Looking for New 1911 pistol suggestions.

[Alan in WI]

I am in the market for a new model 1911 in 45 ACP. I know there are a lot of you guys who have their favorites as well as those "I would never buy that again". Seeing that this is going to be my first I thought that I could get some help with what you like and what you don't like. I would like to keep the pricing around $1200.00 or less, and made in USA would be a must. Thanks for your help.

Alan

[sundog]

Kimber

[paul s]

A 1969 or earler Colt Goverment model.

[dubber123]

What features do you require?

[bushwaker]

dan wesson verry tight and accurate. I own kimbers that shoot well to but dan wesson is better and no mim parts.

[Alan in WI]

Here's what I am thinking. I live in Wisconsin one of the most backward States there is. This November I can foresee a Republican Governor being elected to our state. The only reason we don't have concealed carry here is that our wonderful Democratic Governor vetoed it! It passed everything except his veto. So hoping that the conceal carry will become law soon, I would like a 1911 to use for that purpose. It doesn't have to be extremely light weight but something that would holster nicely and be reliable. I wanted to go with the 45 acp because I am all set up for it.

Thanks
Alan

[captaint]

Alan, Dan Wesson makes a nice bobtail "commander" size 1911. I'll say this though, if I was going to buy a carry gun today, it would be one of these 5 shot 357 revolvers. I have a Walther ppks in .380, no less and I don't enjoy carrying that. Maybe a better holster would help. Anyway I am a big fan of 1911's, own 2 of them and thinking about a third. But for carrying purposes, I would look for something smaller. that's just me. enjoy Mike

[HeavyMetal]

For something to carry a lot and shoot a little take a look at a used Star PD.

25OZ empty, adjustable sights and condition one carry nice!

I've had several over the years, currently have a Firestar in 9mm, because it has an ambi safety on it.

Since the PD's aren't ambi I sell them after I get bored with them. Saw a couple at the Costa Mesa show in Feb going for 300 to 325 if I remember right.

[Alan in WI]

I have been thinking about a Kimber. Have you got any model suggestions?

Thanks,
Alan

[MtGun44]

Dan Wesson for sure. They are fully equal to the $2500-3000 custom pistols for
less than half. Unfortunately the prices are creeping up. I spoke with some friends at
CZ recently and they are unable increase production due to the very high skill set
required of the gunsmiths that hand fit each gun. So they are and will remain hard to
find, but jewels of the 1911 class. They can only make about 4000 per year and they
are almost all sold out (to dealers) already, about 1/3 of the way into the year.

My Pointman 7 will shoot my best handloads into 1" at 25 yds and is 100% reliable.

Treat yourself to one of the finest out there for less than half of the price of the competition.
Hint, Kimber is NOT their competition - Wilson, Baer, Novak and such are the competition.

I have many 1911s, Colts, Kimbers, Gov't, etc. NONE is even remotely in the same workmanship
class as the DW. I love my Kimber Series One Custom, several Gold Cups and my normal
carry gun is a Ltwt Stainless Colt Commander, but as good as they all are, the DW is a much
nicer gun.

Oh - and I own a pair of Wilson custom 1911s, so I actually have something to directly compare.

[trickyasafox]

in your price range you could get some nice springfield armory 1911s and smith and wesson as well.

I don't have any 1911s that high end, but I do have a colt LW commander that carries wonderfully and shoots well. you might consider commander sized guns in whichever make you choose.

[Edubya]

I sure like the Springfied Lightweight Operator.: http://springfield-armory.com/armory.php?version=33

Your next search will be for the correct holster to carry your selected machine in. I like the Cross Breed Holster.
EW

[Dale53]

I have two 1911 custom guns (built up from scratch) and a Kimber CDP Ultra II.

If I were buying a new 1911, it would be a Kimber (YOU pick the model).

FWIW
Dale53

[Lloyd Smale]

for that price id look at these. a kimber gold match. a colt gold cup national match or a springfield trp. Im not a big fan of springfields but the trps are good guns. If you want the best bang for the buck in that price range pick up a sti trojan. they can be had for a couple hundred less then the above choises. Ive seen them for a 1000-1100. Anyone of those guns would be something to be proud of. If 90 percent of your shooting is going to be target shooting and your going to be fooling with differnt cast bullets make sure like the above pistols that your get one with ajustable sights. For a stickly defense gun there not needed but ive been know to carry my ajustable sighted 1911s on occasion and it hasnt hurt anyting yet.

