Ruger 1911-A good choice for 1st 1911??

S

Skeets

Member in memoriam
I'm seriously,after 55yrs.,thinking about buying my first 1911.The only things I've settled on so far are: 45ACP,under $2000,from a proven company,and great customer service.Ruger is my starting point,but not locked onto anything.I'm asking for TFL's hełp in this matter. :Ds
 
The $2000 budget opens up a lot of options. But yes, a Ruger SR1911 is a very good choice for a first 1911. However, a few hundred bucks more will buy a Colt or Springfield, which are even better options.
 
It's not a bad idea to buy a cheap basic 1911 first. The Remington 1911 R1 Government Model and R1 Commander are my favorites in an under $500 1911. (Factoring in Remington's $75 mail-in rebate through 7/31) After 500 rounds you'll know what you want in your NEXT 1911!

At least handle as many models as you can, something will really feel good in your hands. Problem is a lot will feel good!
 
Rock island is a great first 1911. But if you have 2k to spend and want a truly great 1911, I would choose one of the Dan Wesson models.
 
I would agree with the previous poster. I have a Kimber Custom 2 which I love but my first 1911 was a base model Rock Island. Went that route for a couple of reasons.

1. The thing was put together well but was not so tightly fit that it was difficult for me (rookie here) to maintain.
2. It was priced low enough I was not scared (with the help of a local gunsmith) to try things and learn what I did and did not like IE new trigger/hammer (loved) or a compensator (hated)

after a year or so of enhancing and learning about it was able to make an informed decision about the Kimber.

I love some of the really high end custom jobs but the Kimber had enough bells and whistles for me while still being for me affordable and reliable. Starting at a lower end but still solid example worked for me. May not for you just offering my experience. I would have no trouble recommending either company.
 
I'm not a fan of the Ruger options...personally, If I were limiting myself to a $2,000 budget - I'd look seriously at the Springfield TRP model...

...The Springfield TRP in my area is retailing for around $ 1,500....( available in .45 acp only - and in either their black/blue finish or stainless - usually at the same price )....and it has a mag well, ambi safeties, and the one's I've seen in the last 6 months especially have pretty good triggers in them.

Many of the less expensive 1911 mfg's offerings under the $ 1,500 for the TRP model -- can be real frustrating in terms of the quality of the internals, the triggers, getting them to run 100%...etc.
 
I have a number of 1911's, including two Rugers (Commander and Full size). For the money I consider the Rugers very good. Mine have been accurate, well made, and flawless. Good guns IMO.

If I was going to spend closer to $2000 I'd get another Dan Wesson.
 
I have many 1911s, and right now I think Ruger SR1911s are about the best 'bang for the buck" out there. Have two 5 inch and 3 CMDs, and we need a picture of the CMDs.



Running a close second in my opinion are the SA Range Officers if you can get them on a sale.... say $719-800

In the around $1K area I would pick Colt all day long.
 
I think the Springfield Range Officer is a good 1911 for the money. It's not much more than a Ruger 1911 and has a lot of nice options for a lower priced 1911
 
A Ruger SR1911 is a very good choice for a first 1911. Like others have said though, don't count Rock Island out especially if you may want to customize it. We'll say a budget of $700ish could buy a new Rock Island ($350-500) and still have extra money to spend on trigger, hammer, grips, etc. Also it would allow you to be able to buy a bunch of mags and a nice holster as well. There are a bunch of good 1911's out there it really just depends on what you want and how much you're willing to spend. Example: Dan Wesson makes VERY nice 1911's but for the money, you wouldn't be far off on being able to buy 2 Colts or 3-4 Remington R1's. Just really depends on what you want.
 
$2000 budget?

What am I missing here? That will get you a VERY nice 1911 type gun.

My personal recommendation for a very nice 1911 range/plinker is the Springfield Armory Range Officer because it has stuff I want (adjustable sights, nice trigger, nice fit and finish, good accuracy and pretty good customer service )and none of the extra's I don't need. And it's under $800.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/...28LP+1911+Range+Officer+7+1+45ACP+5\"+Package

If you're new to 1911's get yourself a very nice one that you'll probably enjoy shooting, something nice right out of the box.
 
I own an SR1911 Commander and I recommend it highly. I also have a Dan Wesson Valor and can recommend it a little more highly. With a budget of 2 Large, you can buy one & have almost enough left over for the other.

Life is Good. I am never at a loss to come up with creative ways to spend OPM!
 
With a $2000 budget I would go with a full house custom from someone like Don Williams. You can get a base Colt for $700. From there you can customize it exactly how you want it. Nothing more nothing less. At about $2000 you would be looking at an amazing one of a kind pistol with exactly everything you want and nothing you don't. To me that is the beauty of the 1911 platform. You can call a guy like Don William talk to the guy working on your gun and build "your" perfect pistol. IMHO.

The other guns I would seriously consider would be a Dan Wesson Valor about $1800 OTD, Springfield TRP for about $1400 OTD , and a Les Baer Custom Carry or Concept III for about $1875 OTD.

