Thinking about a Baer

I'm not an owner but I had a chance to shoot my buddy's Baer Thunder Ranch Special. It was a real sweet shooter and just felt great. Right after that I shot another guy's Kimber Gold Match II and it felt like crap compared to the Baer and I did not shoot as well with it. I don't really know how one 1911 can "feel" worse than another one of the same size and basic specs but it did.

.45 PII, 1.5" guarantee, Esmeralda Celtic Cross grips EGW fiber optic front sight.





9mm PII 3" guarantee, Esmeralda slim 1/2 checkered grips, Baer factory fiber optic front sight.





The .45 is the most accurate pistol I own, super reliable and tight as a tick after thousands of rounds. The 9mm is newer, has thousands of rounds, not quite as accurate but really fun to shoot.

I have an Ed Brown Exec Target as well...

A picture is worth 1000 words...My Baer stainless Stinger, EXTREMELY accurate, reliable, and easy to carry (with the right belt and holster)...makes a pretty neat backup for hunting too...this one has put a few deer in the freezer all by its self.



A couple of offhand targets.



It has been my CCW pistol for about 2 years now...Its well worth every penny I paid for it ($1700)

I have a friend who has a older Baer. Shoots great. I went with Ed Brown (for reasons I won't go into since you are looking at Baer's).
Bottom line is Ed Brown, Les Baer, or Wilsons are all about in the same price range. Whlie Baer has a few models at a lower price point, all will shoot better than you.
It comes down to which model you like most.
Decide which you want and go for it. No matter where you go, there are brand champions that say this is better than that - again, IMO other than some style/feature differences, any of the above mentioned 45 ACP's are top shelf pistols and with care should last a lifetime.

If you get the chance, shoot offerings from the other 2 manufacturers. I just submitted the order for my first "high end" 1911, and went with Wilson. All 3 are fine pistols, the deciding factor for me was Wilson's willingness to add or delete features and make the pistol how I wanted it. For the money being spent, I didn't want an off the shelf pistol. I wanted it to be mine, down to the little details.

If you get the chance, shoot offerings from the other 2 manufacturers. I just submitted the order for my first "high end" 1911, and went with Wilson. All 3 are fine pistols, the deciding factor for me was Wilson's willingness to add or delete features and make the pistol how I wanted it. For the money being spent, I didn't want an off the shelf pistol. I wanted it to be mine, down to the little details.

Click to expand...

Baer might do this for you as well. When I ordered mine (a Premier II), they obligingly left off the forward cocking serrations, which I don't use, and which seriously mar the looks of the pistol, in my opinion.

Les will work with you more than most people say he will...just don't ask him to use anybody else's parts in his guns.

He will gladly add or delete front cocking serrations, roll marks (name and caliber on slide), ambi safety, and a few other things...as long as it does not require anybody else's parts.

I'm not sure where people got the idea that Les wouldn't work with you within the limits of his idea of whats acceptable to him.

Though it doesn't have the high end name, you might consider some of the high end offerings from Springfield or from their Custom shop.

I shot a guys Springfield TRP at the range last year and was very impressed. I initially thought there was no way the extra price over my Springfield Loaded would be worth it. One magazine later and my opinion was changed. Felt much better in my hand, more controllable thanks to the extra checkering, and my groups were much smaller.

If money was no object, I would have rushed out to buy one that weekend. However, money is limited and I can't afford the pistol AND ammo to shoot weekly.

After carefully considering Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom, Ed Brown and STI, I bought two custom Les Baer Premier IIs - a 45 ACP and a 9mm. The Baers are the best combination of quality, accuracy and value.

Well, with Baer, at least you won't have any headaches.

Baer, Brown, and Wilson all have excellent reputations that they earned over years of building 1911s. They all use good parts (the foundation of any good gun), and their workmanship is second to none, so you can't go wrong whichever you choose.

