Assistance purchasing quality workhorse 1911

jeffC

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I've decided I'm going to get a 1911 (probably, as long as I find one that fits my needs). I'm looking for a couple characteristics in the gun, and maybe someone can help point me in the right direction. I'm a glock guy. I love their look. I love the reputation. I just want to get into 1911s now. I'm looking for a QUALITY gun. You know how they say "a Kimberly is a gun you show your friends, a glock is a gun you show your enemies"? I'm looking for that 1911 that you can do both. I'm looking for a nice sharp looking 1911, that is also a workhorse. I plan on carrying it, so it needs to be able to handle wear and tear. I also want it to be a nice looking gun that I can show off. I'm particular to SW e-series, something with a barrel length of less that 4 -/2 inches. But I'm not sure of the guns reputation. Any other similar guns around that I'm unagware of that someone can recommend? Something with a good reputation, nice on the eyes, and is not gonna loose its screws while being carried for 10 hours at a time.
 
There's a saying if its not a gi style it's not a 1911. You best bet is try them all out.

Some people say you cant trust a 1911 with a slider that's shorter then a 5 inches. Some say its bull shit .
You can't really ask guys what 1911 you should buy cause they will pick there's and say the others suck.

My 2¢ I own a Remington r1 basic. You can't really go wrong with a r1, sr1911 or a s&w.sigs too but I guess the slide shape is different then most 1911's.

A r1 It's a no frills 1911 no big beaver tail, thumb safety and slide lock are smaller style like a m1911. I picked the r1 because of this. The price was nice too.
To me the extended safety's grip safety's stick out too much for a carry gun. So for me I don't have to worry about stuff getting snagged etc.



The only thing I say you should get for sure on a 1911 is the lower cut ejection port. Which i dont see to many not being sold with out it any ways .
Every thing else really isn't needed.

Try a few out see what you like.

Run a few hundred rounds through it. If you still have failures after 500rds get it checked out.


Ps if you buy a target type 1911 it will be a very tight fit, some say it causes problems. My dads ao 1911 rattles like crazy he's never had a problem with it.

Hope this gave you some food for thought .
 
I have a few that have been mentioned here. It really comes down to money to a point. Though I will no doubt be trashed, I feel the sigs, Rutgers, Remington, kimber, springfield, Dan Wessons all seem to be reliable. Other end would be Ed brown, nighthawk, Wilson combat, volkmann nod some Greg Derr guns. To me the top end do feel solid but perhaps some would feel not enough to justify the price.
Another ition for you to consider is talk to Rego customs, Greg Derr or remsport and have a custom built.
As for size, I tend to stay away from 3 inch and lean toward 4.25 or 5 inch.
 
If you care about the longevity of the finish (from carrying), perhaps a stainless version of which ever 1911 you choose is probably a good idea.
 
There are today as many quality 1911's are there are stars on the sky and as many opinions as there a**holes. Everybody has one.

A lot depends on how much you want to spend. Hundreds or thousands?

Do your homework, ask people to try theirs, if you get an S&W and don't like it, you should have no problems selling it.

The one brand to avoid is Para-Ordnance. It seems to have few fans on this forum.
 
I have a base model S&W 1911 it has been flawless, I also have a S&W performance center 1911 it has been flawless but a much nicer gun smoother feel, trigger is great and looks sharp also.
 
There are today as many quality 1911's are there are stars on the sky and as many opinions as there a**holes. Everybody has one.

A lot depends on how much you want to spend. Hundreds or thousands?

Do your homework, ask people to try theirs, if you get an S&W and don't like it, you should have no problems selling it.

The one brand to avoid is Para-Ordnance. It seems to have few fans on this forum.

What seems to be the major complaints with the PA? It's cheap, and with guns cheap usually equates to crap (the opposite is not always true - expensive doesn't mean it's going to be great), so I'm not shocked but what specifically is bad about them?

Like all guns I have read good and bad reviews about them - I've read in more than one place that if you're willing to spend some initial time polishing the components itwa good shooter.

