1911

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pittsteele

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Aug 24, 2001
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i'm looking for a new 1911 .45.
this will not be a CCW so i'm looking for full-size, under $2000. been looking at Baer, Wilson, S&W, Springfield...anyone found the one yet you wanna share the specs on? :thumbup:
 
Okay, it's not for Concealed Carry, that's cool.

What is it for?

Home defense? Hunting? Target? Plinking? Open Carry?

The answers will vary.
 
I assume that you want a new gun. If so, then you can knock Wilson, as well as Ed Brown off the list as neither shop offers anything for under $2k.

I myself would go with either Les Baer or Springfield Custom. You could also go with the original Colt, but I prefer my 1911s to have more bells and whistles than Colt provides with their pistols. Kimber makes a good gun, but I don't like the Schwartz safety and to be honest I think the guns are overpriced for what you get (e.g., pistols chock full of MIM parts, plastic MSHs, etc.) S&Ws are good, but I don't like external extractors on 1911s.

That brings us back to LB and Springfield Custom. Baer makes a gorgeous, super-accurate 1911 with good old fashioned bluing, just the way I like. He uses all tool steel parts in his guns if that is important to you. Firing one of his guns is a supremely enjoyable experience.

Springfield Custom is the shop the builds the Pro, AKA as the FBI gun. The guy who heads the shop is Dave Williams, 2006 (I think) Pistolsmith of the Year. The Pro is over your budget, but you can get the Custom Carry which is the Pro minus some of the FBI's specs. Do a search for the Pro or Custom Carry and you'll see that those that have these guns love them.

I myself have only two 1911s. I don't collect guns, I like to shoot everything I own, so I decided early on to choose quality over quantity.

Les Baer Concept II and Springfield Custom Carry
handgunpics001qo5.jpg


You should try to do some more research before you decide. Here's a website that I found very helpful when I chose my first 1911 - www.1911forum.com
 
Check out Para Ordnance (http://www.paraord.com/)

Personally I own and use a P14*45 (http://www.paraord.com/new/product_pistol.php?id=69)

I first came across Para-Ord in a comic book (The Punisher armory) and never really thought much about it. However when it came time for me to find something with a bit more bite and a bit more reliable then the 9mm (Not my personal CZ, a different 9mm that I was given) I instantly went looking for a 1911.

After looking around I was a bit put back how little the 1911 held compaired to a Glock or other .45 . Then I recalled in the foggy back parts of my memory of a 1911 that had 14+1 and after some digging around found that it was made by Para-Ord.

Now its not perfect, first and foremost the bake-on finish they use is crap. I would reccommend getting it refinished with something more durable. Granted I put my 1911 through more then what the average person would so you should be able to get by no problem, but if your a cosmetic person and want it looking flawless then a new finish is in order. The finish is the #1 issue that people report about on Para guns, its not a big issue as it doesn't stop function but its a issue none the less.

The other issue some people have is just the gun upon arrival after a clip or two isn't ejecting correctly which happens at a rate of every 1 in 500 or so guns. Para takes care of that issue and all you need to do is contact them and they will either fix it for you or send you the part(s) needed to fix the issue.

Those two things aside, my para is "The one" and there isn't another .45 in the world (sans a smg) that can replace it. The 1911 is just a beast to begin with and when you have 14+1 in your hand your set for quite a bit.

If your anything like me and the standard 1911 doesn't hold enough for you look into a para. Granted you get more weight with the extra rounds your carrying and the doublestack also adds some thickness to the grip but beyond that you can't go wrong with 14+1 in .45!

I should add that between my CZ-75D PCR and my Para 1911 I haven't even looked at another 9mm or .45 pistol.
 
i have 3 Colts and they've all ran like champs. the stainless series 80 Gold Cup took a few mags to break in and start cycling correctly.

i currently carry a stainless Taurus PT1911AR. HEY! stop laughing at me :-) it's been one of the best pistols i've ever owned, you could always get 3 of those lol.

if i had that kind of budget, i'd take a hard look at Nighhawks.
 
pittsteele said:
i'm looking for a new 1911 .45.
this will not be a CCW so i'm looking for full-size, under $2000. been looking at Baer, Wilson, S&W, Springfield...anyone found the one yet you wanna share the specs on? :thumbup:
Click to expand...

