Wolfstrack
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland BC
no flame war because everybody loves 1911 pistols !
PLEASE what is the best quality 1911 .45 THANK YOU
- Thread starter speros
- Start date
no flame war because everybody loves 1911 pistols !
- Location
- Regina, SK
Kimber
1911
We are all lucky to own a 1911 of any kind...each of them are great in their own way. If buying your first, buy the best you can...price and quality are directly proportional...and buying slightly used can really stretch your dollars. The things you learn with your first 1911 will make your second one even more exciting to buy, own, and shoot. The "best" is very difficult to say. All of the opinion's so far are good ones.
We are all lucky to own a 1911 of any kind...each of them are great in their own way. If buying your first, buy the best you can...price and quality are directly proportional...and buying slightly used can really stretch your dollars. The things you learn with your first 1911 will make your second one even more exciting to buy, own, and shoot. The "best" is very difficult to say. All of the opinion's so far are good ones.
Kiiiimmmmmber.................
DITTO.....
My Desert Warrior is the best pistol I have ever owned or shot.....
I have never shot a $3000.00 1911 like a Nighthawk, etc, however, I have shot everything else including high end HK's etc. I love my Kimber and if I had $3000.00 to buy a 1911, I would buy matching warriors before dropping it all on one unit.
BANG FOR THE BUCK...... NOTHING BEATS KIMBER.....
Kimber
DITTO.....
My Desert Warrior is the best pistol I have ever owned or shot.....
I have never shot a $3000.00 1911 like a Nighthawk, etc, however, I have shot everything else including high end HK's etc. I love my Kimber and if I had $3000.00 to buy a 1911, I would buy matching warriors before dropping it all on one unit.
BANG FOR THE BUCK...... NOTHING BEATS KIMBER.....
Ed Brown, Les Baer, Wilson Combat, Springfield "CRG" Professional- all very good "semi-custom" 1911's and I would like to own one of each, but the ultimate for me would be a Larry Vickers built 1911. They are largely unobtainable, the lucky few who have them are more likely to pass them down through generations than sell them. The funny thing is that the ones I've seen pictures of look pretty ordinary no real bells and whistles, no stainless or hard chrome - just a dull, flat finish and all the goodness on the inside, where it counts. Don't worry about ultimate guns, worry about one that is reliable, accurate and shootable - spend the rest of the money that you would spend on a name on a reloading press and components (lots of components) shooting is more about the shooter than the gun. This is especially true with the 1911.
After a lot of reading, researching and looking around... When I'll have the money to buy and feed that thing, it would be a Ed Brown for sure.
Second choice, would be a Dan Wesson who still (Even with the 30-50% price increase) offers an excellent value!
Second choice, would be a Dan Wesson who still (Even with the 30-50% price increase) offers an excellent value!
I've PERSONALLY owned over 100 Colt "Govt " model pistols, ranging from several ultra small Detonics Combat Masters, and several similar custom built micro guns, up to full house comped IPSC match pistols, including some by big name US pistol smiths [ eg: Clark ] and several dozen of my own builds using my own proprietary comp design.
When I was a professional gun smith,
I built/customised about another 200 Govt model pistols for paying customers wanting "practical" pistols, both for real world personal defense, and for the games guns used in IPSC.
I spent over a decade shooting IPSC, mostly with Colt Govt model type pistols, and
I shot many Provincial Championships and the Canadian IPSC championships several times, without embarrassing my self too badly.
Based on this experience,
the absolute BEST single stack Colt Govt model pistol I've ever seen was one I built out of a Randall stainless steel Govt model, and a coned/ramped SS barrel.
This pistol went through several evolutions, starting out as a stock Randall Govt model, then into a .45 SUPER test bed for developing HOT .45 Super loads, then after it broke the lugs off the 6" SS .45 Super barrel, into an IPSC full house ramped/coned barrelled comped match gun, and then finally into a chopped "Commander length" slide PRACTICAL personal protection pistol.
Randall was, first of all, a creation by the owner of an Aerospace parts manufacturing company, who just happened to be LEFT handed, and wanted a left handed Govt pistol. He created and subsidised the pistol manufacturing business mostly as a hobby, but also tried to make $$$ with the sale of top quality SS Colt Govt model based pistols, some of which were unique [ eg: the Le May ]. The right handed Randall pistols were of course much more marketable. Randall, as a pistol manufacturing enterprise, went t**s up when the Aerospace industry collapsed.
