Ed Brown.....should I?

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wow6599

wow6599

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Well, my wife has given me the green light to buy an Ed Brown Classic Custom.......not sure why, but fine by me. Being from Missouri, and more specifically about 90 miles from Brown, I have always wanted one.
Never had $3000 to spend on a pistol though, but now I can. Here is my problem - I can't go through with it. I just don't know if a $3000 1911 is really worth $2000 more than a nice Colt, Springfield or S&W 1911.

I need some opinions from folks who have spent the money for a high-end, custom 1911. Is it worth it?

Oh yeah, it would be the stainless/blue version.
 
As an EB owner, I'd say get it. Others will say "it isn't worth it", "no handgun is worth...", "I could by 6 Glocks for that much money..."

You can't appreciate a quality 1911 unless you own it or have it on lone for an extended period of time. Simply shooting one at a range once is no substitue for continually shooting one of the finest 1911s made. The more you shoot it, the more you will come to appreciate the craftsmanship of such a fine weapon.

I have an Executive Target. It is the nicest, well made, and accuate 1911 I own.
 
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I would if I could. That being said, make sure you shoot it if you buy it. $3000 safe queen is a waist of money.

However a $3000 1911 will put a smile on your face everytime you pull the trigger. I may not have purchased a Ed Brown, but have bought enough other toys to know that once you get over the initial price shock, you will never be upset with buying quality and something that you really want.

Good luck in your choice!
 
What other 1911s do you have? Would this be your first 1911? My point is, if you're not familiar with the platform, $3,000 is a sizable entry fee. If you are familiar with the 1911, know all of it's quirks and the joy of shooting/owning one, then you probably wouldn't be asking this question ... you would be posting photos of your new Ed Brown instead.

I've had a Kimber Tactical Entry II for about a year now and I absolutely LOVE it. It's a $1,250 1911 (or $1,550 with Ed Brown parts :) ) so I can only imagine the pleasure of owning a genuine Ed Brown. You've raised an interesting question but only you can answer it. If a $1,000 1911 is 100% reliable and accurate, what are you getting that is worth another $2,000? I will say you're paying for some higher quality parts, quite a bit more labor for fitting and finishing, and a name. All of those may or may not be worth it to you. At some point you will be paying for art as much as engineering.

:)
 
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You could get a Brown for closer to 2K if you're not stuck on the CC. I like the looks of a SS SF with no roll marks.

For even less coin the DW Valor in SS is very well put together.

I have spent some serious coin, more than 3K, on gear and never regretted it. Quality is tangible.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Not my first, but close..... I have a Loaded Springer, and I've shot several others. Nothing in the form of a handgun comes close (IMHO) to the feel and beauty of a 1911. Nothing.
 
I've been lusting for a Brown for a while now. I'm partial to the Executive Carry and the Kobra Carry.
I honestly don't know if I would though. I'm like you. I would look at $2k - $3k and might not be able to do it. I'd like to have the opportunity though.
 
I have a Colt Govt 80 series with the 1* Elite package from Yost-Bonitz, and it is a pretty nifty custom piece of work. I got it used at a killer price and baaarely even broken in and it was my entry into the world of higher end 1911s. Not sure if it was worth the nearly $3k the original owner dumped into it though at the time of purchase.

I've shot high end name brand custom 1911s as well, and for bang for the buck a Springfield Professional blew me away more than any 1911 fighting gun I've touched short of a full house STI race gun. For $2600+, it struck me as ridiculous for a Springer, but the second I handled it and shot it I just believed right away that it was a cut above the rest of the turnkey 1911s I've shot. Now I believe without a shadow of a doubt that high end 1911's are worth the $$$.
 
Don't mean to steal your thread here...... I always wanted a Colt Python revolver. My wife and I were married almost a year when she gave me the go ahead to get it, I've never looked back. It wasn't any where near $3K, but this 6" revolver is the nicest handgun I've ever shot, not degrading autos! Get it, you only go around once, then shoot the springs out of it!
 
