1911 copies.

M

mineralman

New member
I am looking to buy a good used 1911 copy. The one in question is a Ballester Molina Argentine Navy model. Is this a decent gun, or POS? What other low priced (and i mean LOW) copies are decent?

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POS. The Argentine 1911s have poor QC.
You night find one thats good - but there are far more out there that are about worthless.
And they are not really 1911's. They have different specs. Real 1911 parts rarely fit in them.
Just from what I've seen...

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"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity." - Sigmund Freud
We, the people, are tired of being taxed, penalized, supervised, harassed,
and subjugated by a federal government which exceeds the powers
enumerated in the U.S. Constitution.
 
.........you get what you pay for..........

Try a used gun from Colt, Kimber, or Springfield.

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"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
I would not buy a Ballista Molina for a carry pistol, I have one in my collection of 1911s as an example of the breed. There are almost no spare parts for the B/M models, as only a few Colt parts will interchange.

The Argentine 1911's (M-27's) built on Colt machinery under license are well built, at least the ones I have examined. They feel a little heavier than Colts of the same period but I have not really weighed them to be sure.

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Ne Conjuge Nobiscum
"If there be treachery, let there be jehad!"
 
You want a COPY?? Get a K!M3ER!!!

Oh, sorry, I see you said a LOW priced COPY... :)



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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785
 
Get a Norinco or Charles Daly. My personal experience...these guns are a lot of good things compared to its tag price. Also good foundations for a customized m1911.

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jj0287
 
I will never buy a Llama. One of my friends had a pair of them. one would rarely feed, and the other exploded in his face. I did look at one of the Charles Daly's, and was impressed. chrome barrel even. <G> oh well, just need $$$$ now. both to purchase, and to feed the beastie. good .45 ammo is enough to make me consider the benefits of a knife. at least the ammo's cheap. <G>
 
I have a little experience with the Charles Daly and it was a 100% ***P.O.S.***, it felt nasty, cheap and gritty. Maybe just a lemon, but I've heard other people agree that it blows chunks.
 
I had one of the earlier Charles Daly's, fit and finish were just average, but it shot tight groups and was reliable. The trigger was a bit gritty, not too bad thou.
I recently bought a Charles Daly with the 4" barrel. Fit and finish is excellent. Trigger is very good right from the box, and it is extremely accurate and reliable. I think they have finally got their act together and are producing a pretty good line of 1911's.
Even some of the big name gun makers produce some klinkers early on.
The Charles Daly for $350.00 or so, with 2 MecGar mags is quite a deal these days. Get your hands on one and check it out for yourself. Rod Black
 
As you can see, there are many good copies of the 1911A1 US Army.

o Norinco
o 1927 Colt Argentine Model
o 1927 Argentine Model built on Colt machinery
o Early cheap Kimbers (black parkerized type)

For the original Commercial 45 Automatic pistol, you must buy a Colt, it is the assignee of John M. Browning's patents going back to 1897. The US built clones are rip-offs, no more ethical than the Norinco, IMHO.

The Gold Cup National Match by Colt is far beyond the capability of any but the most accurate shooter to exploit, and it runs less than $1000 new. About $6-700 used in excellent condition, it is a true bargain. Colts are cheaper now than when you paid $195 new in the 1970s using constant dollars!

Forget high-end Kimbers and Springfields and other wannabe POSs. If you want to spend $1000+, wait and save an extra $400 and buy a Baer, Clark, Wilson, Bilby, Heinie, or other recognized pistol. You never save money by buying a cheap gun. This means the wannabes with their "loaded" pistols!

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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785
We don't have a chaplain here, but I don't view that as any major problem... You can rest assured
that you will not go in that bag until I've said a few appropriate words over you
R. Lee Ermy as Sgt Major Haffner, from The Siege of Firebase Gloria
 
Unfortunately, Colt has been the apparent victim of poor management and, due to lack of financial strength, courage, and commitment to the customers who have supported them for generations, they have
tucked their tails and run in the stand against the liberals who are trying to threaten the industry.
The recently made Colt 1911 I have
handled have not been well made and I would
certainly not buy their products now that
they have made their recent decision.

Dont mean to be argumentative BigG, but I
really feel they have deserted their public.
 
Hi Davy,

I usually buy older used Colt Gummints, Commanders, & Gold Cups myself. They are often found in like new condition, bought by owners who were horrified to find that the big mouthed critter kicks and spews brass. I have bought a few that included the original box of shells, minus one or two... :) LOL

I would buy very few new guns made by anyone, myself... mebbe a S&W J frame... LOL

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Be mentally deliberate but muscularly fast. Aim for just above the belt buckle Wyatt Earp
45 ACP: Give 'em a new navel! BigG
"It is error alone that needs government support; truth can stand by itself." Tom Jefferson, Notes on Virginia, 1785
We don't have a chaplain here, but I don't view that as any major problem... You can rest assured
that you will not go in that bag until I've said a few appropriate words over you
R. Lee Ermy as Sgt Major Haffner, from The Siege of Firebase Gloria
If you have to shoot a man, shoot him in the guts. It may not kill him... sometimes they die slow, but it'll paralyze his brain and arm and the fight is all but over Wild Bill Hickok
 
Assuming that we are sticking to 1911A1 clones...I just bought my second Charles Daly. The first was an early gun I bought a year and a half ago. It was less than desirable, but it went bang when the trigger was pulled (up to 400 rounds when the clocking extractor caused major feeding problems. A new oversize firing pin stop from EGW solved that)

I just bought a new CD and was amazed as to the finish of the gun. The new beavertail fits, the slide and frame are smooth and even melted at some points. Sharp edges are gone!

Unfortunatley, the trigger still wobbles about in it's housing, the firing pin stop is searching for a home, and the barrel bushing could fit two barrels)

I honed a new EGW firing pin stop for the CD and have a new McCormick trigger, hammer and sear, and EGW barrel bushing on the way.

When all of this is installed , I will still have less than $400. in the Charles Daly. I will have a adequately good 1911 at a very reasonable price. And, it has all the goodies that my two Kimbers are equipped with. I know it's not a Kimber, but for over $100. less it's a really good deal. I enjoy tinkering to learn the 1911A1, so the labor is free. The Kimbers don't need "tinkering"

Hope this helps.
 
The Ballestar Molina is NOT a 1911 clone, although it does share a number of interchangeable parts (such as the barrel.) Shot Gun News had a review of the BM and the Sistem (mentioned below) a few weeks back, and the BM was very accurate. Most of the folks I've talked with who had them, were very pleased. But these are NOT good carry guns, for any number of reasons -- not the least of them being weight!

The Argentine 1927 Sistema are good quality, if you can find one in good shape, as are most of the 1911 Norincos. These are true 1911s, made on Colt machinery to 1930's Colt quality standards (which was quite good). Like the BM, not a good carry gun: too heavy.

I've heard a lot of good comments about the Charles Daly II 1911s, although some gunsmiths, while praising them, say some parts, such as the sear / trigger interface, are a little soft. (That can be replaced.)
 
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