Best PRODUCTION 1911, a poll

Best PRODUCTION 1911?

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I like my colts best but i didn't pick them due to their grip safety rattle and slide slop and rattle and sloppiness of the parts fitting together. They work and work well....but one thing that irks me on a 1911 is a rattler of a grip safety.
 
Fit and finish on my STI VIP and Dan Wesson PM7 are close to that of my Les Baer and are all really good, I have several Colts and they are probably the ones that build closest to original specs, My Kimber is a good shooter but I've had to replace the fire control parts and I question their QC and their CS is questionable. My Ruger was a fine functioning gun but it's accuracy was only OK. I've owned a couple Springers and they make a fine 1911, I also own a Para Ordnance and it's a great shooting gun. The Smith and Sigs I'm sure are great but I don't want a external extractor on my 1911s I have a couple 3rd gen Smiths and a couple P Sigs.
Bottom line they'll all make a lemon occasionally but mostly produce good guns.
 
Dan Wesson...

...only because he's Smith's cousin ;)

Seriously, doesn't Ole Danno use some crazy metal like tool steel or something for all their parts, or is this just internet-gun-myths??
 
Ruger? Seriously? I am not voting since I have never handled or fired a Dan Wesson or Colt. I do own a Remington R1 Enhanced and like it a lot. But I know enough not to vote instead of voting for what I think I know. Ruger? I am sure a decent gun for the price.....just like mine is.......but certainly not the best. Like to own a DW Valor or Kimber Eclipse Custom II, and they are probably both contenders for "Best", even better than a Ruger.
9 fingers
 
TO THE PONY!!!

COLT IS GOD.

"And the Lord said unto his only son, John Browning, come forth my son and make the greatest combat implement ever devised or ever will be devised, and on the 7th day John Browning made the M1911 semi-automatic pistol in the Lord's own image".

Can't beat that with a stick.
 
I really have to wonder how much of all the Colt love is because the Colt is a superior product, or just because it has the Colt name on the side and they made the 1911 first.

Obviously asking "which is best" is a flawed question because "best" is so subjective and so job dependent. Best meaning most accuracy? Most durable? best fit/finish? most reliable? Most true to original spec?

Despite the fact that my 1911 is a Colt, I voted DW. Having checked out a V-Bob recently, I have a serious jones for one, and the other DWs i've held and shot were consistently wonderful.
 
Best PRODUCTION 1911, a poll

This is one of those endless polls where the very best 1911 gun is the one each contributing member owns. Much like the rifle threads where every rifle shoots 1/4 MOA all day with steel cased garbage ammunition.

I agree with 19-3Ben in his reply. Not that I am ready to run out and buy a Dan Wesson but of late the DW guns seem to get good reviews. Dan Wesson always made good guns, it was always a question of another bankruptcy and wondering if the Dan Wesson you bought a gun from today would be around tomorrow if there was a problem Since CZ bought the boat I think we can figure Dan Wesson turns out a fine gun and will be around tomorrow.

Personally I like the Colt 1911 guns with a special fondness for the Series 70 guns, especially the Gold Cups.

Colts.png

The two guns in the foreground are Series 70 Gold Cup guns. Anyway, the fact that I like the Colts doesn't make them the better gun. Just means I happen to like them. Today if I added another 1911 I would have no reservation buying a Dan Wesson gun. I would do it in a heartbeat.

Unfortunately this weekend I will be bailing my brother out of some financial woe buying his 6" Python and a Colt SP1 from him. Sort of places a dent in my gun cash flow. On the bright side I have just over $1,000 in Cabela's bucks so I'll be checking out Cabela's this weekend and in the near future. Would love to find a gently used Dan Wesson 45 to join my Colt stash.

P.S. I also have a 3" Kimber 45 that I really have grown fond of. Never dreamed a 3" 45 ACP could shoot as well as this little gun.

Just My Take....
Ron
 
I really have to wonder how much of all the Colt love is because the Colt is a superior product, or just because it has the Colt name on the side and they made the 1911 first.
Click to expand...
Colt has been around long enough that both have been true at one time, I think the current colts I have 4 less than 5 years old are very competative at their price point and they have a pony on them.
 
I think Colt makes the best no-frills 1911 out there. I used to think Springfield Armory did, and at one time that was true, but I think Colt has caught up to Springfield again.

