1911's

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MtnCreek

MtnCreek

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I need a little advice on 1911’s please. I’m open to Colt and Springfield and maybe other brands. I’ve noticed a lot of the Springfields are made overseas; that’s a deal breaker for me. Are all new Springfields made overseas or are some models still US made? If I were buying online, is there an easy way to tell if the pistol was US made (like by model number or something)?

What about the Colts; are they still US made? If not, same question as above.

Also, is there any reason to look at one brand or one type over the others? Usage will be just plinking.

Thanks!
 
I believe most Springfields are made on frames imported from Brazil. Kimber is all U.S. made.

Whether or not a gun or parts of a gun are U.S. made does not guarantee quality or reliability. I don't care where it was made if it doesn't run well. I carry a Kimber, but if I had to replace it tomorrow I wouldn't hesitate to get a STI Spartan, which is made in the the Phillipines.
 
I believe most Springfields are made on frames imported from Brazil. Kimber is all U.S. made.

Whether or not a gun or parts of a gun are U.S. made does not guarantee quality or reliability. I don't care where it was made if it doesn't run well. I carry a Kimber, but if I had to replace it tomorrow I wouldn't hesitate to get a STI Spartan, which is made in the the Phillipines.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%
Also don't overlook the Rock Island Armory pistols either. Spartan uses the same frame as the Rock Island, though finish is better. A $2000 pistol can give you trouble just as much as a $400 one can. Most (if not all) modern 1911 pistols will give you good service. Shop around.
 
Thanks for the info. My budget is well below $2k. I'm probably looking to be somewhere around $700. Much more than that and it'll have to wait. If this were a different type pistol, I may not mind so much about being made overseas, but a 1911 needs to say made in USA on it. I've got an old Officers model that’s' US made and it's a fine pistol other than the fact I don't shoot it well... :)
 
$700? You're below new price on a Colt, and most Springers. Maybe a SA Range Officer. Ruger's SR1911, if you can find one. Everything else won't say "Made In USA" on it.

You can try used, search around.
 
RIA.....I believe have cast slides and frames.....if you look close with a glass you can see the little cast marks in the metal, more suseptable to cracks down the road, IMO....not a single forged billet of steel like the others......You Get What You Pay For..naturally.
 
S&W 1911. not a true clone with it's external extractor but but everything eles is 100% 1911 and made in the USA I paid around $1100 for mine back in 2008
 
Come on fellas, the OP is looking for Made in the USA. Rock Island Armory (RIA), while very popular, inexpensive, and they have a great reputation, are all made in the Philippines. So is the STI Spartan if some is inclined to make that recommendation.

Springfield Armory 1911's have never been made in the USA. It's not like they were at one time and moved production to Brazil to save some costs. The only connection Springfield Armory has to the 19th Century Springfield Armory is the name. Springfield Armory 1911's have always been made by Imbel in Brazil. Some have more assembly done here in the US than other models. Springfield also has an excellent custom shop and outstanding customer service, but they are not made in the USA.

Finding a USA made 1911 under $700 will be difficult. The 1911 is a labor intensive pistol to make and US labor is expensive.

USA made 1911's that you may find near your price range (if you get lucky, and you weren't trying to buy during a buying crush as is going on now).

Auto Ordnance
Colt
Kimber
Smith & Wesson
SIG
ParaUSA
Remington
Ruger

There are other USA makers, but it is unlikely you will find 1911's from those makers at your $700 price range.
 
Springfield frames, slide, barrels, etc are all made in Brazil.

Some Springfield's come to the USA completely put together. Most are typically the lower priced models. Some come to the USA as a bunch of parts and are assembled in the USA. Typically, the higher up the "food chain" you go in the Springfield line-up, the more hands on work goes on in the USA.
 
FWIW Rock Island slides are extruded, not cast; the frames are cast. Also, billet and forged aren't technically the same thing. Ruger uses a cast frame and billet (barstock) slide for their 1911's. Colt uses forging for both. The list goes on...and on.

There's a lot of incorrect and flat-out BS floating around this old topic. The only real consensus I've seen is that cast frames are fine, but cast slides likely give up some durability.

Funnel
 
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I've never been a Ruger guy, but a buddy snapped one up recently when it came into a local store and I'm impressed! Very nice indeed, with a great trigger. For the $$, I'd buy one if looking for a 1911.
 
MtnCreek said:
Thanks for the info. My budget is well below $2k. I'm probably looking to be somewhere around $700. Much more than that and it'll have to wait. If this were a different type pistol, I may not mind so much about being made overseas, but a 1911 needs to say made in USA on it. I've got an old Officers model that’s' US made and it's a fine pistol other than the fact I don't shoot it well... :)
Click to expand...
Ruger SR1911 should fit the bill.
 
I also suggest looking around for a Kimber Custom II. For the money, I think it's a good buy for what you get.
 
It is a terrible time to be looking for guns and ammo. Wait a few more months if you can, and the prices should come down again.

A 1911 is a very labor-intensive animal . . . and thus they aren't relatively cheap like the tupperware pistols with their polymer frames. They can be very finicky too if not fitted well. On the other hand, EVERYONE wants a 1911.

Generally, you get what you pay for too!
 
My observation, having been in and out of the army since 1991, being an instructor, and having carried since 1995, Sig, S&W, Glock, Beretta, Springfield Armory, etc, is that mi Kimber custom II is the best handgun I have ever owned, I have never worked the safety off, I have never forgotten to take the safety off when I was supposed to, and it is the most dead reliable handgun I have ever carried. I would carry it to war tomorrow if I were allowed to. I also have a commemorative Para Ordnance from my recent deployment, but it has bugs I'm still working out.
 
I had a Colt commander mkiv and a SIG carry. I sold the Colt. No comparison IMHO between the 2 pistols. The SIG was better in every way. The SIG is made in the USA and the best 1911 out there for 1000$. There is a place on gun broker called Northern Firearms that sells various SIG 1911's with 2-3 mags and sometimes a holster nib for 750-900$. Buy one of those and thank me later. I have also had a rock island 1911 and it was accurate and reliable but in no way comparable to the SIG in terms of build quality or fit and finish or looks.
 
I have a para gi expert that i've had zero problems with......EXCEPT that when slamming home a magazine it puts another round in the chamber without hitting the slide release.

I don't consider that a problem anymore.....I kinda like it.
 
Get the cheapest Colt you can find.

You will still want to feed it about 6 100 round boxes of Winchester White Box 45 from Walmart. That's around how long it took for mine to become perfect. It had some weird ejection and feeding issues in the first few months I had it, but now it works great.

Also, if yours comes with the 8 round flush fit checkmate mags, I found that the mag springs need replacing every few months if you load them with 8, or about once per year if you load them with 7. You can also get 7 round followers and Wolff springs and they will work great for much longer.

-J.
 
+1 on a Smith & Wesson 1911. Great gun, made in the USA and excellent customer service.
 
The Colt 8 round mag followers are fine, the issue is only with the spring. Get replacement Wolf +5% springs.

The Ruger slide is not made from a billet, it is forged like Colt and Kimber. The ruger barrel and barrel bushing are milled from a billet.

My vote is for the Ruger or Colt if you are willing to wait, save up a few hundred bucks more. The Colt has excellent metallurgy and uses a minimum of MIM parts. The Colt also has tolerances built in closer to original specification which equated to greater reliability. The Kimbers are tighter and do seem to group a hair better than Colts but the difference is small.. I'll take the out of the box reliability from Colt (And the higher resale value due to the prancing jack-ass stamped on the slide)
 
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