need help choosing my first colt 1911

Yeh, just order the thing on-line and then use one of the shops you like for the transfer....simple as that.
 
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It is the correct one and the ones I have for my 1991, understand that the 8 rounders will stick out from the magwell slightly. If you want it to sit flush then you will want to stick with the 7 rounders.
I don't know if these are preferred but they are very popular for 1911's and work very well. I have had FTF's with the stock Colt mags but never had an issue with the WC's.
 
REVOLVERfan said:
Also to the 1911 experts are the Wilson combat magazines preferred for colt 1911s? I was thinking about getting some extras for when I do get my gun. Would these be the correct ones?


http://www.brownells.com/magazines/h...398-36858.aspx

Also I noticed the 1991 says 7+1 and the gold cup and combat elite say 8+1 ...so the magazine above wouldn't be right for the 1991?
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Wilson Comabt are good magazines, Colt brand are good magazines, and Check-Mate are good magazines. Wilson Combat has at least three different lines of magazines. I've had very bad luck with their top-of-the-line ETM magazines. The 47Ds should be good, but in terms of bang-for-buck their GI series are fine.

There are basically only two sizes of 1911 frame -- the full-size and Commander pistols take "standard" magazines, compacts, Officers ACPs and Defenders take mags that are a half inch shorter and hold one round less. Within both, the follower design influences capacity. Original 1911 magazines held 7 rounds. By tweaking the follower and spring, magazine makers have incresased that to 8 rounds. So a 7-round or an 8-round can fit and work in a full-size pistol or a Commander. In the shorter Officers/Defender size guns, the original capacity was 6 rounds, and the follower tweaks have boosted that to 7 rounds.

The mag in your link is the 47D for a full-size. It will work fine in a 1991.
 
Also to the 1911 experts are the Wilson combat magazines preferred for colt 1911s? I was thinking about getting some extras for when I do get my gun. Would these be the correct ones?
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The Wilson 47Ds are great mags, but in my experience, the Chip McCormick Power Mags are every bit as well-made and reliable, and tend to run a few bucks less.
 
Just a suggestion: Avoid the Series 80 firing pin safety...you will need three hands to re-install it after cleaning whereas the Series 70 style without it is duck soup by comparison. Having owned just one Series 80 (Colt Combat Commander XSE), I will never own another.
 
My input on the 80 series, yep that little firing pin safety plunger is unnecessary but it is a non issue. Certainly not worth it to me to spend the extra $100-$200 for a 70 series.
 
I was thinking about getting the colt xse stainless 1911 model number O1070XSE now but can't find it anywhere , would it be crazy to go with the rail version? I know alot of people can't stand the rail on a 1911
 
My input on the 80 series, yep that little firing pin safety plunger is unnecessary but it is a non issue. Certainly not worth it to me to spend the extra $100-$200 for a 70 series.
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Have you ever taken one out and tried to reassemble it after routine cleaning? Do it just once and you may change your mind. It is not a matter of being unnecessary, it is a matter of being a pain in the behind to get it back in.
 
Yes I have and also own a 70 series Colt, its not a big deal at all and certainly not necessary to do every cleaning. I will disassemble and pull the safety plunger and clean it every 1,000 rounds and even that is overkill.
 
Yes I have and also own a 70 series Colt, its not a big deal at all and certainly not necessary to do every cleaning. I will disassemble and pull the safety plunger and clean it every 1,000 rounds and even that is overkill.
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Nonsense. It depends a large part upon the ammo being shot through the gun. For a bullet caster using NRA Alox lubricant, that gun will be so full of gunk after 500 or so rounds...two days of shooting, that the extractor tunnel will be full as well as the firing pin tunnel, requiring cleaning. That is where the Series 70 has an advantage. It is simple enough to remove the Series 70 firing pin stop, remove the firing pin and the extractor and put them back in. However, I have found that I must put the Series 80 slide upside down in a padded vise and use a pin punch in each hand to get the Series 80 back together...and then it is not easy...even for a retired machinist and machine shop teacher like me who has more than a novice's mechanical ability. The only conclusion I can come to, is when someone says it is no big deal to reassemble the Series 80 stuff, is that either they do not shoot very much and do not do it and/or they have never done it. But, no one should take my word for it...lets hear from other owners of Series 80's about how easy it is to reassemble them. Or even better yet, if you own a Series 80 and you think that they (the firing pin blocking device) is easy to reassemble, please feel free to explain how you do it, step by step.
 
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My input on the 80 series, yep that little firing pin safety plunger is unnecessary but it is a non issue. Certainly not worth it to me to spend the extra $100-$200 for a 70 series.
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It is not necessary to spend any extra money to get a Series 70 1911. Ruger and others make 1911's without the Colt Series 80 system.
 
You depress the plunger and push in on the firing pin with a punch as you remove the rear block by pulling down, depress the plunger again, remove firing pin, turn gun over and shake out plunger a spring, remove extractor. Pretty much reverse order for reassembly, you'll need to line up extactor to reinstall plunger and spring, press plunger, install firing pin, release plunger, install rear block, depress plunger and pin resets.
Harder to describe than actually do, the worst part I have found can be lining up the extractor for the plunger.
Again, non issue regardless of how much nonsense you think I am spewing. And again it doesn't need to be removed for a routine field strip and cleaning.
All the trouble you have had I am beginning to wonder if we are even talking about the same thing.
 
I know alot of people can't stand the rail on a 1911
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Who cares what other people like. What you you prefer?

How big of a step down is the ruger sr1911 compared to the 1991 colt? If any?
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The Rugers are a definite step down in my experience. At the ~$650 price point they sell at, the Rugers are really nice pistols. However, they are cast and have many MIM parts, as opposed to the stronger forged Colts, which have fewer MIM parts. Probably not an issue if you aren't shooting crazy high round counts.

The QA/QC of the Colts tends to be higher as well - lots of issues with broken sights and other odd failures with the Rugers early on. Ruger has excellent customer service, though, and will make things right. But Colts tend to run right out of the box. Obviously, the Colts will hold their value better if you care about that sort of thing.
 
Of course, the Ruger pistol doesn't have a plastic mainspring housing and comes with a plunger tube (housing) that won't shoot loose (an issue not uncommon with some 1911 pistols that have poorly fitted plunger tubes). Too, if you ever have a problem with a Ruger firearm, they will usually make it right.
 
How big of a step down is the ruger sr1911 compared to the 1991 colt? If any?
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The Ruger is a step DOW, but mostly because it isn't a Colt. It would be a decent low to mid grade 1911.

All full size 1911 mags are interchangeable regarding fit. You will get many magazine opinions. I like Checkmate because they have the follower dimple, anti-tilt follower and have good mag bodies. Wilson and others have a name, but without the dimple, I wonder if spring life is shorter? I wonder what real data would tell me.
 
Paid $865 for my stainless 1991 less than a year ago at the LGS----slapped on pair of double diamond grips I had laying around and made it a pretty decent looking pistol and its also my most accurate handgun----not counting .22's.
 
Another Colt to consider is the Competion model. I didn't like the blue grips it came with so changed them out to wood.
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I also hated the blue grips but honestly didn't know they made a stainless model until I just checked, definitely thinking of getting one of these, thanks!
 
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