which 1911 to buy

Ardent said:
Hard to argue with that, and I trust a statement as blatent as that, I'm curious now... Wonder if IMBEL is doing the forging, and wonder how long they've been forging them, I'm still feeling like this is a recent development, though I clearly could be wrong.
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As I understand it, IMBEL makes the rough forgings and the final machining is done by Springfield in the U.S.
 
Lots of disinformation flying here. Kimber never made cast frames or slides. SA always produced forged guns too.
Most reputable makers produce good serviceable guns, and generally have something in the price range you want. It has been my experience that the Kimber guns are smoother and have better factory triggers than most. However, there are so many options available that you really need to look at what features you want first. Do you need or want a beaver tail? Ambi safety? Caliber choice? These alone may dictate what brand you choose.
 
For what it's worth

I can confirm what CZ said. My Springfield 1911A1 "LOADED" Stainless was good right out of the box. 10 rounds Upper "A" freehand at 25 yards. Add to that, 2500 rounds of new and reloaded ammo without a hiccup. I can live with that.
I personally like about a 4 lb trigger ,with use, fine tuning it. Mine seems to be a bit heavy so maybe 5 lbs is right.
Only other thing needed is an extended mag release as I have small hands, and you can't do 5 seconds El Presidente's moving your hand on the gun. Although it does sound like a good excuse.LOL
 
After all the advise, the bottom line is that you have to find a gun YOU like and buy it. Everyone has probably had different experiences with the different models listed. Although I do recommend Springfield over the others, you're best bet is still to get your hands on several different models and try them out if possible. Bribe you're friends who own 1911's, go to gun ranges and rent the ones they have there (That will be the true test to see which ones stand up to all those rounds. I know Wild West in Edmonton uses STI's), just try as many as you can before you finally decide. I hope this helps.
 
I'm new to the .45 game, having picked up an early '60s Colt National Match recently. Used it for my BB course (my 1st shot out of the pistol was my 1st shot of the course). Brilliant pistol, I am now a total convert to the 1911 after years of 9mm shooting.

Can say the gentleman to my left on the BB course shot VERY accurately with his SA Govt/Loaded(?) pistol.
 
ilovepotatos said:
But we'll draw the line with guns.

When it comes to cars, Ford and GMC aren't doing a very good job these days. :p
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You can't beat Ford full size trucks....

Back on topic, since like most of us, you can't own just one, buy the one you can afford and save for another over time. I think Kimber is the way to go now and "the original" Colt can be got a little later on.
 
I am chiming in real late on this one, but do what you're doing right now. Research the various choices provided here by all those who shoot the very firearms they espouse. Look into each one, google 'em up and go over the details at the manufacturer's websites and get feedback from the folks shooting with them real world.

The Colts, Kimbers and Springers are all excellent choices. Honestly? I have heard of hiccups from Colt and Kimber recently, but Springfield has been running clean as far as I know. Look at the offerings, determine what you want in the pistol and then go form there.

For example, I shall use my criteria...

1). The pistol must be reliable, it can be super duper accurate, but it ain't worth a pile of beans if the bugger don't work!

2). The pistol must be rugged, if it can't take the abuse of a tactical shooting match or IDPA, then it does not fit the bill.

3). The pistol must be of a "Commander" size or smaller (but NOT prohibited), I want a pistol that I can use in legal (United States) CCW after the courses and paper work with Safeguardguy are taken care of in the next year or so.

4). The pistol must be stainless with a low glare reflectivity, I don't want to be blinded when I draw the pistol on a sunny day to plink away or save a life. Nor do I want to have it rust any faster than it has to.

5). The pistol must be equipped with low-profile sights to minimize snagging and tearing of shirts and skin during the presentation. The sights mounts must also be able to take tritium night sights, if not then there must be adequate material on the slide to machine in the requisite mounts.

6). The pistol must fire an adequate calibre sufficient to provide a high rate of low round count stops at no less than 10meters. If I have a pistol that can "stop" a guy at 10m away with one or two properly placed shots then good. I'd like it even better with 20m...

7). The pistol and ammunition must be reasonably priced (aka to fit your budget).


So I did the research and looked around and found that my field of options was pretty small.

My short list looked like this...
Colt XSE Commander (meets all criteria)
NightHawk Talon II (meets all criteria except #7)
SIG GSR (meets all criteria except #1)
Sig P220 (meets all criteria except #5)
Wilson Combat Professional (meets all criteria except #3 & #7)

So you see I am left with one choice on this (highly abbreviated to save bandwidth) list. As I am partial to the .45 ACP and the looks of the 1911, I have decided to go with an Colt XSE Commander.

So determine what you want from the pistol and then see what the makers have to offer. I'll bet you that somebody has what you want. :)
 
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I guess I'm just weird then...because I could only ever own one 1911. So perhaps that's maybe why I'm biased into spending more cash on the actual gun...

bluesclues said:
Back on topic, since like most of us, you can't own just one, buy the one you can afford and save for another over time. I think Kimber is the way to go now and "the original" Colt can be got a little later on.
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