Looking for a GI Style 1911 - for Cheap

[popeye]

The closest thing to GI I own is this Norinco.

 

[AlexanderA]

I'd vote for the Auto Ordnance, looks the part better than the RIA, made in the USA, and is a really good value.

I would second this.

I'm a collector. I have several WW2 originals. Recently I decided I would like to have some modern clones. I ended up buying two RIA's and two Auto Ordnance / Kahrs.

The RIA's were quite far from the WW2 originals. That was OK, because I had some GI slides, barrels, and other parts. Basically, the only part of the RIA's I could use to build my clones was the frame. Just about everything else was replaced by GI. (For example, RIA uses a beveled ejection port and taller sights, meaning their slide is unusable for a clone.)

The Auto Ordnance guns were very close to the originals, with one glaring exception -- they have the Series 80 firing pin block. It's fairly simple to remove those parts and install a special spacer block in the frame. But 90% of the Auto Ordnance gun is authentic. The RIA "GI" gun is no more than 40% authentic.

The magazines provided with these guns are worthless. Get some Check-Mate GI mags.

 

[lsudave]

I recently bought a used Armscor High Standard. That comes close, but has a flat backstrap and some other things different.
I looked around for reviews on this gun, and couldn't find a lot relative to other pistols I've bought over the years.

One thing I did find of interest, was a website that 10 different options if you wanted to buy a USGI replica. The HS was on it. So was the Auto Ordnance. I think the CZ was among the best/closest options.

It wasn't a great website, but I'd like to find that page again. It was pretty interesting to see the various guns all compared to each other. I'd want the gun to

• function good
• be accurate
• use standard parts. ie not have things that don't interchange
• have a clean, billboard-free slide and frame
• have a good finish

The High Standard seems to have that, with a nice parkerized finish. The Tisas fits most of the list, the finish becomes apparent when you set it side by side with a parkerized gun.

 

[CapnMac]

I might need to order one of those.

Please note, I did a lot of gun show legwork (about 10 month's worth) to find a dealer who had one. Which saved me right at $100 over ordering for Bud's.