Don't do it! Get yourself an STI or something that's upper echelon but made to shoot and spend the rest if you really want to get rid of it on a bunch of ammo or maybe even a kit from Fusion and have fun and get some satisfaction building your own.
Another option would be to see if you can find a used EB and just get that, chances are very likely you'll be able to find one at 2/3 or 1/2 what it cost new as that's actually closer to what they're really worth (and most are like new as not many real shooters are the guys buying them and the collectors tend to limit them to low round counts).
The quality and attention to detail is nice of course, but the price is more reflective of the exclusivity and "name-drop-factor" than capability or them being superior in much more than price-tag.

FWIW, I've owned Wilson's, Baer's, etc., if you can shoot, an RIA with $100 in trigger work will do almost everything they will and sometimes more except for impressing 1911-snobs.
 
A used Ed Brown or used high end anything is generally a good idea, as there is a great number of people who buy nice toys like this don't use them a whole lot. If you can save 20-30% or more on something that had only 500-1500 rounds through it, it's golden.
 
I need to add this - I would rather spend $3000 to be the only owner of an Ed Brown than $2400 for a used one. I will (if I get it) shoot it, but baby it like it's an egg.
It would be for my son, who is only 3 years old, to have someday.
Call me a snob.
 
a hi point .45 for what a .45 was meant for as far as effectiveness was meant for will do the job, ugly pistol, deadly accurate, but if you got the money and can afford it like I wished I could ,I would get an Ed Brown or Kimber, for me a .45 is for up close self defense, to kill, a $250 cheapie will kill just like a high dollar custom but be sure to have a backup plan in case but then again even the high dollar ones can fail you, keep that K-Bar in your mouth...I carried a flashlight in my left hand, a KBar in my mouth and a worn out 1911 remington rand in my left and I am still here...but I am still a poor boy
 
I carried the .45 in my right hand, at 145# I was the one that got picked to go "in the hole" unless you are hell bent on hellacious accurate .45, I see the .45 like a 12 gauge, short range, very short range it dont matter, just get close and the round will do its job..
 
There are some very nice 1911's that are cheaper, but until you shoot a high end 1911 like the Ed Brown you'll never know. Let me put it this way, My favorite Uncle lives in Ohio 1100 miles from me. Now my Ford Taurus will get me there with no problem, but the ride in a Mercedes sure is a whole lot better.
 
If you've always wanted one, and you really think you can afford it, I say go for it.

If you get something else, no matter how much you like it you will probably always still lust after that Ed Brown you always wanted (at least I would). You may never get that go ahead again.
 
I agree with HOOfan. If you buy it and regret it, you can always sell it and recoup some of the money. However if you don't buy it, you will always regret it. You have the money to get it, your wife even agrees to it (which for some guys is a miracle in itself), and you've probably always wanted one. So what are you waiting for? :D Make sure you post pics of your new gun!
 
Better order it now, should be delivered in May, I ordered an STI from their custom shop, took 5 months. Worth every penny, I'm sure the Ed Brown would be too. It's only money, besides it's not like the wife will give a green light for something like this everyday. It does make you wonder why.
 
Get it! I got my Les Baer on the first of this month and have already taken it shooting five times! I really like it!
If you buy a custom quality gun in the first place you don't have to worry about sending it to gunsmiths for work later.
If you don't have any financial problems I say get it now and thank your Wife! Patrick

lesbaer10-1-2010011.jpg

lesbaer10-4-2010010-1.jpg
 
I say do it. I love my Brown - I worked up slowly over the years to higher priced 1911s. I then got a Springfield Custom, and later an Ed Brown Special Forces. I think Brown is my fav brand of 1911. I will likely buy another one day.

You might want to check out www.collectorsfirearms.com They normally have a few slightly used EB's in stock. You can sometimes save quite a lot on the used ones. Just a suggestion.
Click to expand...

I would not do that. They charge higher than MSRP on NEW Ed Browns - and a lot of their used guns are sold for close or equal to what you can get a new one elsewhere. I like to go there to look, that's about it.

They refused to come down to MSRP on a Special Forces, so I bought it from Top Gun Supply.

Brown-SF1.gif
 
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