Good entry level 1911 9mm

Entry Level 1911 in 9mm

I will suggest the Colt Competition 9mm in Blue, like the one I bought last month for $775 off of Gunbroker, new in the box. I have other Colts, an Ed Brown 1911, and a Jim Clark, Jr. Caspian Hardball 1911, all in .45ACP. The Competition is the cheapest 1911 that I own, but it has many positives that you cannot get in that price range. The sights are extremely visible and adjustable, the beavertail is well-done and is a good, positive safety, and the dual recoil springs function perfectly, especially handy with the NATO ammo that I shoot, which is +P rated and snappy in recoil. The stock gun is accurate enough to do anything at IDPA, and it has been 100% reliable through its initial 2,000 rounds of hardball, hollow-point and truncated cone bullet styles. It carries well in a Milt Sparks Summer Special IWB holster. If you do not reload, the ammo is much cheaper than .45ACP. It works well with the Wilson 10-round magazine.
I bought it just to see if Colt had upped their game from the 1980 quality issues, and have been pleasantly surprised. For $775, the Competition is a steal.
Amanda
 
Hi rcollier,

I'm 100% sure that 1911-A1 recommendations will be all over the spectrum. Most will be based upon brand loyalty. There's nothing wrong with brand loyalty.

Many years ago, I bought guns w/o research or insufficient research. More often than not, I went with recommendations from shooters whom I had assumed knew their gun knowledge. I learned the expensive way that there had to be a better way. Not all guns are of equal quality. We'll get what we pay for especially applies to guns, yet we can overpay for lesser quality. Brand name no longer implies excellent quality.

The US Military and Western law enforcement can be good indicators of handgun quality. However, you have to keep in mind that an agency-issued handgun might not be the handgun preferred by its cops. For instance, I've read that the FBI has adopted the 9MM as its issued cartridge and Glock as its issued handgun. That does not mean that cops who are in harm's way will carry Glocks chambered for 9MM. My guess is most will stay with their Glock 22's or their Springfield Armory Professional .45 ACP. Law enforcement agencies almost universally issue one excellent quality handgun chambered for a specific cartridge. However, they'll allow their cops who are in harm's way to carry other handguns and cartridges from agencies' approved lists.

Springfield Armory is the oldest manufacturer of military arms in the USA. It was commissioned by President George Washington. SA has almost silently evolved as the preeminent 1911-A1 handgun maker in the world. You could spend thousands more for a tricked out esoteric brand 1911-A1, but I can almost guarantee you it will not be of better quality than a Springfield Armory TRP that'll run you about $1500. If you want the best of the best, go with a Springfield Armory Professional Model. The Pro is a 100% hand made, custom created handgun that was designed to be used by professionals and is used by military and law enforcement professionals. The Professional Model will set you back about $3500. That's a lotta $$$. You will not be able to buy any 1911-A1 at any price that's superior to the Professional Model.

I used to own 2 Colt 1911's & an S&W 1911. The S&W was far more reliable than my Colts. I had just turned 21 when I bought my Colt Government Model Series 70 1911-A1 .45 ACP. I proudly showed it to my dad. My dad was an accomplished machinist. He knew metal. He created precision aircraft parts to tolerances of thousandths of an inch. He examined my brand new Colt Series 70 and politely told me it was very poorly manufactured. It was reasonably reliable with 230 grain FMJ ammo. It wasn't reliable with any other ammo. Later I learned that the Series 70 Government Model was the entry level gun made by Colt and purchased by hand gunners who invested a lot of $$$ to get them to work. The SA TRP is 100% reliable right out of the box with any ammo you feed it. It requires nothing to make it 100% reliable with any ammo. It's been referred to as the best value 1911-A1 on the market. And all SA 1911-A1's are made in the USA.

I own 4 Springfield Armory 1911-A1's. (I've included one that isn't a true 1911-A1 but close enough for government work.) I own no other 1911-A1 brands. Believe me, I've researched the heck outta 1911-A1 brands. Most 1911-A1 brands are excellent. You'll have to decide what's right for you.

Keep in mind that spending a fortune on a 1911-A1 does not guarantee quality.
 
What is an "authentic 1911-A1? I'm not aware of any manufacturer who ever sold a firearm with that designation. What about a WW1 M1911? It doesn't have any "A1" to its name -- is it not authentic?

And, if you want to be a purist, if the only "authentic" full-size 1911 is in .45 ACP, then the only "authentic" Commander 1911 would have to be in 9mm Luger.
 
What about Auto Ordnance? A few mentioned RIA and I've heard they are good but AOs are US made and probably in the same price range.
 
Aguila,

Firing spring block is not authentic.

The original 1911 adopted by the US Army was 1911. It's designation was changed t 1911-A1 after WWI due to modifications of the original design.

Vickers Guide of the 1911 has excellent historical info: https://www.vickersguide.com/1911
 
SATRP, I think your post number 42 has a few errors in it.

For example - A TRP is certainly not what a purist would call a 1911 A1
Springfield Armory Inc, is not The Springfield Armory.

Also, I am certain that Aguila Blanca knows what a 1911 and a 1911 A1 are.

There are several great 1911s in 9mm- Colt, Springfield Armory Inc, Ruger all make nice ones that can be considered ' entry level '
 
SATRP said:
Aguila,

Firing spring block is not authentic.

