M&P45 or Ruger SR1911

[tehweej]

I am torn between a S&W M&P45 or a Ruger SR1911. Have not had a chance to fire either, but I like the feel of the smiths, but am a fan of the 1911 platform.

Any insights?

Either would be a range toy/competition (3 gun most likely) gun. Thanks!

 

[Magnumite]

I see it like this: do I have a pistol like M&P and /or the 1911? Get the one which would fill out the collection more. If i have both or neither, (No secret, i love 1911's and Ruger firearms ( well, many of them anyway)), the SR 1911 gets the nod.

 

[psyshack]

In all honesty I went out to buy a 1911. Had cash in pocket and figured my old Korean war GI needed to slow down a tad. So I would have a classic and a new one.

At the end of the day I had a M&P .45 FS. And I like it a lot. It's no were near stock and shoots out great.

 

[Usertag]

Good job on making the hardest question in the world. The 1911 series is just a great range and competition gun. While the M&P45 is a great carry and competition gun. And in some opinions a good range gun. I personally like the SR1911 more, but in your case I would choose the M&P45. So the Smith & Wesson M&P 45.

 

[CZ57]

I would throw the XDm .45 into the mix. But as far as a 1911 goes I'd say time will prove that for its price range the Ruger SR1911 is going to be awfully hard to beat!

 

[DenaliPark]

A no-brainer, take the S&W and sit out the next massive wave of Ruger recalls....Seriously!

 

[ugaarguy]

Lemme get back to you after I drop an Apex D/C AEK into my M&P 40. Geez that's a tough question.

 

[Apocalypse-Now]

m&p.

 

[catnphx]

Or get the S&W 1911 ... appears to be a very nice gun.

 

[VegasAR15]

I have heard great things about the M&P45. Although, it is 2011, and being the centennial of the 1911, I went and finally got myself one on Saturday. I went with the STI Spartan, but I can see myself getting the SR1911 in the future.

 

[FullEffect1911]

Do you own other polymer pistols? If I had an old Colt 1911 I didn't want to shoot anymore and already owned a polymer pistol I would get another 1911.

Now-a-days I use my Springfield 1911 for target and range work and my Glock 17 for carry and competition. Those pistols fit my needs perfectly.

For what it is worth the M&P 45 is a great choice for a poly 45.

 

[LiveLife]

Have not had a chance to fire either, but I like the feel of the smiths, but am a fan of the 1911 platform.

Any insights?

Either would be a range toy/competition (3 gun most likely) gun.

If you are considering competition shooting with USPSA/3-gun, I would definitely recommend the M&P45 FS with APEX trigger or trigger job over the 1911 as the 10 round double stack magazines will allow easier/faster mag changes to reduce match stage times than the extended 10 round single stack 1911 magazines (been there and done that).

FYI, my M&P45 FS feeds/chambers SWC bullets seated to 1.25"-1.27" with taper crimp out to .472" reliably right out of the box

APEX offers two trigger kits for competition:
4-5 lb trigger kit - https://apextactical.com/store/product-info.php?pid54.html
3 lb trigger kit - https://apextactical.com/store/product-info.php?pid36.html

 

[RightCoastBiased]

I can't say anything bad about the ruger, I shot one and found it to be a great gun.

But I own an M&P 45 and carry it daily for duty. I also carry it most other places.

 

[Alex23]

For a range toy get the 1911 if only for the trigger. For carry and competition I like the plastic guns. But a 1911 with a bit of work is a great fun gun...enjoy.

 

[tehweej]

I love that all the advice here happens to be things that I have thought of. I have a Glock 36 that I use for carry, and like it. I like the Glocks, but I just kind of want a 1911 as well. The Smith has a 1911-esque feel to it, which I like, but I also am looking for a pistol I can give my grandkids, and as much as I like the poly guns, I don't see them lasting as long as a steel-framed gun. The smith would be better for my times in competitions, but I am doing it more for fun. I would like to use a GI-pattern 1911, an M1 Garand, and a M12 pump (trench gun variety if at all possible, not likely though) in a 3gun match, just because. And while the Ruger is not a parked GI model, for the time being it would be close enough. Magazine cost is also a factor. I know there are good and bad 1911 mags out there, and middle of the road would be fine for me (though I would really like to use WC or Chip Mc mags).

