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thinking of getting my first 1911

dnepro-mike

dnepro-mike

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I know there are tons of 1911 clones out there.
I heard there are certain manufacturers I should stay away from.
I'm not looking to get expensive gun, rather something basic, mainstream, but reliable and without unnecessary frills.
Looking for suggestions, price expectations.
 
Hey i got my Remington r1 basic for 600$ never had a problem.



Posted from my iPhone10g
Remington 1911r1
Walther p38 made early 45
Remington sportsman58 12g
Early type 99.
 
If you are going to skinflint, get a Rock Island Armory. No point in buying an AO, when a RIA is a better gun and its cheaper.

Otherwise go to R1 or SR1911 land. Or pick up a used SW1911.

-Mike
 
dnepro-mike said:
any particular brands i should stay away from?
Click to expand...

Taurus, Para Ordnance.... Run away from like they will give you ebola. The older AO guns are also pieces of shit, too. Kimber isn't that hot either, but it's still a far distant third from the first two. [laugh]

-Mike
 
drgrant said:
Taurus, Para Ordnance.... Run away from like they will give you ebola. The older AO guns are also pieces of shit, too. Kimber isn't that hot either, but it's still a far distant third from the first two. [laugh]

-Mike
Click to expand...

This. Crapbers are just overpriced 1911's that require constant maintenance and can't take abuse. If you want a show gun, get the Kimber. Stay away from AO anyways, they are just moderate 1911's. Like Mike said, the RIA make one hell of a budget 1911 and if I were into those, I would buy one. The Ruger is the best bet for the money and can compete with the Colt 1911's and is better than the R1 Enhances IMO.
 
I just got the Ruger and it's my first 1911. Not every target looked great, but I saved one that had most of the holes in the black. I can't say I shoot that well with any other handgun I own (excluding .22s). Maybe I was just being extra careful tossing half dollars down range, but the Ruger did what I asked of it.

Take all this with a grain of salt. I've only got 100 rounds down range and I'm a Ruger fan.
 
dnepro-mike said:
I know there are tons of 1911 clones out there.
I heard there are certain manufacturers I should stay away from.
I'm not looking to get expensive gun, rather something basic, mainstream, but reliable and without unnecessary frills.
Looking for suggestions, price expectations.
Click to expand...

I just got a sig XO a few months back. It does not have the fit/finish of my Colts but I highly recommend it for a no frills 1911 you can stake your life on.

Dave
 
i just got the ruger sr1911..put a quick 100 rounds thru it and gotta say I loved it. 700 bucks. If you ever wanna shoot it i belong to the club in braintree...bring some lead and we can meet up.
 
My starter 1911 is the S&W 1911ss, around $700 NIB. I've had no significant problems. I did deal with an feed issue early on. S&W customer service paid shipping both ways covered parts and labor a 2 week turn around at no cost to me and no issues since.

If your going to be aroun HSC, especially on the 1st or 3rd monday for IDPA practice, I would be happy to let you try it out and see what you think.
 
FWIW, my S&W Pro Series 1911 in 9mm has been a lemon.

The extractor pin is loose (has to be tapped back into place every 100 rounds or so) and it is very consistent about chucking brass into my head.

I think I've got about 500 rounds through it at this point. I'm trying to decide if I want to sell it to some other poor unsuspecting bastard, or if I want to put the money & work in to make the damn thing reliable (even if it kills me).

The last time I shipped a gun to S&W for a repair they shipped it back to me just as broken as it started, so I don't really feel like going through the S&W customer service bullshit again.

Yes, I'm grumpy this morning.
 
I have tried a couple. S&W non e-series was very nice, smooth. and accurate. Ruger SR1911 was nice, a little snappy but accurate. My favorite is my own, sig 1911. smooth, accurate and easy to come back to center for another shot.

Just my 0.02
 
Iram said:
FWIW, my S&W Pro Series 1911 in 9mm has been a lemon.

The extractor pin is loose (has to be tapped back into place every 100 rounds or so) and it is very consistent about chucking brass into my head.

I think I've got about 500 rounds through it at this point. I'm trying to decide if I want to sell it to some other poor unsuspecting bastard, or if I want to put the money & work in to make the damn thing reliable (even if it kills me).

The last time I shipped a gun to S&W for a repair they shipped it back to me just as broken as it started, so I don't really feel like going through the S&W customer service bullshit again.

Yes, I'm grumpy this morning.
Click to expand...

I have two of these and they are PERFECT! Also have a Kimber Aegis Pro 9mm that shoots like a champ.

If I was looking for my first and maybe only 1911 then the Ruger would be a good choice, had one and sold it but wish it was still in my collection. Consider if you want a 45ACP or 9mm. The 9mm is more expensive upfront because there are fewer options but cheaper in the long run.
 
Para ordnance is not the best IMHO, I own and carry a S&W 1911, absolutly love it and have carried it for 4 years now and the only issue was a bad extraction once last year, its easy to maintain and the $$$ are usually decent for the weapon.
 
as with everything, what are you looking for, mine is a great target and CCW, each model serves a role but overall it will fill all roles, same reason the Military kept it on the books for 40+ years, SF and operators still carry it and the Military are loking to go back to it.
Jaxon06 said:
Other considerations: Is it a carry gun? Target only? 3", 4", 5"? So many choices. [smile]
Click to expand...
 
