OT- Best .45?

moonwilson

moonwilson

Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
7,250
Okay, I know this belongs in a different forum, but I'd like to know what you Hogs think is the best, reasonably priced .45ACP pistol out there. I'm not interested in what the Prac Tac guys think, I'd like to know what appeals to folks who are into Busse.

I'm looking in the sub $1200 range, so unfortunately, the Les Baer Busse edition is out of the question. :(

I'm looking at the Sig 1911's in particular, and I'm wondering if any of you guys have any experience with those, or if there are any other standout models I should be aware of.

I want something with a 5" barrel, with good sights, that is accurate and reliable. No bling!

Thanks!
 
I am a big Springfield or Kimber fan in that price range in the classic 1911 styling. With 1200 in those companies you have alot of options. Sig is nice and I do like them. Dont leave out Smith an Wesson too.

Do you have an indoor range near you? I like the Springfields a little more than the Kimbers, but thats my personal opinion. My g/f loves her Kimber Custom II Target and her Compact pro carry.
 
For that price range I'd get a Kimber. I have 2 and they shoot great. Springfield Armory and Colt are obtainable at that price too. I'd love an Ed Brown but haven't got the cash. (Too much INFI the past year)
 
I should have taken Lundes advice and stayed away from the Sig 1911, if you want a Sig in .45 get a 220st one of my favorites.
 
The nature of my job has given me a lot of exposure to Sigs, although they were mostly 9mm. Looking at a few hundred different guns used reasonably heavy over the course of a few years, the only repair a Sig required that I can recall was for (IIRC) a broken firing pin. And again, these guns each had thousands of rounds put through them. That said, I would have no problem owning a Sig and betting my life on it that it would function properly.

Personally, I like Springfield Armory. IMO, I think you get a little more for your dollar.
 
Right out of the box I've heard nothing but good things about the SIG. Springfields upper end models have that same reputation.

For the money your talking about you can actually start out with a basic model and build your own custom with the parts you favor. Something I've always wanted to do. :)
 
Another +1 for Kimber. :thumbup: I own Les Baer and Wilson Combat .45's, and the Kimber is about a 1/2 less accurate at 25 yards (but it still shoots about an inch or so group). It has a sweeeeeeet trigger, doesn't jam, and costs a hell of a lot less than the LB or Wilson. :)

Just thinking about it wants me to go roll some beer cans! :D
 
I would reccomend without reservation an HK USP Tactical. almost 3 years and a few thousand rounds through it without a single failure of any kind -- more accurate than a friend's SIG Sport i tried, both benchrested. Amazing piece of engineering genius. I Owned a SIG P220ST before this and it was nothing but trouble -- extraction failures, slide failing to lock forward when released on a full chamber, etc, etc. Just one Busse lover's opinion -- in fact, i'd go so far as to call HK the Busse of firearms (not to incite any controversy or anything, tee hee)...
 
For the price range you stated, for a 1911, I would strongly favor a SW1911 of some sort.

If you're open to non-1911 offerings, the two I would recommend are the HK45 and some flavor of Sig-Sauer P220. I am very fond of my P220R Carry SAO Two-Tone. Here it is, along with one of my HK45s:

p220c-sao-tt-left-full.jpg


p220c-sao-tt-top.jpg


hk45-left-full.jpg


hk45-top.jpg
 
leatherman said:
Right out of the box I've heard nothing but good things about the SIG. Springfields upper end models have that same reputation.

For the money your talking about you can actually start out with a basic model and build your own custom with the parts you favor. Something I've always wanted to do. :)
Click to expand...

I have to agree with leatherman. For $1200 you can get a base model Springfield and have it built up to something way better than you will get in a production gun for the same price.

I have a springfield loaded which set me back about $650. I took it to a local smith I know and had him dehorn it, park it, install new forged trigger, sear, hammer and a couple other forged parts for about $400. I got rid of most of the MIM parts and now have an awesome 1911 for under what you can pay for the upper end Springfield's and Kimber's and it is exactly what I want.
 
Sig 220

Can also get it in single action.

HK USP or the newer HK45 are awesome guns.

