Another 1911 Thread (Groan)

wintermute

wintermute

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Oct 18, 2007
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I've been shopping around for my first 1911, for range work and HD. This will not be for carry. Models I have been looking at at local shops include Kimber Custom II and TLE II, and for $250 more than the TLE I can get a STI Lawman. The only Springfields available are G.I.s and I'd hate to buy one and find out that I'm predisposed for hammer bite. One of my go-to shops may have a batch of Colt XSEs coming in as well. So, between the Kimbers, STI, and Colt, what does everyone think?
 
I Would go with a Dan Wesson CCO, I was in the market for my first 1911 a few months ago and
my choices were Springfield Range Officer, Dan wesson CCO or kimber SIS. I am very glad i chose the CCO.
 
I've had my Kimber Custom Target II for years. No issues. Reliable as a hammer.
Kimbers hold their value pretty good too.

I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at a Colt XSE (non rail version).

Take a look at the Ruger website. They have one out now that is certainly worth a look. Price looks like it'll be a little better than competitive too.
 
STI, Colt, Kimber in that order. STI are universally well-regarded (even the Spartan, which IIRC is made of imported parts; they take pride in their guns). Colt is… Colt, plus their quality has greatly improved in the past few years according to the accounts of some gunsmiths I read.

I have heard waaaaay too many horror stories of Kimbers (including some truly surprising pictures) in the past few years to trust them. Used to be good before everyone started making "custom" 1911s, then their QC went downhill fast. If you get a good one, or can spend half the price of the gun again to get a gunsmith to work it over, then you'll be fine… but otherwise you'll be unhappy.

Dan Wesson also gets a thumbs-up from me. For half the price of my Baer it's a damn good gun: fantastic fit, smooth as butter, great shooter. The difference between the two guns is in small parts and little details, such as thumb safety fitting and sharp edges on the mainspring housing… and for those small differences (which most people won't notice) you pay a $700 premium.

I've been interested in picking up one of the new S&Ws, but have no direct experience. Hilton has good things to say about those, despite some of the flaws he found.

You are likely to get recommendations for the new Remington R1. I've heard some people who were new to the 1911 rave about it. I've also seen pictures of fit, finish, and machining marks, and I'd recommend you stay clear.

Good links to read:

http://10-8performance.blogspot.com/2011/01/choosing-your-first-1911-some-thoughts.html

http://10-8performance.blogspot.com/2010/07/kimber-warrior.html
 
I would look for the following...
dovetailed front sight
slide to frame fit should not be overly loose
push down on the barrel hood, you should not get a lot of barrel motion
you should not be able to move the muzzle of the barrel much when in battery
ejection port should be lowered
trigger should have an overtravel stop
if you shoot with a high thumb on the safety, a good beavertail grip safety with a "memory" bump will make sure you depress it properly
check that the hammer does not rub on the sides of the frame or slide
check that the plunger tube is staked properly (holds the spring and detents for the slide stop and thumb safety)
check that no one has butchered the gun (if used) by removing metal from the feed ramp of the frame... the barrel should be at least 1/16inch forward of the ramp when pushed rearward in the frame
remove the slide and look at the dust cover (covers the spring forward of the frame rails) of the frame...the machining should provide a parallel amount of thickness to the dust cover... a dull tool bit will thin the metal to the slide stop side
see that there is no wear marks on the front dust cover where the slide is rubbing
ambi safeties with good thumb pads would be a worthwhile freebie (I like the slanted ones from Ed Brown)
check the cut on the slide stop where it feeds into the mag well... should have sufficient thickness to last a while
accessories like a couple of good magazines is a plus
 
A few years ago I did months of research and ended up with a Wilson Combat. I truly couldn't be happier. For a bit more than half of what I paid afew guys at the range seem pretty happy with their S&Ws. I've heard good things about some (Springfield) and bad things about some others (Kimber, Les Baer), but these are the two I know about.
 
Kimbers are good, at least the ones I've owned were. If I get another production 1911, it will be a Springfield... They make an outstanding 1911, and their customer service is outstanding if you ever need it. If there is any way you can include one of the Loaded versions of a Springfield to your list, I would seriously consider it.

The Les Baers, and Wilsons are very nice, but IMHO way over priced. The 1911 isn't a high tech pistol. There are very few parts to them. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to get the lockup correct and do a nice trigger on one, and a little time with a file you can round off any sharp edges that might be found on a production 1911.

I can't give any insight on the new Colts, because I have only owned Series 70's and earlier 1911's. Hopefully they will do a decent job with them, and bring that company back to what it use to be
 
I purchased a RIA .45acp target model. I have over two cases of ammo thru this weapon with no failures. Extremely accurate, reasonably price and a pleasure to shoot.
 
Another vote for a Springfield loaded 1911. I have had mine for a long ime and have never had a problem with it.



Mike
 
I had a Kimber TLE II, and it was flawless from day one. The slide to frame fit was the best I have ever seen.

If I had to buy another 1911, I'd look at S&W.
 
Since 1972, when I bought my first one, I've owned at least a dozen 1911's, from an original 1918 to a Colt Combat Elite. They're all gone now and the only 1911 to my name is a Springfield G.I. It's more accurate than any Colt I ever had and it feeds anything. YMMV.
 
VA27 said:
Since 1972, when I bought my first one, I've owned at least a dozen 1911's, from an original 1918 to a Colt Combat Elite. They're all gone now and the only 1911 to my name is a Springfield G.I. It's more accurate than any Colt I ever had and it feeds anything. YMMV.
Click to expand...

I have a couple friends that are as addicted to 1911's as I am, and one of them ordered a Springfield G.I right after they came out. He is also a very competent gunsmith, and ordered it as a platform to build a custom from. When it arrived, we were all impressed with it. Obviously it doesn't have all the bells and whistle most have come to expect on a 1911, but it was very reliable as well as surprisingly accurate. He ended up leaving it stock...
I actually appreciate the 1911 in its originally designed state. Sometimes less is more
 
338375 said:
I have a couple friends that are as addicted to 1911's as I am, and one of them ordered a Springfield G.I right after they came out. He is also a very competent gunsmith, and ordered it as a platform to build a custom from. When it arrived, we were all impressed with it. Obviously it doesn't have all the bells and whistle most have come to expect on a 1911, but it was very reliable as well as surprisingly accurate. He ended up leaving it stock...
I actually appreciate the 1911 in its originally designed state. Sometimes less is more
Click to expand...

That's what drew me to the G.I. (that and the price), I'd had guns that were all tricked out and I decided I wanted just a basic gun with everything I needed and nothing I didn't. The only other 1911 I'd really like to have is the Colt WWI reissue. I'm hoping a second hand one will show up one of these days.
 
I had a Springfield GI & it was a fine pistol. Reliable & accurate. Priced right.
 
aesthetics are nice, but if you shoot one in practical competition, you will want a beavertail safety that offers a high grip
 
Colt, Springfield, and Kimber will all get you where you want to go. Kimber gets bashed a lot for using "MIM" parts, but both other companies do as well. I can't remember the exact number but Kimber sells literally thousands more 1911's each year than the other two companies, so naturally there are more "horror stories" involving Kimber than the others. When I was buying my last gun I did a ton of research, and the VAST majority of Kimber owners seem to be very pleased with their purchase.
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Wow, I've been out of the loop for a while and this thread has really grown. Keep the suggestions coming in every one!
 
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