Is there a decent lower priced Colt 1911 clone?

[PistolNewbie]

Is there a decent clone of the Colt 1911 45ACP one can buy (for target shooting) without paying a fortune? I know some guys who have customized versions of the 1911 that have cost several thousand. I would like to stay in the hundreds. :D Any suggestions? Am I dreaming?

[AnthonyRSS]

How many hundreds? Quantify your accuracy wants and we will see what we can find.

Anthony

[bensdad]

I love my Federal Ordinance Ranger Lite. Got it used for next to nothing.

[ReadyontheRight]

Moving up in price from ~$300 to ~$500s: Rock Island Armory, Springfield Mil Spec, a "historical" Sistema Colt from Argentina, the new Taurus 1911.

[jmorris]

I’ve got a stainless Armscore 1911 that cost under $300, after a little hammering, filing, fitting and <$100 in parts it feeds any and everything, yeah even empty cases, with enough accuracy for IDPA/USPSA. A friend even used it to finish the IDPA nationals two years ago after his gun quit. It’s place above pistols that cost $1000’s. I’ve also seen the results of a magic wand (S_I’s) more than once, if you think you can it helps. A loaded Springfield is a good place to start in the hundreds (high hundreds). If you go for a GI then add everything, you’ll be upside down if/when you want to upgrade. If you think of your pistol as an investment instead of a purchase you’ll be better off in the long run.

[Mark whiz]

I'll give a hearty 2nd for the Springfield Mil-Spec. I picked up mine in 2004 for $400 brand new and it is a sweet pistol - good looking with the green parkerized finish and as, or more, accurate than I am. :)

[Sistema1927]

...it feeds any and everything, yeah even empty cases, with enough accuracy for IDPA/USPSA.

I imagine that you have problems meeting power factor using empty cases. :neener:

[Joe D]

You need to stay away from the Mil-Spec/Government style guns. They all have poor sights and no beavertail grip safety. IMO the best buy for the money is the RIA Tactical. It costs in the $389-$429 range. It has all the desirable features. Mine is very accurate.
This is a 5 shot group from a rest at 20 yds.

[Lurper]

Right now, the Taurus PT1911 is the best buy for the money. It comes with many of the modifications that most people would make anyway - ambi safety, sights, trigger, etc. I bought mine for $454.00 a few months ago and have put 7,000 rounds through it so far without a single malfunction. It is as good as any 1911 I have had and better than most.

[Jim Watson]

Joe has a good point. As Jeff Cooper said, you need sights you can see, a trigger you can control, and an absense of sharp corners that would make the gun uncomfortable to handle or shoot. I figure the beavertail qualifies under that last.

We have a guy here who is liking his Taurus 1911 mutant.

[Lurper]

No, I don't like my Taurus, I love it!
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/Lurper/AUT_0594.jpg

As it sits, I have about $650 in it total. In 3.5 months, I have put 7,000 through it without a single malfunction. As a professional shooter, I have been sponsored by many big companies like Springfield Armory, Safariland and others and have put literally millions of rounds through 1911's. The Taurus stacks up with any of them and is better than most out of the box 1911's that cost considerably more. Is it perfect? No, not anywhere near. The fit and finish isn't great and mine had rust on it from the bluing salts not being cleaned off properly, but it works and it works well:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/Lurper/th_BillDrill2.jpg (http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k223/Lurper/?action=view&current=BillDrill2.flv)

[GARY1911A1]

The STI Spartan is also very good for around $600. I haven't heard anything bad except for the mainspringhousing not being flat with the bottom of the frame. Mine is great and better setup for matches than the Taurus.

[cdrt]

Just saw where High Standard is importing a Milspec G.I. 1911 clone that is supposed to sell retail for $499. I checked their website and they don't have it on there yet. Curious to see what the quality is like, since at that price (or if you could get it wholesale), if it's a shooter, it wouldn't take that much to convert it to Bullseye or whatever.

According to the latest Blue Press, it is being distributed by Lipseys www.lipseys.com. Guess I'll have to check it out there.

Navy Vet...you can never have too many 1911s.

[mrcpu]

Presumably the RIA Match would work as well, if not, the tactical.

I have 2, 1 GI, 1 tac, and after replacing the spring with 17.5 lb Wolf's, they have performed peachy, with all the cheap ammo I buy.

[BM551]

"As a professional shooter, I have been sponsored by many big companies like Springfield Armory, Safariland and others and have put literally millions of rounds through 1911's."

You're a sponsored professional now? Are you shooting matches or teaching anywhere?

"Millions of rounds" is a lot. I asked a well-known professional shooter from Hopewell, VA once how many rounds he had downrange and he said "maybe a million". So you've shot 2-3x more than that, that's quite a bit.

To get on topic, I'll put in a plug for Charles Daly here. With the exception of the extractor nose rubbing just a bit on the barrel (an easy fix), it was pretty nice out of the box, altho' I'd fit an EGW sear and a Koenig hammer if it had been mine. I was quite surprised for $475.

BM551

[Lurper]

You're a sponsored professional now? Are you shooting matches or teaching anywhere?

"Millions of rounds" is a lot. I asked a well-known professional shooter from Hopewell, VA once how many rounds he had downrange and he said "maybe a million". So you've shot 2-3x more than that, that's quite a bit.

I am not shooting any major matches anymore, but I do still teach. That same shooter probably fired 100,000 rounds on the range in my backyard.

[ReadyontheRight]

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