Best 1911 Manufacture

i own Colt's and a Wilson They are very good . I hear the Smith is good as well.

I guess I am one of the minority that thinks the Kimber custom II series are great! My eclipse pro II is the most accurate and easy to shoot pistol I own. Never one problem! I bought it with hesitation after reading posts on THR, but it is now one of those guns I will never get rid of. By the way for just under one grand with tax It represents one heck of value for what you get.

I love my Series II Kimber but the Baer TRS is the most reliable gun I have owned to date. This photo is after 800+ rounds (don't remember exactly) of my nasty cast lead reloads. I clean it every 1000 rounds or so. I am sure it would go longer but I don't want to abuse it. Never gave me any problems after break-in awesome gun.

All votes for Springfield are void since they do not maufacture them and only import them.

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The Springfield TRP is fitted and assembled in the US.

I am also a big fan of the Les Baer TRS.

Mine has been flawless and is very accurate.

Out of the box? Wilson Combat. Out of the box after putting it together? Caspian.

Get it tight

In my experience, a 1911 that's reliable out of the box is probably going to be a sloppy pistol after 2,000 rounds.

My Wilson Combats have been a little tight out of the box, but with thousands of rounds through them they're perfect...and smooth as butter. Nothing else compares.

Call Wilson and talk with Matt Riker. He'll get you squared away.

Some people buy brand names. I buy quality and value.

That's why I prefer Para Ordnance. I have Kimber, Colts and Paras, all bought new in the last two years. The Paras are the most reliable, most accurate and best values.

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Best statement I've heard all day! Everyone wants to bash Para and praise Kimber. Not to say that Kimber doesn't make a good pistol but why does Para get picked on so much. I bought my CCW on an impulse because of the LDA on an 1911 platform. Plus it's stainless which I think is damn cool. After I bought it I started reading some of these forums and was afraid I made and expensive mistake. Not the case though, I've had it six months put about a thousand rounds through it and not a single hitch so far. ++++ to Para

Springfield Armory. With any brand, have it checked by a good pistolsmith. And practice a lot.

Try out a bunch of different ones. Find people who have them or rent them if need be. You will find that all guns have slight differences that can mean the world to you. I don't like the ejction of the para, I love it of the 1911. Baer is a cadillac but the 2 I shot also felt a bit clumsy though it was accurate as all get out and felt great. I never could find a problem with a Kimber.
Right now I have 3 1911's and will get more. I have owned multiple springfields and not even a hint of a problem. High quality guns that match up to the elite ones. They lower end models though I think though very very functional they don't have the fine features of the higher end models. I have an operator and it is definitely one of the best 1911's I have ever shot.
I carry a commander now though because of weight and size. I have a taurus now also and it's great has all the bells and whistles but I hate the sites and the fun just doesn't feel right. I wil be doing some custom work to it and by the time I'm done I doubt I will have saved any money from buying a more expensive model.

Basically I'm saying there really isn't a best. There is an original, a most expensive, a smallest etc. But there isn't a best. I'm not even sure there is actually a worst.

I'd have to agree, for the money, there's not a better deal out there than the Springfield 1911 Milspec. Staying between 700 - 1000, I'd go with a Kimber.

i have 2 sig gsr revoltion 1911, a brazil springfield 1911, glock 30 and 21, 2 hk usp experts and a standard usp, all in 45,,, only the brazil springfield 1911 has routine malfunctions, though my daliy carry gun is the glock 30 with crimson trace lazer,, i do shoot idpa with the sig 1911

i vote colt because they are the original makers BUT i love my RIA Tactical reliability

plus.... Glock haven't made a 1911 yet.

Glock-1911

I have several Colts and recently purchased a Special Combat Government, which is the best out-of-the-box gun I have ever seen. I don't do anything but clean it and shoot it. It eats up any ammunition you can feed it: wadcutters, ball, hollow points, jacketed, lead, everything. If you work the slide slowly, it will feed an empty case. It has never failed to feed or eject, and has never mis-fired. Buy a Colt. Forget about the imitators.

The only 1911 I've ever owned that has been completely reliable from day #1 - Ed Brown Special Forces - 4k + rounds and still going without a MF of any kind.

I've owned Colt's, Kimbers, Les Baers, Wilson Combats & Springfields.............but none of them were completely reliable out of the box.

CLARENCE SAID: "I've owned Colt's, Kimbers, Les Baers, Wilson Combats & Springfields.............but none of them were completely reliable out of the box."


WOW... you got some bad karma or what man? Bad luck.

I've bought about a dozen Colt 1911's new in the last 6 years or so and only one of them wasn't reliable... but all it needed was a tweak on the extractor tension to make it reliable. Extractor tension (too tight or too loose) is probably the #1 cause of malfs on quality 1911's. Bad mags would probably be right in there as well.

However, if I had to pick, I'd probably go to Springfield due to their reputation of service/warranty and they have a "real" custom shop unlike Colt or Kimber.

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This is not accurate. Colt has a custom shop that will do just about anything you want. I've got their price sheet in front of me right now. They do just about anything you could want, and for a reasonable price; tune actions, checker frames, Novak sights, polish feed ramps, engraving, etc. Want a royal blue finished 1911? They can do that too.

Custom? if so Les Baer.
Non-Custom? if so Springfield or colt.

Kimber all the way!

HEY Ceadermtnboy ... I'll stand up with you!!!

I have a Custom Stainless II 5" barrel and I LOVE it! Hundreds of rounds through it and NO jams, NO mis-feeds! Smooth, accurate, and feels comfortable in my hands.

When I did the research I heard HORROR stories about the Series I pistols and all the extractor problems people were encountering :banghead:... IN FACT ... people were saying that Kimber is Great as long you stay away from the Series I.

Kimber was my first and I LOVE IT!!! I respect other people's opinions but I will not badmouth Kimber! Not saying that other manufacturers are bad but I will Continue The Legacy and Trust My Next Shot To A Kimber!!!

Take Care & Be Safe!!!

NJGunOwner81

For a non custom I find equal quality with Kimber and Springfield where one lacks the other excels and vice versa.

CLARENCE SAID: "I've owned Colt's, Kimbers, Les Baers, Wilson Combats & Springfields.............but none of them were completely reliable out of the box."


WOW... you got some bad karma or what man? Bad luck.

I've bought about a dozen Colt 1911's new in the last 6 years or so and only one of them wasn't reliable... but all it needed was a tweak on the extractor tension to make it reliable. Extractor tension (too tight or too loose) is probably the #1 cause of malfs on quality 1911's. Bad mags would probably be right in there as well.

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I probably should clarify. With the exception of my Ed Brown, EVERY 1911 I've ever owned had at least one malfunction within the first 500 rounds. I've owned 3 Colt's, 2 Springfields, 4 Kimbers, 1 Les Baer, and 1 Wilson. Believe it or not the worst of the bunch was the Wilson, which I purchased new. It only took one trip back to Wilson to make it right and the folks at Wilson were wonderful to work with, but..............it did take one trip.

I didn't mean to give the impression that they were all completely unreliable, just that none of them were totally reliable.

That has been my experience, but YMMV.

Les Baer Concept 2 & S&W 1911 Scandium Commander. The 2 best 1911s by far!

Colt produces a great USA-made firearm. They are the original. They are a part of our American heritage. Their guns will hold value far better.

They do not advertise much at all. They do not have the market presence/gun rag presence of Kimber, Springfield, etc . I truly think this has a lot to do with why so many folks do not even have Colt on their radar (especially young/inexperienced shooters/gun owners).

Yes, I guzzle gallons of Colt kool-ade every day

NQ