Want starter 1911 that I can build on later

Colt is apparently offering a $100 rebate on the 1991. There's a thread going at 1911forum indicating that people are finding them on sale, and with the rebate, paying only about $700; I paid just about that for mine, ten years ago.
 
Colt is apparently offering a $100 rebate on the 1991. There's a thread going at 1911forum indicating that people are finding them on sale, and with the rebate, paying only about $700; I paid just about that for mine, ten years ago.
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Post #2 illustrates this deal. $699 + $5 shipping + Transfer - $100 gift card.

I got out the door at $725 - $100.

$625 net for a NIB Colt cannot be beat.
 
Bought my first 1911 about a week ago. Para USA Expert non ss. Paid $280 NIB from Sportsman's. $400 out the door with ammo and carry gear. It's not the best gun in the world, but it was at a price point that you couldn't argue.
 
What about these Para brand 1911's . They are sold here and my LGS has a few with many bells and whistles for at or even under my price range . I had never heard of them so did not give them much thought .
 
Metal god said:
What about these Para brand 1911's . They are sold here and my LGS has a few with many bells and whistles for at or even under my price range . I had never heard of them so did not give them much thought .
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Really? You've never heard of Para-Ordnance? The company was originally in Canada, and they are the people who developed and popularized the double stack 1911s.

A few years ago the original owner and president died, the company relocated its manufacturing to North Carolina, and it was subsequently sold to an American holding company. They went through a period of poor quality control in the early 2000s, as a result of promoting the quality control guy into sales and putting the production head in charge of QC. That was an absolute disaster, because any decision that balanced production against quality was decided in favor of production.

They solved that by firing the production guy. The guns they make now are excellent. From its inception, Para used ramped barrels, using the Clark ramp pattern. A few years ago they introduced a more entry-level line called the "GI Expert" (now just 'Expert," I believe) that does not use a ramped barrel and (AFAIK) does not use a proprietary extractor. In other words, a fairly "pure" 1911. But even the Experts these days come with a fiber optic front sight.

They're a good gun and they are well-priced. I'd still prefer a Colt as a first 1911, but I've been shooting a double stack Para in competition for several years. No complaints here.
 
I'd look at the Springfield's or RIA. Just remember the money you put in doesn't usually translate into a higher value. Most guy like to buy their guns stock.
 
I'd look at the Springfield's or RIA. Just remember the money you put in doesn't usually translate into a higher value. Most guy like to buy their guns stock.
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This is often true for custom guns. The equation changes when you have the work done by a known smith with a national reputation for quality. While they may not retain all of the $$$ you put into them they will hold a lot of value because of the known quality of the work of the smith.

I would consider a SA but I prefer Colts but I would never put much money into a RIA no matter who did the work. The quality of the frame, slide and barrel make it not worth the effort IMHO. They are good budget guns but not a platform worth bulding on.
 
2 reasons maybe more 1) ca requires new guns to have certain safety features 2) they then have to pass a safety test . One is a drop test 3) the gun manufacturer have to pay for all of that every 2 years . Ruger sells very few pistols here , there 1911 was never sold here . There SR line was sold here but no longer . S&W has stopped renewing there pistols as well . Very few are sold here . XD s and m not sold here . I could go on and on but it's starting to hurt my feelings .
 
yeah it's kinda crappy that most of Rugers pistols can't be sold in Kali, heck as you can see on my sigline, i'm a Ruger fan, and i adore my SR1911 CMD, it's my favorite EDC, and i like the Ti firing pin.
 
Far & away ,The best bang for the buck is Rock Island. My last purchase
was a RIA 1911 Commander (4.25"), and I have to say it is one of my
favorites ,it feels good in the hand and a joy to shoot. It has earned its place as my EDC piece. Never a hiccup with over 1000 rounds through the pipe

I LOVE MY ROCK.......................... Jack
 
So I went to my LGS a couple days ago to check the price on the Colt 1991A1 . The blued model was $999.99 so that will make the SS $1,099.00-ish . well out of my price range . I'll still look for one around here and maybe consider buying on-line but It's looking like the Springfield is back in the lead . I will give RI a good look though .
 
Yeah I was thinking the same thing about that price . The tag said Colt 1991A1 . The gun seemed pretty plain jane with fixed sights . My LGS allows layaway but I could get that SS gun off of buds for right around $800 out the OTD . Looks like It's time to save up the total amount .
 
Metal god said:
Yeah I was thinking the same thing about that price . The tag said Colt 1991A1
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You're looking at a gun shop that doesn't know a muzzle from a moose. There is no such critter as a Colt 1991A1.

Back in the early 80s Colt came out with a lower priced line of 1911s that they labeled "M1991A1." The "M" was important (to Colt). They were trying to play up the military heritage. In fact, I've been told that the serial numbers picked up where the military serials numbers of the M1911A1 ended. The M1991A1s were plain-Jane 1911s with a parkerized or black oxide finish, no frills, and a monumentally ugly rollmark on the slide.

Several years later, Colt upgraded the finish of the dark pistols to a real blued finish and revised the rollmark to look a lot more discreet, and somewhat similar to the Mark IV roll mark. And they changed the name of the series to just "1991." The M1991A1s are referred to as "old rollmark" and the 1991s are referred to as "new rollmark."

So there are M1991A1s, and there are 1991s. There are no 1991A1s, and if it's a new gun it's a 1991 ... period.
 
You're looking at a gun shop that doesn't know a muzzle from a moose. There is no such critter as a Colt 1991A1.

Back in the early 80s Colt came out with a lower priced line of 1911s that they labeled "M1991A1." The "M" was important (to Colt). They were trying to play up the military heritage. In fact, I've been told that the serial numbers picked up where the military serials numbers of the M1911A1 ended. The M1991A1s were plain-Jane 1911s with a parkerized or black oxide finish, no frills, and a monumentally ugly rollmark on the slide.

Several years later, Colt upgraded the finish of the dark pistols to a real blued finish and revised the rollmark to look a lot more discreet, and somewhat similar to the Mark IV roll mark. And they changed the name of the series to just "1991." The M1991A1s are referred to as "old rollmark" and the 1991s are referred to as "new rollmark."

So there are M1991A1s, and there are 1991s. There are no 1991A1s, and if it's a new gun it's a 1991 ... period.
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The M1991A1s came out in 1991.
Initially they were parkerized but before long the finish was changed to a matte blue.
The M might have mattered to Colt and it clearly matters to Aguila Blanca, but few people use it casual conversation. As with the M1911 and M1911A1, no one uses the M, everybody just calls them 1991A1s and everyone else knows what your talking about.

This is what the ORM M1991A1 billboard rollmark looks like-

1005175_548493201863944_575698867_n.jpg
 
WC145 said:
The M1991A1s came out in 1991.
Initially they were parkerized but before long the finish was changed to a matte blue.
The M might have mattered to Colt and it clearly matters to Aguila Blanca, but few people use it casual conversation. As with the M1911 and M1911A1, no one uses the M, everybody just calls them 1991A1s and everyone else knows what your talking about.
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I respectfully disagree.

If you see an ad for a "1991A1" with no photos -- is it an ORM or a NRM pistol? THAT matters to more people than just old Aguila Blanca, and if people don't use correct nomenclature, other people have no way of knowing.

Personally, I can't recall ever seeing or hearing of a NRM 1991 being referred to as a "1991A1."
 
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