Colt 1991A1 - Good idea?

S

SVTNate

New member
I put 100 rounds through a 1991A1 at the range tonight. The gun was reliable considering it's a filthy, abused range gun. It felt nice in my hand, but the trigger break could be crisper. Sometimes the break caught me by surprise, but I guess for paper punching that might be a good thing. I was pretty accurate with it, and most important I had fun shooting it.

Kimbers are out of my price range right now (they START at 800 in CA), and I figure there's nothing wrong with a Colt 1911 (or close enough to a real 1911). If I can nab one for under 700 in Stainless, and just customize it to my liking as time goes on, I can build a sweet target gun as I can afford the parts and 'smithing.

I didn't notice the "sharp" edges people complain about, really, but it did seem to pinch me a bit at the top of the beavertail, in between my thumb and pointer finger.

What are your thoughts on the 1991A1?
 
If you want a milspec 1911, why not order a Sistema through CDNN investments? Its a milspec 1911, it just has spanish markings on the slide.

Cruffler.com has them, too, but I ordered one from them a while ago, and Adam just told me that they now won't be in until December (:rolleyes: ). So order from CDNN and avoid that hassle.

Mike
 
My friend has a 1991 and I like it. He also didn't want to drop $800+ on a Kimber. So he's slowly going to customize it. I don't see anything wrong with it. It's been perfectly reliable thus far (about 500 rounds).
 
SVTNate - I see your in Orange County. I have seen the Kimber classics for sale at the Oceanside Shooting Academy for six-something. They have the best prices for NIB anything around here - they also sell the 1991, IIRC. Give them a call, you may be surprised you can afford the Kimber. I know they sell the Gold Match for $1050 - that's pretty good anywhere, AFAIK.

No, not affiliated, just a very happy repeat customer :D
 
Ditto Coronach. Sistemas are pretty cool. The Colt 1991's have too many plastic parts for me. I mean, they're ok on a Glock, but a Gov't 45? I don't think so!
 
CUSTOM CLASSIC .45 ACP, NIB
GA# 976144156 $584.00 Here,s the best value in a 1911 style pistol. This 5" barrel model has a durable matte black oxide finish, beveled front & rear slide serrations, match grade barrel and trigger group, polished breech face, dovetailed front & rear sights and full length rod guide. Grips are checkered rubber in the double diamond pattern. Wood grips are available as are extra 8 round magazines. NIB. Add 3% for MC/Visa. We are a Kimber Master Dealer. E-mail for freight charges and prices on other Kimber models.
Seller: JIM'S FIREARMS & SHOOTER'S SUP
Phone: (409) 722-4000 Email: jimejordan@earthlink.net FFL Dealer: Yes
 
I, too, am thinking of getting a Sistema. It'll make a nice start for a custom gun. I'm going to attempt to do all or most of the work myself with a little help( gotta love growing up in a family full of machinists and machine shop owners).

unfortunately, it'll have to wait till after I get my Garand.
 
If you like to tinker you probably can't go too far wrong with a Colt to start with as a base.

If you want more refinement to begin with then a Kimber is a fine choice.

I have a Colt that was a Government Enhanced model. You really don't have to be a gun guru to get one to give you a crisp break. I sold my Kimber Custom Classic because I did not need two. It was vastly superior to my Colt right out of the box, but I got the Colt to come in a close second with a lot of educational additions installed by me.

A 1911 is like a Harley, you can build one without a single original part in it. That means you can go as far as you like, or not...
 
SVTNate
I've read some of your other posts and I have a little advice. Spend more time w/ your USP :) The money you save will go along way in mastering the DA trigger on your USP and developing some good habits.
I've got both 1991a1 and USP (X2) and my Colt sits in the safe. Don't get me wrong, I like my 1991a1 but I just prefer the German over-engineering in my USPs :cool:
Besides, your probably addicted like the rest of us. You'll probably get that 1911 somewhere along the line :D As you said in a previous post, money is tight. If so, shoot what you got, worry about expanding your collection later.
 
