If you were buying your first 1911

[xusmico]

I don't get why some of you folks are constantly saying stock kimbers, now it includes S & W and Springfield, this is so untrue and a very reckless statement, I have 6 Kimbers and 2 Springfield's that run fine, did you forget to count mine and the thousands and thousands that are just fine. You realize if this was true they would all be out of business. A truly irresponsible statement!

too bad I rubbed your fur the wrong way, I only know what I see on the range and what gets brought in for repair. glad yours work.

 

[Bender]

I know the deal! A few years later bought a Ed Brown. Then three Wilsons followed by a Nighthawk. A few years later I sold the Brown, Nighthawk and two Wilsons. Bought another Wilson and another LB. The Premier II is still kicking right along. That being said, if I had the big bucks and was buying one 1911 it would be a Wilson.

I'm not saying Baer sucks, or isn't good enough. I'm saying, once you try one, you'll want ya try them ALL!

 

[mm1911]

too bad I rubbed your fur the wrong way, I only know what I see on the range and what gets brought in for repair. glad yours work.

I don't care if you have seen some on the range or some brought in for repair, your statement is all Kimbers, all Springfield's, all Smith and Wesson's are bad out of the box, I've seen Sig 320's fail at IDPA matches, 2 of them, so I guess all Sigs are bad out of the box. So how many have you actually seen, 5, 10, 100, I'm guessing you have seen them all(except mine of course). This is why I stopped ready forums, it's either all kimbers suck, Colts are the only 1911's made and of course when someone says I have 600 bucks, which 1911 do y'all suggest, wish I had a dollar for every save 1000 more bucks and buy a Dan Wesson! And I have no idea why the font changed

 

[Grouchy]

For sure Kimber has the most attractive ads in the industry. Almost causes me to buy one. Or several. If the quality of their product matches the quality of the photos, Kimber is top shelf!

 

[Weisse52]

Generalizations are seldom completely right or completely wrong.

I can say that of the new 1911's I have purchased it was the ones from Springfield that had to go back for repair. But that small sample proves nothing. Springfield was responsive and it did not sour me on the company. (They took care of that on their political actions)

I have worked as a RO at two different ranges for a number of years. If memory serves me correctly the majority of times I see 1911's with issues they were Kimber. But again that does not prove much. Kimber sells lots of guns so it is logical to see lots of them at ranges. I also have No idea how the pistol was maintained or the type of ammo used or the condition of the magazines used.

I love Colt's but would not buy one unless I put my hands on it first. And the only one I own with the series 80 FPS is a Officer model. Just don't care for FPS on any 1911.

Yes, Dan Wesson makes a great 1911 and do seem to attract quite the rabid followers. They are the ones I buy now.

Lots of people love their own choices.

Do your research, buy quality and shoot the snot out of it.

 

[RStone]

Take the plunge. You will have one of two responses. I hate it or I really like it. Of the ones you posted I would do the DW Valor or the Range Office. I have shot both and they are dependable guns. You might look at this when contemplating buying a used gun What To Look For When Buying A Used 1911 Source: 1911forum

 

[Michael Miedzianowski]

Kimber Pro CDP 2

 

[Sk8r]

I see there is a nice TRP in Stainless at the shop for the same price as the Valor. Hmmmm.

I've had the itch for a while & was contemplating another striker gun but thought I should branch out into something different.

Agree with the general advice to go to as high quality as you can for the price.

The so-called customs (WC, Les Baer, Ed Brown, etc.) while undoubtedly excellent are way overpriced (with the customs you are paying for name, competing in a tight sellers market) for what you get in terms of actual performance, by comparison to the next tier down--which are the high end of production/semi custom.

In the affordable class, either the DW Valor or the SA TRP--up and coming competitors to the big name custom builds--would be excellent choices among those you listed available at your local shop, followed by the Colts if they are "70 Series" (meaning built without the "afterthought" firing pin disconnect parts).

When choosing among used 1911s--even ones that are from good makers and that look good externally--avoid specimens with undue internal wear or out-of-spec conditions in order to avoid future headaches and danger. It can be tricky to spot this, but you need to make an effort; no matter which of the used ones you choose. Before committing to buy, ask the shop owner/staff to field strip it (remove slide, and remove recoil spring assembly and barrel from the slide) in front of you, or to let you do it right there; use this opportunity to inspect the barrel lugs and slide lugs to make sure there is no sign of peening nor signs of any attempted modifications by previous owners or "gunsmiths". If either of those are apparent then avoid that gun. Fit of the barrel bushing should be snug and there should be no rattling when you shake the assembled gun. If you have a local friend with experience checking out 1911 condition, take them with you for this "eyes-on" inspection. Alternatively, avoid the used guns. You might pay a little more for a new-from-factory one, but it will be well worth it for the warranty and assurance.

 

[HRColey]

Yes indeed! I'm going down the path of looking for my first 1911, which brought me to this forum. I thought, why not ask those with the first hand knowledge what approach they'd take now given all they've learned.

