Do you really think that 1911's costing a grand or more are worth it ??

Are over $1000 1911s worth it?

Don't know. What's your life worth? Mine's priceless. I shoot a 1911 better than any other firearm I own. I own a Baer Stinger, TRS, Wilson Protector, and a Vickers 1991 custom. I shoot them all. I shoot around 1500 rounds a month, and have good training thanks to TR. Good friends shoot Glocks, DA guns, and the like, and their targets look like shotgun patterns. I shoot one ragged hole efficiently and quickly. $1000+ is serious money. Most people are Sunday shooters and can't appreciate a fine 1911. I take my shooting and protection of my life seriously. Believe me, they are a bargain.

Westtexas
 
A good quality custom 1911 can be worth it

Way back in the early 1980s I had a series 70 built for me to shoot IPSC and the Second Chance match. It has gone through some where around 15,000 rounds through its life and still keeps on shooting great groups without a bobble.

My Kimber Compact Custom ($600) has now gone through almost 3,000 rounds without a problem. In fact, I just cleaned it tonight for the first time in about 800 rounds...just thought I would do something nice for it.

I have an offer to sell my custom Colt for the same money I paid for it almost 20 years ago. Maybe I will and maybe I won't...It's a hard choice to make.

I will tell you that an old friend of mine spent almost $3,000 on a Colt 1911 that never did shoot very well and was never reliable. Anything can happen. Good Luck. jack
 
I went through the "gotta have a custom 1911" phase a few years ago. The guns were a joy to shoot and very accurate, but the change of heart was when I attended a night-shooting course and used a bone-stock Series 70. I whipped everybody's butt with it, which told me my intimate familiarity with that type of pistol was more important than whether or not it had a match barrel and a checkered front strap!

I agree with the first response. $600 will get you a decent stock pistol and pay for the trigger job too. After that it's all a matter of want, not need.
 
I always get a good laugh when the tupperwear people or hightech sheet metal people start mouthing off how good their weapons are.
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Why? Because you assume that no one else is an accurate judge of their own experiences?

Anyone can buy a weapon for close range blasting
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Funny, "close range blasting" fairly accurately describes 99.99% of civilian defensive handgun applications.

but when it comes to a precision made target weapon that is capable of outstanding accuracy because it is has a good trigger, is balanced correctly, and is able to be gunsmithed to fit the individual needs of the user to enable him to more easily win in competition then the nod goes to the 1911.
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Right. And when I build a bullseye gun, I start with a 1911, too. Your point?

It is the dominate pistol used in bullseye competition because people who compete in these matches learn quickly what gun wins and which ones are basically a joke.
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You still haven't connected the relevance of "bullseye competition" and a serious defensive handgun. Formula One cars win every FIA F1 race, but wouldn't do so hot in the Baja 1000, or even in a day-to-day commute.

Buy what you like if you are a weekend blaster but do not insult the intelligence of profession competitors. They know what wins in matches and what does not.
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We're back to that absolutely irrelevant "winning matches" thing again. By the way, where did you find an ankle rig for your Bianchi Cup barricade gun?

Some damn good 1911's are turned out by local gunsmiths working on quality used guns like Colt's and they do it for far less than the top end custom guns. Most of them shoot every bit as good. They may or may not have the big resale value of a factory custom gun with a blue book value but they will cost you at least half the money.
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Agree with you 100%, there. We make them daily in our shop.

And the rest of your post was good, sound advice. I just don't get the analogy that what works best in stylized competition is what works best in the field.

My co-worker doesn't take his Sako-actioned 25-pound bench gun into the woods to shoot deer. I don't carry my 8 3/8" 586 sillhouette gun in the shop as a sidearm. Very few of the red-dot sighted custom comped master blaster 1911's we build are ever used for defense guns. There's just not much overlap between the heavily specialized, overly stylized world of competition guns and the real world of working guns.
 
If a cheap 1911 costs $300, you will get a very good one for $500. An excellent one for $600.

After that, the improvement per dollar will decline, the more you spend. However, people who do go ahead and spend more are either wealthy, or they are buying bragging rights or personal satisfaction from buying what they will treasure all the more. There is nothing wrong with this last one (since it describes me!).

I spent $1050 for my $1300 Kimber. I don't recommend others do or brag about it. I know that my extra $400 only got me maybe $200 at most of value. Oh well, it was to help me treasure it all the more while owning it for the next 50 years.

For some, a gun is just a tool to punch holes and be used up and replaced. Mud & scratches are expected. That is fine too. To each his own.

I have a possibly unwarranted respect for books and guns. Just me.

ps: I paid $1200 for a 10/22 that's only an imitation of the real thing.... :p
I might pay $3000 for a rifle some day that will only shoot a little better than a $700 Rem700 and won't even autoload the next round. At least I will treasure it though.
 
