Help me choose a 1911

What 1911 should I buy?

  • SR1911

    Votes: 11 20.0%
  • SW1911 E Series

    Votes: 25 45.5%
  • Remington 1911R1 Enhanced

    Votes: 5 9.1%
  • Other 1911 posted in thread

    Votes: 9 16.4%
  • A Glock, because Glock!

    Votes: 5 9.1%

  • Total voters
    55
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Boss called me in today to tell me he's giving me a raise. I've had a 1911 fund for awhile and it looks like a good time honor the righteous path of our Prophet J.M.B.

Considering:

1. SR1911 with gunsmith added front strap checkering, flattened top strap with serrations, target crown the barrel, green fiber optic front sight, and maybe changing out the black parts for stainless. Just because most of my collection are Rugers and I'd like something to compliment the fine Match Champion I picked up last year. Con: Not sure this much money into an inexpensive 1911 is worth it.

2. SW1911 E Series I like except the external extractor is sacrilege, would change the front sight & black parts, and I HATE the safety warning being on the side of the frame rather than hidden on the underside.

3. Remington R1 Enhanced, if I could find a local FFL willing to transfer the stainless version and have a smith flatten the top strap & add serrations. Pretty much with the milled top strap it would have everything I want. Con: It's a Remington product and I've heard lots of horror stories.

Boston metro

~$1,0000

Range gun

No rail

Preference for stainless

Grips likely walnut checkered

Novak sights, front fiber optic green

No need for ambidextrous

How should I spend my money?
 
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Not a fan of buying something like a Ruger and dumping a bunch of money into it... just buy a semi custom gun if your eventually going to spend that much anyway. Remingtons are ok.. SW are not bad.

I have a Full Custom from TR Enabling/Remsport right here in Ludlow MA.

Great gun.. killer service.. I just passed 15k rounds on my single stack gun they built me last year.. still tight, still runs like new, smooth as glass and looks mean. I would check them out.

If you have to buy something "off the shelf" your pretty limited here in MA. I would look in the classifieds for an SA or Colt.. or buy a nice 1911 off the target list from atlas or sti. The best 1911 you can buy off the MA list right now is the Targetmaster IMO. Atlas makes nice stuff but its more than likely a lot more than you want to spend.
 
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put the money aside, save a bunch more, then look for a les baer. they pop up occasionally, even in the classifieds here.
 
I've had good luck with both the Rugers and the Smiths. cant speak to the Remmys.

If this is to be your first 1911, and a shooter rather than a BBQ gun, I would suggest buying an off the rack gun and shooting the crap out of it for a while. Surely a true custom will place the bullets more consistently in the same place, and the trigger feel will help you help it do that, but with a grand to spend your about 1-3k short.

In any case, you have to be one hell of a good shot to outperform todays factory offerings. The only immediate upgrade I would go for is the fiber optic. On the Ruger , if you have a vise, file and some kind hammer, even a hatchet maybe, you can do this yourself easily. The factory sights on my Smiths came out hard. Hard enough so that your looking over at the Bridgeport and wondering if maybe you should just cut it out.

Either way- Good Luck, they are great guns and a good one will spoil you for the rest of the stuff out there.
 
the S&W 1911sc is a nice one, its a bit above the 1K price (About 1200-1300). I have had no issues with it at all right out of the box, no malfunctions with a few different brands of ammo (FMJ and HP). I can't speak for the full size ones, but it looks like they are slightly cheaper and probably otherwise close to the same.
 
I'd put the 1000 bucks aside and save up more cash for a Dan Wesson, STI, etc. Even a cheap DW/STI will be built better than all of those.

BTW, you're prattling off gunsmithing- which means that you're already planning on spending several hundred more right out the gate- so why not buy the "gun you actually want" to begin with?


-Mike
 
BTW, you're prattling off gunsmithing- which means that you're already planning on spending several hundred more right out the gate- so why not buy the "gun you actually want" to begin with?

This
 
Agree with the Dan Wesson route. Disagree with the Les Baer route.

Otherwise, Colt or Springfield.

BTW, SIG uses an external extractor so while they call it a 1911, it's not really a "1911".
 
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your thinking of spending 1000$ then adding on gunsmithing mods
I say call Greg Derr Derr Precision ask him how much to to the all the mods you want (if you cant find a pistol with them already) then ask him how much to just build a very nice range gun.

honestly if your just looking for a good old 1911 range gun for blasting 230 grain ball ammo have your pick of the litter I cant say much for the ruger dont have one.
I like my SW 1911 except the bilboard graphics on the slid. i bought it used just for range blasting. When i shoot it its at steel or I shoot the NRA/CMP National Match corse of fire.
 
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