[35remington]

Don't go too small in size. The extra compact 1911's have a tendency for reliability issues, for reasons easily explained. The physical limitations of slide travel, for one thing, increase the likelihood of malfunctions. The whole point of carrying a gun is for it to work when you need it, so don't sell reliability for compactness.....it's not a good trade.

For carry, my own choice would be a Colt Commander style pistol (4.25"), by Colt, or whoever can do this design type effectively; don't go below 4 inches in length. If you think you can carry a full sized 5 inch comfortably, more power to you.

Also, visit 1911.org's Magazine section and read the stickies (in the forum pages) before you drink the Kool-Aid concerning magazines.

[Sagebrush Burns]

The Taurus PT1911 is a nice pistol at a reasonable price.

[Alan in WI]

Right now I am kind of leaning towards the Dan Wesson V-Bob. Thanks MtGun44 I probably would have never checked them out. It's more than I intended to spend but I don't buy too many guns and this will be my first 1911.

Alan

[mike in co]

and then there is para ord...in the usa now.

and weight is your friend...the ease of shooting a 1911 is partially the weight of the gun vs the slow push of a recoil.


mike in co

[NickSS]

I carried a full sized and a Commander sized 1911 for years and stopped becasue they weighed too much and I had lots of pain at the end of the day. Today I carry a 2 inch 357 mag revolver as it is much more carry friendly as a CCW. I recently bought a Taurus PT145 on a whim to test it out as a carry gun. I have not shot it enough yet to be confident in it to carry it for defense. Another 1000 rounds or so and I might change my mind after all a 10 shot 22 oz 45 auto is a hard act to follow.

[Phillip]

Half the fun with the 1911's is building one to fit your needs, and since this is your fist one, I would look at one of the cheaper stock ones out there. Even if it is a used model, it wont matter by the time your done modding it.

As a matter of fact, I picked up a used stock colt combat commander light weight that had a few scratches from the previous owner using it as a carry weapon for 350$. The guy had it on consignment at one of the local gun shops I go to.

I plan on updating the sights to a 3 dot system and adding a full length recoil guide system to it. On top of that, the usual trigger clean up and beaver tail safety leaver change.

There is enough info on how to make these changes on the web to help you preform these changes. The changes you are uncomfortable in doing, you can always get a gunsmith to do.

[MtGun44]

Make sure you have a chance to handle the V-bob before you settle on it. Personally, I
don't like the bobbed mainspring housing, but many folks are real happy with it. Also, if you
intend it for CCW, the alloy frame is the way to go. However, if you intend to shoot it a lot,
the steel frame will do a lot better durability-wise if you shoot JHP ammo. The feed ramp is
aluminum in most guns (some have the ramped barrel where the feed ramp is part of the
barrel like a Browning HP bbl). Not sure if they even make an alloy framed pistol at
Dan Wesson.

If you will be shooting boolits, makes no difference, the aluminum feed ramp will last fine.
If you get an aluminum framed gun, DO NOT polish the aluminum feed ramp portion of the
frame as the hard anodizing layer is only about .001 thick and is far harder than the bare
aluminum.

The bob is for CCW, the steel frame seems at odds with that application to a degree. If you
want it for CCW, look into the Sparks Versamax II. I find it perfect for all day carry with a
Ltwt Commander, easy to conceal under a loose T-shirt. Some folks are less wt sensitive.

[Dale53]

Here is my "carry 1911" - it's a Kimber CDP Ultra II in .45 ACP. It has been reliable so far, but I don't have thousands of rounds through it. It'll feed my MiHec #68 200 gr SWC's with ease. All in all, it has been a revelation:

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/DalesPistolsRevolvers5Selects-0210.jpg

FWIW
Dale53

[gmsharps]

My vote would be for the Kimber Compact CDP II. I would also go with SS metalform magazines with removable floorplate and rounded followers.

[Lloyd Smale]

dale i had one and foolishly got talked out of it. It was suprisingly accurate for a little gun and ran like a top.

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I am a Historical shooter. I am inclined to US military firearms.
SO... get a WW2 45. I have a Remington Rand and have no regrets. It functions and fires every cast RN and a 185 SWC without fail. It is as accurate as I need and when I get to the day I will sell it will probably be worth xxx times what I paid for it.
I also have a Colt from 1918 I shoot but they are a bit pricey to have a shooter.

