Starter 1911

Dorian Gray

Dorian Gray

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So I'm relatively new to handguns. I've had my restricted license for the better part of a decade but never got any handguns until recently. I'm thinking of adding a 1911 to the fold but don't know where to start. And I'm leaning towards it being on the inexpensive side since I'm not sure if I'll like it. What would you guys do if you were in my shoes? Your wisdom in this would be much appreciated. Thanks.
 
A lot depends on what the intended use will be. I bought a norinco with bullseye competition in mind accuracy in its stock form was not adequate but reliability was excellent it went bang each time the trigger was pulled($400+-). I gave it to my son and purchased a Springfield armory target elite pleasingly accurate out of the box($1200+-).
I guess what I’m trying to say for casual range shooting it’s tough to beat the price and reliability of a norinco.
 
i was looking at rock iasland 1911 from irunguns.ca, they seem good price.

also a seller told me 5 inch norinco 1911 will be restocked no less than six months. now there are only 4.25 inch ones(ontario)
 
I think a Norinco 1911 could be a good starter 1911, because:
1. Cheap, and reasonably accurate..
2. You can try/practice detail disassembling and learn the ins-and-outs of 1911s without worries of damage.
3. Further DIY projects like trigger job, parts change/upgrade, or even refinishing. A lot of fun.

After all this, if you like 1911s enough, you can buy a really nice 1911 at that time.
 
The easy answer is definitely Norinco. If you end up liking 1911's they're also a pretty good start for project guns because you're not worried about wrecking something nice. They can be turned into very nice guns with a bit of work though. If you want something a bit nicer out of the box but still fairly cheap, look at the SAM 1911's. They've gone up a fair amount the last few years, and I'm not sure what the availability is now, but they used to be a real bargain too.
Kristian
 
wstcstlad said:
Norinco is a decent starter for sure.... but I just came across this one as well that would do the job (as you hadn't specified caliber) https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/2122697-Dominion-arms-45
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Dominion Arms were made by a Norinco for a Canadian company, they also made a Dominion Arms AR-15 for them.
OP, another option would be a Sig/GSG 1911-22; they are very affordable and reliable, and as a .22 they are cheap to shoot and they sell quickly if you want to move up to a .45 or 9mm 1911 if you decide you like the platform
 
Define “inexpensive” and you’ll help us give an appropriate recommendation. .22, 9mm, .45?

If you can swing $1000 I recommend a used Colt in .45. Recent ones I’ve seen have been well executed. Every 1911 gunsmith is willing to work on them. If you end up not liking the gun you won’t lose much, if anything, on resale.
 
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--Terry-- said:
I think a Norinco 1911 could be a good starter 1911, because:
1. Cheap, and reasonably accurate..
2. You can try/practice detail disassembling and learn the ins-and-outs of 1911s without worries of damage.
3. Further DIY projects like trigger job, parts change/upgrade, or even refinishing. A lot of fun.

After all this, if you like 1911s enough, you can buy a really nice 1911 at that time.
Click to expand...

+1

Go for one of the unmarked Norinco 1911A1's. They usually can be found, reasonably priced, on the EE.

I scored one awhile back, just to have one. Ended up dressing it up with a different trigger & new double diamond grips.

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ziny said:
i was looking at rock iasland 1911 from irunguns.ca, they seem good price.

also a seller told me 5 inch norinco 1911 will be restocked no less than six months. now there are only 4.25 inch ones(ontario)
Click to expand...

Rock Island Stuff is pretty top notch for what you pay, goes further then the Norinco imho. Having said that most guns will out shoot the shooter especially when its a new shooter.
 
I started with a Norinco, and it was a good starting point. It went bang when you pulled the trigger and was not a big investment. I then got a Ruger sr1911 and really liked the upgrade. It is a nice gun for a little more money. Don’t know about anything about higher end 1911s.
 
The Springfield Milspec in .45 ACP is a decent lower-priced entry for a fairly classic gun, not far removed from the century-ago originals. For all the romance and history or if you're into historical re-enactment (SASS Wild Bunch, for example) it might be the thing. The other direction to take the 1911 is modern competition (IPSC Classic division, minor power factor) where a 9mm pistol with the various newer refinements would be the thing. And there are various other combinations of features and caliber available. As noted above, a real Colt has a certain attraction over the various clones.

9mm is less expensive than .45 ACP so you probably get to shoot more if you go that way. If you have other guns, being able to share ammo between them and not have to buy so many different kinds can be attractive, but if you're already bored with 9mm and want to step up to .45 ACP then a classic 1911 is certainly the authentic gun for that.
 
After looking at the suggestions here, I have to admit that my budget is definitely in the Norinco ballpark. There's some nice stuff out there but the vast majority of it is wayyyyy out of my price range. For those of you with experience with both the full size and commander models, which do you prefer? Marstar has some of the commander sized pistols for 420$. Would that be a good way to go? I kind of want this thing to be relatively authentic to the original design so I'm leaning towards a 45. I've already got a 9mm and a 7.62x25 so I'd like to try something a little different.
 
I have had 5 Norinco 1911's in .45.
Three were great, one had some mechanical issues, seller wasn't truthful on condition. It was sold as a parts gun. The other one functioned fine, just shot ALL OVER the place. So, it seems like a crap shoot.
 
I still have the Norc that I bought from Tim, and have had no problems with it. It throws a tight group when I do my part. Polishing the feed ramp is the only work I've done on it. After a couple thousand rounds it works pretty slick. Not looking to sell, but you may find a gently used one as I did for a better price than new. Only thing is, get some aftermarket mags. You'd do that anyway for fun no matter what you buy, but the improvement over Norinco mags was huge.
 
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Theres a RIA on the EE for less than $500.

Theres a Colt listed in my local classified ads for $525,its chambered in 38 super though.
 
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