If you are going to buy a 1911(under 2000)--which one is the most reliable?

[Greg Bell]

Guys,

If you were going to buy a 1911 (under $2000), and don't care whether the are better or worse than anything else, which one is the best in terms of reliability? Les Baer? Wilson? Ed Brown? Colt, SA?

I am actually going to buy the gun that you reccomend--so pick well.

 

[Renegade]

Any of them

You've selected very reputable makers of 1911's. They all can give each other a run for the money, but if I was forced to choose, it would be a difficult choice. If it were my $2000 and those were my choices I'd pick the Les Baer. Have you given any thought to Kimbers?

Later,

Dave

 

[1911Tuner]

With 2,000 Bucks...

I'd buy 2 Colt NRMs or 3 WW2 Springfield repros, and put a hundred bucks
apiece in'em for a little reliablity tweakin'...and spend the rest on ammo
and spare mags.

The reliability tweaks can be done by you, and leave more moolah for ammo
and other goodies.

Standin' by to instruct and/or help...

Tuner

PS. Toss the Springfield extractors right off the bat and order Brown Hardcores. Colt's barstock extractors seem to be okay for the present.
Subject to change depending on their vendor's commitment to quality.

 

[Greg Bell]

O.K. I lean towards colt. I need a fullsize NRM? I like the 1911 without the forward serrations. How much should one run. Can it be had with dovetails precut?

 

[SouthpawShootr]

I'm particularly partial to my Kimber TLE. Came set up from the factory exactly the way I wanted it. Over the years, I've become attached to nightsights. Checkering the frontstrap was a nice touch, although I could take it or leave it. My 3 Colts have had minor work (mainspring housings, beavertails, and one set of adjustable sights), but otherwise they are stock and they've all been reliable. Never tried Springfield. Never any custom guns (such as Wilsons, Ed Browns, etc).

 

[ken grant]

Reliablity !!!!!!

TUNER
What reliablity tweaks need to be done? How to do them?
Wish you would write a book on tuning 1911's
I am attempting to print all your posts on tuning them.
I also try to get the ones on pistolsmith.
Any others?
THANKS

 

[Marshall]

Look into STI's Pistols!

STI pistols and prices

 

[happyguy]

If I had $2000 to spend I'd go with the two NRM Colts. And if I was going to carry one I get it dehorned a bit and maybe get beavertails added to both. Keep one for practice/range and keep the other fresh for carry.

BTW: I never liked beavertails until I bought my SW1911.

I've got a Colt NRM that's got about 2500 rds through it now and have had two malfunctions. Round 81 slipped in front of the exctactor during the feed cycle. And sometime later I failed to properly seat a magazine and it fell out of the weapon when I fired it. Can you say "EMBARASSING!"?

Other than that, it's been 100%. It seems very accurate, but I'm no bullseye shooter or gun writer so I don't pretend to be able to shoot it to it's potential.

Regards,
Happyguy

 

[fix]

Once you move past the 1k mark, IMO you're better off having a base gun tweaked. I'd drop 500 on a springer milspec and write a 1000 dollar check to a good gunsmith if I were looking to spend that kind of money. Use the remaining money to buy good mags and carry gear.

 

[El Tejon]

Les Baer TRS.

I've gone fix's route a few times. They did not run. Get a Baer, reliable off the shelf.

I have enough frustration in my life (gee, what a shocker!). I like to get it right from the start.

 

[Smoke]

I can't say enough good things about my Kimbers.


Smoke

 

[artherd]

Wilson Combat CQB is the 1911 I would expect to keep running the longest.

Kimber TLEs and their other carry-design pistols should be good as well.

The SIG GSR looks promiseing. If they do their part, it may be 'the' 1911 to have!

 

[Josey]

I would buy Colt. I suggest two to start with. A M1991A1 full size used and a NRM. I am not a stainless fan. I would buy both in the matte blue finish. You shouldn't need much more tuning. A full length guide rod would be useful. Sights, grips and magazines would be the first add-ons for me. Polishing and throating might be nice. The rest is owners choice.

 

[Robert Hairless]

You can get a near-custom Valtro for that money. It's superb, especially with the angled rear sight with tritium bar/dot inserts. The only real downside is that you until John Jardine builds yours you wait ... wai ... wa ... w ... wait. Mine took about 10 months. But it's well worth the wai ....

If the Valtro isn't your cup of tea, I agree with the recommendation of the Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special.

 

[1911Tuner]

Tweaks

Ken asked:
What reliablity tweaks need to be done? How to do them?
--------------------------

Nothin' that you can't do, Ken. Soon as I get a few minutes today, I'll
start a thread on it. I'm sure that some of the other guys will chime in
and offer a few tricks of their own. Jim Keenan, Old Fuff and Bountyhunter
are all pretty sharp on this issue. More will surface, I'm sure.

I'll probably be able to get to it sometime after noon Eastern time.

Later on!

Tuner

 

[Tamara]

The folks recommending Kimbers or Colts are commendably brand loyal, but with a $2k budget ceiling, why settle for an assembly line gun with a MIM disconnector, plastic mainspring housing, et cetera?

If the question was "I have $700 to spend on a 1911; which one?", then I'd say "Colt", too. But the value-packed 1991A1 just isn't a competitor at the $2k level.

