colt 1911...a good buy?

M

MusHraeddur

New member
i just purchased a nearly new colt 1911 for 450.00 from a co-worker. i've seen it priced for almost 600.00 new at my local gun shops. he gave me 3 factory mags and a large carry case to go with it. i've shot it, and it shots wonderfully. i kind of jumped in pretty fast buying the gun, since i felt the price was very attractive. does anyone else own a colt 1911? what are your opinions of the gun, and what suggestions/upgrades and so forth might you recommend? did i get a good buy? too late to matter now, just curious. would love any suggestions regarding 1911's as far as aftermarket gear. thanks
 
Does anyone own a 1911? :D Everybody does, 'cept of course senor dos Sig, where is that feller anyway, shoulda dropped in by now to say you wasted your money. I like the price, what exactly is it, Series 70, 80, 1991A1, pre-70, full-size, Gold cup? Welcome to the club, now you can break the bank customizing it. They really don't need much, if its reliable, I say leave it alone, but tastes vary. Search around all the old posts, the options are endless. I will say the one must have accesory is lots of Wilson-Rogers mags, 7rd is totally reliable.
 
Most of Colt's 1911-pattern pistols are actually good guns. The company kind of crapped out in the mid-90s, but their newer stuff is supposed to be excellent. I own one, a Delta Elite, and am extremely happy with it. They tend to be more finicky with some kinds of ammo, but the worst case scenario to make them run perfectly is usually a $40 reliability job by a good gunsmith. But bear in mind that most 1911 pistols run really well box stock with most kinds of ammo; my Delta Elite certainly does. Normally you just need a new magazine for them to run right... Wilson Combat and Chip McCormick magazines are both excellent. Colt prices tend to be really high nowadays because of the trouble the company was (and kinda still is) in. Getting ANY Colt -- new or used -- for under $600 nowadays is a good deal from what I've seen. Don't worry too much about how "tight" your 1911 is... about 95% of the accuracy comes from the fit of the barrel, slide and bushing (more on that later).

Aftermarket gear? Most of it is gravy, but some of it will make your pistol more functional. If your trigger is plastic, having a aluminum match trigger fitted and a trigger job done to your pistol (nothing loony, just 4-5lbs and crisp) will make it easier to shoot well and doesn't cost that much. Next, if your sights are crappy like many 1911s, adding a set of better sights will be suprisingly helpful (I prefer Novak low profile, but they are kind of expensive and there are alot of other good ones). Night sights are a good idea if it is a self-defense weapon. If you have any feeding problems, get new magazines first, they are by far the #1 culprit in ALL semi-automatic pistols. Any feed issues that doesn't fix should be easily curable by a gunsmith for about $40. And finally, if you realize that your *pistol* (not you) needs more accuracy, have a Bar-Sto Target Match barrel fitted to your gun and your pistol will be able to shoot rings around almost anything out there. Kart and Jarvis barrels are supposed to be outstanding, too.

Hope that helps.
 
Sounds like a good deal, $450.00. And it sounds like it shoots / operates with no problems. About the only thing I would check out or have checked out, is the recoil spring and firing pin spring. No telling how long they have been under compression and if they have taken a "set". A set of "Wolff" factory weight (16 lbs) or heavy duty extra power springs (18 lbs) would be a good idea, this is my opinion. And any good gun shop should have them in stock or can get them for you. Or go to http://www.brownells.com and check them out.
Enjoy that piece of history,
Clem
 
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