AustinTX
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If money is truly no object, then there are a number of options superior to anything from Wilson.
Absolute BEST constructed 1911s
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If money is truly no object, then there are a number of options superior to anything from Wilson.
Big Bad Bob
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When it comes to full custom guns, Jardine and Nowlin come to mind, Ted Yost and Heirloom Precision, Rogers Precision also Cabot makes a super high dollar gun but I'm dont want to comment on them because I have never personally held one.
I would still take a Wilson Classic or Tactical Supergrade any day of the week.
I would still take a Wilson Classic or Tactical Supergrade any day of the week.
SVI is probably the best manufacturer.
it could be argued weather they are a custom gun maker or not tho.
IMO SVI is a factory gun , in that you only pick from options they make and offer. no after market parts in the builds.
but they dont have any off the shelf guns, they start building once you order. 12-15 month wait.
I just got a quote from them last week 2011, sight tracker, 6" ,signature grip 3,900$
price realy doesnt seem that bad when you consider what your getting. even a brazos sti would set me back 3,300. but that whole 12-15 month wait kills me.
it could be argued weather they are a custom gun maker or not tho.
IMO SVI is a factory gun , in that you only pick from options they make and offer. no after market parts in the builds.
but they dont have any off the shelf guns, they start building once you order. 12-15 month wait.
I just got a quote from them last week 2011, sight tracker, 6" ,signature grip 3,900$
price realy doesnt seem that bad when you consider what your getting. even a brazos sti would set me back 3,300. but that whole 12-15 month wait kills me.
Add me to the list of Baer fans. I've never had a tighter gun, nor a more accurate 1911. Mine is a SRP, 1.5", hard-chromed finish. No hiccups ever.
krupparms
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One of the best is still Colt.
AustinTX
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Well, Jardine and Nowlin aren't building guns anymore. Yost does beautiful work, but he only works on preexisting base guns, and the same is the case with Rogers, which rules them both out under the OP's criteria. Cabot guns have produced quite a few complaints from owners, so I'm not going near them.
Stan Chen, Paul Liebenberg, and SVI/Infinity are the only full-custom 'smiths/shops I'm aware of that currently produce scratch-built 1911s, and all three do extraordinary work -- easily above the level of any semi-custom shop.
I'd "take" one too. Or I'd pay for one with what I'd want on it for about 40% less than current retail, because it's just a poor value at current retail. It just doesn't make sense to pay that kind of money for something from a semi-custom shop when you can get one of the top few 1911 'smiths in the world to build you a pistol from start to finish (and from scratch, if desired) for a similar amount of money -- or less, in the case of SVI/Infinity.
AustinTX
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The SVI/Infinity model looks different from the traditional conception of what a full-custom shop does, but it's still a full-custom shop in my book. I mean, if it's a "production" maker, then Wilson, Baer, Brown, and the other semi-custom shops definitely are as well -- at which point the terms "production gun" and "factory gun" cease to have any meaning. For that matter, if SVI is a production 1911 builder, then you could argue that Chen and Liebenberg are just smaller "production" makers. Everyone works much more heavily with CNC equipment now than in the olden days.
Gun Master
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Stick With The Original
Good one, Bob. (See posting # 25).
The OP: Colt.
Still interested in ROA and R1. Best bang for the buck.
Good one, Bob. (See posting # 25).
The OP: Colt.
Still interested in ROA and R1. Best bang for the buck.
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If I had around $4k, or more, to spend Paul would be close to the top of my list. Not that there aren't some other great smiffs out there but when it comes to someone who can make a 1911 from a block of steal there are very few at his level.
AustinTX
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Yep, he's right there at the top for sure.
I guess it depends on your perspective.
While Chuck has worked his magic, does this quit being a Colt?
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=9173357#post9173357
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short barrel
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I'm sorry, but based on the requirements the OP mentioned, and many will dispute this, it's the Ruger. Not because I bought one, and not because it's my favorite, but it does not rattle and will not rattle when shot for years. It does not fail to fire. Accuracy was not in the OP's requirements, and the Ruger is for sure not the most accurate.
It's my opinion that price has little significance related to quality when comparing 1911's. My Gold Cup and my Kimber had rattles and other issues. Both were very accurate, but not guns of total quality. None better than the Ruger.
It's my opinion that price has little significance related to quality when comparing 1911's. My Gold Cup and my Kimber had rattles and other issues. Both were very accurate, but not guns of total quality. None better than the Ruger.
Once the price go above a certain range, they're all about the same for security purpose.
The rest depends on the feature you want.
That is unless you want something like a "1.5 inch group at 25yard accuracy guarantee."
1911 pricing is highly related to brand and features than "quality."
The rest depends on the feature you want.
That is unless you want something like a "1.5 inch group at 25yard accuracy guarantee."
1911 pricing is highly related to brand and features than "quality."
jrod
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I'll have to say Colt. I've never had a problem with a Colt.
AustinTX
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It's hard for me to believe that you're being serious, since you can't possibly think (1) that, for the purposes of this thread, this is what someone simply saying "Colt" has in mind as representative of "Colt," or (2) that Colt deserves much of the credit for the excellence of that completely reworked pistol, but I'll answer anyway. Yes, it's no longer a Colt. It's a Chuck Rogers-customized Colt, or a Rogers Precision Colt. A world-class 'smith like Rogers can do equivalent -- or better -- work with base guns from a number of different manufacturers. Does Springfield deserve the credit for the work that the top 'smiths in the world do on its pistols?
Lucky Derby
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You say "production" & "factory" but then mention Baer.
Baer, Wilson, Nighthawk etc are not production guns and are not made in a factory.
The best Factory production 1911 IMHO is Dan Wesson.
Go with some of these others you are getting a custom made gun built for you. A whole different ball game.
Colt has some MIM small parts.
Dan Wesson, Les Baer, Ed Brown do not have MIM.
I have a Dan Wesson Valor, Les Baer UTC and Ed Brown Special Forces.
They are all quality pistols.
The Les Baer was / is the tightest; it will not field strip without a bushing wrench even after 700+ rounds.
Dan Wesson, Les Baer, Ed Brown do not have MIM.
I have a Dan Wesson Valor, Les Baer UTC and Ed Brown Special Forces.
They are all quality pistols.
The Les Baer was / is the tightest; it will not field strip without a bushing wrench even after 700+ rounds.
brutus51
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Interesting that Kimber is not mentioned even once, although having owned two of them and having to have dealt with their customer service I can understand why. My vote goes with Colt, Have had a Gold Cup for over thirty years, shows a lot of wear but still as good as the day I bought it, unlike the Kimbers.
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