Handled my first les Baer this weekend

S

shooter.45

New member
and all I can say is WOW!! I went to the local gunshop this weekend and hidden in back he had a Les Baer Concept 4" model. What a sweet gun very tight and finish was unbelivable Blued. So I am thinking about getting rid of one of the Kimbers for it probably the Custom CDP I think either that or my HK USP 9mm but I think the Kimber is going. I cant wait to get it next week Oh boy I am happy..
Does anyone have a Baer and how do they like it??


Thanks
:D
 
Les Baer

Thinking about the same gun as well. Looked on GunsAmerica.com for one and entered the info on the wish list. Got an email back that a guy in MI has one for 1350.00. Check the dealer price and try it.
 
After I bought my first 1911 (a Baer) I could never seem to find another 1911 I really wanted. All of the conventional Kimber's, springfields, Para's etc seemed so loose and sloppy. When I could handle the Wilson's, etc, they seemed not to be as precise for lack of a better word. I finally did break down and get a Colt (380 gov that is) because it was "cute".

Now owning 3 Baer's, I can only say you will not regret it and Mr. Baer is very friendly to talk to if you need help. I had a few questions about my 10mm on day and he was very helpful on the phone.
 
Could someone with experience with both Baer and Rock River do a small comparison?

Is there a wait list for the Baers like there is for RRA?
 
I have both brands. Two RR Elite Commandos (one 4" and one 5") and a Baer Stinger. RR's are built better IMO.

RR has a better dehorn especially on the bottom of the slide and around the ejection port. Bluing is a bit nicer. Also on my RR's I could get the components I wanted - Heinie sights, Brown thumb and grip safeties, etc. My EC's were very tight initially but not as tight as a Brown. Could be easily press checked when new. No reliability problems with the RR's

Baer has a better trigger out of the box. Baer uses S&A type safeties, and house brand sights. Baers are generally available pretty quick compared to RR.

Both use Kart Barrels. The RR guys came out of Baer's shop some years ago I understand.

I tell people my RR's are a more refined Baer, or a poor man's Brown. Not as good as a Brown though.
 
The Les Baer TRS is my primary pistol. I prefer the bigger weapon. Once you take the overtravel screw out, it's just fine.

A friend just bought an SRP and I shot it a couple of weeks ago. Good gun too. I don't think you can go wrong with whichever Les Baer you go with.
 
I agree that the RR guns are every bit as good as a Baer and they cost less. The RR guns are effectively custom made with any features you want, unfortunately that extends delivery. A Baer is ready to go off the rack, but only available in predefined packages. If you really want a deal on a 1911, check out a Valtro. Every bit the gun that a RR or Baer is, but costs much less. Unfortunately it is available only one way, but that does keep down costs.
 
I have some interesting (& money saving) news for all you "Les Baer" fans. Gun Tests did an extensive test of Les Baer, Wilson CQB, & Clark custom 45's a few months ago. The Wilson was Xlnt (accurate, reliable) The Clark was OK, but...ahh....the Les Baer DID NOT WORK!! The machining was so sloppy the slide was impossible to open until the testers used a mallet. Sometimes when pulling the trigger, the hammer wouldn't fall. The gun wouldn't work reliably & was the most expensive of the three. I'd get the Wilson if I were you.
 
I have a Baer Premier II. Great pistol. So far over several thousands of rounds I've had ZERO malfunctions - I can't say that about my old Colt National Match.

The Baer is tightly fitted, has a crisp trigger just a hair under 4 lbs, is remarkably accurate, has been totally reliable, has good sights, a checkered front strap, beveled mag well, no MIM parts - what more can you ask for?

For what it's worth, there are a lot more local IDPA shooters using Baers than Wilsons. I've yet to see a Rock River or Valtro.

Ed Brown's pistols are more expensive because you're spending around $700 for the Ed Brown name. They're good guns - as good as a Baer - but I can't see that they're better. I think Mr. Brown makes "designer" pistols for the people who will pay extra for a "designer" label on their clothes.
 
