[Malice]

So I am thinking of getting a 1911 as my first handgun. My reason is that the 1911 is so adored by no many people, and I would certainly get one someday anyway (my gun purchases are few, far between, and well thought out). As money is tight, I want the get the cheapest quality 1911, and I have never been a big fan of bells and whistles.

The purpose of this gun will be for fun range shooting, first-line HD behind my 870 Police, and as a carry gun when my dress permits. This means a shoulder holster under the blazers I wear quite often. I will be getting my permit in a bit over a year. I plan on carrying somthing like a snub revolver most of the time, but the Texas CHL course is sort of silly. If you qualify with an auto, you are good to go. But if you qualify with a revolver, you can only carry a revolver. So I would qualify with the 1911 and carry it when I can, but get a snub for the rest of the time.

I'm not getting the snub right away because I want to shoot at the range and do bowling pin matches and such the year until I get mt CHL... and a snub is no good for that.

So, for a 1911 on a budget, is the Springfield Mil-Spec a nice buy? Is it worth it to lay down an extra $200 for a loaded one? Especialy for a first 1911?

What are my other options in this price range? Is that Taurus 1911 out yet? What is the consensus on that gun?

On the other hand, is any 1911 in the range of the GI Mil-Spec a "quality" gun or will it give me a lot of trouble? Also keep in mind that I REALLY like the classic look of that particular model.

[psychophipps]

Springfield makes a great weapon, full stop. The new 1911s are a lot better than the old ones, especially in breakdown and cleaning, and shoot great almost regardless of the maker. The market is too flooded with inexpensive semi-custom, at least by older standards, 1911s for a company to be known for making trash.

Good company that makes good pistols,
Mark(psycho)Phipps( HAHAHA! )

[HighVelocity]

Big SA 1911 fan here. "Is the loaded model worth the extra $?" To me it is. If you bought the Mil-Spec, which is a great gun by the way, and later decided to have it upgraded with parts to make it equal to a loaded model then you will have far surpassed the loaded models original cost.

As for the GI model, it's a great gun as well but if you need sights that you can see then spend the few extra bucks on the Mil-Spec.

Get the Mil-spec and shoot it as-is. If you really get the urge for a loaded model then you can always save up and buy one later. Then you'll have TWO 1911's and the addiction will be irreversible. :evil:

[LJWebster1]

Just bought a SA Champion 1911 and love it. You can't go wrong with Springfield.

[Black Majik]

The SA's are of the top for production 1911's. Both the Mil-spec and Loaded are great guns, just which suits your needs? Would you be happy with the plain jane 1911 or do you want the gun with more bells and whistles?

Honestly, for a first 1911, go for the less expensive 1911. The milspec is a great gun. It has bigger sights than the GI and lowered ejection port. The loaded has the Novak sights and ext thumb safety, as well as the beavertail grip safety.

My first 1911 was a bone stock Colt. I'm glad I did because I really learned what features I now require on a 1911 vs. what I feel is just fluff...

Go for the milspec.

[usp_fan]

I bought a used milspec as a project gun. In the end, I could have bought a "loaded" model and had many of the same features, but not as much fun for the $. Get the Milspec if you aren't going to change anything. Otherwise get the loaded. Either way, you'll have a 1911 that is a quality pistol. Mine has been great.

--usp_fan

[Declaration Day]

I highly recommend the Springfield GI 1911.

My first 1911 was a loaded stainless Springfield. Then the GI came out and I bought one.

It turns out that I could shoot more accurately with the GI, so after a while I sold the stainless one.

The GI is a no-frills, high quality workhorse for a very good price. It doesn't get much better than that.

[C-grunt]

I would get the milspec over the GI because of the better sights and the lowered ejection port. I have a loaded and it is a great 1911.

[Byron Quick]

Loaded and mil-spec here. The Loaded is my carry gun. I leave the Kimber Gold Match in the safe.

[Jubei]

I have two SA 1911s, one of them a Mil-Spec, and I agree that they are excellent handguns. Very reliable and accurate.

If you do get one and decide to tinker with it, I suggest that you get to know Brownells. They have just about everything that you would need to modify your 1911.

Jubei

[The Real Hawkeye]

So I am thinking of getting a 1911 as my first handgun. My reason is that the 1911 is so adored by no many people, and I would certainly get one someday anyway (my gun purchases are few, far between, and well thought out). As money is tight, I want the get the cheapest quality 1911, and I have never been a big fan of bells and whistles.

