1911's

Adam Striegel

Adam Striegel

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Mar 20, 2012
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Thinking about buying a 1911 just for fun ... Can anyone recommend a couple good brands and ones to stay away from? I'm assuming Colt is good, but wanted a couple more options while shopping.


Thanks :)
 
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My brother has a Springfield that he's crazy about. That and the Colt were on the top of my list.
 
Lots of good suggestions above. You might also check out the offerings from Smith & Wesson and Dan Wesson. With 1911s it just depends on what you want and how much cash you are willing to drop. Good luck. They are addicting!
 
Adam Striegel said:
Thinking about buying a 1911 just for fun ... Can anyone recommend a couple good brands and ones to stay away from? I'm assuming Colt is good, but wanted a couple more options while shopping.
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That is kind of a loaded question. Like asking "what kind of vehicle is good" :D

Joking aside though, it would help if you let us know about what kind of price range and what purpose you have in mind. (i.e. carry, competition, home defense) There are a lot of good 1911's out there at a decent price point.

Some of my colleagues have mentioned some good suggestions above. I have had 3 Kimber's and have really liked all of them. My current is a Kimber Pro CDP. Stock models like this one are in the $1000-ish price range.

kimber2a.jpg
 
Remington has came out with a 1911, They are resonably priced, and I haven't heard a whole lot negative about them so far.
Taurus has a 1911. I've heard a lot of complaints about theirs.
My current L10 1911 is a Kimber Stainless Target II.
 
For 1911's, i think you need to set a budget first then start looking at what is available in that budget...

~$500? Rock island Armory

~$750? STI Spartan, Springfield RO

~$1000? The STI Trojan is well regarded as the best 1911 you can get for a grand.

~$1k+ - Your options really open up.

I am not a fan of Colts or Kimbers... They are fine guns, but at the price point of most of them you can find much better options.

Buuut... a 1911 is as much a personal choice as anything. What someone else likes, you may hate.
 
Oh yeh, what about the Ruger 1911? They seem to be reasonably priced, quality pistols, just a little hard to find.
 
This won't be a home defense or anything, just pure fun to have. I have a Glock 26 for carry and Sig p226 for the night stand. I don't normally like to spend more than $1000 for a gun, but I'd like to keep it in the $500 range.

I've shot all my life, but they were always my dad or brothers guns. I haven't really gotten into guns and started purchasing them for myself until recently, so I don't really know what the "good" brands are other than the big names like Smith and Wesson, Ruger, Glock, etc. I never even heard of Kimber until a couple months ago (that suddenly started to make sense why my friend named their hunting dog Kimber. lol).

Anyways, it doesn't need to be super top of the line, I just don't want the thing to blow up in my hand or constantly jam. I looked at a Taurus yesterday and it seems fine, but I didn't shoot it. I think the other two I saw were Rock Island, but now I can't remember for the life of me.

I really appreciate all the suggestions!
 
My recommendation is to start with a government (5") sized gun in .45. 9mm 1911s are fun (I have one), but can be a little more finicky to get running right. Improved sights over the old GI ones, and a beavertail grip safety are probably the most immediately appreciable upgrades to a 1911 beginner. Also, as you haven't gained the experience with the platform to truly know what you want and what you don't, I wouldn't recommend spending over $700-800 to start, unless you have a healthy money tree.

There are quite a few basic 1911s on the market now that fall within those guidelines.

Rock Island Tactical, Ruger SR1911, Remington R1911

These three pretty much only offer one level of gun.

Springfield Armory Range Officer, Smith & Wesson SW1911, STI Spartan(?), etc...

These offer much higher level guns also. Take that for what you will, but I like to think that maybe some of the knowledge from building higher end guns will filter down to the entry level guns.
 
dennishoddy said:
Explain your position?
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It's a money pit. The trigger is too good. There are too many accessories. He'll be needing to sell the Sig and Glock just to accessorize a $500ish Gi-style 1911. This is no small endeavor, and it's better to start with a $750 S&W or Springfield or STI, and go from there. 1911s aren't just fun; they can't be just fun; they're a small source of wonder, like an electric guitar. There's too much potential. Better to save the $500, save up lots of extra money, and buy a great 1911 full of barstock parts, one that you can shoot.

That may have gotten a bit carried away, but it's all true.
 
To have a real badass person build you one, you're looking at whatever your parts are plus $1000 labor for him to put it together.
 
Dude he wants a plinker for $500. If somebody was like "I want a 1911 for tango-droppin" I'd be like "save up for a quality production 1911 like a Smith or Springer"* but if you just want a cheap shooter get a RIA or used Para or something.

*actually if someone wanted a tango-droppin 1911 I'd be torn between "GETAGLOCK LOL" and "when exactly are YOU ever going to drop a tango you're a carpenter."
 
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