Wilson, Baer, Valtro, STI, et al, all make outstanding guns. The Sprigfield Custom guns and Ed Browns are generally on the far side of the $2k barrier, but you could just barely squeak under it with a blued Kobra.

Given the $2k criteria, and assuming you want to lift the gun out of the box and start shooting, not "tweak" it, I'd recommend a Valtro if you don't mind the wait, or a Les Baer if you want the gun Right Now. (PS: Stay away from the 1.5" Guarantee on the Baer guns. You'll note it isn't even offered on the all-business TRS... )

 

[Tamara]

PS: 1911tuner

Greg Bell is a user, not a tinkerer. He is conditioned by a life of Glocks and USP's that a good pistol is one that you can lift out of the box and start shooting, without bending any extractors or slurrying any rails.

You know what? I did too, and still would if I didn't have access to a top-flight gunsmith, thereby reducing my resistance to the idea of buying pistols in kit form (ie: Kimbers, Colts, and Springfields)

He doesn't want a kit gun, or one that needs to be tweaked, which is why I didn't recommend any of the base-model, mass-produced, MIM & plastic-infected, assembly-line guns. Let him catch the bug with a good semi-custom, and pretty soon he'll be re-building old Colts. Lord knows, that's how it worked for me. I was not a big 1911 fan until I bought my Springer Pro, then it was like the clouds split open and the angels sang. Now I'm building another custom on a '66 Colt Commercial Government Model (1911 number nine in the stable. )

 

[1911Tuner]

Kit Guns

Tamara said:

He doesn't want a kit gun, or one that needs to be tweaked, which is why I didn't recommend any of the base-model, mass-produced, MIM & plastic-infected, assembly-line guns.

Well dang. That's half the fun!

My favorite (pistol) thing is takin' one that's been back to the (name your brand)
manufacturer 2 or 3 times without resolvin' the problem, and makin' it run
in about 30 minutes. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Cheers!

Tuner

 

[Sean Smith]

First of all, I think the need to jerk around with factory 1911s to work is being rather severely overstated. Fiddling with them is fun, but is hardly necessary as a rule of thumb.

That said, you can get some seriously nice gun for $2,000. Now that their lead times aren't measured in geoogical time, Rock River Arms is worth a very serious look. And unlike almost all the high-end 1911 makers out there, you can order your gun pretty much anyway you want, including no forward serrations, the brand of sights you want, and so forth.

http://www.rockriverarms.com/catalog-list.cfm?Category=10&Subcat=Custom Pistols&storeid=1

The best off-the-shelf choice, if you can find one for $2,000 or less, is probably the Springfield Professional.

But depending on how picky you are, the best choice for your money might be to just have a pistolsmith work up a custom gun for you.

 

[Berg01]

The Rock River Arms National Match Hardball; for $1,380.00, it meets all of your criteria.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Buy a Colt New Series 70 in stainless. Send it to Wilson for a reliability package, which is like $75. Also have the front strap checkered, a Wilson Beavertail installed, a flat mainspring housing and a tritium front sight installed. Use the extra money for leather, ammo, mags and range time.

 

[harrydog]

For $2,000 I'd try my best to find a SA Professional Model. They can be found for that price, or just a little bit more.

 

[ken grant]

1911

hAVE 4 -1911'S-------- COLT MIV COMBAT COMMANDER----GRIFFON 1911A1---- SPRINGFIELD MIL-SPEC AND A NORINCO.
The Norinco works best of all,works with all mags and ammo

 

[cratz2]

Rock Rivers are very nice, as are Browns. Sorry to let my fellow Hoosier Mr Freeman down, but I've never really been partial to Baers. Plenty of beautiful guns out there under the $2,000 ceiling but any gun that guarantees 1.5" groups at 50 yards would give me pause in the reliability department.

On the same token, if you are set on spending $2,000 on an out of the box 1911 and have no intentions of sending it to a gunsmith... I can't see going to a Series II Kimber. Or a Springfield MilSpec. I mean, I've had 100% exxperience from my NRM Colt but the Springfield Professional is likely the route I'd go if I had $2,000 to spend on a 1911 and none of it could go to a gunsmith. But I'd rather send my $500 ($50 off because one of the grips was scratched) NRM Colt to a smith (a good one, not jo Joe Bob next door... unless Ned Christiansen happens to live next door to you) and have a reliability job done (though it's been completely reliable) and a few bulletproof reliability pieces, more for consistancy than anything else. And a decent 4# trigger job and a beavertail and new hammer. Then your choice of finish. Get a Milt Sparks SSII (or VMII if you prefer) and a good belt. Get a couple cases of ammo and five Chip McCormick Powermags and you're good to go.

 

[Tamara]

Sean Smith,

First of all, I think the need to jerk around with factory 1911s to work is being rather severely overstated. Fiddling with them is fun, but is hardly necessary as a rule of thumb.

Note the thread originator. This is a man who is about to dump up to $2k to prove a point: If he has so much as one screwup from a limp SA extractor, a screwed up Series II grip safety, an overtight "1.5 inch" Baer, or whatever, we will hear about until the heat death of the universe. Since the man is specifying a $2k price point, why suggest a $700 gun when there are much better ones out there?

Put me in the "Look for a Kobra or Professional on sale" group.


(PS: My current stainless Loaded is one of my favorite 1911's. After replacing the factory ejector, which snapped one of its legs off, and the factory extractor, which had roughly the tension of al dente pasta, it's been 100% reliable. )