1911 Recommendations

[m4a1mustang]

I'm trying to help my friend find the right 1911. He is looking for one chambered in .45 and wants to spend $1,000 +/-. This is going to be his first handgun (he's got a number of long-guns) and he doesn't plan on carrying it, just taking it to the range and using it as a home-defense/nightstand gun.

Based on his preferences I am thinking the S&W 1911 series may be his best bet. What do you guys think?

[RocKor]

S&W makes a great 1911. Other viable options would be offerings from Colt, Kimber, and Springfield, depending on exactly what he's looking for. Shop around and get your hands on different brands to see what's best for your friend.

[m4a1mustang]

Thanks! I'll definitely look into those. The trouble I find with 1911s is that there are just so many. I get confused!

[speezack]

There are dozens of entries in this market... all the top brands are represented.... it's sort of like cars and women... whatever floats your boat is what you will get...

I have several Colts and a nice Springfield... the Colts are a bit more than 1k, usually but the Springfield shoots really well and is priced right at what you mentioned although you can probably find them for less.



this one has night sights and a match barrel and shoots really good.... like I said.... look and handle them all .... the feel is very similar between them all.... obviously because they are all 1911 style.... just take your time, shoot them if you can and jump on the one that .... 'floats your boat"... your gonna get a ton of advice.... everyone has their own thoughts on this.... that is what makes the world go round.... no one opinion is right.... just let your own mind make the choice....

[chrismartin]

Also add Sig Sauer and STI to that list to check out. They are right around that price range and come with some outstanding features. They use very good parts and are generally well regarded.

To slim down the field you should try to find the features he might want. High rise beaver tail, rail or no rail, type of sights, trigger style, single side or ambi safety, grips, magwell, aluminum or steel frame, etc. Once you have those features that you want, it'll slim down the field. Then, you would want to find a gun shop that has 1911's in stock that you can play with to feel the trigger, weight, etc.

One of my local shops (Bob's Guns in downtown norfolk) carries Colt, Sig, Kimber, Springfield, etc. and carry a ton of stock. So, going to a shop like that, you can really compare the guns together. I'll tell you, at $1200 or so, there is a LOT of competition in the 1911 field and the choice would be tough.

Here are a few of my favorites with rails (allows gun mounted light for nightstand use):
http://sigsauer.com/CatalogProductDetai ... tions.aspx


http://www.springfield-armory.com/armory.php?model=10

http://www.coltsmfg.com/Catalog/ColtPis ... ilGun.aspx


http://www.kimberamerica.com/1911/tacti ... l-entry-ii


http://www.stiguns.com/the-sti-duty-one/


http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/ ... rrorView_Y

Obviously I'm leaving out a few, but there you are

Dollar for dollar though, I was impress when I handled the Sig. However, I ended up with a Kimber due to cost and a specific size I wanted (I got a 4" barreled Pro carry II for CCW)

[ShotgunBlast]

Holy crap, $1k for a handgun? I'm not into 1911s myself so I've never looked into pricing, but what's with the price difference between them and a Glock or XD? Does the polymer frame really drop the price that much?

[chrismartin]

Holy crap, $1k for a handgun? I'm not into 1911s myself so I've never looked into pricing, but what's with the price difference between them and a Glock or XD? Does the polymer frame really drop the price that much?

More mill work, more hand fitting and parts installation, fewer sales (economics of scale) more complex parts (from a manufacturing standpoint).

Glocks, XD's, M&P's, etc. all gain from more modern planning and design. Look at the parts in the Glock. Mass molded frames, stamped steel parts, fewer parts, etc. The 1911 was invented over 100 years ago. There are much cheaper ones out there though.

As an example, the glock trigger is mostly plastic with a few stamped steel "bars" and a small spring. The 1911 has a milled tool steel sear and hammer with VERY critical mating surfaces. For the more expensive 1911's, these surfaces are prepped and tested by hand. Not really needed on the Glock.

Rock island armory, STI, Kimber, Springfield, Ruger all have $500-1000 1911's.
They will be more traditional designs without some of the features, be more mass produced with less hand fitting of parts, have heavier/less tuned trigger pulls, etc.

Basically, there are price points for everyone. If you want a $500-600 1911, they are out there, just like HK's polymer guns are $800-1200 (HK Mark23 routinely sells USED for over $1600)

I paid $400 for my first one and $750 for the Kimber I just bought. I paid $500-550 or so for my Glocks.

That's not to say that I don't think $1200 1911's are over priced a bit, but it's a free market and if they are making money and selling at that price point, no reason to lower it.

If you really want to blow your mind, check out Nighthawk, Wilson, Baer, etc. They are $2500 and up.

[ShotgunBlast]

Awesome. Thanks for the clarification!

[chrismartin]

If you want a full featured 1911 at a cheaper price, check out the Ruger SR1911 (if you can find one!) Street price is around $600-700. They use CNC milling machines for all the parts and are able to produce a very high quality 1911 for less cost due to the manufacturing techniques they can use.

http://www.ruger.com/products/sr1911/models.html



Kimber, for example, uses MIM (Metal Injection Molding) to produce in-spec parts cheaper. Ruger uses their huge production lines of computer controlled milling machines. The Ruger has a ton of features and looks great for a great price and is 100% made in the US. RIA, Springfield, STI, etc. produce less expensive 1911's, but they are generally made in the Philippines.

