Best 1911's - Top Tier - Looking for recommendations

Update: Thanks to all who offered advice opinions and feedback. As usual, NES comes through and there is some great advice here.
This whole thing started about 2 months ago when I went to visit my sister in Georgia. It was a short visit, buy my BIL managed to pull me aside and said " You gotta come out and shoot my new gun" He is an avid sportsman and I was expecting a long gun, so when he brought out a pistol case I was a little surprised.
That's when he handed me his CQB Elite and a box of Federal ammo and walked off his back deck with a trash bag full of empty beer cans that he set up about 15 yards into his back yard on a picnic table. The gun functioned flawlessly, is way more accurate than I am and just about as sweet a 1911 as I have ever seen. It was then I decided I want something nice.
As I mentioned I have a Colt that was massaged by Santurri that shoots lights out and was beating myself up about how much, if at all, better a higher end 1911 would be. I still am second guessing myself. So, bitten by the bug, I started this thread.
I had pretty much decided I was going go with the Wilson, contacted my FFL and a deposit was made.
The next day, my sister called me to tell my her husband was going to sell his gun and buy one in 9mm because the arthritis in his hands make the 45 unpleasant after a few rounds. So.... my plans have changed! The gun has less than 500 rounds down the pipe and 50 of them were mine
He is traveling for a couple of weeks, and I am pulling a lot of extra duty because my father in law slipped and broke his hip Christmas morning in his driveway, but in a few weeks we will get it shipped.
Like I said, I am still hemming and hawing. I have two kids still in college, and I am not sure that at the end of the day I am going to be further ahead than I am with my Colt, but I figure if my love fades, I should be able to sell the Wilson without taking to big a hit.
But this will be my new Sunday go to Church gun. Stock photo, but you get the idea.

1641132667148.png
 
fencer said:
Update: Thanks to all who offered advice opinions and feedback. As usual, NES comes through and there is some great advice here.
This whole thing started about 2 months ago when I went to visit my sister in Georgia. It was a short visit, buy my BIL managed to pull me aside and said " You gotta come out and shoot my new gun" He is an avid sportsman and I was expecting a long gun, so when he brought out a pistol case I was a little surprised.
That's when he handed me his CQB Elite and a box of Federal ammo and walked off his back deck with a trash bag full of empty beer cans that he set up about 15 yards into his back yard on a picnic table. The gun functioned flawlessly, is way more accurate than I am and just about as sweet a 1911 as I have ever seen. It was then I decided I want something nice.
As I mentioned I have a Colt that was massaged by Santurri that shoots lights out and was beating myself up about how much, if at all, better a higher end 1911 would be. I still am second guessing myself. So, bitten by the bug, I started this thread.
I had pretty much decided I was going go with the Wilson, contacted my FFL and a deposit was made.
The next day, my sister called me to tell my her husband was going to sell his gun and buy one in 9mm because the arthritis in his hands make the 45 unpleasant after a few rounds. So.... my plans have changed! The gun has less than 500 rounds down the pipe and 50 of them were mine
He is traveling for a couple of weeks, and I am pulling a lot of extra duty because my father in law slipped and broke his hip Christmas morning in his driveway, but in a few weeks we will get it shipped.
Like I said, I am still hemming and hawing. I have two kids still in college, and I am not sure that at the end of the day I am going to be further ahead than I am with my Colt, but I figure if my love fades, I should be able to sell the Wilson without taking to big a hit.
But this will be my new Sunday go to Church gun. Stock photo, but you get the idea.

View attachment 559174
Click to expand...

