best 1911 for $700

[TexasPatriot.308]

Para G.I. Expert

 

[bobelk99]

Go used, and get higher quality for same $$.

Go 1911 and whatever brand pleases your hand and eye.

 

[GRIZ22]

I'll give the Taurus another vote. I've had mine for 3 years and think it's a tremoendous bargain. No problems, zero malfunctions. Springfields also seem to be a good buy but I don't own one. All the other 1911s I own are Colts but the Taurus is the one I carry.

 

[bhhacker]

I was a little dissatisfied with my Spartan. I bought it and it never fed HPs reliably. I live about 15 minutes from the STI facilities and took it in for that reason. They were very nice, and polished the feed ramp and such, but it still had trouble. Had t use PowRballs

 

[uspJ]

i was telling a guy that i work with about my plans on buying a 1911 he told me i should go with a cheap model and upgrade the parts with wilson combat parts. i was wondering would this be worth the time and money or would i be better off just getting a more expensive model and having quality parts to begin with?

 

[BushyGuy]

you can find a Citadel 1911 for under 700.00

 

[rklessdriver]

Buy the best pistol you can afford to start with.

That cheap pistol will ALWAYS be just a cheap pistol with hi-speed Wilson parts hung off it.

With your $700 budget a used COLT or possibally new COLT is easily in reach. I bought my new 80 Series Commander for $730 (out the door) last year, from a well know dealer here in VA at a gun show.

A Springfield Mil Spec or GI model is a very good pistol for slightly less money. As long as your not bothered by the NOT made in USA bug there is absolutely nothing wrong with them.

These would be my top 4 choices for the $$$ you have to spend. There are lesser pistols out there (for lesser $$$) - but remember for every $$$ you drop in price you get more MIM small parts and/or get a CAST frame instead of a Forged frame. Not to say they can't be good guns (because some will be) but like I said in the first line, my advice is to buy the best pistol you can to start.
Will

 

[Water-Man]

Used Springfield Loaded.

 

[JTQ]

...he told me i should go with a cheap model and upgrade the parts with wilson combat parts.

If you were a gunsmith, that is probably a pretty good way to go. Since you are asking the question, I'll assume you aren't a gunsmith. I'm not either. Most 1911 parts don't just drop in. I would probably just leave it as is, especially if it is working.

There are good and bad things about buying used.

On the good side, lots of folks buy a 1911 and after realizing it soooo much harder to take down than their Glock, or realize how expensive .45 ACP ammo is compared to 9 MM, or realized they don't like Condition 1 carry (still safer than their Glock), they sell them off quickly. If you find those, they are usually quite a bargain.

On the bad side, as mentioned above about parts not fitting, almost no pistol is modified more than a 1911. Many of those modifications are done by people that are not gunsmiths, and they don't know they aren't. Many of those pistols will cost a bunch of money to fix, even if you are a gunsmith.

The Armscor products have a very good customer service reputation, as does STI, Springfield and S&W (if you can find one at that price).

For me, I'd save up a little longer and buy a Colt.

 

[SSN Vet]

Most 1911 parts don't just drop in.

words of wisdom...

and... if improperly fitted, many 1911 parts replacements can make your pistol unsafe.

 

[mptrimshop]

you want bang for your buck...this is the way to go!

http://www.midwesthuntersoutlet.com/item.aspx?PID=72694&w=PQ+JDyOLrQE=

 

[flusher]

Save up and get a Colt Government pre 70. This one is a 1951

 

[bigfatdave]

and... if improperly fitted, many 1911 parts replacements can make your pistol unsafe.

How hard would it be to swap out an ambi safety for a RH-only one?
I'm about sold on a SA loaded, the only thing I don't like about it is the ambi safety, and I've been contemplating doing a swap after initial break-in and reliability testing. I really don't have the facilities/tools for serious gunsmithing, however. If it can't be done with a basic toolkit or if it takes more know-how than detail stripping my current 1911 (Citadel officer's size) or a Ruger mkIII (done a few of those with success) then I'll have to reconsider my next 1911 purchase.

 

[Quack]

it's not hard to do. here's some instructions.

http://brazoscustom.com/magart/0601.htm

and this is how the safety works.

 

[bigfatdave]

Thanks, Quack, that helps some ... but is a replacement safety lever a "drop-in" part or will it require fitting?
I've had my Citadel down to bare frame a few times, but I've obviously never swapped in a new one, and I don't know if there's any issues with swapping ambi for RH-only.

 

[Quack]

from all the safeties i've done, the only fitting needed was where the safety blocks the sear.

 

[bigfatdave]

So a jeweler's file and some patience would be enough?

 

[Quack]

that should work.
just remember to go slow & check often because you can't put metal back on, but you can take more off.

 

[bigfatdave]

Would it be unusual for an aftermarket safety to NOT need fitting?
And is anything internally incompatible in an ambidextrous safety equipped gun that would preclude swapping to a RH-only lever?

 

[Girodin]

- but remember for every $$$ you drop in price you get more MIM small parts and/or get a CAST frame instead of a Forged frame.

Not forcedly. One can buy a used Norinco for one half to a third the price of a Kimber (depending on the model); which gun do you think has more MIM parts? Furthermore, the Norc's frame is not cast but rather it is 5100 steel.

 

[Quack]

Would it be unusual for an aftermarket safety to NOT need fitting?
And is anything internally incompatible in an ambidextrous safety equipped gun that would preclude swapping to a RH-only lever?

they should all need some fitting.