Absolute BEST constructed 1911s

[GAMEOVER44]

In general what 1911 is looked at as the best built from the factory? I'm looking at a Dan Wesson Valor but keep hearing great things about Les Baer.

When I say best built I mean everything mechanically sound, when you shake it no rattles, likelihood of jams low, etc etc etc

No price range. Im talking cream of the crop but FACTORY. Meaning a production 1911 that isn't modified.

 

[saf11]

On a 1911, a small amount of play is okay. You don't want it to be too tight in the slide to frame fit, so it may make a little noise. That lessons the likelihood of malfunctions. You don't want too much of a rattle, though.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Colt gets my vote. I had a Springfield Loaded. The slide rattled when you shook it. It fed and shot fine. I recently bought a Colt National Match. No rattling. I have put around 1400 rounds thru it including lead RN and 3 styles of semi-wadcutters. It feeds them all with no issues. The out of the box trigger is much better than the Springer. Groups are considerably tighter.

 

[bannockburn]

I would also go with Colt but would add that the last time I was looking at 1911s at a well stocked gun shop, they all checked out quite nicely in terms of build quality (and this included guns from Dan Wesson, Springfield Armory, Ruger, STI, SIG, and S&W).

 

[JTQ]

I'm looking at a Dan Wesson Valor but keep hearing great things about Les Baer.

No price range. Im talking cream of the crop but FACTORY. Meaning a production 1911 that isn't modified.

If you are going to include Les Baer in the conversation, which is clearly a different level than Dan Wesson, which are fine guns, but not in the semi-custom category as Les Baer, I'll say Wilson Combat.

Wilson makes standard guns. You can have Wilson modify all of them, but you can call up and order a CQB or whatever model and get the standard features. Wilson also has one of the best, if not the best, customer service reputations in the gun industry, so if you have a problem, they'll fix it for you. Of course, there is no free lunch. In general, Wilson will cost more so they can provide you with a quality gun and superb customer service, but you did say "no price range".

Wilson Combat http://wilsoncombat.com/new/custom-gun-models.asp

 

[AustinTX]

How much are you looking to spend? (It would be helpful to know a little more about what you consider "factory" to mean. Reading between the lines, it seems like you'd be happy with anything that didn't start life as one factory's gun only to be modified by a gunsmith down the road. Is that right?)

We can talk about semi-custom makers Wilson, Brown, and Baer, all definitely above Dan Wesson, but then there are a few full-custom 'smiths who will scratch-build (meaning they're not modifying an existing gun) something even nicer.

Baer is pretty easily the best value, to my mind. Wilsons and Browns are more refined, and Wilsons would get my vote as the all-around "best" of the three, but I don't think they're particularly good values. Wilson is the most popular and well-known of the semi-custom brands, and you're paying quite a surcharge for the name alone. Wilson does have great CS, which has value, but by the time we're talking prices for anything but the most basic Wilson, I'm going up a level to a full-custom. Baer takes care of his customers as well; I believe Brown ultimately does too, though anecdotally I've heard from a few who have found their interactions with Brown CS to be less pleasant. Bottom line, though, is that you can get a gun from Les Baer that is guaranteed to shoot a 1.5" five-shot group at 50 yards for around $2,000, and it will be built like a tank. That's a better accuracy guarantee than you'll get from Wilson or Brown at any price level. A Baer will be the tightest-fitting of the three brands (some would say too tight), because that's just how Les insists on building the guns.

It sounds to me like an SVI/Infinity would actually be right up your alley. They're a very clear level above anything from a semi-custom shop (even a Supergrade from Wilson), and they machine every part in their guns in-house. The precision of the fit is just incredible. They're very competitive price-wise, too. The base gun starts at $3,800, so I would have no interest in any Wilson or Brown that began to approach that price.

If money is truly no object, then I personally don't think it gets better than Stan Chen. But you can expect to pay $9K or more, and you'll have to wait for several years to get the gun -- if you can even get on the wait list in the first place.

 

[russianbear]

For my money I pick Colt today they have really turned around their quality of build in their 1911s. If I had not felt this was true,I would not have bought the two new Colts I have bought.
That's my take on the subject,sure other will not agree with me.

 

[Zerodefect]

Least Expensive to most expensive:

Colt
Dan Wesson
Les Baer
Turnbull
Ed Brown
Guncrafter
Nighthawk
Wilson

Those are the good ones I've seen that I can recommend with confidence. Choose the brand with the features you want.

I wouldn't trade a DW Valor for a LB. The Valor is a great choice. $1850 up here. Unless that LB had some custom features added like: No slide engraving, 25lpi checkering, Melonite treatment, 2 dot night sights or F/O day sights, then i'd grab it. LB just does things differently than me.

If price is no problem, look towards Guncrfter and don't look back. The No Name and Frag are sweet 1911's.

 

[Ankeny]

Posts 6 and 8 nailed it. For right of the shelf "factory" guns, I have had better luck with Colt than with Dan Wesson. Luck of the draw I guess.

 

[zb338]

I have a Colt Gold Cup with the serial number around 5000.
It's a great gun and I have used it since it was new. I have
had it accurized by a master gunsmith somewhere along the
way. I also have a stainless S&W target model 1911. No one
ever mentions S&W when talking about 1911s. Smith makes
good 1911 pistols of all kinds.
Zeke

 

[WVsig]

There is no best. There are opinions about what is "best in class" when it comes to 1911s but even the smallest change in criteria and aesthetics will yield different results. Competition shooters are looking for a very different gun then someone who wants a retro feel.

