One 1911 for collection - STI Trojan or colt

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LoneStarWings

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Hi,

I'm looking to buy a quality 1911 just to have one in the collection - don't really plan to shoot or carry it but I'd like to have a pistol in .45 in the safe just because and/or for if something weird happened and only .45 acp was available. I'd like it to be a "quintessential" 1911 but am partial a bit to STI since they're local to me. Would the STI trojan be a good choice? I was considering colt but their recent bankruptcy concerned me a bit and can't seem to find a lot of information about their product line. Budget $1500 and prefer made in USA. Would consider others as well but nothing used, prefer new.
 
Colt
The real Colt 1911 will always be worth more than a copy. The Colt SAA is a fine example, reproductions and clones are never as desirable or reach the value of a real Colt Single Action Army.
If you want a shooter buy whatever you want, for collecting purposes go with the real deal Colt.
Gary
 
STI makes some great guns, but a "quintessential 1911" they are not.

The Trojan has a ramped barrel, a full length guide rod, and adjustable sights. I consider all to be somewhat off the beaten path in the 1911 world.
 
STI makes nice guns and I wouldn't mind having one someday but they aren't what I'd call a quintessential 1911. Lots of semi-custom features on all their guns and they make some really wild tricked-out race guns.

Colt is the way to go if you want the quintessential 1911. The most basic model is the O1991 - that's the 1991 Series Government Model, blued steel in .45 ACP. For something a little more retro go with the O1970A1CS - the Series 70 reproduction. Both of those guns are also available in stainless. If you want something a little fancier, look into one of their Gold Cup models. Any of these guns can be had well within your budget.

As far as the bankruptcy is concerned, it's over and done with and from what I could tell Colt's quality never missed a beat during that time.
 
Thanks for the reassurance on Colt's quality. I'm leaning toward an O1991 now and am shopping. Looks like about what I want, and it's a fair bit cheaper than the STI too.
 
I like both Colts and STI. There are a number of other options in the 1911 world. If you want to add to your collection, I assume you want to add in certain quality. My choices would be more on the order of SA TPR, S&W, Dan Wesson, Nighthawk, Wilson Combat, or Les Baer. I'm not saying one is better than the other only categorically making a list. At the low end you might consider a Rock Island or Citadel. Now if you just want a 45 caliber gun, look at Glock, S&W and Taurus. The choices are great and varied with the 45 ACP. Good luck. There are revolvers in 45 ACP as well.
 
For your budget of $1,500 you can get an original WW2 Colt in nice condition. Those will only go up in value and are the real "collectible" as well as being a great investment. "Used" versus "new" doesn't apply here.
 
I SA loaded model SS, adjustable sights, and works perfectly anytime I asked. I did not compare to others at the accuracy dept.. However, when I do IPSC-10I put to cry some famous brand. Eventhough, I like STI I don't need another 1911. But, having a blue Colt at home in the night table sound interesting to me. I'm just an old guy.
 
I've owned a lot of Colts and the recent years are not worth my money. Sloppy fitting grip safeties, poor slide to frame fit, and cheap stainless steel that will freckle with rust easily.

I like STI 1911s, but I've seen a lot of Trojans that look two-tone with a slide or frame more of a plum color and the other more black. I've seen online comments about finish wearing quickly.

My recommend would be a Dan Wesson Heritage. Or a Valor if you have the extra cash.
 
Budget $1500 and prefer made in USA. Would consider others as well but nothing used, prefer new.

Looking at the budget I have seen some like new Colt MK IV Series 70 Government guns out there in that price range. A well maintained lightly used 1911 is nothing to shy away from in my opinion and I like the older Series 70 or earlier Colt guns. There is no shortage of 1911 parts out there as long as you stay with a good standard model. Anyway, for the budget I would consider a Colt Government model series 70 gun.

The Dan Wesson guns also are excellent guns but also like any good gun come with a price tag to reflect the quality and workmanship. There are good 1911 guns and there are cheap 1911 guns but I have yet to find a good cheap 1911 gun.

Ron
 
For $1500, the Dan Wesson Heritage is easily in your price range. The full size stainless Valor will also be right at $1500 and will be very hard to top. And if you bumped your budget up to $1600, you could find yourself with a Dan Wesson Silverback. If you want a commander size with a bobtail, you can easily afford a Dan Wesson Guardian in your budget. The Dan Wesson CCO and ECO would also be in your budget if you're looking for a smaller size 1911.