I do not care much for the XD or XD(m)s, I see them as a bastard child of a 1911 and a Glock. Pick one or the other, not both at the same time. I also can get a really good deal on either of the two listed, so those are the only two in contention at the moment.

@ Magnumite: I do not have a pistol similar to either, which makes this that much harder. :banghead:

 

[wristtwister]

I just went through the S&W armorer's school for M&P pistols, and think they're pretty nifty guns. They're smartly designed and pretty easy to fix and work on, but so are 1911's.

If I was making a choice, it would depend on use. Either one would make a good duty weapon, but if you're "collecting" my choice would be the 1911, simply because it's a steel gun. S&W has a new line of 1911's out also, and I haven't seen a Ruger SR-1911 yet, but since everything is CNC machined these days, I suspect that any of the manufacturers offerings will be pretty consistent with their competitors. I handled a Remington R-1 recently that was smoothe as butter, and most of the new guns I've seen with CNC parts are all pretty consistent in quality. Like the old days, the differences lie in spring choices, trigger work, and attention to details.

I can't really say how Ruger's 1911 is, but I've seen the new S&W's and they're excellent. Great machine work, and great finishes... and they all seemed to run like a Swiss watch. Shooting the M&P, one of our salesmen who is also an animal control officer, outshot the entire sheriff's department qualification class he attended, so apparently they work well too...

When I'm selling guns, I tell people "you can spend as much money making the same bullet go 'bang' as you want to spend"... and most of the time, the choices are made because somebody likes one gun over the other for whatever hidden reasons they might have. They're both great guns, and depending on whether you have an M&P fetish or a 1911 fetish, you'll probably decide based on your own prejudice rather than anybody else's.

If you settle on the M&P, I would suggest signing up for the armorer's course just so you realize its potential. They are extremely versatile.

WT

 

[tehweej]

I also went through the armorer's class and also think that the M&Ps are very well designed. I love how all the safties just move the trigger bar over, clever design!

ETA: I work at an outdoor outfitting store, and they paid for me to go to the class and I get to go to the M&P rifle one next

I did have a chance to handle the SR1911, and it has a good overall feel about it. Tight fit on most the parts, decent trigger for a factory job, and for the price point, probably one of the better pistols you could buy in a 1911 platform. If I were a customer with money to spend in that price point, that would be the one I would get.

I do not have a fetish for either, and am pretty much split down the middle. I am leaning to the Ruger, just from the collection/longevity stance. Thanks for all the opinions guys!

 

[TonyT]

Aside from both shooting 45 ACP amo they are entirely different guns with respect to grip, capacity and trigger mechanism. Try before you buy.
I shoot a number of 1911's in competition and have recently purchased a fullsize M&P45. I was very impressed with the M&P45's reliability and accuracy but not it's trigger.

 

[rugernut]

I have the SR1911....you will not be disapointed...John Browning..Bill Ruger..nuf said

 

[dhodgins]

I have a SR1911. It took 2 trips to Ruger to clear up FTF issues. It is a decent mid-range 1911. To me it's an apples to oranges comparison to the M&P. I've only held an M&P in the shop but loved the ergos and wouldn't hesitate to buy one. The trigger sucks compared to a single action 1911, but it is workable.

 

[Mikey Idaho]

M&P 45 with Apex trigger

 

[Carter]

For range toy I'd pick the 1911. For carry or 3 gun I'd pick the m&p. I got to play around with an m&p pro at my last 3 gun match and I loved the trigger. I like 1911's, but they have several limiting factors, especially when compared to the newer handguns on the market.

 

[dcarch]

I would go with the SR1911 over the M&P45 any day of the week. The out of the box trigger on the M&P stinks. I personally also prefer the feeling of steel over the polymer framed M&P. JMHO

 

[Magnumite]

I've handled an SR 1911. It is well built and nice, nit a match gun but an exceklent foundation for later tuning. A competeny done trigger job, a barrel refit (only if needed, probably a bushing need only be addressed) and it would be a dandy gun.