Suggestions for a Single Stack under $1000

I agree with mccott

The Spartan would be my choice for Single Stack competition at your price level. That or maybe a Springfield Armory Loaded, which might have a few more bells and whistles. What I like about the Spartan is that it's reliable (crucial for IPSC) and that you can enhance the pistol as you seek to become more competitive and as finances allow. You'll need a holster and mag pouches too. I use Blade Tech for Single Stack. Note that their DOH holster will NOT qualify, you need the regular one that rides higher on the belt. Good luck.

I personally would change the front sight and add an S&A magwell, but that's personal taste. The only thing else it needs is lots of ammo.

I'm guessing that mscot suggests changing the front site if you decide to use your Colt. The sites on the Spartan are more than fine. I would keep them, front and rear. If I used a Spartan for Single Stack IPSC, I would enhance it in something like this order:
1) Good 8 round magazines
2) Magwell
3) Full trigger job to a crisp 2lb pull
4) Extended and oversized mag release button
5) Ambi thumb safety (for weak hand stages)

Actually the first thing I would do is apply grip tape to the frontstrap assuming you're not going to have it checkered and refinished. If you do ever have the frontstrap checkered, you might consider having the rear of the slide checkered or serrated to help reduce glare. Then go shoot the crap out of that thing.

I bought a 2005 Colt 1991 Government Model NRM last year from a guy who needed to sell. It was new.
I didn't think too much about it at the time, but then I got it down to the range. Holy smokes!
It might be the best handgun I ever bought. It's insanely accurate, doesn't hardly have a toolmark you can find, is dead-reliable (the next time it sticks up will be the first, in 3000+ rounds).
When I take it to an IDPA match, I get the highest overall placings I ever get.
One, last summer in Muskego, Wisconsin, had a (shall we say) non-standard IDPA stage consisting of 18 steel reactives spread all over a wide bay. Lots of the shots were at 25 yards. Yeah, that's not far, unless a timer's running.
I cleaned the dang stage in 18 shots. I couldn't believe my eyes. I had to do two reloads, of course, and so one or two SSP guys with Glocks got ahead of me, but only by a whisker. The thing is, though, is that I'm not that good and rarely place above the 75th percentile.
It's the gun.
Buy one.
Just don't slice a finger on the sharp slide edge. That's my gun's only flaw.
Bill

Happy alternatives: S&W, Kimber, Springfield Armory.

And I notice Blade-Tech offers injection-molded gear for $17.95 per....

A33102

I also own a Colt. It's at the smith right now getting some cool stuff done, but at the end of the day I'll be right around $1K with the following:

S&A magwell
10-8 sights
beavertail
trigger job
20lpi front checking
reliability tuned
all inside stuff polished and smoothed

It shoots so good now that I can't imagine how much better it will be after all this is done. Jim Hoag is doing the work.

Jeff

Tarvis-
Throw in an Ed Brown "easy fit" barrel and forget spending the big bucks.
I did that with my beat-up, over-30-year-old Combat Commander and it gave it a whole new life. It shoots like a house afire and drills little cloverleafs doing it.
Less than two hundred bucks, and about an hour or two.
Best gun accessory money I ever spent.
Besides, a gun with some character is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Only problem is, it's running my ammunition expense way up 'cause I can't stop shooting it.
Bill

Spartan all the way!

I really like my Spartan. The only modification I have made is to add an ambi-safety. I don't think it can be beat for the price.

I have pondered the Spartan, but shoot a Kimber Cust. II with a few minor changes, springs and sights, magwell is on order. Guess I just got a good Kimber. With a light load of Clays pushing a 230g, it's better than I am.