First 1911: any thoughts?

G

Greg Bell

New member
Guys,

I'm about to take the 1911 plunge. I've toyed with the idea for years but didn't want to get a "starter" gun. I've got enough for just about any 1911 (within reason). I've been thinking about getting a Les Baer Premier II (without front slide serrations). Any other suggestions. I'm not too snobby here, but please, no Charles Daleys.

GHB
 
I'm not necessarily saying you'll like it, but I'd check out the Para-Ordnance line. My first (and only) 1911 is a stainless Para-Ord P13.45. Great gun. Great firepower. Grip is big, but that doesn't bother me too much.
 
The best deal out there at the moment seems to be the Gunsite GSP, a customized 1911 for right at a $1000. I have one ordered and it should be ready this week. They have a few in stock but I had to have the grip stippled so it is taking a bit longer. One problem with the Baer or the Wilson is the wait unless you have a dealer who already has one. You might contact these guys as to the 1911s they have ready to go - http://www.pt-partners.com/.

As for the GSP: http://www.gunsite.com/Gunsmithy_index/Pistol_Catalog/Pistol_Specs/pistol_specs.html
 
Greg-why not check out the offerings from Kimber? Most would agree that they built the finest "mass-produced" .45 auto on the market today...not cheap, but they come with MANY heretofore "Custom-Only" features, and at a price that won't make the average guy WINCE!!!...I've owned or own Colt's, Springfield Armory AND Kimbers...and the Kimber is the LAST ONE I'd part with, FWIW....mikey357

[Edited by mikey357 on 01-15-2001 at 08:37 PM]
 
Get the Les Baer and don't look back. If it's what you want and you got the bucks you will be happy. The Kimber I own is a dog. What a piece of crap. I wouldn't trade my Les Baer for five Kimbers.
 
If you can swing $2700 Dane Burns has a beautiful custom for sale at 1911forum.com. As for myself, I chose Wilson Combat and I am already shopping for a second. The concensus seems to be that the Baer is for absolute accuracy and the WIlson for reliabilty, hoever Wilson does guarantee 1" @25yds on most of thei guns, so if you can do better than that...well...Baer will guarantee 1.5" @ 50 yds for a price. The Baers offer a tighter (VERY) fit, Wilson offers protective coatings and better service. Both will stand behind thier pistols, but Wilson says so, Baer does not, instead choosing to be cryptic about warranty. Both will serve you well and you will never go back to a Kimber or SA loaded. You may also want to look at Ed Brown. He is a little more but his delivery times are short, typically 60 days.

The GSP is also a good deal at $1000. Hurry, they will be gone soon in favor of a Caspian frame GSP 2001 at $1300. I have a GSP also, however as nice as it is, it will not sate your lust for a Baer or Wilson. It is cosmetically not in the same league, there are still plenty of swirls and marks on it, and the trigger is not as nice. The GSP was designed as a defense gun and its accuracy hovers in the 3" @25 yd range. It is very reliable however and has a lifetime warranty. Mine was delivered with an inoperative grip safty and several other minor problems. it is currenty at Gunsite to be sorted. Good gun, but buy it and you will STILL want the Wilson or Baer.

Kimbers are great guns. They are worth every penny, but they are no subtitute for a custom or semi-custom. True there is a law of diminishing returns, but they are not equal by any means. Some say buy a Kimber and customize it as you go. That is one way to go, but add up the time and effort and it is not worth it, and if you try to sell it you will be shocked at how little those custom feautures are "worth". Good luck with whatever you decide. Check out 1911forum for a wealth of info.

Best
John
PS Greg even my P7M8 pales in comparison to my Wilson Combat as far as workmanship, and it has displaced my HK as my bedside gun. I had to put that in terms I know you would understand ;)
 
Wilson, Ed Brown, Les Baer, STI, Kimber? First of all, throw Kimbers name out of the group.

Wilson:
You get a great 1911 with lots of good parts. Good accuracy and outstanding customer service. I have 3 and the KZ-45 is my everyday carry gun. Highly Recommended

Les Baer:
According to reliable sources, Les Baer has done an about face in regards to their customer service. My all-time favorite 1911 is my Les Baer Concept III. My Premier II is also a tact driver. They both feed anything I put through em (reloads, hardball, and hollow points). I have well over 10,000 rounds through the Concept III. The only thing I had to replace was the recoil spring. With the Les Baer pistols, you also get a Kart NM barrel. It's the best IMHO. Highly Recommended

STI:
No personal experience

Ed Brown:
With an Ed Brown gun, you get a 1911 that has all parts built inhouse. Ed Brown 1911's are very well built. They function like a work of art. No type of warranty that I am aware of. Recommended

Check out www.1911forum.com for a wealth of 1911 information. If you do not feel like waiting months and months for a 1911, contact Terry Peters from www.pt-partners.com. Terry is an honest man that will take good care of you. He's helped myself and many others find their dream 1911's.