Life is too short not to splurge on yourself from time to time. Good luck with the purchase and new toy!!!
 
fencer said:
... I went to visit my sister in Georgia. ... my BIL ... handed me his CQB Elite ... The gun functioned flawlessly, is way more accurate than I am and just about as sweet a 1911 as I have ever seen. ... I had pretty much decided I was going go with the Wilson, ... a deposit was made.
The next day, my sister called me to tell my her husband was going to sell his gun and buy one in 9mm because the arthritis in his hands make the 45 unpleasant after a few rounds.
Click to expand...
What did you slip into his Ovaltine to cause the 'ritis flare?[shocked]
 
Enjoy the new addition, if you decide to add a nine in the future if it's my money I,m going with the Dan Wesson if it's your money I'd go with an Alchemy custom. 😂
 
fencer said:
Update: Thanks to all who offered advice opinions and feedback. As usual, NES comes through and there is some great advice here.
This whole thing started about 2 months ago when I went to visit my sister in Georgia. It was a short visit, buy my BIL managed to pull me aside and said " You gotta come out and shoot my new gun" He is an avid sportsman and I was expecting a long gun, so when he brought out a pistol case I was a little surprised.
That's when he handed me his CQB Elite and a box of Federal ammo and walked off his back deck with a trash bag full of empty beer cans that he set up about 15 yards into his back yard on a picnic table. The gun functioned flawlessly, is way more accurate than I am and just about as sweet a 1911 as I have ever seen. It was then I decided I want something nice.
As I mentioned I have a Colt that was massaged by Santurri that shoots lights out and was beating myself up about how much, if at all, better a higher end 1911 would be. I still am second guessing myself. So, bitten by the bug, I started this thread.
I had pretty much decided I was going go with the Wilson, contacted my FFL and a deposit was made.
The next day, my sister called me to tell my her husband was going to sell his gun and buy one in 9mm because the arthritis in his hands make the 45 unpleasant after a few rounds. So.... my plans have changed! The gun has less than 500 rounds down the pipe and 50 of them were mine
He is traveling for a couple of weeks, and I am pulling a lot of extra duty because my father in law slipped and broke his hip Christmas morning in his driveway, but in a few weeks we will get it shipped.
Like I said, I am still hemming and hawing. I have two kids still in college, and I am not sure that at the end of the day I am going to be further ahead than I am with my Colt, but I figure if my love fades, I should be able to sell the Wilson without taking to big a hit.
But this will be my new Sunday go to Church gun. Stock photo, but you get the idea.

View attachment 559174
Click to expand...
I notice that gun has one thing in common with the single stack SVI/Infinities - the front strap, and I'm not talking about the checkering since all the high end shops do that. The front of the strap is significant flatter than the curved one on most brands of 1911, as well as the original. Or, in other words, if the curve were part of the surface of a cylinder, the cylinder would be of a much larger diameter.

I am only speculating as to the reason, this provides to an "edge" between the checkered front and non-checkered sides avoiding the tricky part where the horizontal checkering grooves end.
 
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fencer said:
Update: Thanks to all who offered advice opinions and feedback. As usual, NES comes through and there is some great advice here.
This whole thing started about 2 months ago when I went to visit my sister in Georgia. It was a short visit, buy my BIL managed to pull me aside and said " You gotta come out and shoot my new gun" He is an avid sportsman and I was expecting a long gun, so when he brought out a pistol case I was a little surprised.
That's when he handed me his CQB Elite and a box of Federal ammo and walked off his back deck with a trash bag full of empty beer cans that he set up about 15 yards into his back yard on a picnic table. The gun functioned flawlessly, is way more accurate than I am and just about as sweet a 1911 as I have ever seen. It was then I decided I want something nice.
As I mentioned I have a Colt that was massaged by Santurri that shoots lights out and was beating myself up about how much, if at all, better a higher end 1911 would be. I still am second guessing myself. So, bitten by the bug, I started this thread.
I had pretty much decided I was going go with the Wilson, contacted my FFL and a deposit was made.
The next day, my sister called me to tell my her husband was going to sell his gun and buy one in 9mm because the arthritis in his hands make the 45 unpleasant after a few rounds. So.... my plans have changed! The gun has less than 500 rounds down the pipe and 50 of them were mine
He is traveling for a couple of weeks, and I am pulling a lot of extra duty because my father in law slipped and broke his hip Christmas morning in his driveway, but in a few weeks we will get it shipped.
Like I said, I am still hemming and hawing. I have two kids still in college, and I am not sure that at the end of the day I am going to be further ahead than I am with my Colt, but I figure if my love fades, I should be able to sell the Wilson without taking to big a hit.
But this will be my new Sunday go to Church gun. Stock photo, but you get the idea.