I do want one I can take to the range regularly and not feel bad about killing any long-term collectibility, but at the same time, I want it to be something I give to my son one day and aside from the sentimental value, he could say, "damn, this is a nice gun."

I've been carrying 1911s since 1975 and even wore a Gold Cup as a police officer, but if you want to carry a 1911 concealed I'd go with a Lightweight Commander with a trigger job, ambidextrous safety levers and larger, more visible night sights. The easiest 1911 to conceal is a Lightweight Colt Officers ACP with the same three modifications. Those two pistols are my favorites, but any 1911 will put you ahead of the curve. If money is no object then by all means go with a full house custom from one of the standout gunsmiths. It will shoot and look so good that you'll hate to conceal it. Try Cylinder & Slide for truly first class custom work. They did my Colt Government Model .380 and my Browning Hi Power 9mm. Beautiful job on both.

 

[6SpeedBowtie]

I greatly appreciate all the tips and suggestions! I think this could be a great thread for future newbies like myself, but thought I'd provide an update. I wish I had a lot more money, because I saw several that I liked quite a bit, and I can already tell that this likely won't be my last..... Ultimately, I kept coming back to the used DW Valor .45 in Stainless. I was able to bring the price down a bit to well within my budget and made it hard to say no. Took a trip to the range, and had a great time shooting it for the first time. Looking forward to getting more familiar with it and increasing my knowledge of the 1911.

 

[azpoolguy]

I greatly appreciate all the tips and suggestions! I think this could be a great thread for future newbies like myself, but thought I'd provide an update. I wish I had a lot more money, because I saw several that I liked quite a bit, and I can already tell that this likely won't be my last..... Ultimately, I kept coming back to the used DW Valor .45 in Stainless. I was able to bring the price down a bit to well within my budget and made it hard to say no. Took a trip to the range, and had a great time shooting it for the first time. Looking forward to getting more familiar with it and increasing my knowledge of the 1911.

This is good to hear. Keep us up to date on how it performs for you and feel free to ask any more questions.

 

[Zipper046]

The semi-customs are great...depemds on your budget. Dan Wesson's are a great value for what you pay. Well built and accurate.

I have a used STI Trojan that feels awesome in my hands and is a laser! Picked it up for like $700...one of the best buys i've made...STI makes a good 1911.

I'd avoid Colt...love the brand, but a bunch of guys i shoot with bought some new Competition Colts and had all kinds of problems...sights coming apart, sloppy fit, so-so accuracy.

A good used 1911 from here would do you well...again, depends on the budget

 

[Weisse52]

You made a good choice. Now go shoot that thing.

 

[mm1911]

The semi-customs are great...depemds on your budget. Dan Wesson's are a great value for what you pay. Well built and accurate.

I have a used STI Trojan that feels awesome in my hands and is a laser! Picked it up for like $700...one of the best buys i've made...STI makes a good 1911.

I'd avoid Colt...love the brand, but a bunch of guys i shoot with bought some new Competition Colts and had all kinds of problems...sights coming apart, sloppy fit, so-so accuracy.

A good used 1911 from here would do you well...again, depends on the budget

700 dollar STI, you are a blessed man!

 

[dakota1911]

I still tell friends look at Ruger SR1911s and SA, esp the Range Officers. For a first 1911 a traditional 5 inch with a traditional barrel and bushing is nice. Also no mechanical firing pin systems. If you, a relative, or good friend know about buying used 1911s then it really opens up your options.

 

[BIGDAVE101]

COLT STAINLESS SERIES 80, springfield stainless mil-spec.... great .45 starters, had to sell for daughters wedding... have 2 grandchildren... almost even deal....

 

[ButchA]

Everyone has an opinion on what is the best 1911. That's what makes them so incredible, legendary, and timeless. I could have saved up and bought {top name brand} I could have bought {another name brand}, but to be honest, and after reading countless reviews, I decided on the Philippines made, Rock Island Armory "Rock Series" (a model or so up from the basic GI version). Never ever had any issues with it at all. NONE. The money I saved, went towards countless rounds of ammo, and some custom made checkered grips with the USCG logo (I'm a retired "Coastie"). ...nothing wrong with that!

 

[marinedoc]

The first 1911 that I bought was a Colt Gold Cup, which I still have. Bought two more a the time because they were hard to come by, and still have them, new in the box over 35 years ago. When I was a kid I traded a knife for a Colt Govt that someone brought back from WW II and when I was about 12 ordered a 38 Super 1911 by Llama mail order, and had it shipped to my grandfather in OK since their laws were more lax than MO, where I was living. He shipped it up to me by Greyhound bus. If I were3 buying first time now, a Wilson CQB 5" bbl and go from there to a carry in 4".

 

[cole982]

My first was a SA Mil-Spec that was bone stock and that I've modified myself. I'm a tinkerer so upgrading a GI style 1911 was a fitting introduction to these guns, my second was an RIA Tactical .45 which I haven't made any modifications to (so far) but it's been an awesome shooter as well.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[BIGDAVE101]

RUGER 1911 COMMANDER MODEL