The state of the art aerospace proven technology used in manufacturing the Randall pistols, made them the FIRST reliable SS govt model type pistols [ don't get me started on the butter soft jammamatic AMT "SOFTballers"]. The SS in the Randall was 17/4 PH, with the frame heat treated and the slide DOUBLE heat treated, to provide two dis-similar SS surfaces, to prevent "Galling". The slides were HARD AND TOUGH, and super durable. The small internal SS parts were top quality, dimensioned correctly, and when assembled properly, made up into one of the very best, most reliable, most durable Colt Govt SINGLE stack pistols I've ever seen.
Off of a rest, with a scope, and using MAJOR power IPSC cast bullet loads [ 180 gr OMA .45 Cal ] this pistol was capable of 2 1/2" accuracy at 50 yds for 8 shot groups. Using the 155 gr OMA cast bullets, again at MAJOR power/high velocity, I had ammunition that had enough residual port pressure to actually be effective at working a big bore .45 Cal compensator.
I sold my custom built Randall Match .45 when it had about 30,000 rounds through it.
This was the one gun i actually held on to for the longest, and along with it's baby twin brother, a Randall/detonics mini gun, was one of the very few guns I really regret selling.
[ Ferengi rule of acquisition # 7 ...
NEVER get emotionally attached to the inventory ].
NEVER!!!
However,
I just ran into the current owner of my old Randall .45 at the last gun show I attended.
Purely out of nostalgia, I asked him if he was interested in selling the Randall back to me.
He doesn't even shoot it ... it is just in his "collection".
He is thinking about it ....
[;{)
If you want a DOUBLE stack Govt model pistol,
IMHO,
the best bang for the buck would be a BUL from Marstar ... if they have any left.
the BUL may not be the most expensive gun available,
but on a value based scale, you do get a LOT for your $$$.
Like they say, when it comes to racing [ and guns ]
"Speed cost's $$$$.
How fast can you afford to go?"
And then there is that truism of all gofast sports:
" The first 90 percent of performance costs about 10%.
The last 10% improvement in performance costs about 90% more".
By these "Bang for the buck" criteria,
a Norinco Govt model single stack,
or a BUL DOUBLE stack Govt model,
both make a LOT of sense.
Especially if you put some of the money you saved into thoughtful and useful custom modifications THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY, ACCURACY, AND HANDLING.
And believe me when I say this ....
most modifications do NOT actually deliver the above.
Good ol Mr browning got it pretty close to right the first time around.
Paying for anything more than these,
and you are past the RATIONAL point of diminishing returns,
and are paying for "brand name" or "Style bonus points".
But then,
who ever said gun buying decisions were RATIONAL???
So there you have it ...
the distilled advice based on hundreds of Colt Govt model pistols,
and years of experience,
BOTH AS A GUNSMITH AND A SHOOTER!
BTDT,
got the T shirt
[;{)
[literally got the T shirt ....
one of the BC team T shirts given out for making the IPSC BC team one year ].
PS:
these days I shoot Glocks
These days,
TRYING TO BE "RATIONAL",
I figured out that
"if I could have only one pistol"
that pistol would be a Glock G23 with 9 mm and .357 SIG conversion barrels.
Simply the simp[lest, easiest to maintain, most durable, most reliable, and most versatile pistol I have ever shot
Of course,
free opinions on the internet are generally worth much less than you paid for them,
and
YPMMV
LAZ 1
When I was a professional gun smith,
I built/customised about another 200 Govt model pistols for paying customers wanting "practical" pistols, both for real world personal defense, and for the games guns used in IPSC.
I spent over a decade shooting IPSC, mostly with Colt Govt model type pistols, and
I shot many Provincial Championships and the Canadian IPSC championships several times, without embarrassing my self too badly.
Based on this experience,
the absolute BEST single stack Colt Govt model pistol I've ever seen was one I built out of a Randall stainless steel Govt model, and a coned/ramped SS barrel.
This pistol went through several evolutions, starting out as a stock Randall Govt model, then into a .45 SUPER test bed for developing HOT .45 Super loads, then after it broke the lugs off the 6" SS .45 Super barrel, into an IPSC full house ramped/coned barrelled comped match gun, and then finally into a chopped "Commander length" slide PRACTICAL personal protection pistol.