[toddrod]

For your price listed I think a STI Spartan or STI Trojan would fit the bill. I just purchased a Spartan in 9mm and love it.

[Groo]

Groo here
Once you get above $1200/$1300 I would look at Fusion Firearms...
The man that brought the 1911 DW's owns Fusion
And you can spec what you want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:holysheep

[2ndAmendmentNut]

I have shot Colts, Kimbers, one old Remington, Taurus, and Dan Wesson. All of them were reliable and all were more or less accurate. I have to admit though that I thought Kimber was the best.

[Blackwater]

I have 3 .45's right now, a Kimber Lwt. Compact and a pair of Colt Commanders built on Series 80 frames and Series 70 slides. Additionally, I've owned several others in the past. I've shot most of the newer ones that friends have bought, and to be honest, I think most any .45 you can buy now is a pretty darned good gun that you should be able to depend on. However, you can't trust ANY gun, rifle, pistol, revolver or whatever, without a shakedown run of several hundred rounds to test its reliability.

That said, I'd get the one that felt best in my hand and pointed most naturally, and that I liked the balance of, etc. In short, just pick the one that feels best to you and that you can get the best deal on. Not many of us have any great excess of $$$$ these days, and that's what I'd use, along with the guns' feel, to make my decision if I had it to do all over again.

For example, a buddy recently had a S&W that he was very high on because it really shot well with his loads. He traded it off in a weak moment, but soon found a deal on a Taurus. The Taurus shot even better than his old S&W! I think it's more of a situation where the individual gun you get means more than the name scribed on it these days, or at least in the first line .45's anyway.

My old Colts have a lot of handwork in them, and I don't think they're a bit better than 90% of the over-the-counter guns you can get today. Competition has REALLY benefited the .45 lovers among us in the last couple of decades! BIG TIME!

[Dale53]

>>>Competition has REALLY benefited the .45 lovers among us in the last couple of decades! BIG TIME!<<<

Competition AND demand has certainly done that!! I am old enough to remember when you bought a New Colt 1911 and it was nothing more than a "Kit Gun". Then, after barrel, bushing, slide tightening, and a lot of good work by a GOOD pistolsmith, you did end up with a fine pistol. I have two done that way by a fine smith and they have been WONDERFUL pistols. However, I was MORE than fortunate. We had a super pistolsmith living nearby (ex-Marine Gunnery Sgt from their marksmanship program) that worked for peanuts. I am an old infantryman but that is one GYRENE that I hold in VERY high regard.

If I had to start over today, I would just order out a new Kimber of the model that satisfied my needs and not look back. They are THAT good!

FWIW
Dale53

[Edubya]

Groo here
Once you get above $1200/$1300 I would look at Fusion Firearms...
The man that brought the 1911 DW's owns Fusion
And you can spec what you want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:holysheep

That site (http://www.fusionfirearms.com/) sure does get the adrenaline flowing.
EW

[mike in co]

The man that brought the 1911 DW's owns Fusion
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:holysheep


explain that statement...you have me lost...cz owns/markets dw.

mike in co

[Alan in WI]

Guys I sure am please with all the suggestions I have been getting. Right now I am recovering from foot surgery and can't get around to well. I have plenty of time to surf the web and look at all the different. In a couple of weeks I should be able to get out and handle some. The problem is that most shops don't stock most models. They may have one or two of this and one of that and that makes it hard. Even the bigger stores like Gander Mountain and Cabelas have limited inventory. I called a Cabelas here in Wisconsin and I asked if they had a DW V-Bob and he didn't know they even offered that model. Kind of makes it tough. But thanks for all the great replies!

Alan

[Swindler1]

Ck out the Springfield TRP. I have 2 of them and would not trade them for anything. I think I could pound rocks into a case and this gun will feed them.
I have a Dan Wesson CBOB/45acp and while it is a very nice gun I would dare to say that it is to tight for SD carry to many FTF.

[technetium-99m]

I vowed that I'd never buy a Kimber when I saw the guts in a friend's SIS.

That gun was $1,200 out the door and full of mediocre parts.

Don't spend a boat load of money on a gun with junk internals when you can buy a cheap gun with cheap parts or a costlier gun with quality parts.

[KYCaster]

I vowed that I'd never buy a Kimber when I saw the guts in a friend's SIS.

That gun was $1,200 out the door and full of mediocre parts.