Juiced06GTO said:
Great info here, I am also looking into getting a 1911 and was considering the Ruger or S&W. I'll have to head out to the store and check them out!
Click to expand...

It is great info. Many of my purchases have been informed from reading this forum. Everyone has their opinions, but these folks know guns. And it's a great jumping off point before you read and watch reviews of specific guns.

I like the R1 Enhanced a lot. It's a great gun. I also like the S&W stainless. The good news is that there are a lot of good 1911's on the market, so it's more a matter of which one to buy first, than which one to buy. ;p

Once you get it, buy yourself some Wilson Combat magazines. They work great, and are very good quality.
 
Make_MA_2A_Compliant said:
Please. You can run 5k through them dry without cleaning and they will return to battery every time you hit the rear of the slide. IDK WTF you're talking about.
Click to expand...

Looks like you proved drgrant's point.

A semi-auto handgun that requires you to hit the rear of slide isn't working, and cleaning it would be a good idea.
 
I will 2nd the Rock Island choice if you're looking to get an inexpensive milspec starter 1911. I have the nickel-plated milspec model and while yes, it's a nickel-plated sissy pistol pimp gun/ bbq gun/ show-off gun etc... It's accurate, reliable and the action is like butter.

I had a SW1911 that was also a very nice gun that gave me no trouble, and I got rid of that only to fund an AR. That's also a nice beginner choice. I'd still have mine if I hadn't jumped on the AR bus.

I've had two Para's and they both sucked balls. I have seen some sing their praises and that's great. I'm glad they're not all lemons. I decided to stay away though after the two shitboxes I had to deal with (C6 LDA stainless, and P12 Limited Stainless.)

I've shot a Kimber once and it ran just fine. I started looking into them in my early twenties and gathered that just waaaay too many bad reports were being posted about them, so I decided to not bother.

The newer manufactured Auto Ordnances (now made under Kahr) have a good record so far. As others have said though, stay away from the early guns. I don't recall exactly how to tell the difference but I'm pretty sure the newer ones will be marked with something like Worcester MA

I have shot an R1 once and I liked it a lot. Very smooth and the sights are plenty big.

I have zero experience with the Sig 1911 line but I would assume they are very nice guns. I've never owned any type of Sig but I've shot several pistol variations and they are built like a tank.

I love old Colts. Anything series '70 and older I drool over. I have one series '80 gun that again is a nickel-plated, mirror-bright, blind your ass with the sun's reflection gun. (I do have a weakness for bright nickel if you couldn't tell). I LOVE that gun. So much so that I rarely shoot it. It's not a safe queen though. Don't confuse me with someone who would buy a gun and never shoot it. F*ck that. Shoot EVERYTHING.
But seriously if you have the dough eventually and want something really classic and iconic, you must go with an old school Colt.
 
45collector said:
I will 2nd the Rock Island choice if you're looking to get an inexpensive milspec starter 1911. I have the nickel-plated milspec model and while yes, it's a nickel-plated sissy pistol pimp gun/ bbq gun/ show-off gun etc... It's accurate, reliable and the action is like butter.

I had a SW1911 that was also a very nice gun that gave me no trouble, and I got rid of that only to fund an AR. That's also a nice beginner choice. I'd still have mine if I hadn't jumped on the AR bus.

I've had two Para's and they both sucked balls. I have seen some sing their praises and that's great. I'm glad they're not all lemons. I decided to stay away though after the two shitboxes I had to deal with (C6 LDA stainless, and P12 Limited Stainless.)

I've shot a Kimber once and it ran just fine. I started looking into them in my early twenties and gathered that just waaaay too many bad reports were being posted about them, so I decided to not bother.

The newer manufactured Auto Ordnances (now made under Kahr) have a good record so far. As others have said though, stay away from the early guns. I don't recall exactly how to tell the difference but I'm pretty sure the newer ones will be marked with something like Worcester MA

I have shot an R1 once and I liked it a lot. Very smooth and the sights are plenty big.

I have zero experience with the Sig 1911 line but I would assume they are very nice guns. I've never owned any type of Sig but I've shot several pistol variations and they are built like a tank.

I love old Colts. Anything series '70 and older I drool over. I have one series '80 gun that again is a nickel-plated, mirror-bright, blind your ass with the sun's reflection gun. (I do have a weakness for bright nickel if you couldn't tell). I LOVE that gun. So much so that I rarely shoot it. It's not a safe queen though. Don't confuse me with someone who would buy a gun and never shoot it. F*ck that. Shoot EVERYTHING.
But seriously if you have the dough eventually and want something really classic and iconic, you must go with an old school Colt.
Click to expand...

RIA are the best budget 1911's and great beater guns. Everyone knows Para's suck and Crapbers also are just overpriced. Of course Colt is the ultimate 1911 but Remington does make a damn good 1911. Ruger is my favorite and I believe is priced the best. You can't go wrong with it for $700.
 

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