Smith & Wesson SW1911SC E-Series™ - Round Butt Scandium Frame
Sunday, June 24, 2012 at 12:11PM by Bonzer Wolf Smith & Wesson introduced the 1911 SC E-Series at the Shot Show in January 2011. I immediately decided that I wanted one but like most new guns introduced at the Las Vegas event, it was difficult to find. I was hoping to find one at the Fort Worth Gun Show in February 2012 but the dealers told me they received very few, which were sold to “preferred customers” before they hit the display cases. 
I’d never owned a 1911 and caught the fever in 2011. The Model 1911 .45 Automatic Pistol is one of the world’s most respected handguns, and has been designated by some authorities as the finest service pistol design of all time.
The Browning 1911 was a revolutionary gun invented by one of the greatest gun designers of all time, John Moses Browning, the founder of Browning Arms Company.
2001 was the 100th anniversary of the Browning 1911. We ordered our first 1911 on February 29, a Sig Sauer Traditional TacOps Government Model from the GT Distributors, the Sig Law Enforcement sales rep in Dallas.
The out the door law enforcement price including tax was $931. MSRP is $1213 + 8.25% tax for a total of $1313 out the door in Texas. GT required me to pay the full $931 when I ordered the pistol. I was told it could take up to 120 days for GT to receive the gun from Sig Sauer as they were back logged on orders.
Frankly, I never expected it would take that long, based on previous Sig law enforcement program purchases. This past Friday, I emailed GT and told them that it was coming up on 120 days since I paid for and ordered the TacOps model. If Sig could not deliver the pistol by July 1, I wanted to cancel the order and get a full refund. GT contacted Sig who said no can do by July 1. GT offered me a full refund, which I accepted.
To be fair, this year I had not seen a Sig 1911 Traditional TacOps for sale online or in the DFW metroplex. But yesterday we went to the Fort Worth Gun Show and found two of them for $860 + Tax, which was just $20 more than the Sig “law enforcement” price at GT.
Before going to the Gun Show I told Mrs. Wolf that I wasn’t going to buy a Sig 1911 TacOps even if I saw one at the Gun Show for the same price or less. I decided to wait until I found the 1911 that I’ve wanted since January 2011, the S&W 1911SC E-Series Round Butt Scandium frame pistol. I was will to pay up to $1,200 out the door for this pistol. My preference was for the Black Anodized Finish model rather than the two tone.
It didn’t take long for my wish to come true. We found this 1911SC with the black anodized finish, which I purchased from a FFL dealer for $1191 including tax, out the door. Your mileage may vary.
As we were leaving we found the same pistol with a $1365 + Tax cash only price tag. MSRP for this pistol is $1369.
Mrs.Wolf asked me if I would have paid almost $1,500 (with tax) for the pistol if it was the only one at the show.
Hell to the NO. By the way, the one I purchased was for the CASH price also. Credit card prices were 3% higher. It’s a good idea to bring cash to Gun Shows.
However, Academy Sports and similar retailers charge the same price, cash or credit card for firearms purchases, which are always FINAL. No refunds for firearms or ammunition. Academy will assist you in returning the firearm for warranty work by shipping guns you purchased from there back to the manufacturer.
S&W 1911SC E-series pistols can be difficult to find so dealer’s prices can vary greatly. The same pistol purchased one aisle over, cost $300 more out the door than the one I bought from S.A.W. a large dealer based in Sunnyvale, Tx. I saw this gun on the Internet listed for $1199 but it was out of stock on backorder. There is no sales tax on an out of state purchases but shipping and FFL fees usually run $50 or more.
We did not expect to find this pistol at the Gun Show. The first 4 dealers we visitd did not have one.
I was hoping to find a Springfield XDs, which I wasn’t sure I would buy, but wanted to see up close. We didn’t find one at the Show. Academy expects to get them in in the middle of July in the Fort Worth area. The all black will sell for $529 + tax. The two tone is a bit higher but I can’t remember exactly the price Academy quoted.
A couple of dealers told me today they didn’t have any XDs to sell and if they had received any from Springfield, that they would have sold before coming to the Show. In other words, they have been reserved for their “preferred buyers”. Many gun dealers operate this way, which is their right. Academy Sports does not put guns aside. Every gun that hits the store goes into the display case. Academy offers a competivive price and sells all the guns out of the case. If you call and ask about a gun, if they have it in stock, Academy will hold it until you arrive later that day.
If you’re interested in the Springfield XDs sub compact .45 pistol, I’d suggest calling your local Academy Sports in mid July. I’ve had good luck purchasing firearms at the Academy this year. We’ve purchased new models introduced at the 2012 Shot Show in January, including the Ruger SR22, SR40c, 10/22TD and the S&W Shield for significantly less than MSRP at Academy Sports.
This is my first 1911 purchase and my initial impressions are extremely positive. This is a great looking pistol. We’ll see how this Enhanced classic performs this week. I’ll post about S&W 1911SC performance after I run it at the range.
Visit Smith & Wesson E-series home page
We should not forget that the spark which ignited the American Revolution was caused by the British attempt to confiscate the firearms of the colonists. - Patrick Henry
Bonzer Wolf
Ran 150 rounds through the S&W 1911SC “E” earlier today. I just couldn’t wait until Wednesday, my usual range day. I’m not a 1911 guy so I don’t know about other 1911’s. I don’t imagine it’s John Moses Browning’s 1911. The E stands for ENHANCED. This is one special pistol.
I was raised on wheel guns and the Smith and Wesson 6906 was the first semi-auto issued to me by U.S. Customs. Soon after I became a Glock guy. I purchased a couple of Sigs along the way and since retirement, Ruger moved to the top of my list. My only experience with .45 ACP has been my Glock 36 which is the first gun I purchased after I retired. There’s something special about lobing those 230 grain rounds down range.
Now I get the 1911 fan boys. This was the best pistol that I ever shot right out of the box. Unbelievable accuracy and nary a hiccup with four different brands of 230 grain .45ACP rounds in both factory and Chip McCormick 7 & 8 round mags. I can’t do it justice now, but will post more after I go back to the range on Wednesday. I couldn’t stay long due to family obligations.
I will say this, if you’re an experienced shooter, and like me you’ve never experienced the 1911, you’re missing out on something special.
Before today, If I had to ditch all my handguns but one, could only keep one hand gun, I struggled with making the theoretical choice. I like them all. After today, it’s easy…S&W 1911SC Series E 4.25 inch Round Butt is the last gun I would get let go of at this point. It was that good today.
The best news, is I don’t have to get rid of any of them. They’re all good but only one can be my favorite.
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