The original 1911 adopted by the US Army was 1911. It's designation was changed t 1911-A1 after WWI due to modifications of the original design.

Vickers Guide of the 1911 has excellent historical info: https://www.vickersguide.com/1911
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure Aguila knows this history. And he was merely saying the only true M1911A1s are in .45 ACP, and were built under contract for the U.S. Government, not built and sold for commercial, civilian sales. Those guns would have been Colt Government Models, in the various configurations.

And yes, I know Springfield Armory likes to stamp their pistols with 1911-A1. I was looking at a Springfield FBI model in a local gunshop just yesterday even. Doesn't change the fact that they aren't technically "true" M1911A1s.

As for the proper caliber of a 1911, Colt introduced the Super .38 Automatic before 1930, and the ammunition makers upgraded the ammo to ".38 Super" in the early 1930s. So it's easy to argue that the .38 Super is a classic cartridge for the Government Model, as much as the .45 ACP. And the Colt Commander was the first U.S.-manufactured pistol in 9mm Luger, beating the S&W Model 39 to the commercial market by just a little bit.

Looking at John M Browning's development of the automatic pistol, it's easy to see the .45 ACP cartridge for the M1911 / Government Model came about due to the insistence of the U.S. Army Board of Ordnance, not because that's where the development of the automatic pistol was going on its own.
 
rodfac said:
I'd recommend Ruger for either the full 5" SR1911, or the 4-1/4" CMD.
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I'd be inclined to second that recommendation. I've heard mostly good things about Ruger's SR1911's. Fondled a Commander in 9mm yesterday at an LGS. It felt pretty good. (I'm currently in the process of convincing myself I do not need it ;).)

I went with a Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced because I got a killer deal on it, but I'd have gone for the Ruger for the same kind of deal.

Re: The .45 ACP argument. I went with a Government (full-size) 1911 in .45 ACP because I wanted an "updated" 1911 as close to a classic 1911 as possible w/in my budget. Same reason I own a Ruger Blackhawk in .45 (long) Colt. Yeah, a Commander in 9mm would have been less expensive to shoot and a bit easier to carry, just as a Blackhawk in .357 Magnum would've made more sense for me. But... :)
 
SATRP said:
The original 1911 adopted by the US Army was 1911. It's designation was changed t 1911-A1 after WWI due to modifications of the original design.
Click to expand...
The change was about a full decade after the end of WW1, but if you're going to talk about authenticity, you should get your terminology correct. The "new" designation was not "1911-A1," it was M1911A1. As in:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...es/scott/1940ColtNavyM1911A1No720824right.jpg

SATRP said:
Firing spring block is not authentic.
Click to expand...
The original Colt Commander did not have a firing pin block. They pre-dated the Series 80 by about 30 years.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt_Commander
 
What about Auto Ordnance? A few mentioned RIA and I've heard they are good but AOs are US made and probably in the same price range.
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The West Hurley's were basically junk. They got a little better after Kahr took over but not by much. Having said that one of the very best 1911's I've had was a West Hurley Auto Ordnance but the only things left of the original gun were the frame and slide.
 
9tIG3Pul.jpg


I'm very happy with my Ruger. It's been reliable with every round of factory ammo. Fit and finish are more than acceptable. It has a couple of nice touches like an extra relief cut in the hammer and a plunger tube that's integral to the frame, as opposed to being staked in.
 
Are you sure you want 9mm? It’s like a turbo 4 muscle car... it loses the experience.
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Huh???

I had a Subaru WRX which is a turbo 4..... I grew up on hot rods. The turbo 4 does not lose much......
 
Good entry level 1911 9mm

It sure would be nice if we could stick to the original question...
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Yep.

If it were me, I would choose between the SA and the Ruger. The Ruger is in the Target model ($800) in 9mm. SAs are in the same price range, so that might push you to the next step down to the RIA. I don't own an RIA, but I have shot several and they are really budget friendly ($500 to $800 OTD). Get the one that appeals to you as is, which will save you $ on adding parts later. Enjoy!
 
Aguila Blanca said:
And, if you want to be a purist, if the only "authentic" full-size 1911 is in .45 ACP, then the only "authentic" Commander 1911 would have to be in 9mm Luger.
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Ha, great point. And it would have to have an aluminum-alloy frame as well. (But since the Commander was never actually adopted by the Army, we could also argue that it wouldn't be entitled to a "1911" label at all, certainly not "M1911," a designation it probably wouldn't have received in 1949.)

The idea that caliber designates any firearm as "authentic" is absurd to me. The military was the only customer for early 1911s, and the military almost always mandates a standard caliber, for obvious reasons. So? Just about everything sold on the commercial market is offered in multiple calibers eventually, also for obvious reasons. Caliber itself is not a litmus test and never has been.
 
All this talk about what is a legit 1991 is crazy! Most don’t want a GI model for carry or range. Let’s face it, if it were not for the great SA trigger, the 1911 would have been dead and buried a Long time ago!!!!
 
Quadsport said:
All this talk about what is a legit 1991 is crazy! Most don’t want a GI model for carry or range. Let’s face it, if it were not for the great SA trigger, the 1911 would have been dead and buried a Long time ago!!!!
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Well that's your opinion Quadsport, see the Doublestack 1911s gave a new lease on life/in vogue for the 1911 not to mention the 10mm Auto and various other 45acp based calibers and similar length calibers, but it was in no way going to be "dead and buried".
 
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