1911 with rails

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alaskanativeson

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As a 20+ year Glock man, and an enthusiastic USP Tactical owner, I wondered if I'd ever own a 1911. It almost seemed sacrilege, having been attached to poly-framed pistols for over 2 decades. I finally gave in and bit the bullet, so to speak. I am now the owner of a Springfield 1911 stainless. Damn, but it's fun.

As much as I like this, I'm already thinking about how I need to expand my collection. Does anybody have a recommendation on a 1911 that comes with built in accessory rails? I've decided I really like having a Streamlight TLR-1 on my gun, I'd like to keep it and I don't want to have to attach it with one of those duct tape-looking aftermarket things.

I hope the late Col. Cooper is proud. Another convert here.
 
SIG 1911 Nitron Rail, great 1911 type pistol (external extractor), Novak night sights. I have the smaller SIG RCS, it is flawless, I use it as a carry weapon. Another good choice would be STI Duty One. Both would work right out of the box, no breakin period. Another good choice (again with external extractor) S&W 1911 PD, I do not own a S&W 1911, but have shot both a 9mm and 45 versions of their Pro series, good guns for the price. Only brands I personally avoid are Para Ordnance and Taurus, The Taurus look like someones bad idea, I don't want to even handle one (they just look cheap). All of the used Para pistols I have looked at, seem to be rattle traps, all of the new ones are so tight the slide release is almost useless, makes me wonder about their QC.
 
Nothing wrong with a railed 1911 if you're going to use the rail. At some point I will add a Duty One to my STI collection so I can mount my TLR-2 and it will make a great HD gun.

Saying you shouldn't add a rail to a 1911 is as silly as saying we shouldn't take advantage of more modern sights, or ambi-safeties, or non-GI grips, or any of the other changes since the original model (assuming the buyer has a use for any of those).
 
Some people hate railed 1911s. The full rail operator that Springfield previously made is my favorite. But, a lot of the others look cool too.
 
Kimber TLE/RL
Kimber Warrior
Springfield Operator-Several Models
S&W 1911 with rail
Wilson Tactical LE
Ed Brown Special Forces with Rail
NIghthawk GRP
 
Some people hate railed 1911s.
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Some people also hate 1911s with external extractors, and magazines that hold more than 7 rounds. I say don't hold tradition for the sake of tradition, hold tradition because it works.
 
Some people also hate 1911s with external extractors, and magazines that hold more than 7 rounds. I say don't hold tradition for the sake of tradition, hold tradition because it works.
Click to expand...

I have a Custom Shop Full rail operator from Springfield. GREAT gun.

I also want to get another Ed Brown one day - this one with a rail. The weight of the r ail cuts down a bit on the recoil.
 
My Kimber Tactical Entry II has a stainless frame with a rail. You'll notice that is also has serrations at the front of the slide ... another faux pas with the 1911 purists but I could care less as to what they think. I LOVE this pistol ... enough to have spent quite a bit of time and money upgrading it with a bunch of Ed Brown parts. Currently, this is my favorite pistol to shoot. It is extremely accurate and 100% reliable with Wilson Combat magazines and a variety of ammunition including the notoriously troublesome 185gr SWC.

kimber_te2_right.jpg


:)
 
At the risk of being sent to that special place reserved for me in hell, which has to be better than the my regular non-reserved seat :evil:, the Colt XSE Rail Gun isn't a bad looking rendition of a railed 1911... even if it does have those blasphemous front cocking serrations:neener:.
 
Well, I knew going into this topic I'd incur the wrath of purists who believe that even the A1 version of the 1911 is an abomination before God and the Supreme Court, but I'm one of those hard (or empty, depending on your position) headed types who thinks I should be allowed to like and want what I want without regard to other's naysaying. I honor and respect tradition for its own sake, but I also hold a pragmatic view of the world. When I go to an SCA outing, I'd stick with tradition and battle with period swords, I wouldn't try to win with a taser simply for the sake of winning. However, I don't choose a gladius as my personal protection weapon. As such, the weapon I do choose should have the features I believe make it the best tool for me to use to defend myself and my family. With regard to firearms, that includes being able to put a light on it.

Thanks for the suggestions, I have several now I'd like to consider. This brings me to another question: Regarding the STI pistols with the double stack magazine, how do they handle and perform?
 
"...hope the late Col. Cooper is proud..." Flashlights on a pistol would have killed him. Loonie that he was. No sniper/scout in his right mind would use his silly 'Scout rifle'.
"...an SCA outing..." You're not battling with a period sword there either, my lord. You're hitting like minded people with a padded stick. Ealdormere.
"...should be allowed to like and want..." Certainly. The best thing about the 1911 pistol is that there's tons of aftermarket stuff you can hang on 'em. Isn't quite the same as a pistol with high visiblity sights, good ammo and trigger though.
 
just my $0.02...

if you are getting one with a rail on it for flashlight mounting, get tritium night sights as part of the package. much cheaper than doing so later as a mod, and it gets max benefit from the light.

gunnie
 
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