash the abs slide on mine to use a metal one
I wanted to take the short cut of breaking open the
slide to remove the breech. It took me 30 minutes
of cursing and straining with vice grips to stretch
and tear the slide in half, and pry the back half
into pieces. Lets just say I was pissed + impressed!

Pros:
• Cheaper price point, made in Taiwan not Japan
• Super durable stock abs
• Comes stock with a nice tightbore 6.03
• Usual nice WA hard/reliable firing system
• All metal mag, including the feedlip, if you get one
• Tight recoil unit, no slop, sits firm & straight
• Hammer strikes are crisp & reliable, no slop

Cons:
• Upgrades are slim pickings, expensive
• Made in Taiwan, large runs
• Sights are plastic and cast into the slide, uhg
• Cheaper cast, lighter internal & external metals
• Inner barrel is brass, not steel like most
• Finish on the abs wears off quick
• Even the toughest abs will eventually break
• Most SCW3's ship with the newer abs-lipped mags
• Metal coated chamber engravings are faint
• Barrel seems like abs coated in metal, very light

Over all, a good cheap pistol to game in stock
form for years. Not a collectors piece to keep
and upgrade. Definitely a middle range model
made to compete with other cheaper game-able
pistols like TM, KSC