If you are looking to have one 1911 that is special you should step up to a higher end gun then a Ruger. They are an ok budget gun but there are a lot of short cuts involved in that gun to meet a price point.
 
"The $2000 budget opens up a lot of options. But yes, a Ruger SR1911 is a very good choice for a first 1911. However, a few hundred bucks more will buy a Colt or Springfield, which are even better options."

You can buy a great Colt or Springfield for less than $2000.
 
As far as Springfield...

I didn't like the adjustable sights on the Range officer... The way they look on the pistol put me off.

I picked up a loaded model for 100 more. (on sale for 825 or so)

The trigger was not very good, some tweaks improved it, but I ended up buying a Wilson sear and hammer. It's a nice combat weight trigger of around 5.5-6 pounds. This is a range toy so I wouldn't mind lighter, but it may wear in a little, as it's new.

The TRP is an awesome pistol, but it's got aggressive checkering designed for retention during high stress scenarios... It's a fighting pistol and shows it. So they can be a bit rough on your hands when shooting a lot of rounds.


The Ruger models seem very nice and has softer lines than my SA loaded, I like the satin look better too. So I say the ruger is a good option.

I really want a DW Valor and or a colt special combat, which are a little less than $2000.

The mid range Colts come in around $1000, and are nice.


For the amount of gun you get in the ruger, at the price you pay... It really us a good choice.

Spend the rest on ammo, you're gonna need it with 45acp. :D
 
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Before giving you any solid advice I'd want to know, why after 55 years you'd decided to get a 1911 and why such a big budget?
Have you been avoiding them all this time? If so, why?
By all that I mean...

Did you start shooting someone else's gun, decided you really like the 1911 and now want a nice one of your own?
If so, by all means get yourself a Dan Wesson Valor, and you can probably even fit in a Remington or Ruger with that budget.

Or after all this time did you start handling them at the LGS and looking at pictures on the internet then finally decided you want to "try" one?
In this case I'd suggest starting with the Ruger or Remington, then get a DW Valor if the 1911 continues to hold your interest.
 
First, once you buy your first 1911 you will be hooked. As to your question; Yes the Ruger SR 1911 is a very nice pistol. Mine never gave me any issues, the only reason I sold it was to move to 1911's in 9mm caliber. As you are finding out there are many quality manufactures of the 1911, sometimes it can seem overwhelming. I would tell you to buy one in a Tactical version, which is what the Ruger set up is. Again, there are many manufactures with this version so it still can be difficult to choose. Would I spend upwards of $2000 for one? NO. There are way too many quality pistols, well below that price point, that are available. The hunt is the biggest part of the fun. Good Luck.
 
First, once you buy your first 1911 you will be hooked. As to your question; Yes the Ruger SR 1911 is a very nice pistol. Mine never gave me any issues, the only reason I sold it was to move to 1911's in 9mm caliber
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Yep, as great as the 1911 is in .45ACP, my STI Trojan 9mm is just a really fun time at the range. You never have to explain why you like 1911's to other folks who like them, it's a mutual understanding! Good Luck & Good Shooting with yours!
 
First, once you buy your first 1911 you will be hooked. As to your question; Yes the Ruger SR 1911 is a very nice pistol. Mine never gave me any issues, the only reason I sold it was to move to 1911's in 9mm caliber. As you are finding out there are many quality manufactures of the 1911, sometimes it can seem overwhelming. I would tell you to buy one in a Tactical version, which is what the Ruger set up is. Again, there are many manufactures with this version so it still can be difficult to choose. Would I spend upwards of $2000 for one? NO. There are way too many quality pistols, well below that price point, that are available. The hunt is the biggest part of the fun. Good Luck.
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The Ruger is a decent gun for the price point but when you move up in the 1911 world you get more for your money to a point. Not that there is anything wrong with it but it has cast frame. It is full of cast and MIM parts. It can only be had in a stainless finish for the most part with a tutone look. Which does not suit everyone. They has some issues with the Novak designed sight at first. They were shearing off during standard fire. These seems to have been corrected.

They are a good gun for someone who is not going to use it as a heavy use pistol. If you plan to shoot 5,000+ rounds for many years there are better guns out there. You find very few reports of these guns at high use round counts in the 15,000+. Most people will never shoot that many rounds and Ruger knows it so they build a 1911 to hit a price point for the avg shooter.

If you are looking to send a lot of rounds down range then I would consider moving up. If not buy a gun like a Ruger and spend the rest of quality mags and ammo.

There is a point of diminishing returns. IMHO the $2000 price point of the OP is the high end of value in a 1911. For me the sweet spot is $1200-$1500.

In this range you should be getting little or no MIM. You are getting a nicely fitted gun with solid finishing. If you move up to $1800 you can get a Baer which is hard fit but you will sacrifice finish vs some other brands like Dan Wesson. Not everyone loves Baer guns, for many they are too tight but I have had good experience with them.

If the OP can tells us more about how they plan to use the guns I am sure we can help narrow down the choices to fit the need.
 
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