Within the next 2 months, I'm going to buy another 1911. My choices have been narrowed down to the Les Baer SRP, Wilson SDS, Wilson Tactical Elite, Ed Brown Class A or Classic Custom. Again, I'll be going through Terry.

Am I toting Terry's horn? You betcha! The man deserves it for his unsurpassed customer service. He sells high end 1911's and AR's part time and work full time as a LEO.

Once you get a high end 1911, there's no going back to production guns. It's not a snobbish attitude by any means. The fit, feel and function is so sweet that it makes production guns pale in comparision. To each his own.
 
On the contrary, do not throw Kimber's name out of the group.
Yes, you can spend $500-$1000 more and get a custom gun that will shoot fractions better, but is that money well spent? The fact is, my Kimber Gold Match will shoot better than anyone who's shot it yet, and it is absolutely 100% reliable still after 7,000 rounds. No jams, no parts breakage.
I have four other Kimbers, and not one of them has let me down. I have thought at intervals about buying a Wilson or Les Baer, but it always comes back to: What more could those guns do for me that the Kimber does not? Cost me a lot more, not much else.
 
Greg, I reread your post.

You might give your most serious consideration to a long talk with Ed Brown.
He really does offer some wonderful 1911's...
 
Bill Clinton bought me my first 1911

For years I have flirted with the idea of purchasing a 1911 but was always shy of the reliablility and accuracy problems with the lower priced models and the high price of the custom models. But then Bill Clinton came to the rescue and passed the assault weapons ban and increased the value of my pre-ban AR-15 to a level that allowed me to trade it for a Wilson Combat 1996A2. I'm getting it from a straight shooter who really knows the 1911 inside and out and has already broke the gun in for me. I should be taking possession sometime this week. This will be the first time I have ever seen, held or fired a custom 1911. I'll give you a range report sometime next week.
 
Greg,

seriously, get a'holt of Terry Peters and let him know your price range... He will not steer you wrong!

Baer, Brown, Gunsite, RRA, STI, SVI and Wilson are all top quality pistols you cannot (rarely) go wrong with. Of these I mentioned I would choose Brown 1st and Wilson 2nd.
 
Greg:

Go with your first impression, the Baer, and you won't regret it. Mine is seven years old and it is a fine pistol, and hard to beat for the money.

Son and RikWriter:

I sure hope you guys don't reopen the Kimber vs. everyone else debate. The fact is that any stock Kimber is of poorer quality that a Baer, Wilson, or Rock River. It is also a known fact that Kimber is a crappy company to do business with if you are unfortunate enough to get one of their lemons.
 
"I sure hope you guys don't reopen the Kimber vs. everyone else debate. The fact is that any stock Kimber is of poorer quality that a Baer, Wilson, or Rock River. It is also a known fact that Kimber is a crappy company to do business with if you are unfortunate enough to get one of their lemons"

No, that is most certainly not a known fact. I have heard from many people that had minor problems with their Kimbers, sent them back and had them taken care of with no problem. The local dealers who are Kimber Master Dealers have had no problems with service. The FACT is, someone who is dissatisfied will make much more noise than someone who isn't. Noise doesn't equal frequency.
 
I never paid much attention to the subject until recently. Now that I have taken the plunge, and am into the .45ACP, I find that all the really nice 1911's are priced way out of my range.:rolleyes: I understand, that to get a reliable 1911, you either have to buy a "mill spec" gun, and spend a lot of money to have it "worked on", or spend a lot of money to get one that is reliable right out of the box. The common denominator here is "spend a lot of money".:eek: This is what will keep me away from them. My advice would be to look for the most quality at the lowest price. I have yet to find a 1911 that fits that bill.
 
1911 Any thoughts?

Yeah, don't waste your money. I've owned just about every 1911 on the market and they're all pretty much dogs. But I must especially agree with RikWriter, if you insist upon taking the plunge get a Baer or Wilson. One of the really high dollar 1911's. That's the only way you'll truly be satisfied. Now some will disagree with that statement, but if you buy a Kimber, Springfield, etc, you're gonna have to spend that extra money to get them up to par anyway. So just be prepaired no matter what route you go with a 1911 that you will be forking out some serious cash.
 
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