When it comes to guns with more semi-custom features, the DW guns are probably the nicest out there, but at that price point they'd better be. They're quite a bit more expensive than the other products listed here. I think I'd still take a Colt; the XSE is a lot of gun for the money.
 
19-3Ben said:
I really have to wonder how much of all the Colt love is because the Colt is a superior product, or just because it has the Colt name on the side and they made the 1911 first.
Click to expand...

It's the latter.

Colts are very good guns these days. The company has made quite the turnaround in QC. The visual and emotional appeal of a blued Colt 1911 is pretty tough to beat in the production category. That said, there are other manufacturers who produce a higher-quality production 1911.
 
Colt, all the rest are copy's. Some are better at certain things but I always like to hand it to the original manufacturer. It's a lot easier to take an existing invention and change it, The Japanese were famous for doing that with cars and everything else since the 60's. But the Original has to count for something.
 
I have to agree with AustinTX.

I'm a Colt fan. Beautiful guns, esp. in blue, and classic.

But, parts, fit, finish and accuracy? I'd have to say Dan Wesson, at least from the recent models I've handled.

Colt Gold Cup trophy with a God-awful trigger. Colt lightweight Government with a so-so trigger and so-so finish. Colt CCG with a thumb safety from hell. A nice 01991 Commander in stainless with the new beavertail (finally!) and a long trigger with a looong takeup. ONE blued Series 70 I handled at Cabela's two weeks ago had a nice trigger. But, the 70 Series sights don't do it for me. Even the Colt Custom Shop guns -- the special combat governments -- I have found to have so-so triggers, and no frontstrap checkering, even at $2,000+ !! This is all handling at LGS, mind you -- not shooting.

Contrast that with the DW Heritage at the LGS whose slide rolls on ball bearings, has a dovetailed front nightsight and a solid trigger that broke like a proverbial glass rod -- and you can still adjust that trigger for overtravel. All for under $1200. The V-Bobs I've handled have been things of beauty, too - dense, sculpted steel with form following function, tight tolerances, quality parts and smooth operation of all controls. Very high prices, though.

I have a Colt WWI repro in carbonia blue that is a thing of beauty to behold. Tiny sights, tiny thumb safety, still a joy to shoot. Wouldn't carry it for SD or for target shooting. I'd get a Dan Wesson for that. So, I vote Dan Wesson.
 
Maybe I'm the odd one out of the bunch, but I bought my Ruger SR1911 about 2 years ago and it's a wonderful pistol. I'm no competition shooter (anymore) and seldom shoot past 15 yards; but at 10 yards, off-hand with 200 gr. LSW reloads I can put 5 rounds into a cloverleaf @ .75". It has been an accurate and dependable/reliable pistol with no issues. I shoot it well and I enjoy shooting it. I researched A LOT before making my decision, and I feel I made the right decision for me :)
 
I've owned two Kimber's, which were great shooters and reliable guns. Kimber I believe get's a bad rap for two reasons:

1) The own the market, in 1911 sales, the sell more than there top four competitors combined. A company that turns out those big of numbers is bound to produce an occasional lemon. But 1% of a 100,000 is a lot more than 1% of a 1000, so the complainers are more common on forums.

2) Because they sell so many guns they have a lot of first time 1911 buyers, and in many cases first time gun buyers. Modern 1911's buy there very nature are a gun to tinker with and a gun that's better for someone mechanically inclined who has some firearms experience. Good tight ones require serious break in and are picky on ammo out of the box. The same is true of the Wilson's and Nighthawks some of my buddies have owned.

That being said, for production 1911's I would look at a Dan Wesson Valor/Specialist or Springfield TRP operator over a Kimber Gold Combat which would be my third choice on that list.

OTOH, While the Ruger is a very good gun for the money, it's not even comparable in fit and finish to a Kimber, and doesn't try to be. And the Brazilian Springfield's (just about all of the Springers under a $1500) have nothing on the lower priced Kimber's. And Sig has had far more QC issues (as a percentage) in 1911's than Kimber. As an overall company I would still rank Kimber #2 behind Dan Wesson. The basic Kimber Customs have a slide-frame fit that rivals any production gun under $2000 in this business. I must admit I've never handled the STI. Colt? do they still even produce guns?:confused:
 
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