The purpose of this gun will be for fun range shooting, first-line HD behind my 870 Police, and as a carry gun when my dress permits. This means a shoulder holster under the blazers I wear quite often. I will be getting my permit in a bit over a year. I plan on carrying somthing like a snub revolver most of the time, but the Texas CHL course is sort of silly. If you qualify with an auto, you are good to go. But if you qualify with a revolver, you can only carry a revolver. So I would qualify with the 1911 and carry it when I can, but get a snub for the rest of the time.

I'm not getting the snub right away because I want to shoot at the range and do bowling pin matches and such the year until I get mt CHL... and a snub is no good for that.

So, for a 1911 on a budget, is the Springfield Mil-Spec a nice buy? Is it worth it to lay down an extra $200 for a loaded one? Especialy for a first 1911?

What are my other options in this price range? Is that Taurus 1911 out yet? What is the consensus on that gun?

On the other hand, is any 1911 in the range of the GI Mil-Spec a "quality" gun or will it give me a lot of trouble? Also keep in mind that I REALLY like the classic look of that particular model.Yes, you will not be sorry if you bought a SA Mil Spec 1911A1. They are the best deal on the market, and they just plain work. I recommend that you get only the full sized, all steel, models, however. I've owned over a dozen 1911s of various stripes over the last 25 years, and those are the ones that have always been reliable. If there is ever something wrong with one of those, it only requires a simple adjustment to do a permanent fix. The shorter than standard length, and the lighter guns, require much more in the way of fine tuning to make them run right, and often need repeated fine tuning over the years to keep them running right.

As for concealed carry, you need to join the rest of us in 21st century. Shoulder holsters may have been the way to go in the 1970s, but IWB has become so fine tuned a technology (assuming you buy from a good brand) that few resort to shoulder holstering a 1911 anymore. I carry a full sized all steel Springfield Armory 1911A1 (the stainless "Loaded" model) in a Milt Sparks VM II IWB (inside the waistband) holster all day long, and hardly know it's there. This method of carry is not only the best concealed, but the most comfortable, especially for a nice flat 1911. Do yourself a favor, and get a good IWB instead of a shoulder holster for your 1911. You will find that you never need to carry the snubby revolver, and will stick it in a locked drawer, never to see the light of day, where it belongs. If you must have two handguns, do like we do, buy another Springfield Armory 1911.

[AK103K]

Looks like I'm going to be the oddball here. :)

Springfields QC hasnt been all that great of late. Of the last four I've bought, three had issues, and my "Loaded" model was an absolute dog. Some of this is my fault, and I should have paid better attention at the shop, and this is something you REALLY need to do if your looking at Springfield.

On my loaded model, there were so many sharp edges, I'm surprised I didnt cut my hands at the shop! I was filing on the thumb safety within half an hour of getting it home.

On my one WWII Government Model (I had two), some knucklehead took an engraving pen and CARVED part of the serial number on the underside of the slide where the disconnecter rides. Again, if only I'd been paying closer attention.... The slide felt like the gun was loaded with sand when you worked the slide back and forth. That took half an hour with a stone to clean up. That gun had an OK trigger, the other was terrible.

Of these three, the two WWII's and the loaded, function was best with hardball, and for the Loaded, even that was a challenge. The loaded also came with an untuned extractor. Not that that really mattered, it never worked, tuned or not.

I've owned a number of early Springfields, they all worked well and never were a problem. They also were your basic, Colt/USGI spec'd guns. They also had Colt/GI spec frames, something that most of what I've seen lately dont. The difference can be instantly felt in the grip between the two.

If your heart is set on a Springfield, I'd recommend, if at all possible, that you go someplace that has more than one of what your interested in and compare them all side by side. Look very critically at them and dont be taken by the way they "look", look at how everything works and feels. I think you'll be surprised at the difference between them. Also, I'm a firm believer that the closer you stay to the original Colt/USGI spec's, the more reliable the gun is going to be. If it rattles a little when you shake it, its not a bad thing.