When you are talking strictly about production guns at a $1500 or under price point I think that it is hard to beat Dan Wesson. You can get a stainless Valor for around $1400 if you are patient. The mix of what you get in that gun is an incredible value.

Next in line I think is Colt. Colt these days really makes a nice gun and there are plenty of them to fit most peoples tastes right around $1000.

STI also makes a great gun in the sub $1500 price point but you have to like their styling and a more modern take on 1911. Lots of competition shooters seem to like the STI guns. Their Trojan is a very attractive package if they fit your style.

That said when you get to $1500 you are just a stones throw away from a Les Baer. There you are getting custom fitting on per-configured gun at a high end production price. Their finishes will not be as nice as even the Valor Duty coat but there is a different feel and a different mindset that goes into building a Baer that is not present in a Valor.

So again we are back to price point and aesthetics.

 

[russianbear]

Unless one just wants a 1911 and many of us do,a really over all better type carry handgun IMHO is a Sig Sauer P226 or P220 P227.
And I really like my Colt 1911s but I stand by the Sigs are all around better handguns for carry.

 

[tarosean]

There is no best.

This... Its all about you at this point. What you prefer, what you want, what you can afford.

 

[russianbear]

This... Its all about you at this point. What you prefer, what you want, what you can afford.

Well some are just plain bad right from the start,take my old now gone Kimber Tac Pro 4" 45 it would eat recoil springs in just 200rds,and they were a real bitch to change. Also the finish just washed off in places.
The people who sold it to me new degraded it to death when I traded it off. and it only have around 1000 rounds fired. I was just glad they even took it in on trade.

 

[surjimmy]

Les Baer's are known as a work horse. I have owned DW Valor's, and in no way do they compare to a Les Baer. JMHO. Bottom line is post 13, there is a reason there are so many different choices. Not everyone has the same taste.

 

[wojownik]

From highest price downwards (and semi-custom down to mass production), I'd say:

Wilson Combat
Nighthawk Custom
Ed Brown
Baer
Dan Wesson
Colt
maybe Springfield

 

[sauer1911]

Have I ever mentioned I like SIG SAUER? ? ?! ! !

be safe.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I have 5 Baers and one DW. As was pointed out above, Baer is a different game than DW. It is basically a hard fit gun but frankly my last one was much less tightly fit than my first.

Baer's are very nice, accurate and hard fit. They don't have the best bluing some say, but you can get a very nice tight no rattle gun.

My mistake was buying my first 1911 as a Baer. When you start with Baer it is hard to come down to say DW or Colt. Things rattle in Colts that don't in a Baer.

Does it matter in terms of reliability and accuracy? No and yes. Yes Baer's are more accurate, no they are not less reliable.

So it comes down to how much you want to spend, how little you want it to rattle.

 

[AustinTX]

My mistake was buying my first 1911 as a Baer. When you start with Baer it is hard to come down to say DW or Colt. Things rattle in Colts that don't in a Baer.

That's the truth. For me, the 1911 bug took a long time to bite. My Baer is my third 1911, the other two being an unfired, new-condition 1967 Gold Cup NM (pre-Series 70) with box/papers and a Series 80 GCNM. I was planning on buying a Valor before buying any semi-customs, but I found a brand new, sealed-in-the-box Premier II with the 1.5" guarantee for nearly 20% off of MSRP. I respect the Valor a great deal, but I can't see stepping down for one now. Older collectible Colts still interest me, but not anything new.

Does it matter in terms of reliability and accuracy? No and yes. Yes Baer's are more accurate, no they are not less reliable.

That's my experience so far as well. The Baer came super-tight, but I haven't had any reliability issues with it at all. I've only had it for a month, so I'm still working through the recommended break-in period (now at 400 out of the 500 rounds with no cleaning, as instructed), but I've had nary a bobble even though this is the period when malfunctions are most likely. If one wants to go roll around in the mud and sand with his or her gun, then perhaps having a 1911 that shakes and rattles would be better, but that's outside my range of needs.

 

[Chocolate Bayou]

I have Colts and a Springfield Loaded. A year ago I would definetly say Springfield because of cost. However as the Colt prices lower, I would probably go with Colt Commander. However my gun smith see's them all and he says Springfield is better. Every man says something different. Whatever is best for them.

 

[Rinspeed]

My Baer has been one of the very best gun purchases I've ever made. If you actually shoot them instead of letting them sit in the safe collection dust they just keep getting smoother and smoother the more rounds that go through them.

 

[12Bravo20]

On a 1911, a small amount of play is okay. You don't want it to be too tight in the slide to frame fit, so it may make a little noise. That lessons the likelihood of malfunctions. You don't want too much of a rattle, though.

I beg to differ based on personal experience. I carried a few 'battle rattle' 1911A1s while in the Army. Slide to frame fit was loose on all of them (hence the nickname) but all shot very well and accurate enough for me to qualify expert with. Proper barrel to slide fit is more important than slide to frame fit. I would rather have a slide a little loose on the frame than tight.

 

[Water-Man]

^^This^^

 

[Big Bad Bob]

If money is no option hands down Wilson Combat. I handled a buddy's supergrade, and it by far is one of the finest 1911's I have ever held.

Les Baers have a great reputation, I will tell you from personal experience, a new Baer out the box is unbelievably tight gun. The first couple slide pulls you feel as though the thumb safety is engaged, its that tight. No joke.

 

[Big Bad Bob]

Mr. Larry Vickers and Dave Royer took on the myth of vintage 1911 inaccuracy recently. Good stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6u0HkyE5W8