Colt and Springfield 1911s

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Spec ops Grunt

Spec ops Grunt

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Do those companies make good out of the box 1911s. I'm confused mainly because of how many people that make 1911s.
 
aside from kimbers, i think they're more or less top of the line. well, there's Les Baer, Wilson Combat, etc, as well... but SA, i know, has a good range of 1911's all the way from the $500 GI-issue, to the $2000- Operator (or was it the leatham ledgend one?)

~TMM
 
Best 1911 out of the box, under $1000 - STI Trojan.

Wise man say - buy $900 gun from people who make $2000+ guns, not a $900 gun from people that make $600 guns!
 
I have heard bad things about the Springfield Stainless Steel versions, but their blued/parkerized guns are supposed tto be very nice...for the money. Colts of late have a good rep, also.
 
Colt and Springfield 1911s
Without getting into a long 1911 debate the answer is!! They Make fine 1911 pistols
 
I have good luck with the Mil-Spec Springer. It has been totally reliable, Since Tuner's threads about the dimple mag followers. It shoots 2 inch groups @ 25 yards, when I do my part. Now if my wife follows my Christmas list, this thing might be deMIM by January.
 
I've got three springfields (including a stainless one) and haven't had a problem with any of them. My Loaded model will do one ragged hole at 25 feet
 
TMM said:
SA, i know, has a good range of 1911's all the way from the $500 GI-issue, to the $2000- Operator (or was it the leatham ledgend one?)

~TMM
Click to expand...

I think you mean the Springfield Professional. They also have a model with a light rail that just came out also.

Spec Ops,
My first 1911 was a Colt Government. It rattles more than a bag of beans, but its a straight shooter. The gun is reliable and accurate, but I have other 1911s that I enjoy shooting more. My Series I Kimber and Les Baer come to mind...

I've shot numerous Springfiels also. And they make great 1911s also. They shoot straight, and reliable also from my expereinces. On a related note, I even held a Springfield GI a few weeks ago, and that thing has a pretty darmn good slide to frame fit.

Now, of course I know slide to frame fit means beans in terms of accuracy, but I just like it when my guns dont make music...

Both are great companies. If you find a working Kimber however, I'd pick that above the other two. However, getting a good working Kimber seems to be a gamble. And their quality is iffy. But... betwee the three companies, nothing really beats how a Kimber shoots.

FWIW.

P.S. I recently replaced the Colt as my HD gun to the Kimber. I figure if I shoot the gun better w. it I might as well use it for that purpose. Bye bye beautiful polished bluing. Hello holster wear! :D
 
No significant difference

There are five companies producing affordable, good quality 1911's. They are (in alphabetical order): Colt, Kimber, Para Ordnance, Springfield Armory and Smith & Wesson. In my experience, $500-1,000 (depending mostly on features) will get you a good quality 1911 from one of those companies. Each company has been known to produce the occasional dud (and you'll hear about them on THR), but for the most part your odds of getting a good gun are high.

You can go cheaper, but IMNSHO the dropoff in quality isn't worth it.

You can also go more expensive by stepping up to the semi-custom guns from the likes of Ed Brown, Les Baer, Wilson Combat, etc., but it's a BIG step up in price.

Go to your local gun shop. Try out a Colt, a Springfield, and whatever else they have in your price range. Pick the one that makes you happy.
 
There are a lot of companies that make great 1911s. As you get to spend serious money, then the list shortens a little. I personally would stay away from Charles Daley and the like, but Springfield, Kimber, Smith & Wesson and Colt all make great entry to mid level 1911s for someone not familiar with them.

Everyone will have their fav, though, and might tell U that 1 is better than the other.

I've had 3 Springfields, 1 Kimber and 1 Dan Wesson.
 
How handy are you at basic smithing? I picked up a Springfield knowing full well that I would have to swap out some parts to get it up to my personal standards. All together, it will come out a couple hundred cheaper than buying a pistol with all the doodads I'm putting into it already there, and I'll learn how to make it all go together right.

The fact is, however, that there are only a couple of parts that really bother me and stop me from carrying it right out of the box. Namely the MIM sear and the cast slide stop. Everything else is "good enough," and upgrading to better parts is personal taste. It's a fine pistol, and, in my case, the only way to get into a double-stack 1911 on this side of $900.
 
Shipwreck said:
I've had 3 Springfields, 1 Kimber and 1 Dan Wesson.
Click to expand...

I can't believe I forgot Dan Wesson in my list of "quality" 1911 manufacturers. Dan Wesson has made some great 1911's that are excellent values. So I guess my list of "high value 1911's" now has six names on it: Colt, Dan Wesson, Kimber, Para Ordnance, Springfield Armory and Smith & Wesson.
 
Well, which one is closest to JMB's origanal design.

Also, how hard is it to undo the safty when its cocked and locked when your left handed?
 
Colt gets my vote hands-down, and I've had just about every make 1911

Last summer, I bought 5 Kimber 1911s, 4 were custom shop. Four (4) had to be returned new-in-the-box for factory defects. I sold them ALL and bought 3 Colts and a Warrior. All 3 Colts are awesome. My Warrior is awesome. Choose what "feels" good in the hand. For me, NO OTHER PISTOL feels even half as good as the Colts XSE!!!! Why? I don't know. And it shoots! All of my present 1911s are shooters! If you get a Kimber, get an internal extractor and if possible, a "Series I". It really is nice that we 1911 "aficionados" are so spoiled with such wonderful firearms. Anyhow, between Springfield and Colt, I'd take Colt.

Doc2005
 
Spec ops Grunt said:
Do those companies make good out of the box 1911s. I'm confused mainly because of how many people that make 1911s.
Click to expand...
To answer your question.....Yes, both companies do.
 
Both are fine. You will ALWAYS find people to pooh-pooh on any given maker.

My Springfield runs just fine. Others have Colts that run just fine. Others have Kimbers that run just fine. Others have Smith and Wessons that...

OK, you get the point.
 
I've got 3 Colts, spanning about 15 years of production. My first was a Government Model. Second came a stainless Officer's ACP. Finally was a Colt 1991A1. All of them shoot about the same (I can generally get about a 2 inch group or so at 50 feet at the local indoor range). None of my Colts have needed reliability work. I did outfit my GM with Bomars, an extended safety, and a trigger job, but all of that was elective. I find them to be completely satisfactory.
 
My SA "Loaded" (stainless) was a POS. Colts I've owned suffered from spotty guality control. Regards.
 
I have a older SA Mil Spec, a recent SA GI, and an older Colt S80 Enhanced Commander.

All three ran fine. All three need a kick in the pants to become better then fine. All three are now wonderful pistols and I have a hard time choosing which to shoot.
 
I currently have a '99 vintage SA "Loaded", a New Colt 70, and a Nighthawk. The springer, while reliable, is sharp...literally. This thing needs a major dehorn.

The Colt is fantastic. I initially bought it to be a base gun for a build, but it really doesn't need anything. It's every bit as reliable and comfortable to shoot as the Nighthawk. The Colt is just more refined than my SA, and because of that, there's more pride of ownership.

That being said, I HAD a Colt 1991 Commander I bought in '94. It was OK, but inaccurate and ugly. Colt has since got their workmanship and quality back up to where it should be. Heck, if you check out LTW, most of the smiths there agree that the guns coming out of Colt now, are arguably some of the highest quality guns they've ever made.

I've heard that the newer SA's have addressed the dehorning issues etc. If I were to get a SA, I'd go for the milspec or the GI. The "loaded" guns are nice, but don't necessarily have the features that I need or want (not to mention that I think forward cocking serrations are an abomination).

Rich
 
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