My buddy has an Ed Brown he got for around $1950.00. It may very well be the sweetest 1911 I've ever handeled. I am gonna get one eventually. I have no experience with Baers but I've heard they are so tightly fitted that they can run funny when they get dirty. And I may be mistaken (Please someone correct me if I am) but Kimber makes the frames and stuff for Wilson Combat and IMHO Kimbers quality has gone a little down hill lately. Something to consider. 1911's are as bad as brands of knives. Lot's of guys have their favorites and can get pretty passionate about defending their brand. Read everything you can get your hands on. Find out what the pros use (they know what works). Read some more. Read some more. And then read a lot more. Handle as many as you can. And choose the one that works best for you. I can say that the one Ed Brown I have experience with has had ZERO malfunctions in it's life so far. It only has 2,000 rounds through it so far. But that's not bad. And it eats all kinds of ammo. I had a Kimber TLE with the rail and it had all kinds of problems. Have an older Kimber Gold Match I think it's called and it's a fine shooter. But it's also at least 8 years old probably more. And I have a Springer Op and it's a wonderful gun. If you want a $1K 1911 that you can sink more money into and customize and stuff. I suggest the Springer. I think they make the best base gun for your money.
 
I did about 6 months of research a few years ago which ended up with me buying a Wilson Combat CQB (it was about the only model approved in Ca. at the time). It was right around $2K which is HUGE for me, but I was that convinced. One of the better moves I have made- zero problems and shoots like a dream.

Every other gun seemed to have plenty of reports of FTFs (especially Kimber and Les Baer- although they also have plenty of fans), but I couldn't find ANY on Wilson. That, plus the feel of the slide and trigger did it for me- being able to put 8 through one (big) hole and never having a malfunction keeps the love going.

YMMV
 
++++ on the para p 14 45...I own one and use it as my ccw.....you'll save money as well, get one and buy plenty of ammo.....
 
Two others to look at are Fusion Firearms and Nighthawk (already mentioned). Dan Wesson is a possibility too. Personally I think you can find a fine pistol for about half of your max budget....but if you want to spend that much go for it.
 
If I were in the market for a 1911, I would look at an STI pistol built by Brazos Custom Gun Works. I have one of their custom 2011s, and it is an amazing pistol.

They have a line of single stack 1911s which sell for under $2000.

Andy
 
You can find a Wilson for around 2K: GunsAmerica, Gun Broker, etc. They are definitely worth the $$. Mine is 10 years old, and has fired over 10,000 rounds without a hiccup. It will shoot anything you stick in the magazine, goes bang every time, and is easy to hit with. I also recommend the Baer. I have a Thunder Ranch, and it has been 100% reliable. Either will serve you well. Bill.
 
There are so many good options, and most have already been suggested..

You don't have to spend 2 large to get a quality, reliable, accurate 1911.
FTF'S in a 1911 are usually caused by defective recoil springs, defective magazine springs, feed ramp issues or limp wristing, as long as the gun is setup correctly.
I use to carry a 1918 Colt U.S Army 1911. I tore it down, replaced all the springs and that pistol never had a FTF..... It was so reliable, I trusted my life to it.

There is not much magical about the higher end pistols, although some of them are nicely finished. But you do pay for the big ads and the name associated with them. Even if you buy a model that has some MIM parts in it and you don't like them, those can be replaced very cheaply. There aren't that many parts in a 1911, and very few of them are MIM...

I would stay away from 1911's that have been modified, unless the work has been done by a reputable pistolsmith. There are a lot of people with a work bench and a Dremel that think they can work on guns...
JMO



I've lost count of all the 1911's I've owned from just about all the makers.
Personally, I enjoy buying a good base model and customizing it myself the way I like it.

If I was going to buy another higher end 1911, I would probably get an Ed Brown.
 
another thing to think about is - as long as you're gonna go with the pricier 1911's, you could get something unique.

take a look at the gas operated, fixed barell 1911's. i don't know much about them other than you can't get shorter than a 6" barell and they are supposedly INSANELY accurate.

it's just a thought because you might not, otherwise, feel there's $1000 dollars difference between a $600 and a $1600 1911. i mean yea the fit and finish is nicer, but at the end of the day... it's the same basic design.
 
zignal_zero said:
take a look at the gas operated, fixed barell 1911's. i don't know much about them other than you can't get shorter than a 6" barell and they are supposedly INSANELY accurate.
Click to expand...

All I can say is, if it is gas operated and has a fixed barrel, it ain't a 1911.... :D

Andy
 
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