I think Mr. Brown makes "designer" pistols for the people who will pay extra for a "designer" label on their clothes.
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This is true. But it's also true of Wilsons and Baers. These are not exactly Hanes T-shirts we're talking about.
 
This is true. But it's also true of Wilsons and Baers. These are not exactly Hanes T-shirts we're talking about.
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You've got a point there. But when you compare something like a Baer Premier II at just over $1400 or a Baer Stinger at around $1350 to an Ed Brown Commander at $2200, you really can't see what you're getting from Ed Brown to justify the extra dollars other than his name on the slide.

Ed Brown makes a darned nice pistol, but paying that sort of money is a lot like spending $100 for a pair of jeans because they have the name of some European designer of indeterminate gender on the tag.

IMHO in today's market you should be able to get everything you need on an accurate, reliable, well-fitted .45, suitable for daily carry, built with only top-notch components, for around $1500, give or take a bit.
 
I think what you are paying is "hands on" time. If I understand correctly, Baer is a bigger operation than Wilson. While you are getting a quality product, it is still going from operation to operation, with different folks at each station. Wilson is a smaller operation, with one individual spending more time on your piece. Brown is smaller still (I heard there are only five employees) so your pistol is basically entirely "hand fit".

No doubt, they are tacking on some cost for the name, but I'd say you're paying for more "quality time" with a gunsmith/whatever when you go with Wilson or Brown.

FWIW, I have a Wilson. I was leaning towards Baer originally (due to cost) but after a few bad experiences with their customer service (I was new to 1911s at the time, and I had a ton of questions!) I tried Wilson and was VERY happy! If I'm plunking down over $1K for a pistol, I'd expect a little advice from the mfg.!!
 
Les Baer pistols ar outstanding. KImbers shouldn't even be in the same case with a LesBaer. Just my $.02:cool:
 
I think that you should be able to get a 1911 that's as reliable out of the box as a Glock or Sig--without paying $1500.

Somewhere, there's a company that can do thi. (CZ, can you hear me?)
 
I was able to handle a Wilson CQB at Turner's Outdoorsman today. It felt very smooth & had absolutely NO play in the slide-to-frame fit. I don't know if it's worth the $1,800.00 price, especially when an HK USP "Expert" goes for $1,400.00 & is just as accurate & probably more reliable.
 
Thanks for all the reply's but I will be picking up my Les Baer Concept VII on Monday cant wait. Will have to wait until next weekend to shoot it though. I am thinking of calling in sick next week to give it a run..:D
 
As far as not being able to "see" the difference between a Brown and a Baer.... well you need to shoot one. If you can't feel the difference when shooting, then its not worth it.

Brown's are fitted nicer. They should be as they cost more. Pull the slide off and look inside. You can see a lot of differences.

I have a unique opportunity for comparison - I have a Baer Stinger and a Brown "Stinger" made on a Baer frame. The SN's are 10 ticks apart. They are essentially the same gun just one built by Baer and one built by Brown.

I consistently shoot the Brown more accurately and faster. And if you compare the guns side by side you'll find better fitting on the Brown across the board. Better trigger, shorter reset, a touch smoother (the Brown is a little looser), and the Brown is more reliable.

Like I said, so what, it should be better cause it costs more. The question of whether or not it is worth the extra cash is up to you. But the gun is demonstrably better in my hands.

You should also check out the Kobra. It is a lot of gun for 1700 or so, and all you give up is some finish work compared to a Limited.

As far as the "designer" thing goes, I don't think so. I just don't care whose name is on it. All I care about is how it shoots and in my experience, the Brown is noticeably better.

If you are really value driven, the Rock Rivers are the best value out there. You just have to wait a year or so. See my post above. The great thing here is that there is a full spectrum of guns available at varying price points with varying degrees of refinement.
 
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