You should try out guns from the different makers before you decide. Although all build 1911s, they each put different finishing touches on their pistols resulting in a slightly different feel to each maker's product. I have the most experience with LB as I own a Concept II. Baer makes his pistols tight, and they lock up like a bank vault. I like the tank-like feel of Baers, and now my preference is for 1911s with a similar build quality.

A couple of buddies at the range have Browns and they've both let me shoot their pistols on numerous occassions. Browns feel a bit sleeker in handling than Baer's do. I don't like the feel of a Brown gun any more than I do my Baer, but it is different. All three Brown's I've shot were just as accurate as my Concept II, and to be honest they all had better triggers. The Brown triggers weren't significantly better, but the difference was noticeable.

I've shot one Wilson, a CQB. It shot as well and as easily as my Concept II, my Springfield Custom Carry, and the Browns I mentioned above. Its quality was immediately evident when I picked it up and shot it. That said, it wasn't for me. The CQB and most of Wilson's offerings look a bit too tacticool for me, I prefer blued steel and wood.

Here's a pic of my Baer -

Les Baer Concept II

Why procrastinate any longer?

You know you want it.

So buy it and NEVER EVER look back.

Enjoy it for a lifetime.
Will

I'm in the same boat. After owning several Springfields, Colts, and Dan Wessons, I've decided on a Les Baer TRS with the HC finish.

Would have gotten it already, but I decided to purchase an AR while I still could. Almost went with the Ed Brown, but I got a chance to shoot my buddy's Baer and fell in love.

Good luck with yours!

I have multiple Baers but no other high-end 1911s. They are outstanding guns, but a bit overpriced in my opinion. Exceedingly tight lockup and extremely reliable at the same time. Hit exactly to point of aim with the ammo I told them I was going to use. The only problems I've had are a loose firing pin stop and a crappy plastic magazine follower and a bunch of identical replacements that kept deforming. The "Baer Coat" teflon finish is too soft - get something else. FWIW, Baer would only leave off the front slide serrations on my gun for an additional charge. That's right - it cost more to get the gun without the front serrations that with them. I second the recommendation to look at Brown, Nighthawk, et. al. Don't wait - you will love what you get.

I've got a Brown, a Wilson, Kimbers, Springfields, Colts and two Baers. The Baers are the most accurate 1911's of the 12 I have. They aren't as pretty as the Brown or even my Gold Cup, but they sure do shoot.

(Don't put too much into what you read by people who don't own them about being too tight to be reliable. Just ain't true.)

My Baers:

I liked my Les Baer so much I got another, and another...ect.

If you don't want to piss Les Baer off, don't ask him about a 10mm.

I had one and it was an absolutely fantasticly accurate pistol. short on money at a hard time, I was forced to sell it and miss it to this day.

Because I love 10mm's though, Ed Brown would be my first choice for a "High End" pistol, although I'd probably go with one from Bob Serva at Fusion Firearms and never look back.

Sam

Baers are the best 1911 for the money. IMO they might be the best 1911 manufactuer period. I own a Baer TRS, Kimber Stainless Target II and a Wilson CQB. The only gun that I take with me every match or paper shoot is the TRS. I have 11,000 rounds through it now and it is still flawless. I like it so much I hae a Premier II on the way!!!!

The left target has 50 and the middle 100 from the Baer. Ignore the Glock

I'll be VERY interested in how you like it. I haven't ordered mine yet, as I REALLY want to do it right this time. I almost bought a used Wilson CQB the other day but for one, it was OD green, and for two, it looked like it had been ridden hard and put away wet.

My buddy has the Baer Premier II that I've shot and it was that gun that made me realize what a difference a semi-custom gun was over a Colt, SA, Kimber, SW, etc. It was just so much FUN to shoot!

I'm really hoping to find an Ed Brown to shoot as that is the only one that I'm still undecided about. I see all these other guns that have "Ed Brown" parts, so my reasoning was, "Why not buy an entire gun made with Ed Brown parts?"

Anyway, by the end of the year, I'll have either a Baer or Brown. Hmmm, on the other hand, I've heard the Springfield TRP Pro is a pretty nice gun too .........