Don't spend a boat load of money on a gun with junk internals when you can buy a cheap gun with cheap parts or a costlier gun with quality parts.



Technetium, could you please elaborate on that?

I'm currently shooting a Springfield Govt. model in USPSA matches. After a few mods, I'm pretty happy with it, but would like to get something with a little more "CLASS". Kimber is pretty high on my preferred list, but if I'm gonna have to replace a bunch of parts I'll look elsewhere.

Which parts seem to be the problem?

Jerry

[technetium-99m]

It's not that they weren't functional, but you could see nasty casting lines on the thumb and grip safeties, the ignition components didn't appear to be any different from their other models, and the finish was just poor (it was flaking on a 2 month old gun with less than 500 rounds through it).

Kimber's customer service told the guy to send in the pistol and quoted an absurd lead time for recoating the gun. I have no problem with poor finish and cheap parts on a $4-500 gun, but not on a $1,200 premium labeled gun.

I say you keep that springer and shoot the wee out of it. SA supports USPSA like no one else and I support them because of it. You can always send the slide out to Gan's for new sights etc. and take the gun to a good smith for trigger upgrades.

If you really want to upgrade look at the STI singlestacks. If you're shooting in SS division you can't go wrong with a Trojan in .40.

[bdutro]

http://www.gunblast.com/Perfect1911.htm
http://www.gunblast.com/images/Perfect1911/DSC05712.JPG

[miestro_jerry]

I have never receivered a Kimber in the condition that was mentioned, I have seen that condition in a couple of other less expensive 1911s, but these days most 1911s are extremely well made.

If it wasn't for my SIG P220, I would be carrying my Kimber Raptor II.

All of my Kimbers have been excellent shooters, never had a problem with them. I would like to see a Kimber with substandard workmanship.

Jerry

[felix]

I purchased three Kimber Bullseye guns at one time from Kimber. They arrived and each felt and looked identical at box opening. I racked the slide on each, and felt they had 16 pound springs, so I loaded rounds to match the spring rate (90 degree ejection from frame, landing about 6 feet away). Two guns shot very good, and one gun noticeably better. 50 yard guns for sure, all three of them, but the better one maybe a 65+ yard gun. But, it had the worst trigger of the three. I took all three guns to a local smithy who worked as a final fitter for Wilson's for five years or more and asked him to make one of the guns perfect. Several days later he called and said all was needed is to replace that trigger. No need to swap parts between the guns because the improvement would not be noticeable in each unless the guns were going into master BE competition. He replaced the trigger with a STI, and that gun was delivered to a very worthy gentleman who could appreciate the swap. ... felix

[technetium-99m]

Kimbers are middle of the road 1911's, just like Springfields.

My beef with them comes with their customer service and the "Custom Shop" labeled guns. Kimber has no custom shop, the parts in the expensive pistols are the same as the Custom II's, you just pay a lot more for them, and you get a different bake on finish.

Springfield on the other hand, has a true custom shop with actual smiths and can do most anything you want, add to that the fact they took a much better approach to make their guns drop safe. I feel the same about STI, the guns made in Texas are well fitted and you can get them with an array of parts. Even the outsourced Spartan is an insane value.

I see no reason to spend my money with a company with such business practices that also has no interest in supporting the shooting sports I participate in.

Just my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

[miestro_jerry]

It any one wants a really perfect 1911, and is willing to spend the time with the gun maker, buy a Wilson. Lots of money and time involved, but worth it.

Try one of their Tactical Professionals.

My criteria for buy firearms is "Can I bet My Life on this Gun."

Jerry

[DGG1]

I shoot a Para USA high capacity model and am pleased with it. There are many good pistols being produced by Para USA.

http://www.para-usa.com/new/product_pistol.php?id=67

I liked the Wilsons and some others but they were out of my budget.

[siamese4570]

Alan: I would never discourage anyone from buying toys but here's something to ponder. I have been thru a number of guns trying to find my perfect ccw gun. The problem is where to hide the things. You may not have the same problems in WI as we have in OK. Unless you're constantly wearing a jacket, it's hard to hide a full size gun. I know that there are people who do it using vest, fanny packs, etc, but when wearing shorts and a t shirt in the summer, you rapidly run out of options. With the right pants (ones with deep pockets and loose legs) you can easily hide a j-frame or something like a Ruger LCP. Just something to consider.

Siamese4570