$675 - $775 1911 Of Your Choice

$675 - $775 1911 Of Your Choice

  • $675 - Taurus 1911 Stainless

    Votes: 8 8.4%

  • $675 - Charles Daly Empire Stainless

    Votes: 1 1.1%

  • $740 - PARA PX745S 1911 SA Stainless

    Votes: 3 3.2%

  • $745 - Springfield 1911-A1 Black/Stainless

    Votes: 32 33.7%

  • $750 - Kimber Custom II Blue

    Votes: 14 14.7%

  • $760 - Smith & Wesson SW1911SC Matte Gray

    Votes: 11 11.6%

  • $775 - Colt 1991 Government Blue

    Votes: 17 17.9%

  • Dude... with that kind of cash, I'd buy something else

    Votes: 9 9.5%
  • Total voters
    95
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CoRoMo

CoRoMo

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I pieced together a list of seven 5" forty-fives from the internet and their respective pricing. All fall within $100 of each other. Let's say you had the money and this selection before you, which one would you take home for Christmas?
 
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I'd get a excellent condition, real-deal, unmodified Colt 1911 Series 70. I picked up another one about nine months ago for $500 - a good deal. Like-new ones, are easy to come by at $700. Totally stock, utterly reliable, classic and collectible.

Restricted to your list, I'd go with the S&W. Unlike the other items except the Kimber on the list,

1) It is a US made, forged frame
2) Has no buggery internal lock or other trigger-based safety system.

The S&W and Kimber meet those criteria. The S&W has had rave reviews from shooters I've met or read about, and comes with a LIFETIME WARRANTY. That is a heck of a selling point. It does have a Firing pin safety, but it works off the grip safety, not like the trigger-based one in the Colt. Kimber's had some teething problems and poor service reported, though I think it's ironed out now. However, no high-end Kimber has come close to equalling the accuracy of a well-built Gunsmith gun on Caspian components for the same price in head-to-head test. Given all that, I nod towards the S&W.
 
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i am a huge SA loaylist therefor i would recommend a SA loaded model. i have the MC Operator and i love it, and there hasn't been a sa 1911, that i don't love.

you coulnd't be wrong going with the kimber either, but i go SA.
 
I recently picked up a taurus pt1911 with heinie straight 8 nite sites new for 500$ and love it in every way EXCEPT it shoots about 2" lower than point of aim at 15 yards with most 230 gr standard pressure loads. Now a lot of people wouldn't even notice or care about only 2" low,but being an excompetition shooter,I'm a "freak" about my guns hitting EXACTLY to point of aim. Almost all parts are interchangable except sites,and perhaps others. After spending an agonizing morning on the phone,with repeated calls to taurus,heinie,and brownells,I finally had to dig my dial calipers out to determine taurus makes their own licensed version of heinie sites which are of oddball size dovetail. The dovetail slot (and site) in rear is larger than any other dovetail from any gun or site manufacturer so naturally nothing else will fit. At this time,you CANNOT get ANY adjustable rear site for taurus 1911 guns. To top it all off,customer service/tech support got smart with me on phone!!!!! They actually don't care!!!! I'll NEVER buy another taurus product ever again or reccomend them to anyone after this.
 
Either the Kimber or Springfield. Both are great entry guns that can be customized to your liking.

Whatever you do don't waste your money on a Taurus.
 
Any would be ok except the Para. My question is where are you finding these prices? Everything here is at least a hundred bucks more than you listed.
 
My question is where are you finding these prices? Everything here is at least a hundred bucks more than you listed.
Click to expand...

I knew that at some point, someone might notice the great deals that I have listed. No, they're not fake, they are in fact real prices listed on budsgunshop.com. I was also adding in another $10 to each for the cost of my local transfer fee.

I'm glad to see that the SA, Kimber, S&W, and the Colt are duking it out in the top. I'd have to kick myself a few times, pass up the Colt and the Smith, and choose the beautiful Springfield.

16354.jpg


But this Smith begs to be drooled over too.

18168.jpg
 
I didn't see those prices as unrealistic; Bud's is indeed the litmus mark I use for judging retail prices. Good move on your part.

Now if you want to ignore the better values in older Colt Series 70's and buy new, I am going to vote for the S&W.

The external extractor is not traditional, but it does solve some problems even JMB himself recognized about autoloaders, and changed on his later designs. As a long-term (since the mid 70s) 1911 fanatic, even I accept the S&W external extractor as good and within the family.
 
Picking up the Charles Daly Empire Stainless right now, used, for $415.00. I'm too cheap to pay retail. Whoever had it added some tacticool junk like a fiberoptic front sight and a badly-fitting magazine funnel.

Looks good, though.
 
I'm a big fan of plain Springfield guns. I've got one as my ball gun and backup self-defense piece.

I'm currently shopping around for a nickeled RIA .38 Super. With that amount of money, I could get a gun, all of the accessories I'd need and the minor gunsmithing required.
 
I own 2 Colts (a Gold Cup and a New Agent), a Taurus and the S&W (Commander scandium) - my S&W is by far the best of the bunch. All my other 1911's are now in the safe. It's incredibly accurate and totally dependable.
 
I would say STI Spartan.
I have a RIA Match... and they are brothers... and LOVE the Match.
But... it doesnt have any flash and falls under your price range... just a great shooting 1911.


Jim
 
I've never been disappointed in a Colt and I've owned close to dozen of them from Combat Commanders to Gold Cups, up to and including Series 80s. I'd love to find another satin nickel Combat Commander.
 
$745 - Springfield 1911-A1 Black/Stainless - or

$750 - Kimber Custom II Blue - or

$775 - Colt 1991 Government Blue :)
 
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