1911 Colt or ?

[rodeo kid]

I know this will probably stir up a hornet's nest but: I have alot of Colt revolvers, all I am missing that I want is a Viper, so I thought It's time to get a 1911. Colt and Kimber interest me but which 1911 is best for $1000-$1200? Any suggestions including other brands welcomed.

[J Miller]

The last new 1911 I bought was a Springfield 1911a1 Mil Spec. It was great right out of the box. Just a few very minor but good modifications to the original design to make it a very reliable accurate pistol. I think I paid just over $500 for it then (95 or 96) so you shouldn't have to spend over a grand for a good one.

Joe

[Bis]

Remington announced that they are making a 1911. The first model will be basic, close to Mil issue for $699.

[Hobie]

The Remington will apparently have cast slide (I don't know about the other parts) but for that price point, I don't know what to expect. I personally like my Colts. I think it is worth the money to look for and get them. Even the Taurus is a functional 1911 but that doesn't appear to be the reason you want one. Colts are functional and, well, Colts.

[edwardyoung]

I'd get an older 70 Series Colt or a new Series 70 Reproduction. Kimbers are swell guns, but like Hobie said, they'll never be a Colt. I'm not a Colt-snob, but Colts hold their value better than anything else, Series 70's better than the Series 80's. AndI just prefer 1911's without the extra safeties.

[new pig hunter]

I bought a new Colt 1911 in 1974. Still got it, still shoot it, never a problem after several thousand rounds.

So I'll toss my vote at Kimber. Bought the bottom-of-the-line Custom II nine years ago. Rock solid, an accurate shooter right out of the box, nice & tight. I did a trigger job on it, now smooth like glass. A fantastic pistol for the money.

Cheers,

Car

[ceb]

A few months back, I found myself looking for another 5" 1911, I tried hard to find one of the Colt 70 Series reproductions, but was unable to. I ended up buying one of the Springfield Mil-Spec models that Joe speaks of above. I highly recommend it. I had some accuracy issues at first, but Springfield customer service is second to none. I also own a Les Baer Custom Premier II and now the Springfield will shoot right with it, or maybe I should say I can shoot the Springfield as well as the Baer, the Baer is garranteed to shoot into 3" at 50yds but I'm not good enough to prove it. I can get groups in the 2" range at 25yds with either gun. Thats a 600 dollar gun compared to a 1600 dollar gun. I gave 565.00 + tax for the Springfield back in January.

[Old Savage]

I have had two Colts and a Springfield Armory. I kept the Springfield 5,000 + rds and fine for all. Accurate. Started as their basic mil spec in 89 ZPut Bomar like fixed sights on from Wilson.

[Kansas Ed]

I like my Colts (3-1911's, and a Mustang)...but IMO the Springfield is the best buy for the money quality wise...actually I think they are worth at least 25% more than they get for them.

Ed

[1988rrc]

if your going to spend that much money; get a older colt NIB with all paper work and box.
a Colt is a COLT.

[rodeo kid]

Hobie, if you get a chance look at cabelas online gun library- Reno, Nevada. They have a Govt Model {looks like stainless] for $800 and a series 70 Gold cup for $1100 and tell me which you would prefer. Thanks.

[olyinaz]

Nobody has mentioned them yet so I'll throw out a shout for Para Ordinance. They're built in The States now (Springfield and older Paras are not) and many folks like them. I've got a double stack in stainless and it's been good.

Same goes for Kimber - I've got an Eclipse Target II and it's been utterly reliable as well as fantastic looking.

Lastly, don't forget that S&W makes 1911s now also. I've not heard anything bad about them but I don't own one.

Best,
Oly

[jkbrea]

My dep't recently allowed 1911 for on-duty carry. Most are using Kimber or Springfields. Don't really know which is better-it's kind of like Ford or Chevy. Most of the problems with them have been magazine related, I have a Kimber and use Wilson mags. Solved my problems. Our biggest stipulation is the trigger has to be 4lbs. or more. Some guys were ordering 2lb. triggers, not good for L.E.

[AJMD429]

I've shot and abused and shot and abused three "1911's"...

