Beretta or 1911??? Why can't I make up my mind???

A

Adventurer_96

New member
Two of my recent posts have talked about my quest to buy a Beretta 92 in an effort to complete my "must have" gun list.

However, I do have a few others on the list that I've been thinking about lately and a trip to the local gun store brought out a very interesting possibility here. If the readers who helped with advice on the Berettas think I'm indecisive, well, you're 100% correct!

I've wanted a 1911 since I was 10 and shot one for the first time, first pistol ever actually. However, each time I stop into a store or go to a show and see a low end one for $500+ I feel intimidated. Not to mention, I'd always wanted to get a WWII collector's piece as an occasional shooter versus a CCW.

I decided to look for a Beretta at a local shop today. No luck on that front, but the guy behind the counter was really helpful and a 1911 fan. I explained to him that I just don't feel comfortable with the SA design of the gun because I've never really shot one much, and I didn't mention that I don't know a whole heck of a lot about what to look for.

He showed me two very interesting pistols. The first was an Auto Ordnance .45 in Good shape I'd say, with decent fit and finish that they wanted $300 for. Oddly enough, it was my wife's reaction to the gun's design that intrigued me. The dealer pointed out the safety features on the pistol and my wife thought it was very well designed, even though she felt it might be a bit too heavy for her. It rekindled the image of a .45 as a CCW which I think originally came from the opening scenes of Magnum PI.:cool:

The next one he showed me was the one which I could see myself owning except for a couple of points which I'll describe. It's a Remington Rand WWII production with the US Government Property marking on the left side, I can't remember if it's on the slide or frame. Here's the gotchas: It's had the hammer bobbed so you can't even draw it back with both thumbs, so that would have to be replaced. And, here's the worst (or best???) part: It's been triple-chromed all over. What the guy pointed out was that there had been some pitting on the slide which was barely noticable due to the refinishing and the layers of chrome which had been polished. He figures that it sat somewhere for a long time and got some surface pitting and the refinish was just a way to keep a very functional gun looking decent. Here's the best part though: They want $250 for the thing!

Here's my big questions for the very knowledgable folks on this forum:

1. I've searched the posts and it seems like you should stay away from Auto Ordnance 1911's due to poor quality control in the manufacturing process with forging, etc. True?

2. Would a Remington Rand like I described be an option for CCW? I think for $250 it would be a good base gun for some work, like fixing the hammer and maybe a refinish.

3. What do I need to look at on the RR to determine the validity of what the dealer was saying?

4. Should I wait and spend twice that on my 92FS??

I've been waiting for a long time for both a Beretta and a 1911, and it seems like I may have an inexpensive option to buy the 1911 now if it's what he said it is. Plus, I'm sure I would use a 1911 for CCW whereas I might not with the Beretta.

Thanks again for all of your insight in advance, and also for putting up with my indecision.


Check Six.
 
Okay, here's your choices......

You can have a real gun at the expense of unplating it, putting a decent finish on it and doing some gunsmithing. Plus you'll have to learn how it works, ie, cocked and locked.

Or

You can have a politically correct, overweight and underpowered trendy 19 shooter.

Have at. You're a big kid.

Seriously. The military 1911's are the best foundation for a defense gun I can think of. You'll have to replace the sights. Brownell's have the fixed "National Match High Sights" that are almost perfect. (You have to file off the top third or so...)

If you can't live with cocked and locked, the Beretta is as bad or good as any other of the hermaphrodite function pistols.

I'd go for the double action only version if SA only was out of the question.
 
My experiences with cheaper guns have been less than spectacular.

The fear of blowing $300 on a possible POS over buying a near perfect SA Loaded or Kimber Custom Classic would make me want to :barf:. But guns are very personal things.

As for myself, I think I will skip the affordable, old, used varieties and go for the well-engineered, well-finished, reliable, waranteed ones.

Buy the one you can afford now, and you might have to keep buying until you find the right one. Save up and buy the one you want, and you'll only have to buy it once. In the end, you'll spend the same.
 
I have owned several colt 1911's. They're great guns. I recently purchased a 92FS and I just plain shoot it better. The groups are tighter, much tighter, and it holds more rounds. It is fairly large however. My carry gun is a BHP. It shoots even better than the Beretta and is much smaller. I would suggest you look into the BHP if you want a single action pistol. The 92fs is a great choice if you can conceal it. The difference in stopping power between the .45 and 9mm is miniscule at best. People hype about the "pre-expanded" size of the .45, but in the end the 9mm performs just about as well and is faster on follow ups. Face it, a hole is a hole. Put it where it counts and the BG is going down. A bad placed hit is going to be just as bad whether it's a .45 or 9mm. Just pick a good penetrating round. 9mm is much cheaper also.
 