View attachment 559174
Click to expand...
Does your cqb have that exact rear sight? If so how would you compare it with a more conventional squared off rear notch? Thinking about upgrading. Nice choice, btw!
 
silversquirrel said:
Does your cqb have that exact rear sight? If so how would you compare it with a more conventional squared off rear notch? Thinking about upgrading. Nice choice, btw!
Click to expand...
The dominant iron sights in the 1911 are Bomar style and Novak, each of which has multiple copycats. The former for target, the later for carry.

That Wilson sight is based on the Novak design, but has smoother edges and a less angular profile. Thing F16 vs. F35 when it comes to the edges. There may be some adjustable clones, but Novaks are generally carry sights - simple, fixed, durable, nothing to snag on the draw. As they say in Kazakhstan, "Very nice".

There are numerous makers of BoMar style sights - Kensight, Brown, SVI, etc. It is interesting that Kensight brags about wire EDM for parts. The SVI/INfinity Bomar-like sight somes in two heights - one matching the original BoMar and one that sits a bit lower. I've examined the adjustment on the SVI Bomaroid and it is a distinct improvment, and the parts are a combination of CNC and/or wire EDM (not sure which) and those spit out of a Swiss style screw machine. Also "Very nice", which they should be at $135 a pop. You can even get one with 45deg angle cuts on the blade if you want one with "Tactical" in the product name. Just waiting for the BoMar on my SVs to break so I can get them upgraded. I would not be surprised if Wilson and Novak also have a Bomaroid in their product lineup.

Interestingly, the original BoMar is out of business. They were trying to sell the operation for a while, but they were demanding top dollar. I wonder if they ever managed to monetize the name before they shut down.

Both BoMar and Novak came up with sight designs that have become classic - frequently copied, and better than most of the new fangled designs for those intent on building better mousetraps.
 
I have Novaks (tritium)on my Glock. I do like them. The ones with just a tritium bar under the notch. No dots.
I have a 90s vintage Wilson Tactical Elite with the old style (original?) Wilson low profile night sights, with 3 dots, that I dislike, and are long ago decayed tritium. I was thinking of replacing them with those new Wilson battle sights, as on that CQB.
I think the slide cut is the same.
I prefer no dots on the rear, like my old Kimber Custom 2. I also want to upgrade the front to that fiber optic.
 
Rob Boudrie said:
I notice that gun has one thing in common with the single stack SVI/Infinities - the front strap, and I'm not talking about the checkering since all the high end shops do that. The front of the strap is significant flatter than the curved one on most brands of 1911, as well as the original. Or, in other words, if the curve were part of the surface of a cylinder, the cylinder would be of a much larger diameter.

I am only speculating as to the reason, this provides to an "edge" between the checkered front and non-checkered sides avoiding the tricky part where the horizontal checkering grooves end.
Click to expand...
Very perceptive. And I did notice it the first time I shot the gun. The grip feels like you have more purchase and more contact, than with some others.
 
fencer said:
Very perceptive. And I did notice it the first time I shot the gun. The grip feels like you have more purchase and more contact, than with some others.
Click to expand...
I noticed it on my SVI fotay (hey, I didn't pick the caliber on this one) the first time I saw it. The rounded front looks more classic, but the flattish front does feel nice, especially with 30 LPIsh checkering. The old masters did checking with a file; the places with a herd of machinery and multiple smiths tend to use machine checkering. In the old days Bob Javery RIP (the Greg Derr of his time) did nice machine checkering but would never have the checkering fixture out when customers were in the shop.
 
steven grammont said:
What about a Jesse James built 1911? His Damascus ones look pretty sharp
Click to expand...
[laugh] Not even if I won the powerball jackpot.