Kermit,

I made a decision today. The Ruger 10/22 bug bit me after shooting one a couple days ago, and tomorrow I am buying one to modify. The 1911 will wait.

It will also be waiting until after I get a USP 45 to keep my 9mm company :D
 
I have always preferred the Colt series 70 or earlier original commercial Colt's. The series 70 guns I have bought used were often way cheaper than buying one of the newer made pieces of crap from the various manufactures that use powdered metal sears and hammers , plastic parts, hated passive firing pin safeties and or cast steel receivers.

I had a Series 70 rare two tone Nickle Plated colt that I had Micro sights put on years ago for the princely sum of $35.00. I just recently after 26 years got around to having a master local gunsmith do a first class trigger job on it. It only cost me $50.00 and the trigger breaks like glass and the gun literally shoots one whole groups at 25 yards with cast lead bullets.

I also last week picked up a series 70 National Match totally unfired for $600.00. Two days later I was offered another for $700. also unfired and I bought that one also. Lets face it most of the upper end .45's will cost you a lot more than that and a lot of them shoot no better and have inferior made inteneral parts made from not forgings but castings or powdered metal. Why pay more for junk when you can buy an original Colt for way less. I have never had a bad or inaccurate commercial made Colt .45. Colt has been building .45's for almost 100 years and they know just how tight they can make the slide to frame fit and still have a reliable but accurate handgun.

Although I do not like the newer Colts because of their passive firing pin safety that louses up the trigger pull the pull can be improved a lot by a really good gunsmith that works on accuraizing these guns for national match type shooting. The powdered metal sear and hammer of the newer Colts are also more difficult for the smith to smooth up but it can be done. I am not beating up just on Colt because Kimber also uses powdered metal interanl parts and the new Dan Wesson 1911 even has a cheap cast steel frame.

I have heard that the new Valtro .45's that are coming in from Italy are supposed to be first class all the way with no cheap plastic or cast steel parts. The man who owns the company is related to the master gunsmith Armand Swenson and he stated that he would spare no expense to bring the world a first class .45.

I have read nothing but good reports from the few people that have been able to find one and buy one and I have heard there are not too many yet in this country for sale. When they become more readily available I will personally take a good hard look at one of these beauties. W.R.

For those of you that like to shoot hot loads through your Colt.45's or standard full power factory ammo. I recommend the heavier Wolf recoil springs. Buy one that just barely lets the cases eject to save wear and tear on your firearm.

If you have a trigger job done never , ever let the slide slam home on an empty chamber or even a loaded round. Either ease the slide down and into battery by hand or hold the hammer with your finger all the way down and then trip the slide release lever. I realize that some of the newer models with their idiotic new style grip safeties will not enable you to do this so you will have to ease the slide down by hand. Failure to do this will eventually chew up the sear and ruin your expensive trigger job. Slaming your slide home also does your barrel lugs and their recesses in the slide no good either.

This advice is for people who shoot a lot and use their weapons frequently but for those of you who shoot seldom it still is not bad advice to follow.

Colt has made a limited run of just 4,000 pistols duplicating the original 1911. It does not have the hated firing pin safety but I would take and educated guess that it probably has the powdered metal internal parts. I hope that I am in error on this statement but the gun would be a good collectors item or even a good base gun to eventually have built up into a target weapon. It of course is not cheap. The wholesale price is right up around 800 bucks. But the good news is you will never lose money on it. I think this model left alone in its original condition is going to escalate in value from the moment you buy it and I have no doubt that the accuracy will be typical Colt. Very good indeed. As a matter of fact my local Smith does not replace Colt Barrels when he builds up a match gun unless the customer demands it. The Colt barrels are actually that good.

He told me that he does replace the Springfield Armory barrels becuase he has not been able to get the accuracy out of them that he has gotten out of the Colt or custom Kart Barrels. So he replaces the Springfield Armory stock barrel with a Kart Barrel. W.R.
 
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