Sort of thread drift because it clearly isn't what the op is looking for. Sorry.
 
if you want to spend the $$$ an S&W performance center 1911 is the

balls, i would suggest a 945 but they are no longer made, find

someone that has one and see if they will let you try it.
 
What do you want it for and how much do you want to spend?

For a range or competition gun, you'll want a 5" barrel. For concealment, the length of the slide really doesn't hinder concealment that much -- what prints is the butt. So a Commander with a 4 1/4" barrel isn't much more concealable than a 5" and you've given up valuable sight radius.

For concealment, a compact model with a 4 or 4 1/4" barrel with an officer's frame is noticeably more concealable than a Commander.

S&W E series is a good gun. The Ruger SR1911 is a good gun. Greg Derr, a 1911 gunsmith in Marshfield, likes the Remington R1. All of those are decent, basic 1911s.

If you've got a bunch of money and live outside MA, then you can consider manufacturers like Ed Brown and Wilson Combat.
 
I'm a glock guy. I love their look. I love the reputation. I just want to get into 1911s now.


Did you see what was just announced at ShotShow 2013?

1911glockaprilfools10001.jpg
 
What seems to be the major complaints with the PA? It's cheap, and with guns cheap usually equates to crap (the opposite is not always true - expensive doesn't mean it's going to be great), so I'm not shocked but what specifically is bad about them?

Like all guns I have read good and bad reviews about them - I've read in more than one place that if you're willing to spend some initial time polishing the components itwa good shooter.

Sort of thread drift because it clearly isn't what the op is looking for. Sorry.

Shitty quality control, bad fire control parts, terrible finishes.... list goes on and on. The guns generally don't hold up well over time unless you're lucky and you get one made on a Monday or something. A guy I know who used to be a gunsmith and came to shooting events with us always had customer guns in his range bag for testing. 80% of the guns in that range bag were always Paras. There's a reason for that.

-Mike
 
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What seems to be the major complaints with the PA? It's cheap, and with guns cheap usually equates to crap (the opposite is not always true - expensive doesn't mean it's going to be great), so I'm not shocked but what specifically is bad about them?

First, ParaOrdnance is a Series 80 style gun. That means it has a firing-pin block, which means it is drop-safe (good). However, that firing pin safety is operated by pulling the trigger, which makes it a bit harder for a gunsmith to do a top-notch trigger job (bad). It also complicates reassembly when detail stripped.

I've got an early P14-45. After a few thousand rounds through the gun, the hammer started following the slide down. Once that happens, if you don't get it fixed the gun could go full retard. The gunsmith that I took it to said that the hammer and sear were very soft and had to be replaced. I also had a fair number of failures to feed, typically towards the end of the magazine. Yes, my mags are all in good shape. Yes, my mags are all factory. Yes, I tried replacing the springs and follower. The slide stop notch is starting to wear.

As a result of my experience, I recommend that you stay away from ParaOrdnance.

- - - Updated - - -

That disgusts me, thank god it's not real

I think it is a hoot.
 
You could never make a Glock 1911 - the subsequent vacuum created by the disappearance of Glock versus 1911 debates on the internet would cause a rift in the space time continuum, destroying human kind as we know it.
 
Can't remember what the model name is, but I once fired a Nighthawk Custom with a flanged barrel/muzzle. Believe that one was north of $3,000.

Thing was amazing, too, was hitting the x-ring offhand at 50 yards

Sent from my BlackBerry 9900 using Tapatalk
 
The only thing I say you should get for sure on a 1911 is the lower cut ejection port. Which i dont see to many not being sold with out it any ways .
I also suggest an extended ejector to go along with the lower ejection port (this fairly common now, but the original design is non-extended)

The only problem with stainless it will show scratches. But every now and then you could re-grain it with scotch Brite

Stainless does not stay as tight as long as conventional 4140 (or better yet 4340) carbon steel, but this is not an issue unless you shoot the gun a LOT and don't keep it wet enough. There is also the issue of galling, which can be mitigated with quality steel and manufacturing and proper lubrication. Regraining can also be done with 600 grit wet sandpaper and oil, using a file to keep the sandpaper square to the flats of the gun - but only if you really know what you are doing.
 
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