Sold my Kimber Target, I've tried but just can't get into the 1911's(dislike the feel in hand), though I know thats what your prob looking for.


Edit- Lunde beat me to it. Great pics Ken!
 
I have both a Sig 220 and a Colt stainless Commander. I love both, have several thousand rounds through each, but my carry rig is the Sig in a Kramer IWB. It will outshoot me any day and is perfectly trouble free, never had a failure. Steven
 
From my personal experience, buying the SIG GSR is a real crap shoot. Some people on the 1911 Forum rave about theirs. They are reported to be notably accurate. However, more than a few people have had problems with them.

In my case:

Took my new GSR to the range, fired it about 250 times with a mixture of loads: Blazer Brass Gold Dot, Federal Hydroshok, and some old Winchester Silvertips. Very seldom would it get through even one magazine without two failures to feed. Returned it to SIG first time.

SIG sent it back with a note that it was test-fired and no problems found. I had no more FTF's. However, they did something to it, because when I took it to the range, I found a new problem. The thumb safety would pop up into the engaged position by itself when the pistol was thumb-cocked! I have encountered one dealer at a gun show who described the same problem with his GSR. I also discovered that it was visibly setting the bullets back in the cases on the first feeding. At times at the range it would fire noticably louder, and I am guessing that
I was having compressed load problems. Sent it back to SIG second time.

Third time, safety would not pop-up on it's own anymore, but was extremely tight, could not be engaged one-handed. Still experiencing bullet set-back. Sent it back to SIG, requested replacement.

SIG replaced it with a new pistol, which I have not yet fired. I have become a little disenchanted with the GSR and am contemplating trading it in NIB for a Colt.

There are internet reports that SIG has cleared up the problems with the early pistols. I hope so. The positive side of this was that SIG Customer Service was accessible, responsive, and anxious to make things right. SIG also paid shipping on all of my returns.

If I buy another 1911, it will either be a Colt, or I may sell a few knives and upgrade to Ed Brown, Les Baer, or Nighthawk. My two Combat Commanders have been good guns, if you can get past the cosmetic issues.
 
I had done a bunch of research a while back, both on 1911s and other .45ACP models. I've heard GREAT things about the Springfield XD45, which is probably the route I would go if I bought a non-1911 .45. I think Progunner has one and likes it very much.

If money was no option I would probably go with something from Nighthawk Customs, a company started by some guys from Wilson Combat. I guess if I had about $2500 to blow on a .45 that's where I'd go. Or Ed Brown might be an option as well.
 
I'd go with a Kimber or maybe an STI. I've had a 3" and a 4" Kimber, a 1991A1 Colt (jamomatic), and a GI milspec Springfield (sold unfired/won it at a match). The 3" Kimber was by far the most reliable of the three I shot. The 4" was an early all steel pro carry with some issues. The 1991A1 almost turned me off to 1911's all together. I used to shoot a lot of IDPA (2-3 matches a month almost year round for @3years) and Kimber's and STI's were some of the most reliable 1911's I saw. I'm a bit old fasioned, but I like my 1911's made in the USA (a lot of the Springfields have Brazilian frames) so that's another reason I like the Kimber. Also, the most reliable 1911 that I see is a friend's Kimber Custom II that he has tweaked a little bit so that it eats lead semi wadcutter's all day long. I've never had an STI, but have only hear good things and like their fit and finish as well. A lot of the serious IDPA guys swear by them.

GregB
 
Kimber my favorite . Yes those are BUSSE Grips .I also had a grip reduction done on GLOCK 21
DSCN1093.jpg
and a 38super 1968
DSCN1095.jpg
 
Sig, they make a great gun, I have had many, and haven't had a malfunction yet. My father was law enforcement, and his P226 has had thousands upon thousands of rounds through it without a malfunction.

My Blackwater P226 next to Dad's service P226
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P220 Sport with Desert Eagle I sold:
DPP_0011.jpg
 
I like my Springfield Milspec, but I'm a traditionalist and I like the original military styling. I've had zero problems with it. It's not high end and probably leaves a lot to be desired for other folks, but I like it.
 
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