I’ve always looked at Hickock as a sort of grandfatherly figure, and the fact that he’s obsessed and very knowledgeable about firearms just makes it better. When you tune in to a Hickock45 video, you can be certain that there will be a gratuitous volume of shooting. This particular video does not disappoint in that department, as Hickock takes an in-depth look at the Tisas 1911A1. No, he doesn’t focus on how much it weighs or the dry technical specifications. What he does is give it a good workout on the range.
So, what is a Tisas 1911A1?
The Tisas is made in Turkey and imported into the US. From outward appearances, it looks just like a US Army 1911A1. From the nicely parkerized finish to the authentic-looking plastic grips to the lanyard loop, it is really very similar to the original. The slide is forged steel, and the hammer-forged barrel is five inches long. On the side of the slide are the markings, “Model 1911A1 US Army.” From a little distance, the pistol actually does look a lot like a real Army .45 ACP pistol.
The pistol is built on the series 70 action, so there is no firing pin block. There is a short trigger, arched mainspring, and beavertail. Hickock is fond of the trigger pull.
He is not too fond of the sights, though, considering that they are very basic and very small. USGI style all the way. These days, we’re spoiled by the sights on carry pistols, as they are high visibility affairs. Back in the day, pistols were not blessed with such luxuries.
Shooting the Tisas
Hickock runs through quite a few magazines with the .45 ACP handgun, and there really aren’t any surprises. It is 100% reliable, and recoil isn’t burdensome. Honestly, it’s a plain vanilla 1911-style pistol.
During his shooting (did I mention there’s a lot of it in this video?), Hickock nails targets both near and far. How far? At the outer limits of his range, which appears to be well over 100 yards. Yeah, he’s a damn good shot, as he hits targets smaller than a man at over a hundred yards. The fact that he does it with a GI-style pistol that has mediocre sights makes it kind of impressive. The man can shoot!
Why would someone want to buy a Turkish copy of a USGI 1911?
Hickock mentions that it would be attractive to those who are on a tight budget. This pistol has an MSRP of $399, which means the street price will be lower than that. For the reliability that you get, the price is not bad. For those who do modifications on firearms, this would be an inexpensive way to get a project off the ground. It’s an inexpensive way to own a facsimile of a military pistol. And although the configuration isn’t ideal for defensive carry, it could serve in that capacity. Finally, reenactors might be attracted to this one as an inexpensive way to add to their uniform.
There are many who will turn up their nose at a Turkish, imported pistol. For them, this video will likely hold no allure. But for those with an open mind or who are on that budget we talked about, this pistol might be appealing.
