Marine ccw 1911

I have no experience with 1911s, but everything I've read suggests that Tauruses are generally overlooked and underrated. Their other pistols have their issues, but their 1911s seem to be much better made and much more reliable.

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I purchased a cheaper pistol as my 1st CCW weapon and after many jams, hangfires and feed issues with various types of ammo it finally occured to me that if my life truly depended on the firearm I was carrying the $500 bucks I saved on that gun wasn't that good of a deal!

P.S. I now carry a Colt 5in. Gold Cup, 0 issues to date.
And Thank you for your service to this country.

Anythin springfield armory (made in genesso, IL not brazil) anything Kimber will serve you well, actually better than Colt in many respects.. not a hater of Colt, I just remember that its John M. Browning's patent... not Samuel Colt's.

Consider the Para GI Expert.

It is a basic 1911, but with just a few nice upgrades compared to a true government model:

• Better finish (baked-on, instead of parkerized)
• Stainless barrel instead of carbon steel
• Both sights are dovetailed in place, instead of the front just pressed in
• Better stock mags; stainless 8 rounders instead of blued 7 rounders

I paid $550 new for mine. If your budget is $800, I bet you could come in under that with tritium sights.





I'm happy with my purchase. I'm doing action shooting with it now.

The only thing wrong with your plan is that this is not an ideal concealed carry pistol, unless you're willing to always dress around it.

But they sure are shootable! Same trigger pull every time, classic design.

Want something basic? for $400 only!!!!!! RIA 1911.. So much good info on them, you can see them on 1911.org or something?? CS is awesome from what I hear.

I would stay away from Para and Kimber. For your money, get a SA Loaded if you aren't willing to raise your budget at all. My brother has a Kimber Desert Warrior and hates it. They won't fix the issues he's having because it's out of warranty. No issue there with a Springfield.

Para. What can I say? If you are going to get a Para, save some money and get a RIA, ATI or some other imported 1911 instead. It will be just as good at nearly half the price. For what it's worth I'm a small arms instructor on weapons that include the 1911, and I have no stock in any company. I still say Colt or Springfield.

Anythin springfield armory (made in genesso, IL not brazil)

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Is there anything 1911-ish from Springfield Armory that isn't at least partly made in Brazil? Even their custom stuff is US assembled/fitted Brazilian parts.

If you're a trained armorer, budget an extra $70 or so to get Kuhnhausen's shop manuals for the 1911, then find a solid base gun to start with. Learn by doing your own upgrades and parts replacements.

IMBEL frames (the aforementioned Springfield Armory 1911s) are a pretty good base gun to work with, as are some others which you might end up paying additional for the name like Colt.

SnowBlaZeR2 said:

I would stay away from Para and Kimber. For your money, get a SA Loaded if you aren't willing to raise your budget at all. My brother has a Kimber Desert Warrior and hates it. They won't fix the issues he's having because it's out of warranty. No issue there with a Springfield.

Para. What can I say? If you are going to get a Para, save some money and get a RIA, ATI or some other imported 1911 instead. It will be just as good at nearly half the price. For what it's worth I'm a small arms instructor on weapons that include the 1911, and I have no stock in any company. I still say Colt or Springfield.

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So, in other words: nothing of substance against Para? You just prefer SA because you think their CS is better? What about Colt? Their CS is not famously good...

Also, I think your math really leaves a lot to be desired. A RIA is $400-450, a Para is $550. How is that half? How is it just as good, with a lesser finish, lesser sights, and lesser magazines? (as compared to a Springfield in my post above)

Smaug said:

So, in other words: nothing of substance against Para? You just prefer SA because you think their CS is better? What about Colt? Their CS is not famously good...

Also, I think your math really leaves a lot to be desired. A RIA is $400-450, a Para is $550. How is that half? How is it just as good, with a lesser finish, lesser sights, and lesser magazines? (as compared to a Springfield in my post above)

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I have several reasons that I prefer SA over others, especially Para, and I don't really have the time or space to list them all.

There is nothing I can say about Para that many owners wouldn't say themselves. Beyond that, they are well known for horrid quality control. The few I've bothered with, had more time spent clearing the weapon than actually firing. Throw in the fact that they are 0 for 5 for me, and that equals something I wouldn't buy in my book, if my math is something to be desired. Speaking of math...

You are comparing a lower model Para to a "top" of the line RIA. I would compare the RIA Tactical at $420 to the Para SSP at roughly $800. Since you're the math whiz, I'll let you figure that one out. Now you can tout that SSP all you like, but it's no better than the RIA tactical other than people like you paying that price for it.

Now, you can take my thoughts on Para and chalk them up to the fact that I don't own one. I have a lot of experience with several different 1911s, and there is good reason I don't own a Para. That's my choice. You and everyone else are capable of making your own. If you'd like to continue the pissing match, that's great for you as I'm done with it.

OP, buy what you like. As long as you are happy with your pistol that's really all that counts.

Good night fellas.

KeiffHardcore,

Go here, and read this. Then read the rest of the articles at 10-8 Performance. Hilton Yam is a well-known authority on the 1911 platform, and his advice is worth taking.

Do not get a cheap 1911s with the idea of modifying it yourself. Many if not most cheap 1911s have reliability issues that cannot be fixed without major machine work. Ask yourself whether you'd rather be shooting, or chasing down malfunctions in the shop?

-C

Remember this!

All gun manufacturers occasionally make a lemon. People tend to talk more about their bad experiences than their good. No matter which brand you pick you will find someone with something bad to say about it. Don't worry about customer service because, as an armorer, you will be fixing any of the minor problems yourself. With most of the brands out their they will generally all be minor problems. I own 1911s from Taurus, Rock Island, Kimber, Springfield Armory and a S&W on layaway. I have also owned Colts and 2 other SA's in the past. The Springfields have all been solid performers though not the most accurate. The Kimbers have all been bought used and some had minor issues. On the whole they are good reliable guns. A Kimber Tac Pro II is my daily carry. Rock Islands are a little on the rough side but again they are reliable after some refinement. The two Taurus guns I own are identical in every way including the duotone finish. They are also the only 1911's that have never given me any problems after several thousand rounds through each. The two Colts I owned in the past were nothing but trouble but that does not mean that I won't own Colts in the future.
If I were you I would look for a good deal on a good used brand name gun on this and other boards. You will save money and you will have a brand name product and that does mean something.

If I am not mistaken, Para is the only 1911 maker using cast slides. Cast frames are common, but if nobody else uses cast slides that may be an indicator they don't stand up as well.

Seems to me the Springfield Loaded has all of the features you want box stock.
Mine has been flawless. Trijicon night sights also.

KeiffHardcore said:

Ok, if anyone can say they have a bad rap I would rather stay away. if I bought a cheaper one from RIA, is it possible to do fittment and how difficult is it?

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You'll find that many don't like to work on RIAs. I don't exactly know the reason why, but I do know enough that I wouldn't buy a RIA with the intent of upgrading it.

I still recommend the Loaded, but if you are hell bent on making the pistol your own, take a look at the Mil Spec or even GI. Great pistols on the cheap, and they give a great platform for upgrades.

I'm partial to Colts, but given your criteria and budget I'd have no problem with the Springfield. I'd be my choice if I were in your shoes.

The Sig would be good too, but I also shun (the aesthetics of) external extractors