Have you considered the Colt 1991A1? Great gun at a reasonable price.Or do what I did and buy a Sistema Colt or Hartford Colt from www.jldcenter.com .My Sistema was $299 and is in excellent condition.I am just polishing the feedramp,addding Wilson mags and putting in a couple new Wolf springs and new sights to make it my CCW.All Colt parts fit in them.The BHP is also a great firearm worth looking into as well as the CZ's.
 
Do yourself a huge favor, and go to a range and rent the most popular makes and shoot them. Do not turn your nose up to the revolvers, either. Pick the one which shoots best for you, rather than the one you think you should have. There are pretty ones and ugly ones, but the best one for you will shoot nice little ragged holes and will feel good in your hand as well. If you're going to stake your life on it, get the biggest caliber you can handle well and practice often!
 
Boys and their toys. Once we get some, we want more.

If I remember, you were not looking at the Beretta for CCw, so you are not comparing functions.

The Beretta will be reliable and functional out of the box. I'm guessing that either 1911 that you are considering will need work to come close to the reliability of the Beretta.

Removing the triple layer of chrome and getting a Robar finish from the Rand would cost you about the same amount as the Beretta. If you are looking for a carry gun, this may be a consideration. Add to this the cost of hammer, better sights, and a reliability job. I know you want a vintage 1911, but cost wise you seem to be better off with a Kimber or Springfield. At this cost, you wouldn't even be looking at base models.

Hey, fun is fun. The real question is what kind of time frame are you working with? My guess is that in the long run, you will end up getting both, if the opportunity presents itself.
 
The reason you're having a difficult time with this decision is...

you must obviously be in cahoots with the same NATO allies that swayed the Army back back in the eighties.

Otherwise the choice would be obvious.

1911.
 
I love this forum!

Thanks all for your thoughts.

Yes, I am in a way in "cahoots" with the NATO types in the sense I'm in the USAF! :) I don't use the pistol that much in a work capacity but I figure that's a worthwhile argument on some level. Stick with what you know, right?

Why do I want these pistols? Simple: I want to start a collection of a few models of pistols which I feel I must own, either because I like to shoot them, because they'll be banned eventually for sale, (or both), or because I think that they would make for an excellent CCW. Some on my list will make for good home defense weapons. Others, just shooters on the range.

I wanted the Beretta not really as a CCW due mainly to its size but rather because I know I'll be shooting it quite a bit at the range, and if I decided to get into any kind of 9mm shooting competitively I could use it "as is" or modify/accurize it. Additionally, I may start competitive shooting with the military, and I know that there are restrictions on what types of pistols can be used. I could probably use either but I know for sure that the 92 is permitted.

As for the 1911, again, I've wanted one for years mainly for nostalgia and for some range shooting. It wasn't until yesterday that I began to think of one as a CCW. I hate to say it but I think I'd even keep the chrome, and that the only "must have" mod would be the hammer. Also, I'm fortunate enought that a fellow at my club has offered to check it out for me. He's forgotten more about Colts than I'll ever know, and that's not an exaggeration.

I think that if this 1911 isn't a total POS then I'll pick it up, simply because I can always find another NIB or LNIB 92. I'm not expecting to get the kind of reliability that I can get out of the 92 without some work most likely, but I'm willing to live with that as long as it doesn't stovepipe every other shell. And, at $250 if I don't sink any kind of money into it I can't help but think I could recoup my money!
 
The List

By the way, here's the list of some that I must have:

BHP, from FN
Walther PPK or PPK/S, either caliber
Colt Trooper .357
*&* in .45
Glock 9mm
Luger w/proofs
Radom
French 1935A
Colt 1911A1, series 50-70
Tokarev
E. German Mak
Chinese Mak
Bulgarian Mak
PA-63


None of these, except for maybe the Trooper, would really classify as "home defense" guns for me. Not to mention, that's filled already by the *&* .357 and the Colt Cobra for the wife. I guess I'll have to figure out more reasons to buy stuff...



Check Six.
 
Another 1911?

Guess what? As it always seems to happen, the .45 has been sold, much to my chagrin. The only saving grace is that I have Thursday off to peruse the gun shops and get ready for this weekend's gun show. Wish me luck...
 
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