I don't know any of the details about his guns, and details are not easy to find, but I haven't seen any JJ that made me think I wanted one. I respect his abilities, but I guess I am more of a traditionalist. JJ guns are polar opposites from a builder like Greg Derr.

I consider Jesse James guns to be more of a novelty for the ultra rich or Hollywood types that want a pistol engraved with scenes from their last action movie. They may shoot like a dream, but they are not my style. They may be works of art, but so is a Picasso or a Pollock, and I don't like that shit either.

Visit the Derr Precision website, and browse the gallery. He takes the familiar, and the classic and elevates it to perfection, with the specific owner and intended use in mind. Never gaudy or ostentatious. Pure class.
Definitely still a Derr on my bucket list.
 
fencer said:
[laugh] Not even if I won the powerball jackpot.

I don't know any of the details about his guns, and details are not easy to find, but I haven't seen any JJ that made me think I wanted one. I respect his abilities, but I guess I am more of a traditionalist. JJ guns are polar opposites from a builder like Greg Derr.

I consider Jesse James guns to be more of a novelty for the ultra rich or Hollywood types that want a pistol engraved with scenes from their last action movie. They may shoot like a dream, but they are not my style. They may be works of art, but so is a Picasso or a Pollock, and I don't like that shit either.

Visit the Derr Precision website, and browse the gallery. He takes the familiar, and the classic and elevates it to perfection, with the specific owner and intended use in mind. Never gaudy or ostentatious. Pure class.
Definitely still a Derr on my bucket list.
Click to expand...
Just throwing another name into the barrel.
 
steven grammont said:
Just throwing another name into the barrel.
Click to expand...
Sorry man - I honestly thought you were making a joke. The one JJ Damascus 1911 that I found online is for sale for only $85,000.
I thought to myself "How much money do you have to have to drop $85k on a gun?"

I think it was made with steel from the Statue of Liberty. Which is cool and all, but....nah..not for me
 
Very nice thread- a few things I would add. There is a difference between "custom" and "custom production" A true custom is your dream made into reality. This is the client picking all the features and parts and the styling. So lets say you have a Colt and want some Wilson parts along with Ed Brown parts you like. You get this in a true custom build. With Wilson, Ed Brown, Cabot etc. you get their part. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just limited to there choices not yours. Most top custom builders use Colt slides and frames, not that they are necessarily the best on the market- they are the original. When you see a 1911, the first thought most people have is Colt. They also hold their value. In my shop all guns are meant to be shot- it's the owners who might choose to just look at them which is fine. For me the 1911 is a blank canvas on which to create a pleasing picture for a client to enjoy for a lifetime. In fact most of the guns we build are "once in a lifetime" project which is going to be passed down to a child or friend.



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Greg Derr said:
Very nice thread- a few things I would add. There is a difference between "custom" and "custom production" A true custom is your dream made into reality. This is the client picking all the features and parts and the styling. So lets say you have a Colt and want some Wilson parts along with Ed Brown parts you like. You get this in a true custom build. With Wilson, Ed Brown, Cabot etc. you get their part. Not that there is anything wrong with that. It's just limited to there choices not yours. Most top custom builders use Colt slides and frames, not that they are necessarily the best on the market- they are the original. When you see a 1911, the first thought most people have is Colt. They also hold their value. In my shop all guns are meant to be shot- it's the owners who might choose to just look at them which is fine. For me the 1911 is a blank canvas on which to create a pleasing picture for a client to enjoy for a lifetime. In fact most of the guns we build are "once in a lifetime" project which is going to be passed down to a child or friend.

s3erAsU.jpg


oQaZPHx.jpg


nf0gPc3.jpg


0RlvPid.jpg


bxM0g3c.jpg


KA5LVTy.jpg


NaaDKkh.jpg


ZgGtI8t.jpg
Click to expand...
I'm sure the answer is "it varies;" but in case I'm wrong, can you give an order of magnitude for what one of your builds costs, and the hours you put into it?

Signed,
A dreamer and fan
 

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