Randall was, first of all, a creation by the owner of an Aerospace parts manufacturing company, who just happened to be LEFT handed, and wanted a left handed Govt pistol. He created and subsidised the pistol manufacturing business mostly as a hobby, but also tried to make $$$ with the sale of top quality SS Colt Govt model based pistols, some of which were unique [ eg: the Le May ]. The right handed Randall pistols were of course much more marketable. Randall, as a pistol manufacturing enterprise, went t**s up when the Aerospace industry collapsed.
The state of the art aerospace proven technology used in manufacturing the Randall pistols, made them the FIRST reliable SS govt model type pistols [ don't get me started on the butter soft jammamatic AMT "SOFTballers"]. The SS in the Randall was 17/4 PH, with the frame heat treated and the slide DOUBLE heat treated, to provide two dis-similar SS surfaces, to prevent "Galling". The slides were HARD AND TOUGH, and super durable. The small internal SS parts were top quality, dimensioned correctly, and when assembled properly, made up into one of the very best, most reliable, most durable Colt Govt SINGLE stack pistols I've ever seen.
Off of a rest, with a scope, and using MAJOR power IPSC cast bullet loads [ 180 gr OMA .45 Cal ] this pistol was capable of 2 1/2" accuracy at 50 yds for 8 shot groups. Using the 155 gr OMA cast bullets, again at MAJOR power/high velocity, I had ammunition that had enough residual port pressure to actually be effective at working a big bore .45 Cal compensator.
I sold my custom built Randall Match .45 when it had about 30,000 rounds through it.
This was the one gun i actually held on to for the longest, and along with it's baby twin brother, a Randall/detonics mini gun, was one of the very few guns I really regret selling.
[ Ferengi rule of acquisition # 7 ...
NEVER get emotionally attached to the inventory ].
NEVER!!!
However,
I just ran into the current owner of my old Randall .45 at the last gun show I attended.
Purely out of nostalgia, I asked him if he was interested in selling the Randall back to me.
He doesn't even shoot it ... it is just in his "collection".
He is thinking about it ....
[;{)
If you want a DOUBLE stack Govt model pistol,
IMHO,
the best bang for the buck would be a BUL from Marstar ... if they have any left.
the BUL may not be the most expensive gun available,
but on a value based scale, you do get a LOT for your $$$.
Like they say, when it comes to racing [ and guns ]
"Speed cost's $$$$.
How fast can you afford to go?"
And then there is that truism of all gofast sports:
" The first 90 percent of performance costs about 10%.
The last 10% improvement in performance costs about 90% more".
By these "Bang for the buck" criteria,
a Norinco Govt model single stack,
or a BUL DOUBLE stack Govt model,
both make a LOT of sense.
Especially if you put some of the money you saved into thoughtful and useful custom modifications THAT ACTUALLY IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY, ACCURACY, AND HANDLING.
And believe me when I say this ....
most modifications do NOT actually deliver the above.
Good ol Mr browning got it pretty close to right the first time around.
Paying for anything more than these,
and you are past the RATIONAL point of diminishing returns,
and are paying for "brand name" or "Style bonus points".
But then,
who ever said gun buying decisions were RATIONAL???
So there you have it ...
the distilled advice based on hundreds of Colt Govt model pistols,
and years of experience,
BOTH AS A GUNSMITH AND A SHOOTER!
BTDT,
got the T shirt
[;{)
[literally got the T shirt ....
one of the BC team T shirts given out for making the IPSC BC team one year ].
PS:
these days I shoot Glocks
These days,
TRYING TO BE "RATIONAL",
I figured out that
"if I could have only one pistol"
that pistol would be a Glock G23 with 9 mm and .357 SIG conversion barrels.
Simply the simp[lest, easiest to maintain, most durable, most reliable, and most versatile pistol I have ever shot
Of course,
free opinions on the internet are generally worth much less than you paid for them,
and
YPMMV
LAZ 1
Steve David
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Oshawa, Ontario
With money as no object, Les Baer, Wilson Combat, Nighthawk, Brown, someone tell us one is better then the other. Under $1500, I have had several in that price range and I have it hard to beat my STI Trojan or Kimber TLE II.
I wonder if 2011 - next year - will be celebrated as 100th anniversaryEven though the design comes from 1908..
So, is it became antique = no registration?