1. an AMT "Government Model" generic 1911 - it NEVER has failed to fire or feed, despite using handloads, 1941 surplus, Speer 'flying ashtray' hollowpoints, and whatever. It's been dropped on concrete floors, gravel driveways, and sat on when in my back pocket in MUD then picked up out of said mud and washed off in a farmyard spigot. So much for needing a "combat" style gun...

2. a ParaOrdnance P-14 that is of the early black-enamel-painted slide variety. I haven't managed to drop and abuse it as much, but it has failed to feed maybe 3 or 4 times during about 12,000 rounds downrange, and I think those were a bad magazine.

3. a RockIsland doublestack P-14 clone that I got a year ago, which seems like it's going to be just as good so far. Less abuse, and only 200 rounds or so, but it just WORKS.

I wouldn't trade any of the three for a brand-new Wilson, Kimber, Springfield, or whatever. No point in bothering.

[rjohns94]

at $1k for 1911, get the one that fits you. Wilson, Kimber, Colt, Sig, Les Baer - last one I bought was the Sig TTT 1911. I am very pleased.

[Doc Hudson]

I won't even try to convince anyone as to which M-1911 is best of all the choices.

All I can say is that if my money hits the counter for an M-1911 of any variation, there WILL be a Prancing Pony on the slide and grips.

If I spend good money for a Colt .45, it by thunder will be a real Colt, not a copy!!!!

[86er]

I'm going to echo rjohns94's response. I want a handgun I can use when the chips are down. If I had $1K, I'd try every one that price and less, new and used and get the one that fit me best. If it were a new factory gun I'd be confident in the reliability but with used I'd want to try it or have some type of guarantee. Other than that, it is works flawlessly I don't worry about the name on it.

[Lastmohecken]

There is a virtual sea of 1911's out there anymore, and I don't know, I have owned several, Colt's, parts guns, Kimber's, Springfields, Wilson Combat; It's not all black and white, there is lots of choices other then the ones with the pony on the slide.

At this late date, I would probably not look too close at a Series 80 Colt, unless it was a really good deal on a used one. However, they do work pretty good, I had an Enhanced Lightweight Commander in a Series 80, for a few years. The trigger wasn't the best, but since it was a carry gun, I didn't mind it having a little heavier trigger, but in a target or match gun, I wouldn't have put up with it, and I certainally wouldn't want to put up with a series 80 for my one and only 1911, when there are plenty of series 70 offerings available.

For a thousand or under, one can buy a new reproduction Colt series 70, if you have just got to have the pony on the slide. But let me tell you a lot of the older Colts are no smoother, (some are pretty rought), or any better made then quite a few offerings from other makers. However, I do like Colts, espacally after a little slicking up is done. My oldest and most shot gun is a custom Colt series 70; With it I have won quite a few combat competition trophys, and it's been my bed side companion for 30yrs.

But in the new offerings I see today, unless you want a bone stock gun, there are so many model by both Kimber and Springfield, that have a lot more bells and and whistles on them, people in the past have spend hundreds of dollars to add to their Colt Governments.

Now, some will say that all of those bells and whistles are useless and not needed. To a certain extent, I will agree, you don't really need most of them. It depends on what you are doing with the gun. If you are just buying a gun for your collection, and might shoot it once in a while, for recreation, then no you don't need many extras.

However, if you are left handed, then you will probably at least want an ambi-safety. If you are not left handed, they I would place no value on one.

Do you need a lowered ejection port? Most guns have then now days, they're not nessary, but if you handload, then they do help, to avoid dented case mouths.

Do you need a Beavertail grip safety? All I can say is, I don't know a serious competition shooter that doesn't have one, as it does help if you shoot a lot of rounds, and some think it helps to guide you hand, when making a quick draw from the leather. I prefer them, but I own one Springfield GI 4 inch gun, for concealed carry, and it's not worth it to me to change it on that gun.

If I only owned one 1911, then I would probably want adjustable sights, but I have one gun with just the very low profile GI sights, and I actually like them on that gun. Night sights have some merit, but outside of night shoot competitions, I don't place much value on them.

