Cheaper 1911s

[92G]

the new ruger SR1911 commander lightweight is a gem.
i'm very impressed w it.
under 30 oz, series 70 design and super reliable so far....all for under $700 so it's a keeper for sure

 

[Bt74]

I bought an ATI last year... GI 4.5" (commander)... $180 after rebate. Fitted it with an EGW oversize firing pin stop with a tight radius...and love the gun. Shoots as well as the Colt Series 70 I sold a while back.

 

[mark056]

the new ruger SR1911 commander lightweight is a gem. i'm very impressed w it. under 30 oz, series 70 design and super reliable so far....all for under $700 so it's a keeper for sure

Front sight hasn't sheared off yet?

Seriously, glad to hear a good report. I personally think in terms of value, the Ruger 1911's have the most to offer.

 

[FPrice]

I bought an ATI last year... GI 4.5" (commander)... $180 after rebate. Fitted it with an EGW oversize firing pin stop with a tight radius...and love the gun. Shoots as well as the Colt Series 70 I sold a while back.

ATI is a relative "sleeper" in the 1911 field. Generally does not seem to have as much bling as others, just a well-made and fitted gun from what most of us have seen.

Front sight hasn't sheared off yet?

Seriously, glad to hear a good report. I personally think in terms of value, the Ruger 1911's have the most to offer.

Ruger made a good gun here will the exception of the known front sight problem. Hopefully they have fixed it in thise new offering.

 

[fishhawk357]

I had a Rock Island 1911 and it made me sad, even after several trips back to the factory. Ultimately they replaced it with another pistol, which gave me an opportunity to sell the gun to someone else and still claim to be a Christian. That first gun just wouldn't run.

For what it's worth, I bought this 45 from rocket500 and didn't have a single issue with it. First day at the range I put 200 flawless rounds through it. My brother was with me and hounded me to sell it to him. It's is his preferred carry now. Still runs like a top.

 

[SKS Ray]

I should mention I did in fact end up trading with a dealer at Marlboro for an AO model. Haven't shot it yet due to the storms we've had but I hope to change that tomorrow.

 

[Heath]

Just picked up a remington r1 and shot it side by side with my brothers SW1911 and found it very comparable and I actually preferred the Rem.

 

[5months]

AO 1911 no issues with any ball ammo I've tried. Also put a box of Hornady critical defense through it (over a few range trips) with no problems. That's what stays in it when it is at home or on my side.
The small WWII sights were tough for my old eyes to see, so..

I have the AO 45 Wite-Out edition. Yes that is typewriter correction fluid on the sights. Kind of like flat white paint. Generally stays put when wiping down with Ballistol after shooting (just don't rub too hard). Can be removed completely with solvents if I change my mind, want to revert to original, or need to retouch/redo.

+ =
​

Remember the old bottles of Wite-Out, even comes with built in brush.
Or use whatever you got. It helps a lot with my eyes. I wouldn't want to change this pistol much from the original A1 look. Modern sights would look out of place in IMO.

 

[CWulf]

Anyone have experience with Colt's 1911's? I was looking at the Colt 1991 Series on the Colt website, Its a nice looking gun. Its priced about $950. I looked at most of the 1911 threads and while there is a lot of info on Ruger, Remington, S&W, AO, etc, I don't recall more than one or two references to Colt and I haven't seen any at local gun shops recently.

http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols/1991®Series.aspx

 

[mark056]

Anyone have experience with Colt's 1911's? I was looking at the Colt 1991 Series on the Colt website, Its a nice looking gun. Its priced about $950. I looked at most of the 1911 threads and while there is a lot of info on Ruger, Remington, S&W, AO, etc, I don't recall more than one or two references to Colt and I haven't seen any at local gun shops recently.

http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols/1991®Series.aspx

Colt is still the standard by which all other 1911's are judged by, and they probably sell everyone they make simply because of the mystique of the rampant pony stamped on the gun. If you live in Massachusetts, they are hard to come by because they are not on the "list." There are going to be a whole bunch of people who are going to say that there are better guns out there than Colt today and they would be right, but at the end of the day, when the dust settles, I don't think you can go wrong with a Colt, if you can find one.

Where Colt went wrong, and they went wrong in so many, many areas of business, was that they ceased being innovators, and it was the Les Baers, and Ed Browns, Wilson's, Novak's and others that brought the 1911 to a new standard with improved parts, and ergonomics, better quality control etc. Kimber flooded the market with 1911's that had custom features right out of the box. It used to be you took your Colt to somebody and then spend megabucks getting it upgraded. Today, of course, Colt has many models that features the same upgrades, but their basic 1991 Government Model is still pretty plain Jane compared to what you would get for shorter money if say you were to purchase a Ruger or a Remington. On the other hand Colt claims that every part they put into a gun is forged if that is a big deal to some people (I'm not so sure seeing how they use casted parts on spaceships and aircraft).

At the end of the day, I have no problem with a Colt in my holster. YMMV. If you can find one at a decent price and you like it, go for it, cuz you're not just carrying a gun, you are carrying an icon, and that's an intangible that means something to a lot of people, and nothing to some...you decide YMMV.

