which 1911 to buy

Well, I'm not much of an advocate of the "buy it, then add $500 in parts" theory. That kind of logic isn't very logical when one can buy a semi-custom 1911 for the same cash outlay.

But there IS one part that should always be taken out of a new (production) 1911, regardless of manufacturer, and thrown in the trash immediately. The extractor. Always replace it with a Wilson Bulletproof and tune it yourself per the instructions.

Best 28 bucks you'll ever spend.
 
BS ALERT

A Sig P220 is a good gun, but no longer can you make blanket statements about accuracy vs a 1911.
IMNSLE the Kimber line of (full-size) 1911's are very accurate from off the shelf. A considerable number of all different Kimber models have passed through my hands, some for custom loads.

Worst group was an Ultra-Elite that gave me 2.5"/25yds. Average groups run under 2"/25yds, from both short and 5" versions.

Without starting war, will point out that I have NOT had the same experience with Springfield or Colt (and I've had fewer examples of each to test); the average group size is larger. Colt is better than Springfield (very disappointed with Springfield accuracy).

I understand that the Springfield Custom Shop WILL turn out an awesome performer, but you'll pay more. Sounds fair.

As for (7-shot) P220, I've seen cracked frames, inaccurate versions, but generally they are very good (but NO LONGER the 'best').
That title is now H&K's...............USP Expert.
 
I've got a Charles Daly 1911 that seems to be a great value. When I bought it the price was so low compared to the other 1911 options I didn't expect much. I figured that if it wasn't any good I didn't lose much and I could either get rid of it or use it as a cheap platform for customization.

What did I get?

A gun that is far more accurate than me. A buddy routinely gets one ragged hole in the center of his target when he empties a mag at 25' (I can but less often). I am told that a Charles Daly out of the box is capable of 2" (or less) groups at 25 yards with a shooter who is able to perform at this level.

A gun that has been reasonably reliable (even though many stock 1911s, including mine, aren't supposed to take anything but ball ammo unless you polish the feed ramp mine has done fine with most brands of JHPs I've tried). I have changed nothing, though I may finally polish the feed ramp because the one brand of hollow points it won't take is my favorite defense round :( .

The one minus is that it could use something in the fit and finish arena (nothing major just not the best I've seen and I hate the plastic grips). However, the newer ones are so called 'enhanced' models that are supposed to be improved in this area and include nice wood grips. Also, for the one I have (or for anyone who has/will get the older version) a new set of grips isn't very expensive- for the rest a polish and refinish would work if you really wanted to bother (though I don't think it is THAT bad).

Not bad for a gun that has a MSRP of under $500 that in many areas you can get for less than $400 (even in overpriced Maryland I've seen them for as low as $425 recently).
 
Colt made the .45

Kimber made it better. I've never handled any Colt, Springfield or Para .45 that worked properly out of the box. Buy one of these if you want to spend anther $500 to make it reliable. Get Kimber from the Custom Shop if you want a pistol you can trust your life to right out of the box.
 
I agree with chaim. A Charles Daly is a great 1911 to start out with. Inexpensive, I got mine for $299. I understand that the early CDs were full of problems but the current models seem to have greatly improved quality.

I already own a Colt Commander in .38 Super. I bought the CD with the intent of using the frame on my MechTech upper. Got it to the range and was so pleasantly surprised I decided to keep it as is.

It seems to me Kimber has become the latest fad in the 1911 world. There are plenty of other choices that are just as good for a lot less money. Why spend that much money on a Kimber then have to go back and spend more to have it customized to your tastes. The whole advantage of owning a 1911 is the availablity of drop in parts to customize it to your tastes. Anything that needs a gunsmith can be done at home with a little patience, common sense and research. Check out Brownell's catalog sometime.

G2, I've heard the same statement from other people. Both my Colt Commander and CD have digested anything I've thrown at them right out of the box. These are the only 1911's I have at present but there will certainly be more in the future.

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with spending the money on a Kimber or even one of the really high-dollar pistols. It's just that I've been able to build my Colt Commander exactly the way I wanted and have the satisfaction of having done it all myself. I intend to do the same with my CD. I don't care who's name is on the slide as long as it's reliable and accurate.
 
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