All that said, look at Colt's. They do cost a little more, but you can find nice, used pistols in very good shape, for not much more than a Mil Spec Springfield. Most of the "newer" guns, Series 80 up, will feed most anything you put in them and you do get the "dreaded" firing pin safety, which I actually liked having. The Springfields dont have them. All my Colt's triggers, including the Series 80 guns, had great triggers right out of the box. The complaints about the firing pin safety screwing up the triggers is BS, unless all your capable of shooting with is a 2.5 pound race gun trigger, which is something you dont want in a carry gun anyway.

I've had a whole lot of pistols over the years and the only ones I've never had to send back to the shop for work, have been Colts, HK's and SIG's. If you havent guessed by now, I'd skip the Springfield. :)

[brickboy240]

I own a Springfield Mil-Spec stianless and it is a fantastic shooter. It is actually more reliable than the three Colt 1911s I have owned, including my current 1973 Combat Commander. It is also as accurate or moreso than the 3 Colts. I know that rankles the Colt fanatics, but thats my expereince.

I'd say, if it feels good in your hand and you like it - go for it...they're hard to beat for the price. At the most, you may want to adjust the extractor and have a trigger job done, but the rest of the gun is pretty much fool-proof. Springfield makes a really nice product for the money. My Mil-spec is a keeper!

- Brickboy240

[ACORN]

Don't ask me why, but I shoot my WW II Springfield better than my Colt Gold Cup, tiny sights and all. I bought it used for $300. IMO they're a bargain.

[civilian]

i have a loaded operator - the first rail model they produced. shoots great, no problems and has increasingly replaced my glock as my primary carry weapon. the glock still gets plenty of carry mainly because the operator weighs a ton. i would purchase a springfield 1911 again in a heartbeat. the fact that a lot of custom smiths won't work on anything other than colt, springfield or kimber tells me the weapon is at least as competent as the operator.

[High Planes Drifter]

Hi Everyone, this is my first post. Malice, I have a GI and its been a good gun. I did have a FTRTB problem with it at about 1000 rounds, but I fixed it and havent had another problem 2000 rounds later. For the money, the Mil Spec and GI series are hard to beat.

[Technosavant]

The Mil-Spec or Loaded models are good choices.

One thing to consider on firearm selection: Are you willing to pay $10/50 rounds for range ammo? Defensive ammo is more expensive, and with a 1911, I wouldn't trust my life to a gun/ammo combo that hasn't been flawless for 200 straight rounds. .45ACP isn't cheap.

My first gun was a SA lightweight loaded- great gun, but expensive to feed. T'were I to do it again, I would look harder at 9mm options (like the XD). Just food for thought.

And also, +1 on a Milt Sparks VMII and a good belt. Hides even better than a shoulder rig (no shoulder rig with an untucked Hawaiian shirt in the summer), and is very comfy with a 1911. Spend the $$$ on this- you won't regret it.

[D-Man]

I'm actually thinking about buying a Springfield Loaded 1911 myself.

The local gunstore has one in the parkerized finish for $599. Seems like a really good deal, and the gun itself feels and looks great. Compared against the standard Mil-Spec or GI, I liked the Loaded version much better, but that is a personal choice - especially considering the extra features of the Loaded.

[rageofangels]

If you want a plane jane 1911... get the GI.

If you want a plane jane 1911 with pretty good sights... get the Mil-Spec.

If you want the 1911 that you'll eventually spend money on getting the same "aftermarket" parts as you would later in life.. get the Loaded.

Now, I need to take my own advice and get one for myself.

[ChuckB]

I and two shooting buds have three Loadeds between us. All have been accurate, and completely dependable.

Chuck

[SpookyPistolero]

My loaded model has yet to jam, through a diet of very mixed ball and HP factory ammo. It's been as accurate as I could ask, too. If you know that you'll want some of the features on the loaded model someday, go ahead and get it. As mentioned, adding the features later will cost a lot more than the price difference between the loaded and mil-spec.

I was a half-step from buying the mil-spec instead, and wouldn't have regretted going that direction much either. Either the mil-spec or loaded will make a fine weapon for you. I'd let my hands make the decision after handling both.

I'd also consider ditching the shoulder holster and going IWB. Should holsters, for me at least, are irritating to try to conceal. Look into the comp-tac C.TAC. It's a kydex IWB that's fully adjustable for grip angle and retention. It's also tuckable, if you need it to be. Their C-clips make it just about dissapear along the belt line as well.

[MS .45]

I have the G.I. model 1911 and I have loved it. Close to 2000 rounds through it with no problems. A couple of hiccups during the break in period but they smoothed right out.