45 Target Pistol

[Edcnh]

I am looking for a 45 auto target pistol with an adjustable rear sight. I will be shooting mainly indoors during the winter months. My indoor range is lead bullets only hence the desire for an adjustable rear sight. I am looking for something under $1000. Something like the Springfield Range Officer. Any other good ones in that price range?

 

[ADKWOODSMAN]

Colt 1911 Gold Cup.

Sold mine years ago, big mistake. It was my bullseye gun.

Super accurate and adjustable sight.

http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols/GoldCup®Series.aspx

 

[Olympus]

Kimber Custom 2 Target in stainless. Comes in 9mm, 45, and 10mm.

 

[jimherb]

Springfield Range Office is a mighty good choice. I shoot Bullseye with mine.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

If you like plastic at all, the XDm 5.25 gets good reviews.

 

[matthewpittinger]

Range officer or a Gold Cop. I'd vote Gold Cup personally

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Colt Gold Cup

 

[nettlle]

Gold Cup.

 

[Kp321]

I have both a Gold Cup and a Springfield Range Officer. The GC took a new bushing to shoot as well as the RO but it also took an hour of smoothing and honing to make it as slick as the GC. It all boils down to price (at least $400 difference around here) and brand consciousness.
I enjoy shooting the RO because I don't have to be as careful with it because of the matte finish.

 

[bgw45]

I found a tight RO and had bushing, trigger, barrel fitting work done. I'm very happy with the results. Shoots every bit as good as my Baers.

 

[bannockburn]

My first choice would be a Gold Cup. Had one years ago and the accuracy with that gun was outstanding. The gun was as tight as can be yet still totally reliable and the trigger pull was nice and light right from the factory. Newly manufactured Colts (of which I have quite a few), are very well made and are great buy for the money.

 

[Hookeye]

I grew up shooting GC, pops has had several.
Best shooter is one he built.........reg gov slide and frame, match bbl and Bomar rib.
Old school and very cool.

 

[Saleen322]

Had a Gold Cup, 2 Springfields, and a Dan Wesson. While the Gold Cup shot okay, it was 4th in a field of 4. The Springfields and the DW would do 2" or better @ 50 yards while it hurried the Gold Cup to do 3" groups. I still have them all...........except the Gold Cup. Never had a RO but I heard a lot of good things about them when I was still competing a lot.

 

[robertg5322]

"I am looking for something under $1000."

Good luck finding a Gold Cup or Dan Wesson for anywhere near, let alone less than $1,000.00.

I have a Kimber Custom II (mine had fixed sights, they make them with adjustable sights), it is reliable and accurate. Had it since 2001. Recently got a Springfield 9mm Loaded Target, took some work to get it accurate enough for my tastes. It was/is loose as hell. An EGW angle bored bushing and .200" slide stop resulted in excellent accuracy. Also got a Les Baer Hardball .45, very accurate, very reliable, but at $1,400.00, it's well above your $1,000.00 limit.

Range Officers have a very good reputation, I've never shot one though. My Loaded and a friends were both in need of attention to be accurate, though it was mostly part swapping and trigger work. I understand they're in the $700.00 range so even with a bushing, slide stop and trigger work, you may be able to keep it under or right around your limit.

 

[Olympus]

"I am looking for something under $1000."

Exactly. Never seen a Gold Cup or Dan Wesson under $1k.

Range Officer, Kimber Custom 2 Target, Rock Island Match, and I think Sig might make a 1911 Target for right at $1k maybe less. Those are pretty much your only options below $1k.

 

[Deanimator]

Are there any decent gunsmiths in your area?

If so, I'd get the cheapest Rock Island M1911 and have a smith tune it and put sights on it.

If you plan to compete, you might want to bag the iron sights and go with a Weaver rail and a dot sight. Up here, other than for EIC hardball competition, almost everybody uses dot sights. I have 1" UltraDots on my .45 Colt Series 70 and my .38 Special Giles conversion.

I'd stay away from the bigger objectives and the scopes without bodies. For bullseye the target doesn't move and too much field of view is distracting. Most of the people I've seen shoot bullseye with the open type dot sights haven't liked the results.

 

[saenzrich]

dan wesson heritage.

edit....sorry fixed sights....maybe a pointman

 

[usp9]

Look for HK's dedicated target pistol the USP Elite. Has a 6" barrel, sweet trigger and nice target sights.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Olympus and robertg,

I bought a new Gold Cup National Match from Bud's this past January for $985 shipped.

 

[bullzeye8]

You might be able to get a range officer then have a gunsmith fit kart barrel and match bushing for right around your $1000 budget which would be ideal. If that adds up to a bit too much the range officer with a new bushing and trigger job would also work.

 

[flphotog]

Springfield Range Office is a mighty good choice. I shoot Bullseye with mine.

Another vote for the RO, I have one in .45 and one in 9 mm, they are hard to beat especially for the price.

 

[Olympus]

Olympus and robertg,

I bought a new Gold Cup National Match from Bud's this past January for $985 shipped.

Then you got a deal. That's less than cost.

 

[wingman]

I have a Springfield loaded with match barrel which is extremely accurate, non
adjustable sights, another option is the EAA witness match adjustable sights
very accurate feels like a 1911 but a heavy gun for sure a range pistol.
CZ I believe makes a 45acp and all of the CZ line is accurate, lots of options
out there.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Then you got a deal. That's less than cost.

Bud's sold them at that price for quite a while. On 1/14/15, I made a post in a thread I started that told what I paid.

 

[Olympus]

Bud's sold them at that price for quite a while.

Must have been a dang good sale or a discontinued model number. Checked several different distributors and that's a good deal lower than cost on the current Gold Cups.