 

[FPrice]

My former local FFL (may God rest his soul) worked for Colt for a half dozen years or so and watched much of the leadership [sic] that contributed to Colt's decline. He helped develop some firearms which might have kept Colt going but in the end even he was not strong enough to fight the "anti guns for self defense" mentality which guided that decline. There was a certain retired military officer who did not think that you and I had the right to defend ourselves and turned his back on us for military contracts.

Where Colt went wrong, and they went wrong in so many, many areas of business, was that they ceased being innovators, and it was the Les Baers, and Ed Browns, Wilson's, Novak's and others that brought the 1911 to a new standard with improved parts, and ergonomics, better quality control etc. Kimber flooded the market with 1911's that had custom features right out of the box. It used to be you took your Colt to somebody and then spend megabucks getting it upgraded. Today, of course, Colt has many models that features the same upgrades, but their basic 1991 Government Model is still pretty plain Jane compared to what you would get for shorter money if say you were to purchase a Ruger or a Remington. On the other hand Colt claims that every part they put into a gun is forged if that is a big deal to some people (I'm not so sure seeing how they use casted parts on spaceships and aircraft).

 

[ISOTOX]

Only thing I did was put on a set of night sites and picked up a good deal on a crimson trace from Carl at 4 Seasons that I put on from time to time.......Nice gun exactly what I wanted.

 

[Parker Duofold]

Anyone have experience with Colt's 1911's? I was looking at the Colt 1991 Series on the Colt website, Its a nice looking gun. Its priced about $950. I looked at most of the 1911 threads and while there is a lot of info on Ruger, Remington, S&W, AO, etc, I don't recall more than one or two references to Colt and I haven't seen any at local gun shops recently.

http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols/1991®Series.aspx

I have the SS version. I had it worked on by Greg Derr with many upgrades. Shoots great and everyone should have at least one Colt 1911.

 

[SKS Ray]

Couldn't take it anymore and trudged through 2 and 3 feet of snow in some spots last Sunday at my local range to finally go shooting. The AO 1911 I picked up ran great and accuracy was better than I expected. Its exactly what I wanted in a 1911 pistol.

 

[Hardwired]

Couldn't take it anymore and trudged through 2 and 3 feet of snow in some spots last Sunday at my local range to finally go shooting. The AO 1911 I picked up ran great and accuracy was better than I expected. Its exactly what I wanted in a 1911 pistol.

Congrats. What was the damage on a new AO?
Did you get the US grips? And what did you pick up for extra mags - I read they can be picky.

 

[SKS Ray]

I got an excellent deal on it through a trade and had a bunch of mags already that run 100%.

See post #66 for details.

 

[Queen Bee]

Im currently looking at a very good condition Norinco 1911 a1 that i might be able to pick up for about 450$ thoughts??

I do like the idea of having a ww2 lookalike gi version

Read that for the price im not going to find a forged frame and slide combo without going up to a springfield which is about 600 or more

And if my brother ever gets his license..(been trying to get him to get one for 2 years now. It will be his present since he doesnt like glocks.. and loves all things ww2

 

[browncoat]

Im currently looking at a very good condition Norinco 1911 a1 that i might be able to pick up for about 450$ thoughts??

I do like the idea of having a ww2 lookalike gi version

Read that for the price im not going to find a forged frame and slide combo without going up to a springfield which is about 600 or more

And if my brother ever gets his license..(been trying to get him to get one for 2 years now. It will be his present since he doesnt like glocks.. and loves all things ww2

I think you should tell me where it is so I can go buy it

 

[ISOTOX]

Congrats. What was the damage on a new AO?
Did you get the US grips? And what did you pick up for extra mags - I read they can be picky.

Have had absolutely no issue with any mag I have put in my OA ..... or any ammo for that matter...Eats everything.

 

[Queen Bee]

I think you should tell me where it is so I can go buy it

Haha nope... ive already got it on lock down with a deal.. but when i get it i will gladly show you it

 

[FPrice]

If it works well, is reliable, accurate, and in good shape, I say go for it.

Im currently looking at a very good condition Norinco 1911 a1 that i might be able to pick up for about 450$ thoughts??

I do like the idea of having a ww2 lookalike gi version

Read that for the price im not going to find a forged frame and slide combo without going up to a springfield which is about 600 or more

And if my brother ever gets his license..(been trying to get him to get one for 2 years now. It will be his present since he doesnt like glocks.. and loves all things ww2

 

[maswell]

I love my RIA and you can get a GI style one for under $400. I'm a snob, and I really like the quality and workmanship. It's also easy to work on if you want to make any changes yourself. I replaced my GI blade sights with the Trijicons with no issue...

 

[ruhip]

I have a ruger 1911 commander size and it's a great gun and good shooter. AO sights are sub par for these old eyes.

 

[ISOTOX]

I have a ruger 1911 commander size and it's a great gun and good shooter. AO sights are sub par for these old eyes.

With a true 1911A1 Replica that is what you get....The OP was looking for a true Replica 70 Series note variant's that everyone seems to be brining up.... That's what the other 1911 thread is for.

 

[71montess]

Remington R1. Combines some bits of the WWI and WWII designs into a pretty basic classic-looking pistol.

Never had one Issue with mine and it is pretty accurate.