Best price/performance 1911?

[VanGoghComplex]

I'm a revolver guy primarily, but if any one semi-auto has most caught my eye, it's the classic 1911.

I'm not made of cash, and I'll likely favor my revolvers, so I don't mind if my 1911 is an off-brand, or doesn't look amazing. What I care about are the trigger and reliability.

If I'm looking for those two things in an affordable package, where should I look first?

Thanks in advance. =)

 

[TomJ]

Do you have an amount in mind that you'd like to spend?

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Is $500-$600 reasonable? I don't mind buying used, or waiting for the "right" used one to come around, I just don't have a sense for what good manufacturers and prices are.

 

[spazzymcgee]

We've had some of the newer Rock Island 1911's coming into the shop that were very tight, well put together guns. Tighter even than the Ruger SR1911 I used to own, but the Ruger was a lot prettier. Of course, Ruger has been doing better with those guns recently. The more recent examples I've dealt with have been much better. If you want the nicest gun for the money, a Les Baer would be in order. $600 will get you a great 1911 nowadays. You could get a Ruger, or look around for a used Colt or Springfield Range Officer, among other great manufacturers.

 

[CaptTripps]

One friend of mine recently bought the Ruger Commander size 1911. It feels really nice in the hand and seems tight, and was plenty accurate to ring steel plates at 25 yards. Its reasonably priced although I forget the exact amount he spent on it. Another buddy has an Officer sized SIG, that I do not really care for. It has the heavier slide profile and just seems a little awkward in the hand. I too am a revolver guy so I don't have a 1911 quite yet.

 

[TomJ]

I have a Ruger SR1911 (about $700) and a Springfield Mil Spec (about $650). Both have been great. I've never owned a Rock Island ($450 and up), but have heard many good things about them.

 

[JTQ]

VanGoghComplex wrote,
I'm a revolver guy primarily, but if any one semi-auto has most caught my eye, it's the classic 1911.

Is $500-$600 reasonable?

From your revolver perspective, could you get an S&W 629 for $400 - $500? Well, sort of. You can get a used S&W 629 (I don't know what condition that would be in) for that price, or you may be able to get a new Taurus whatever the model number knock off of the S&W 629 is, but chances are good you can't get a brand new S&W 629 for $400 - $500.

1911's are typically $1,000 - $1,500ish guns. If you are paying much less, you are typically getting a gun made overseas with significantly lower labor costs or with cheaper parts, or both. If it is significantly more, you are usually getting some hand fitting, or often some bling.

Having said all that, Rock Island Armory (RIA) 1911's, from the Philippine's have a very good reputation for function and customer service. If you want to stay within your price range, that's where I'd look.

 

[PJSprog]

Also a revolver guy. I have a Rock Island Tactical that has been very reliable. I bought it used from a former co-worker who sold it to buy a Springfield Range Officer, also a very nice gun. The new Rugers seem pretty decent, and the S&Ws get good reviews, though I haven't shot either one.

Since you're OK with used, I suspect patience could find you a very nice 1911 in that price range.

 

[JTQ]

VanGoghComplex wrote,
I don't mind buying used

Personally, I won't buy a used 1911. I'm reasonably knowledgeable on 1911's, but I'm not a gunsmith. 1911's are probably the second most modified handgun after the Glock. While a Glock can probably be successfully modified by a typical 8th grader that can read, a 1911 typically requires some skill to modify, and most gun owners simply don't have those skills, even though they think they do. There are lots of used 1911's floating around that left the factory as perfectly functioning handguns only to be "improved" by their owners to the point they are now only useful as a paperweight unless you are willing to spend the time and money to send it to a gunsmith to get it working again.

 

[VanGoghComplex]

Thanks all. I'm surprised to see Rock Island come up; I've seen a review or two on those, and the going opinion seems to be "steer clear." Feed and RTB failures seem to be the rule rather than the exception.

A local shop has a Rock Island 1911 for $400ish. If they're not bad after all, I might start thinking harder about that one.

 

[Spats McGee]

There's a 1911 buyer's guide on 1911addicts.com which is very much worth your while to read. I'd post a link to it if I weren't firewalled off from it at work.

That said, for a 1st 1911, I'd suggest buying new, for reasons stated above. You don't want one that's been Bubba'd to death, & you might not spot the problems on inspection. There are plenty of perfectly serviceable, new 1911s in your price range. Rock Island, Springfield Armory, Ruger.

Good luck on your hunt!

 

[flinch]

I say go low. Rock island g.i. is a great intro gun. Try it . if you like the 1911 use it as a trade for a higher price gun. Rock islands work. They are not fancy but they work and will give you a taste for what you would like in a 1911. Buds gun shop has a great selection on line.

 

[PabloJ]

I'm a revolver guy primarily, but if any one semi-auto has most caught my eye, it's the classic 1911.

I'm not made of cash, and I'll likely favor my revolvers, so I don't mind if my 1911 is an off-brand, or doesn't look amazing. What I care about are the trigger and reliability.

If I'm looking for those two things in an affordable package, where should I look first?

Thanks in advance. =)

Stainless Colt Rail Gun for about $1200.