With a Colt, you're paying a premium for the name and nostalgia, but not really getting much more gun than other big name brands. You hold a Colt and a Dan Wesson side by side and you'll easily be able to see the difference. I like Colt and own several Colts, so don't get me wrong. But the Colts I own are from the 1970s and earlier.
 
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Of the two, the Colt is the way to go. As far as which one, Take a good hard look at the Series 70 Level 1 or Level 2 out of the Custom Shop. They're a Series 70 with a few enhancements. The Level 1 has a flat serrated mainspring housing, Novak 3 dot sights, extended beaver tail grip safety and a commander hammer. The Level 2 has a checkered flat main spring housing/mag well that appears to be a Smith and Alexander, Novak night sights, solid long trigger, flush flat bottom G10 grips, extended beaver tail grip safety and a lowered and flared main spring housing. The Level 2's that I've seen in my neck of the woods come in around $1300 and the Level 1's come in around $1100. I'm actually giving serious thought to picking up a Level 2 myself.
 
The real Colt 1911 will always be worth more than a copy. The Colt SAA is a fine example, reproductions and clones are never as desirable or reach the value of a real Colt Single Action Army.

While I do agree that given the OP's two selections I would go with the Colt, this statement is rather misleading.

Yes it is true that as far as SAAs go, the Colt is the king. There are 2-3 companies making decent quality reproductions such as Uberti and Pietta. No they are not in the same class as a Colt as far as value, but they don't cost nearly that new either.

1911s are a different animal altogether because there are so many quality manufacturers out there.

Do you really think an Ed Brown, Wilson Combat or Nighthawk is going to bring less money than a Colt just because Colt was the first one to make it?
 
If it is truly a piece of a "collection", then it should be a "quintessential collector's gun" (As defined by me, which means nothing to anyone else probably). Since you are willing to spend $1500, I would hunt for a government property marked 1911A1.
 
Michael T- I have bought several for less than that in the last 3 years or so. I didn't say you could get it today on gunbroker, or even today at all, but they are out there if you look hard enough. Which is what being a "collector" is all about.
 
I simply must disagree with the pony posse. Colt made a top of the line gun for years, but their guns have done little in the form of evolution. There are now much better guns (price reflects) available from a number of makers. STI is a competition centered company which is nice for a racehorse. There are some cheap companies making the workhorses. What you want in a collection is more along the lines of a Tennessee walking horse. Look at the top tier guns with as much function as flash.
 
I simply must disagree with the pony posse. Colt made a top of the line gun for years, but their guns have done little in the form of evolution. There are now much better guns (price reflects) available from a number of makers. STI is a competition centered company which is nice for a racehorse. There are some cheap companies making the workhorses. What you want in a collection is more along the lines of a Tennessee walking horse. Look at the top tier guns with as much function as flash.
I have to agree. Colt has been lagging behind for a number of years now. But some think that the Colt name is the gold standard and that's simply not the case anymore. They have cheapened their guns up to the point of mediocrity.
 
I know you want new but that's goofy. :) You could find a used Baer for just a little more. The Trojan is an awesome 1911 for the money, I've shot a couple of them and they are very smooth. Sadly STI started enforcing minimum advertised pricing a couple years ago and the prices went up a couple hundred. They were a little more attractive at $1K. As mentioned a Colt is a Colt and they will always have a huge following.
 
Well since you are a fellow Texan, you have a few choices that will not apply to a lot of members here.

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog.../93278/SIG+191145TXS+1911+45+ENG+TEX+SLVR+GRP

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog.../93277/SIG+191145TXG+1911+45+ENG+TEX+GOLD+GRP

Athena gun range in Houston has both on display and for sale, they getting a bit harder to find these days. Don't trust the Buds pictures, do a search for better and more accurate ones.

You might also check the auction sites, occasionally you will find a Battleship Texas commemorative Colt that was produced in limited numbers by the Battleship Texas foundation listed. Those are nice guns.

Other than that, I would go for the STI.


.
 
I'm looking to buy a quality 1911 just to have one in the collection

OK - bear with me as I reminisce. I started off with the same premise, and went for a Colt 1991 ORM - but with the old big 1991 billboard and bead blasted stainless, I decided I wanted something different.

I then picked up a Springfield Mil Spec, and was very pleased. But still ... if I was going to have a quintessential 1911 in the collection, it just had to include Colt. That burn continued for a couple of years until I picked up what I consider to be quintessential Colt 1911s:

- Colt Series 70 reissue
- Colt 1991 Commander
- Colt O1911 WW1 repro

No fancy stuff, no rails, no frills, just bread and butter Colts...
 
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