1911 45 auto

N

NHSHOOTER

New member
Just yesterday I was at my daughters and shot her hubby's new 1911 45, really enjoyed shooting it and it was quite accurate. Now I want 1, what brand should I get, I am fond of Kimber and Ruger, probably cant afford a colt, any input would be great, also looking for a good choice for cc..
 
1911's

I have owned and shot several others. Colts- Auto Ordinance- Para Ordinance- Kimbers- etc. In new condition none of these are by any means inexspensive. My current favorite is a Springfield Armory Range Officer compact in 45acp. Alloy frame (if you are considering it for carry) match barrel, great trigger out of the box and mone came with carry case, kydex holster, and double mag pouch for off side carry. Shoots like crazy and i'm tired of typing so check them out at your local indoor range. I think you will will like it. Good shootin!
 
Post 1, your question may sound simple, but it can easily become more complicated. I generally don't recommend a 1911 to anyone without understanding or knowing how the potential owner's use or expectation of the handgun.

Right now, Kimber is on my bad-list for 1911s, although I did own three (TLE II, Warrior, and SIS Custom) and still own one of them (the SIS Custom). Truthfully, I generally liked them while I had them, but they all needed work to become 100% reliable; perhaps, doubling the initial cost on each one.

My recent issue was merely bad customer service on Kimber's part.

My Ruger 1911 experience was with a 4.25" .45ACP steel-framed 1911. I loved carrying it, but with various part breakages (over ~15K rounds) and it just not being accurate enough for my liking, I sold it off.

Without knowing more, I can't fault Post 2's choice of a Springfield-Armory as I've got one from that brand too (5" .45ACP non-railed "Professional" model).

Some things to consider: barrel length; frame size; frame material; price range; expected round count. My four remaining 1911s are all carried and are all 5" steel-framed versions. If "cc", meaning concealed carry, is the main consideration, try to narrow it down to a specific brand & model; then ask for comments before actually buying.
 
Hawg said:
The best bang for the buck is Rock island.
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That was true for more than a decade. These days, prices for RIA 1911s have gone up. The best bang for the buck today is probably the Turkish 1911s.

I was in a local gun shop yesterday. One of the owners is a fellow 1911 aficionado, so I asked his opinion of the Turkish guns. He said he has sold a lot of them, that they are all very nicely finished, and that the buyers have been very happy with them. No call-backs or quality issues to report.
 
I just bought 3 Tisas.
A commander in .45,a commander in 9 mm and a 1911A1 in .45.
I have owned more than a dozen 1911 Colts,Springfield’s and a new Remington.
Just amazed at the fit,finish, accuracy, and trigger for the price - compared.
Amazed!
 
The only Kimber I’d recommend is their entry level models, such as the Custom II and a couple others. After that, you’re paying for nonsense. I don’t like any Kimbers, but at least their entry level models have decent value. The low end 1911’s I’d recommend would be Colt, Springfield and Ruger. Stick with the Series 70 Colts if you go that route.

The cheapest 1911’s are built in Turkey and the Philippines. I don’t do either, but they have come a long way. If you can stomach a 1911 built in Turkey, more power to you. No thanks
 
I only have experience with one 1911, and it’s been an excellent experience. I bought a used RIA in 9mm with a .22TCM conversion for $350.00 around three years ago. Shooting 9mm it’s been 100% reliable and accurate. But, I was having problems with it with the.22TCM so I contacted the company and explained the problem and told them I purchased it used. They immediately emailed me a return shipping label. Within two weeks of sending it off I had it back and it was fixed at no cost to me. They replaced the barrel and recoil spring and tuned it. Now, this was pre-Covid so I can’t vouch for current CS but I’d imagine within limitations these days their CS is as good as any. Quality wise and feature wise I’d say the bang for the buck is pretty high even if their prices have gone up in the last few years like everybody else’s.
 
I can't tell you what's best, but I can tell you I own a couple of Tisas' in 9mm and 45. They're pretty darn good and reasonably priced. You can go from plain and simple to about as tricked out as most people would want I suppose. I tend to stay pretty simple myself.
 
if it was in the options.....id tell him to get a new frame, a bag of usgi parts, hand it to a smith and build a usgi 1911a1...screw the cost and do it.
 
1911's are all over the place and it depends on WHY you want one. If you just want a 1911 style pistol to have a 1911 there are a lot of decently made guns imported from all over the world. Modern manufacturing has probably made it possible to produce these guns at bargain prices while making them more accurate and reliable than the Colts of 40 years ago. There are so many that I just can't be of help.

But to me a 1911 is an American Classic. If I'm buying one, I want USA made and I want quality touches. Once again there are several good options. I had good luck with 2 Smith and Wesson 1911's, and they are often left out of the conversation. I had one Kimber for years and it didn't disappoint. And a Colt isn't that much more, consider spending a bit more now, the grandkid who gets it will appreciate it a lot more than if it came from the Philippines or Turkey.

Probably the best bargain in USA made is the Ruger.
 
Jim Watson said:
A friend is very pleased with his new Bul. It is a 9mm, I hope their .45s are as good.
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They are, and I am VERY impressed with my 9mm Bul as well.

"I want a 1911" is kind of like "I want a sports car". It no longer means a Colt (a red 2 door coupe with a high HP/weight ratio).

I have owned many brands, but primarily in .45ACP with a few in 10mm, which are, IMHO a nice marriage of those calibers and the 1911 pattern. But I have a 6" .40 and a 9mm 5" (The Bul). I have a Kimber 3" left that performs better than the average Kimber, which is why I keep it.

I have a Koenig Custom SR1911 from Ruger in process, and Ruger does make fantastic 1911s as compared to many of the others in the mid-tier to inexpensive zone. I won't blame anyone for picking up a Tisas if they want to dip a toe and try the platform. But, and I say this with a decent background, if you want something to be proud of, last and pass on to someone, I'd really bump it up a little. That does not mean they are not good, serviceable firearms. But they are kind of like a 6 cylinder Camaro in the sports car class.

I'll generally advise folks to pick three companies they like for a firearm, one with a budget price and one with a mid-tier price and one in the premium price. Look at them touch them, if you can shoot them and pick the one that speaks to you.

I have a few "premium" price rifles, shotguns and pistols, and with the pistols is it a custom 1911 in .45 and a Limited run 1911 in 10mm. They are my most fun to shoot and the ones I only let close friends and firearms enthusiasts shoot. That is another litmus test. If I won't loan it out, it is a fav. If I had a Tisas, I'd let folks shoot it a lot.
 
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