I want my first 1911.....to buy low end or high end???

[Berg01]

To me, the idea of finding a nice used Series I Kimber Custom Target at a good price, shooting it for a while to figure out what it needs, and then letting my pistolsmith perfect it, really seems to be "the way to go".

The hard part is "finding a nice used Series I Kimber Custom Target at a good price"; the rest is easy.

 

[Marshall]

I agree with Smoke, the "middle end" is where my concentration on 1911's are. The $650.00 to $900.00 range provides lots of excellent choices for quality handguns.

 

[Sean Smith]

So where is all the broken Kimber MIM parts?

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=50132&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32120&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79846&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76485&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=72119&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73749&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=53679&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48385&highlight=MIM+broken

http://www.1911forum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42359&highlight=MIM+broken

 

[magsnubby]

I would definitely buy a good quality weapon like S&W,Colt or Kimber. Don't buy a cheap 1911. I know from personal experiance. I bought a Charles Daly because it had a lot of nice feature and the price was right. It's been worked on three times and still can't get through more than three rounds without a malfunction. Same with my Rock Island . It's been worked on once and still has the same problem. Don't buy cheap.

 

[SteelyDan]

If you decide to go the "inexpensive" route, I'll throw out one option that hasn't been mentioned. Pick up a copy of Shotgun News at your local newsstand, and check out the ads for used (usually described as "police trade-ins") S&W .45s. Personally, I do not care for the look of the S&Ws, but my tastes are irrelevant and they tend to be pretty good shooters. And the prices are good.

Having said that, you'll probably never regret saving up for another month or two or three and going the "quality" route.

 

[Zak Smith]

Here are my recommendations for a single-stack .45ACP 1911, at three price points:

Around $600-700: Dan Wesson Patriot. Nice and tight, good solid construction, decent trigger pull from factory. Better attention to detail than comparably priced Kimbers. Mine's seen over 10,000 rounds in the last year and runs great.

Around $1000. New STI. You might find a used Valtro, Les Baer, or Wilson at this price. Rock River might be worth considering, but the wait is long.

$1500 and up: If you're going to spend this kind of money, find a good pistolsmith and have him build you one up from scratch, or start the built with a nice Colt slide and frame set. You can get exactly what you want with a single man standing behind the product.

-z