I don't much care for extended slide stop levers, but some like them.

Fancy checkering on the frontstrap, again you don't have to have it, but boy do I like it on my guns that do have it.

Extended mag release buttons, I have no use for them, especally in a carry gun.

[Lastmohecken]

I have been looking at a lot of 1911's lately, and my most recent purchase is a Kimber Tatical Ultra II, 3 inch micro gun. So far it's been 100% reliable, and I love it, for CCW. I gave around $1200 for this gun. Would I buy this gun for my only 1911? No I would not, but it fills a nitch for me, and I paid a lot for it, but it has exactly everything I value on a 1911, from an ambi safety, (left handed) to night sights, checkered frontstrap, etc. It's fast turning into my favorite carry gun. I espacally like the lightweight, and compact size for CCW.

However, I also own a Lightweight Springfield GI Champion, 4 inch plain jane, 1911, which had no extra bells on it, at all. It didn't even have high visability fixed sights, just the little GI sights that are really small. I needed an ambi-safety at least, so I purchased one from Wilson Combat, and installed it myself. And I quickly found out that, it didn't seem to run 100% with the stock mags, so I switched to Chip McCormic mags, and all is well. I also changed the grips out to a set of Wilson Combats, and now I am pretty happy with it. The only thing I don't like is the internal lock in the mainspring housing, and I will probably change it out, eventually. I also don't like the double recoil spring setup, as opposed to the original Colt Commander spring set up, but it is now 100% reliable, and I can shoot it just fine. It's has been my main carry gun for a couple of years not.

The best gun I own is full a blown Wilson Combat Classic 5 inch gun. It has Adjustable sights, and is a 5 inch gun. I can do about anything with this gun, that I could do with any 1911, but my old custom Colt series 70 is pretty good, also. The Wilson Combat now sells for over $2300, but you can buy a fancy Kimber that looks as good or better for probably $1200 to 1500, and will shoot possibly as good. The Kimber won't be as smooth operating but it will function probaby pretty good. The guts in the Kimber may or maynot be as good a quality. That can probably be debated for long time, by fans of both.

I was just pointing out more or less extreme opposite ends of the spectrum, when it comes to 1911's.

If was only going to get one 1911 pistol, and I could only spend a Thousand on it, I would probably get a 4 to 4.25 inch steel commander version, of either a Colt, Springfield, or Kimber, with a fill sized grip, espacally if I was going to carry it. I might even go with the lightweight version, if I was going to carry it a lot.

Otherwise, I would get a 5 inch gun, with a beavertail grip safety and ambi thumb safety, and I would probably try to stay with a series 70 design, but those things can be added later. If I was righthanded, I might just opt for the new Colt reproduction series 70, or a Springfield mil-spec, but I would not over look some of the offerings by Kimber, as they seem to have the biggest sellection, at least at my local gunshop.

[buckeyeshooter]

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm16 ... ins006.jpg
1911 in 70 series colt is what I like. Function and resale are great.

[Sarge]

You can read this http://sargesrollcall.blogspot.com/2006 ... -duty.html

and buy the Colt, or you can just buy the Colt

[Lastmohecken]

Sarge made some very good comments in his roll call link. I do worry about some of the MIM parts in a lot of today's guns, and would probably plan on changing out several of those.

And for a duty gun espacally, I would just cut through all of the BS and borrow the money if i had to, and order a custom gun from Ed Brown or Bill Wilson. Then I would shoot the heck out of it, to proof it in. Their guns are so much smoother in operation, IMHO, then any of the off the shelf factory models, and I wouldn't have to frett over trying to fix or change some things on an off the shelf gun, after I bought it, before it was what I wanted.

I will say though, that my old series 70 colt which I aquired slightly used nearly 30yrs ago, has been shot many thousands of rounds, and other then wearing out a few magazines, the only parts that I can remember ever breaking and having to replace were, one firing pin, and one slide stop lever, and the original extractor had to be replaced, once. The gun still shoots today, as good as it ever did, but I have shot mostly cast bullet handloads out of it.

[flusher]

Get a pre 70 Colt Government like this 1951