Best PRODUCTION 1911, a poll

[JDR]

I think many of the Colt fans have either short memories, or perhaps they aren't old enough to remember when Colt went to the collet barrel bushing as a cost savings measure to eliminate the expense of having to fit solid barrel bushings.

I recall back several years ago when the collet bushing broke on a friend's 1979 vintage nickel plated Colt Series 70 1911 while he was shooting with it at the range. This was a much carried but it was not a much fired gun when he bought it 10 or so years ago, and he only had several hundred additional rounds through it since then. Obviously, Colt does not use the collet bushing anymore, no reputable gunsmith would trust keeping a collet bushing on any original Colt 1911, much less a carry gun. My friend trusted it right up until the moment it failed. I would not own or carry an older 1911 Colt that still had a collet bushing, do any of you still own one? This gun has since had a solid NM barrel bushing fitted and it runs 100% at the range but he no longer carries it. Colt Mfg. obviously quit using these for a reason, anyone feel otherwise?

When you say Colt makes the best production 1911's I assume you mean new production, and anyone would have to admit that Colt's build quality has improved a lot over the years. Older Colt 1911's that see regular use have almost always been modified at significant cost with a lot of aftermarket parts to keep them reliable and accurate.

The newer 1911 manufacturers like Dan Wesson have learned a lot from Colt's mistakes, such as what is described above. And OBTW, Dan Wesson did have some minor growing pains when they entered the 1911 market about 13 years ago with the Patriot Expert, the one and only time I ever saw a cracked mag release on a 1911 was on an early DW Patriot Expert!

Colt fans, particularly the old-schoolers, I'd like to hear your opinion, Thanks!

 

[snooperman]

I have a Colt 70 series I bought many years ago that I would never sell but the new Dan Wesson is just as good in my opinion.

 

[bowdad]

Carrying any gun with any amount of use that hasn't been serviced regularly is insane! I drive a 1982 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ 40 the situation you describe your friend experiencing would be the equivalent to me freaking out because my FJ 40's OEM battery quit working 33 years after it was installed. Some things wear out, if you maintain your equipment your less likely to experience a failure. In a vehicle you may do some walking, sleeping under the stars, etc if you don't maintain it. In a gun you carry, lack of proper maintenance has the potential to be deadly.
IMO your buddy's handgun failure was 110% his fault, not the manufacturer. He bought the gun used, who knows what the person he bought it from did to the gun, or the guy he bought it from, or however many owners the gun passed through. I have bought "new" guns from retail stores and later found they had replaced things that were not OEM, of course I make sure they hear about it, and I scratch them off my list of places I buy from as well as spread the word to all my shooting group.

 

[JDR]

That Colt was 100% original and in like new condition when my friend bought it which is why he bought it in the first place. The gun was maintained regularly but was not shot often, everybody has some guns they shoot more often than other guns! This one worked until the day when he was shooting it and one of the fingers snapped off the bushing. When it broke the gunsmith would only replace it with a NM solid bushing, which was the right way to fix it, but then this gun was no longer in original condition.

To use your automobile analogy, a guy with an original, numbers matching 1957 Corvette blows the original 283 motor in it, the car would probably run better and more reliably with a new small block crate motor but that would kill the originality and the value of the car, so he gets the original motor rebuilt.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Colt never recalled 1911's with collet bushings, or offered to retrofit solid bushings on these guns at no cost. Not everybody fixes something that's not broke, they wait until it breaks to fix it!

 

[Chocolate Bayou]

Closed poll

The poll has closed and i'm happy I don't have to choose between Colt or Springfield. I think the TRP is nose to nose with the XSE. I wouldn't hesitate on either one.

 

[1John1:9]

S&W Scandium Frame. Why? Because I like it; I really can't give you any other reason.

 

[Gun Master]

S&W Scandium Frame. Why? Because I like it; I really can't give you any other reason.

I plan to look it up, based on your wonderful signature ! It works ! ><>

 

[bluecollar]

The poll closed before I got to vote but I'll proffer my shillings worth. I have several Colts, several Springers, several Kimbers, several RIAs, and one DW CCO. Also one Wilson CQB. And I'll say directly and up front that of the production guns the DW is head and shoulders above them in quality fitment. It is just evident as soon as you pick one up. Maybe I just got an excellent example and all the other makers' 1911s are lesser products that I just had the unfortunate experience of obtaining but to me it is patently obvious. I will go as far as saying that the DW is pretty darn close to the Wilson in build quality and the Wilson cost twice as much. I admit that I am somewhat of a trigger snob when it comes to 1911s and on some days I can't feel the difference between the DW and the Wilson. I will admit that the last 1911 I obtained was a Colt Rail gun and it was the first Colt I have come across in quite a while that didn't have any trigger creep. Trigger is heavy but no creep.

 

[ttheel]

Colt has the history and is a well built gun but Dan Wesson makes the best production 1911 's on the market today. They are not much of a step down from an Ed Brown or Wilson.