 

[wow6599]

IMHO, the Springfield Range Officer is the best 1911 for the money.
Just my opinion though, and probably not worth much......

 

[JTQ]

IMHO, the Springfield Range Officer is the best 1911 for the money.

The Range Officer has gotten a lot of recommendations since they came out and I'm sure it is a fine gun, but for those new to 1911's, one thing that is often overlooked are the sight cuts on 1911's. The Range Officer has adjustable sights and their sight cut is different than those for fixed sights. It may not be an issue if you like the sights on the Range Officer, but if you don't, your options for changing them will be limited.

In addition, the Range Officer is probably a few hundred dollars above the OP's price range.

 

[Deanimator]

The Philippine guns (Rock Island, Citadel, etc.) are a very good value.

I recently bought a Citadel CS 3.5, and have been very impressed by the combination of reasonable price and excellent quality.

Funds allowing, I'd like to get another full sized M1911, in either .45acp or .38 Super. It'll probably be either a Citadel or a Rock Island.

 

[Deanimator]

I've seen a review or two on those, and the going opinion seems to be "steer clear."

Most of the reviews I've seen have been exactly the opposite.

I had some feed problems with my Citadel. They were 100% magazine related. When I switched to Chip McCormick magazines, the feeding problems disappeared completely. And even with the stock magazines, feeding was 100% as long as I only loaded them to 6 rounds.

 

[bannockburn]

I think if you're looking for a decent inexpensive 1911 then check out RIA. If you want to go so another notch up in overall quality (and price), I would say look at what Ruger and Springfield Armory have to offer in a basic no frills model.

 

[Tcruse]

<<duplicate>>

 

[Tcruse]

If you want a great gun without taking a risk go with Ruger SR1911 (~$650 street price). I have a friend that claims it to be more accurate than his Colt Gold Cup. (With the few rounds that I shot thru both of them, I agree) Now, for a $500 1911 that looks good, you might look at Regent S200. I have put about 3K thru mine and not a hint of a problem. However, the mags included are "crap". I would also recommend a NEW and not used gun.

 

[Furncliff]

My wife bought me my fist 1911 about eight years ago, an RIA Tactical, I have added several more RIA' 1911 since. The first one had to have a new slide stop in the first month, since then it's a no problem range shooter that's accurate and will eat my lswc hand loads with no complaints. It had an excellent trigger out of the box. The other two a 9mm and a .45/.22 combo do their jobs just as well. All my guns are shooters, I don't have anything that's fancy cosmetically. The RIA's fit the bill. If you want to spend more, the Springfield Range Office (Used will probably be in your budget) is a nice step up




PS the tactical model is worth every cent of the extra dollars.

https://us.armscor.com/products/

 

[guyfromohio]

If you can do $600, can you push it to $700? I'm thoroughly impressed with my Colt.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobile/product/36291/colt_o1991_1991_series_7+1_45acp_5

 

[Tallball]

My stepbrother loves his RIA. He bought it around five years ago. He says it has been 100% reliable.

I got a Turkish one instead, a Tisas from Bud's. I have had it for three or four years. It has also been 100% reliable. It is quite accurate.

We might have both just been lucky. I don't know.

But I do know that neither one of us paid more than $400.

 

[imashooter]

I highly recommend RIA 1911 .45s. Don't know which features you prefer however all RIA pistols are in your desired price range. Had 4 of them and now have 3. If you see any on their website that have the features you seek, start pricing that model. Along with the lifetime warranty to the firearm and not just to the original owner, the customer support is top notch. All the above applies to any Armscor produced 1911. My other "el cheapo" 1911 is my Tisas 1911A1. I like it as well as any 1911 I have. I purchased mine from Bud's and also purchased Bud's 20.00 lifetime warranty. Haven't had a need to exercise the warranty but I have seen 2-3 folks who have. The service (with free shipping both ways) was fast and satisfied the customers' problems. As a side note, any firearm purchased from Gallery of Guns (Davidson's) is lifetime warranted by them. They have an excellent reputation for standing behind their products. Probably the primary differences you will find in features will be the beavertail style grip safety as compared to the G.I. style and fixed military style sights vs adjustable rears and optic fronts. Probably most of the ones catching your eye will have a lowered ejection port (nice feature) and some of those ports will be chamfered. If you buy a new 1911 from RIA or other "foreign" manufacturer, they are normally coated in a preservative which can be oily looking or a bunch of sticky matter. You really need to take the firearm all the way down and give it a good bath. I use mineral spirits. Then of course dry thoroughly and well lube less the barrel interior and the business end of the extractor and magazine well. I lightly lube those surfaces also however I pretty much wipe them dry following the lube. Just a little ritual (ocd?) of mine. You will find brand bashers everywhere and I feel most of them have never operated the brand they choose to bash. Talking about bashing, one of the best 1911s I had was the Taurus PT1911. Had it not been a series 80 style and equipped with a beavertail, I'd still have it today. The only gripe I have with Taurus is their hit or miss customer support. Really hard to pass up a Rock for your first 1911. Happy hunting and let us know how it turns out.

 

[Edcnh]

I have a Roger SR1911 commander size. New they are going for around $750 in my area. You should be able to pick up a good used one for $600 or less. The Roger is accurate and a blast to shoot.