Best of the Low End 1911's and Why?

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High Standard

I looked at the High Standard 45 at the NRA convention in 2010 & was impressed. Fellow let me field strip it & was well made with very good finish & machining. Lock-up & slide-frame were tight & with the beavertail & sights I thought it was a good gun for the price - $459 @ Bud's today. Anyone have experience with them?
 
I just had the opportunity to shoot the high standard .45 this weekend. It was a govt. model, and seemed to feed very well, but wasn't very accurate compared to the other 1911's on the table that day. It consistently held 1' or so to the left for each of the 3 people that shot it.
 
I've got a couple of RIAs, Citadels and a Springfield Custom. Guess what the most accurate of the bunch in my hands is an RIA GI Officers model. go figure.... I've never had the first problem out of any of them so IMO the best bang for the buck is RIA but if you want to spend 50 more bucks and get stuff like novak style sights extended/ambi safety beavertail grip safety commander hammer 3 hole trigger and front slide serrations buy a Citadel it's an RIA only nicer.
 
@scythefwd, you would need at least 2 to have the same quality as a kimber, it would allow you to still shoot one while the other was being fixed. spending a 60% more for a good quality weapon you can rest your life with is more than worth it, as before IMO!
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Not that I have anything against Kimber, but I am pretty sure from what I have read on numerous boards that RIA has Kimber beat as far as functioning perfect out of the box! Kimber makes some beautiful 1911's but for a functional low cost 1911 with GREAT customer service, RIA wins.
 
I bought a Metro Arms American Classic Two, too. It surprised the heck out of me; fit and finish was good, it had the beaver tail grip safety, over sized safety lever, skeletonized hammer and really decent sights. I shot 250 rounds (ball) through it the first time taking it out (no cleaning during the shooting session) and had zero problems. It shot 2.5 inch groups at 25 yds off the bags. The only problem was; it would not feed big nasty hollow points reliably.

As an off the shelf, range/fun, shooter it is great but, I would not carry it without polishing the feed ramp.

I sold it to my little (21 year old, 4 inches taller) brother and he found out it had a stainless slide so he Flitzed the snot out of it and now it is mirror shiny. He wants me to jewel the entire slide; I won't feel bad about it either, I paid $350 and he paid $300.
 
Ria 1911

I recently purchased an RIA 1911 from my local dealer. I had been wanting a SA GI45 but couldn't find one. I found the RIA GI to be well made. It developed a small problem after the first magazine and I returned it to RIA for warrantee service. RIA service went above and beyond my expectations. I had service as good as on a $1500 firearm I had to return. I would recommend them and their products to anyone.
 
@scythefwd, you would need at least 2 to have the same quality as a kimber, it would allow you to still shoot one while the other was being fixed. spending a 60% more for a good quality weapon you can rest your life with is more than worth it, as before IMO!
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Then I'd buy a used springer government or a used colt 1991a1, for less than the kimber.

Dont associate price with quality, you'll be plesantly suprised at the quality you can find in the lower cost options. RIA has a very good reputation among inexpensive 1911's, even among 1911 guys.
 
I worked on a friends RIA and was quite impressed by the quality of work and materials that went into the gun. I installed for him was a beavertail grip safety and I was amazed at how close the tolerances were on the frame and internal parts. Overall fit and finish was equal to any number of domestic M1911 manufacturers.
 
The most feature laden 1911 with hammer forged barrel, slide, and frame is the PT1911 now @ $399

pt1911BG.jpg
 
I have a rock island..its great..so far reliable..i picked it up used for 300...put the wilson beavertail on it..cheap drop in match trigger kit...2 dollar yard sale compensator...hogue gripps...got 420 bucks in the whole thing...o and it came with 3 mags
 
I thought I saw it in their ad. That is for the 38 super, not other calibers though, right? Even if I wanted a .38 super, those gold accents would probably be a deal breaker. I wonder if the chambering or the bling is more responsible for the fire sale pricing.
 
Seems like you missed the STI Spartan.

Mine is a great gun, very reliable, and surprisingly accurate.

This is 50 yards with a cheap rest, ASYM Precision ammo.

asym_spartan.jpg
 
2wheels:
Feature laden or not, I'd be a wee bit embarrased to show up at the range with that pimped out Taurus.

I'm not vain, and don't really care what other think about my pistol choices, all that matters is how it shoots and how I feel about it.

shoot safe, shoot straight, and have fun
 
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I own a RIA officers, and it is a fine little gun. Reliable as all get out, and a comfortable shooter. I paid less than 400 brand new for it, probably the best deal I ever got on a firearm.
 
2wheels:
Feature laden or not, I'd be a wee bit embarrased to show up at the range with that pimped out Taurus.

I'm not vain, and don't really care what other think about my pistol choices, all that matters is how it shoots and how I feel about it.
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I'm with you cuba, I really don't care what others think of my pistol choices, I just care what I think of it.

Having said that....I would not be able to shoot that pistol.

A man's got to have his value system firmly figured out. :D
 
I have an RIA two tone tactical that has been flawless from day one. Factory or hand load, jhp or fmj, no problems at all. I also have a Taurus PT1911 that the extractor broke on after 80 rounds. In fairness after replacing it with a Wilson Combat bullet proof extractor the Taurus has been reliable with all kinds of ammo too. Both are chambered in 45 acp.
 
Paid $360 for a brand-new GI RIA on GB a couple of years ago, with $20 shipping. It has been flawless so far.
 
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