$1000 gun?

Spent about 20 years of my life looking for out of box, reliable, and accurate 1911's under $700. Had a little trouble....had a friend that would from time to time, buy at least a $1000 1911....smooth and reliable most of the time....you could feel the care that went into making those custom guns.
Finally sprung for a Detonics combat master, just at $1000. Nice, but trigger was too light...I'd multiple fire that gun...my friends loved that trigger. Traded it.
Now I bought a Dan Wesson 1911 Para Duces...perfect for me...reliable and accurate.

Proud to be one of those cheapskate buyers.
 
To Westtexas

Your right on the beam man. I like your statement about your buddies groups looking like shotgun groups. How true , How true.

I guess I will never understand why people like such lesser guns when they can shoot a reliable tack driver like the 1911 and have the joy of owning a cadallac to boot. Each to his own I guess.

I personally like riding with the King (1911) not the Joker. W.R.
 
Why, if tackdrivin' is the name of your game, then ditch that Cadillac Colt 1911 and buy a Mercedes Benelli MP95 Atlanta or a Rolls Royce Hammerli Free Pistol.

Obviously much superior designs to the 1911, since they have vastly better triggers and shoot much tighter groups... ;)
 
I don't really care what you guys/gals like & shoot. I care about what I like to shoot.

Mercedes is worth more to me because it will still be driving at 250,000 miles, and it'll still look like a decent car. My first car was a Ford, and no amount of money I put into it ever made it run right.

I live in a part of the world where 1-bedroom condos are still selling for over $300K each. I don't want to live anywhere else in the USA, even of I can have a 5-bedroom house with acreage for less. I like where I'm at.

I don't care what religion you have, you shouldn't care about mine.

I like 1911 guns in .45ACP. Big deal.
 
$1K+ ?

For a personal defense gun, no. I want a reliable work gun -- one that I can afford to turn over to police after shooting -- one that I can easily replace with a like gun if I have to turn it over to police after a shooting -- one that I won't worry about holster wear, scratches, gouges, etc.

For a target gun, or for the mere pleasure of owning such a gun? Sure, why not? You only live once!
 
I have not met a 1911 yet that didn't have to have a lot of work done to it to get it to function right!! That is why all of the makers started adding "custom" guns to their lineup. I'll stick with my PT145, thank you!!!:p
 
Speaking from experience, yes I do.

Just got SA TRP a couple weeks ago.

Wanted to treat myself to nice gun. Excellent gun out of box.

Nearly 1K rounds through it already and only two failures to feed
(my fault, fat-bottomed reloads).

Nice crisp 4.75# trigger, no mechanical probs so far.

As previously stated, it's the difference between a Dodge and a Jag.

Will I ever buy another more expensive 1911? Time will tell.

Steve.
 
Honorable Mr. Denfoote:

It easy vision to my eyes that you not pay attention to honorable expert Mr. Wild Pomeranian. He say plain to all ears for hearing that 1911 weapon is best - function good - no need work.

He is obvious expert because he repeat self over and over. Must be true. Also, Pomeranian is first choice in my country - loyal, honorable, have great courage and taste good.

All you show great dishonor to honorable Mr. Wild Pomeranian when you argue and make fun. Even if he wrong, you should provide respect to honorable expert. In my country one who ride with kings is person of honor for all to respect.
 
I have read almost all of the posts and one thing is clear. Either it is to you or it isn't. To me it is. I carry a custom 1911.

Why? Because I can, and want to. It never fails, if I do my part, it will do it's. Besides, who would you rather dance with, Rosie O'Donnell or the 2001 Playboy Playmate of the Year?
 
The Wilson Combat KZ45 I picked up for $900 has functioned flawlessly. I have purchased another 4 magazines for it so I can rightfully claim to have spent over $1000 for it.

Last time I looked, it is a 1911 style pistol.
 
I paid $1k for a Bob Chow modified 1911. It featured ivory grips which contributed greatly to my decision to buy this "white elephant."

Don't underestimate your own skill. Go to the NRA gunsmithing seminar and you can learn how to "build" your own for much less.
 
Isn't it funny how people always see what other people choose as silly, and what they choose as wise? Because if everyone here was right, we could rule out shooting almost anything, including some chintzy Taurus PT-145... or my BCP Delta Elite for that matter.

Good thing I don't listen to y'all when these threads get dumb. Think of all the fun I'd miss out on! :p
 
As an Asian American I take unbrage in Mr. Sandcrab's sterotypical portrayal fo my people....

Wise old Chinese proverb Mr. Sandcrab..."Lady who fly plane upside down have crack-up" Think about tht for a while.:)
 
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