Most durable 1911?

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David spargenator

New member
My grandpa got a colt 1911 and I like the design, and now I want a 1911. But which one is the best in your opinion? I like reliability and durabilityz accuracy. Thanks
 
Yes, "best" is going to be a correlation of price and performance, and each incremental increase in performance costs more.
There are some really nice guns in the $1000 range, but to get much of an improvement in performance you will have to spend twice that much, and adding specific features, finishes, etc. can add another $1000 to that.
Also, what do you want to do with the gun? Plinking? Formal bullseye competition? Steel Challenge? IDPA? That could make a big difference in the caliber, capacity, sights, trigger, etc.
 
Intended use is a big factor here... Collecting, general ownership and range use, competition, defense... It affect the features and options... And price.

Also know... That a pistol good for one type of use is not always good for another. A competition pistol can be way too finicky to be considered reliable enough for defense use.

If all you want is a reliable running and well made pistol... You can get one around $600. Rock Island armory... From all accounts makes a very good pistol, and it can even be had with some nice goodies/add-ons people like, but they are just not as refined as the more expensive brands.

You can increase your price range to around $700-800 and get a very nice 1911, from Ruger or Remington, that is a bit more refined than a rock Island, though it will be minus some niceties like improved grip panels and magwell extentions. I have even seen the Springfield Range officer and "loaded" models dip into this price range on sale. Some Sig Sauer 1911s can be in this range. There are also other manufactures out there like STI that have a pistol in this range. Though the rest of their stuff tends to be much higher in price.

After that you get into the better production models at around $1000-1500. Some of the models can dip down to $900 or so as well. You will find some entry level competition models in this price range.


Then you get into the semi custom guns like the Dan Wesson line at $1500-2000.

After that the sky is the limit for price... Anywhere from $2000-8000... Heck maybe even more. This is the custom gun level. At the lower side of the price range are the lower end Ed Browns, Nighthawk custom, and Wilson combats, with models that increase in price from there. At the high end are smaller level makers who create custom pistols for top level competition.

It boils down to the amount of features, build quality, materials, and amount of hand labor that goes into the pistol.


So take your pick.

If all you want is a "Colt"... You can get a GI model for around $800, an "enhanced" version with nice features that improve the design and reliability, at around $1000, or their higher end model that goes for around $1800.
 
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Don't make "if all you want is Colt" sound like, "if all you want is a car to get from A to B".
Not that that was necessarily your intent, but there are worse ways to go than Colt.
 
STI 2011's built on a stainless frame. Technically not a 1911 because it's a double-stack....but it's a 1911.

Value wise, I'd bet on a Colt right now. Probably a really pristine older Series 70.
 
Yeah, colt makes a good pistol.

It was more of a "if you want the colt 45", then get one.

As most who see a 1911 tend to think "colt".
 
The best mfg of 1911's in my view - is Wilson Combat...( prices start at around $3,000 --- and you can get a very nice gun from Wilson Combat at around $ 3,500 ...like the full sized CQB with some nice options on it - a lifetime warranty for the gun - and a 1" guarantee at 25 yds ). Ed Brown's guns would be a close 2nd to Wilson Combat in my view.....Les Baer or Nighthawk would be a distant 3rd and 4th...( and 5 - 10 ) are Springfield, Kimber, Sig, Colt, etc....

On a budget...the new Colt's are pretty nice guns ...at around $ 900 in my area - but it doesn't have a lot of options on it that most of us want - like an ambi safety, checkered front strap, night sights, etc. / but
Colt is offering them in both 9mm and .45 acp ...and the one's I've seen lately have decent triggers in them.

Springfield's TRP model is also a nice gun ...full sized, ambi safety, mag well, night sights ..for around $ 1,450 in my area. Its one of the guns that would be high on my list as "affordable - with good solid options". The less expensive Springfield Range Officer models..are around $ 900 ...but they lack options and in my area they're coming in with some pretty crummy triggers in them ( lots of slack and creep - and one was breaking at around 8 lbs which is way too heavy in my view ).

Sig Sauer makes a nice 1911...it has a few oddball issues / like the external extractor - and it won't fit a standard 1911 holster - because the shape of the slide is a little non-traditional. Prices are from $1,000 - $ 1,750 or so...but shooters are saying nice things about them.

Kimber makes a lot of guns ....from $ 1,000 - $ 2,750 or so ..../ and internally they are not very impressive....and triggers are often marginal at best...but their upper end models around $2,000 can be decent guns / but probably not better than the Springfield TRP model I mentioned above at $ 1,450 or so.....

Just a note ....but my primary carry gun is a Wilson CQB, 5" gun, in .45 acp...its thin, easy to carry IWB in a good holster with a good belt...and its the gun I shoot the best ! -- so I carry it - but I'm old school....
 
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Word for word my answer from another 1911 thread:

IMhO the definitive 1911 guide is still the one right here:

http://1911addicts.com/threads/buyer...1-addicts.511/

For my money (and for me money is BIG factor) I like the Springfield Range Officer. It's got the things I like (adjustable sights, good trigger, good accuracy, good customer service reputation, reliability and overall strength) and none of the stuff I don't like.

http://www.springfield-armory.com/1911-series/

I'm assuming you want this for a range gun/home defense gun/fun gun and not a self defense carry gun. For a carry gun I think there are better choices - and many folks here that can give you better advice than I can.
 
Springfield RO would be my "best value" recommendation, too, especially if you can get one for $750; in my area they're $900.
 
Cabot isn't bad, I hear. I think I would go full custom on a bar stock frame and slide instead though.

Durability is mostly a finish thing with quality parts. I have a DLC coated pistol, Melonite and a duty coated gun. I like the DLC or duty treat best.


Frankly, I think you don't know what you want! I would reccomend you start with a Dan Wesson Valor 5" in duty treat and go up or down from there.
 
I have a very unfancy but perfectly reliable Turkish one for $499. My stepbrother paid about the same for his Rock Island Armory 1911 and it is just as functional. Or you can pay $4990 for a much fancier one.

There are probably far fewer unreliable undurable 1911's than there are durable reliable ones. It just depends on what you want.
 
I've been very happy with my Para Expert 1911 in stainless. They're occasionally on sale in the $400-500 range and are very good shooters for a reasonable price. The only change I made to mine was the addition of a Hogue grip. It's a great balance between quality/price.

If money is no object, there are LOTS of other choices. It's possible to spend thousands and get a gun that's a LOT prettier that shoots about the same. :) I had a hard time justifying that kind of expense for a higher end or custom gun for a daily casual shooter. Prefer to make those crazy purchases on cars and audio gear...we all have our weaknesses. :)

Regardless of your choice, I think you won't regret owning a "classic."

Best,
 
I have shot close to ten thousand rounds through this Clackamus Kimber. I have gone through three MIM hammers and one MIM sear. Based on my experience with MIM parts, buy something that does not have MIM parts in the trigger group.

Other than that, this pistol is excellent.

 
The chances that you shoot any 1911 to the point of a major parts failure, slide frame or barrel, is highly unlikely. If you do the cost of ammo will greatly exceed the cost of the gun.

Buy a quality forged frame and slide gun with as few MIM parts as possible and shoot it till the wheels fall off of it and then replace the wear parts that fail and and shoot it until it fails, rinse and repeat.
 
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