[speezack]

For the most part... they are all pretty well made 1911's.... like I said.... your gonna get a lot of advice... and a fairly wide variance in price... ya just have to go for it... I will say, IMHO, Ruger has for the most part, always made a very well made firearm... there was a time that I had just about everything they made in handguns, but alas... I have grown old and many have drifted away..... as I consolidate my small collection.

The obvious reason there are so many different copies of this weapon is the success of it's heritage... if it is functional, simple, looks good and works, it will be duplicated... and that is probably true for just about anything.... except maybe women...

[m4a1mustang]

Thanks again, guys.

I'm going to be at Virginia Arms tomorrow looking at more Glocks for myself. I'll be sure to take note of their 1911 selection, maybe even try a few to see if I can find anything I know my friend would like.

[dorminWS]

Thanks again, guys.

I'm going to be at Virginia Arms tomorrow looking at more Glocks for myself. I'll be sure to take note of their 1911 selection, maybe even try a few to see if I can find anything I know my friend would like.

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May be too late, but here's my $.02:

There are a lot of good $1,000-$1,200 1911s out there. And it's all about personal preferences, I guess. I've got a S&W SW1911, and I regard it as a pretty unremarkable pistol. I think if I was looking for a very good, well-built, good looking first (or, for that matter, only) 1911 I might just buy a Ruger SR1911. I also really like the Colt Commander, which can be had for around $1,000. The Springfield Armory Trophy Match is also a nice pistol, but if memory serves, it's up in the $1,400-$1,500 range.

[dorminWS]

Holy crap, $1k for a handgun? I'm not into 1911s myself so I've never looked into pricing, but what's with the price difference between them and a Glock or XD? Does the polymer frame really drop the price that much?

More mill work, more hand fitting and parts installation, fewer sales (economics of scale) more complex parts (from a manufacturing standpoint).

Glocks, XD's, M&P's, etc. all gain from more modern planning and design. Look at the parts in the Glock. Mass molded frames, stamped steel parts, fewer parts, etc. The 1911 was invented over 100 years ago. There are much cheaper ones out there though.

As an example, the glock trigger is mostly plastic with a few stamped steel "bars" and a small spring. The 1911 has a milled tool steel sear and hammer with VERY critical mating surfaces. For the more expensive 1911's, these surfaces are prepped and tested by hand. Not really needed on the Glock.

Rock island armory, STI, Kimber, Springfield, Ruger all have $500-1000 1911's.
They will be more traditional designs without some of the features, be more mass produced with less hand fitting of parts, have heavier/less tuned trigger pulls, etc.

Basically, there are price points for everyone. If you want a $500-600 1911, they are out there, just like HK's polymer guns are $800-1200 (HK Mark23 routinely sells USED for over $1600)

I paid $400 for my first one and $750 for the Kimber I just bought. I paid $500-550 or so for my Glocks.

That's not to say that I don't think $1200 1911's are over priced a bit, but it's a free market and if they are making money and selling at that price point, no reason to lower it.

If you really want to blow your mind, check out Nighthawk, Wilson, Baer, etc. They are $2500 and up.

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What he said, SGB,

But the short answer for some of us is that 1911s are like divorces: They cost a lot because they're WORTH IT.

[ShotgunBlast]

I can totally understand that more parts and more hand work justifies a higher price. One thing that has turned me off from 1911s is taking them apart because of all the parts, but I guess that gets easier the more you work at it. Do you 1911 owners feel comfortable field stripping it at the range?

They sure do look purdy.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

[dorminWS]

I can totally understand that more parts and more hand work justifies a higher price. One thing that has turned me off from 1911s is taking them apart because of all the parts, but I guess that gets easier the more you work at it. Do you 1911 owners feel comfortable field stripping it at the range?

They sure do look purdy.

[ Post made via Mobile Device ]

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Tain't that big a deal to field strip a 1911, but I've never done that at the range.

[ratherfish]

Once you're taught to disassemble and reassimble blindfolded it's a snap!

1000's have learned, so can you!

[Chingon]

...STI, Kimber, Springfield, Ruger all have $500-1000 1911's.

I need to shop where you shop. Never seen one of these for less than $650 new. Used yes but that's because someone is hurting for money. These manufacturers push just under to just over a grand for their products.

[Chingon]

Do you 1911 owners feel comfortable field stripping it at the range?

Sure, its not that difficult. This pistol was made for combat and built to military specifications, including ease of cleaning in a combat environment. Field stripping a 1911 is no different than field stripping a Glock, just takes a different procedure and you have to be careful when you remove or reassemble the recoil spring plug. always fun when it slips and springs off into the grass. Easter egg hunting time!!

[TBob]

If it's not too late, I'd recommend taking a good look at Kimbers. I have three and all shoot great. The quality, features, and accuracy make them the top seller amongst M1911s according to the BATF database. I recommended Kimbers to two friends, and they both love theirs.

[chrismartin]

...STI, Kimber, Springfield, Ruger all have $500-1000 1911's.

I need to shop where you shop. Never seen one of these for less than $650 new. Used yes but that's because someone is hurting for money. These manufacturers push just under to just over a grand for their products.

RIA sells most models under $500, Springfield has the mil-spec model that's usually around $600, STI and Kimber has models in the $600-700 range (and up, obviously), the Ruger SR1911 is around $650 (depending on how backed up they are.) I was just trying to say that between all those vendors, you can find many good models between $500 and $1000. I should not have used "all" to suggest that STI has a model that's only $500.