Most reliable 1911 out of box?

[hurrakane212]

Basically I am wondering what the most reliable 1911 out of the box is under the $1000 range that will feed JHPs. At 1911Tuner's suggestion I am currently looking at the SA GI .45 4", Lightweight Champion and the GI .45 3",
Micro Compact but other suggestions are welcome (Including more from Tuner!) I plan on using it for CCW. It will probably be the 2nd gun I buy this year as I am going to pick up a 9mm first. ~Nathan

 

[Onmilo]

Geez, tough call when you start talking short guns,,,,,,
I'm going to have to agree that the Springfield is worth taking a look at.

I personally, have not had a great deal of luck with, nor do I feel confident with, any of the micro compact 1911 type .45 pistols though a buddy swears by a Para Warthog that he won't let me shoot for some reason,,,,,( I think because no matter what mini gun it is, I can make it jam! )

 

[1911Tuner]

Reliable

Uh...Just for the record. Tuner ain't no way advisin' a Micro NUTTIN' if you want/need out-of-box reliability. Best chances for that start with a 5-inch gun and the odds drop with each half-inch reduction in slide length.

 

[Janitor]

Uh...Just for the record. Tuner ain't no way advisin' a Micro NUTTIN' if you want/need out-of-box reliability. Best chances for that start with a 5-inch gun and the odds drop with each half-inch reduction in slide length.

When I read what the OP said about you recommending a 3" micro 1911, I had to start wondering if there were another 1911Tuner about these places that I hadn't met.

 

[Canuck-IL]

At 1911Tuner's suggestion I am currently looking at the SA GI .45 4", Lightweight Champion and the GI .45 3",
Micro Compact

Tuner ain't no way advisin' a Micro NUTTIN' if you want/need out-of-box reliability

Thank goodness...for a moment there I thought hell really had frozen over!
/Bryan

 

[mattk]

Must restart heart!
I really like the SW 1911's for out of the box guns.

 

[HighVelocity]

I've had very good luck with Springfield Armory 1911's. Out 4 guns I own or have owned, all were 100% out of the box.

 

[Wastemore]

Maybe I'm the lucky one, but after the break-in period, my loaded Micro runs perfectly. Granted, the first 3 mags I got 5 jams, but after that.. not a single problem and I shoot about twice a week and put anywhere between 100 & 400 rounds through her each time.

As for accuracy( I know you didn't ask but this thing's impressive)- an 8x8(inch) metal target I can strike at 50 yards 5 out of the 6 rounds in the mag.
Bring on the naysayers!! I have many witnesses who were once unbelievers..

 

[Rinspeed]

Just my opinion but anything other than a 5" 1911 is a crap shoot when it comes to reliability.

 

[foghornl]

I have a 4" Champion & the GI-45. The Champion had some issues after several hundred rounds; turned out to be wrong spring in one of the mags (Thanks to 'Tuner for findin' & fixin' that). A 7-lb spring in the mag instead of the 11-Lb spring 'Tuner and most other folks recommend.

After that, stone cold reliable...both of them.

Oh, yeah...to me, a 3" 1911 somehow just looks wrong. {now installing asbestos bloomers, while running for the hills...}

 

[jungle]

If you want a short, reliable .45ACP pistol get a Glock 30. End of story.

If you want a 1911 to work don't play with less than a 4.25" barrel such as a Commander.
I'm sure many owners will differ with this, but there are good reasons the small 1911s frequently choke and little to recommend them as a carry package.

 

[Wastemore]

Jungle,

I'm going to have to disagree. I'm not sure why short-cycle 1911's get no respect. I have had(and have) quite a few and they've all run flawlessly after minimal tuning. I've never seen a 1911 that doesn't require tuning to make it run right anyway. Short-cycles from 20 years ago? Different story.
I really think the bad reputation current short-cycles have is based more on opinionand hearsay than it is fact.

 

[1911Tuner]

Tuning

Howdy and welcome aboard.

A quote:

>I've never seen a 1911 that doesn't require tuning to make it run right anyway.<
****************
That's sad...but pretty common with the current crop of 1911 clones.
'Twasn't always like that though...

As for the chopped variants...I just know that somewhere, John Moses Browning is ROFLHAO and sayin':

"Three inches??? You GOTTA be yankin' my chain!"

 

[texagun]

Smith & Wesson 1911SC or PD in Commander size. I have 2 of them and they have both been 100% reliable in over 600 rds now.

 

[jungle]

Wastemore, Even when they run, you give up so much in shootability, magazine capacity and carry comfort due to lack of slide to keep the rest of it riding well, it just doesn't seem worth the effort for the small amount of weight saved. YM has V and if it works for you have a good time with it.

 

[The Reverend]

SW1911

I have had great experience with the SW1911. It has been totally reliable in the 3000 or so rounds that have been fired through it and it looks great to boot. The only change I will make will be to replace the checkered MSH that chews on my hand.

If you are looking at 1911s under $1000.00, the GI or Mil-Spec from SA would be good choices but you can certainly step it up in term of quality and finish to the SA Loaded, SW1911, or used examples from Dan Wesson or Kimber.

I am sure it will be a fun search!

Blessings,

 

[Helstrm]

Wastemore, Even when they run, you give up so much in shootability, magazine capacity and carry comfort due to lack of slide to keep the rest of it riding well, it just doesn't seem worth the effort for the small amount of weight saved. YM has V and if it works for you have a good time with it.

Shootability yes but not capacity. The Warthog comes with 2- 10 round mags and has gotten a lot of good reviews. I am thinking about picking one up as a backup or something easy to hide on hot days. I love the .45 and although most of my buds have small .38 wheel guns to hide I just can't give up the .45. I figure if I am cocked and locked I will get at least one shot before anything jams. Although I will not even consider defending myself until I have put several hundred rounds through it and if at that time it is not 100% i will sell it. My first and only love will always be the full size 1911.

 

[Wastemore]

Jungle- We're going to have to agree to disagree, and that's okay.. That's why they make so many different types of firearms. No single firearm will fit every person. With so many options, they're bound to keep everyone happy.

I just have one question-
what does

YM has V

mean?

Take care,

B-

 

[hurrakane212]

Allow me to edit

Allow me to edit...
At 1911Tuner's suggestion I am currently looking at the SA GI. In that trim level I am looking at a .45 4", Lightweight Champion and the GI .45 3",
Micro Compact~Nathan
Sorry Tuner... Hey I may end up with a 5" before it's over...

 

[brickboy240]

My stainless GI Springer 5" 1911 has been 100% reliable out of the box. I have owned it for about a year now and love it. I cannot say that most of my Colts (including my Conbat Commander) have been this reliable since day-one.

- Brickboy240

 

[jungle]

Wastemore, YM has V=Your mileage has Varied as opposed to YMMV=May Vary.The standard disclaimer of governmentese and hawkers of new cars. Or as we used to say in Nawth Kackalacky," whatever blows your skirt up". If you are happy,I'm happy.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Basically I am wondering what the most reliable 1911 out of the box is under the $1000 range that will feed JHPs. At 1911Tuner's suggestion I am currently looking at the SA GI .45 4", Lightweight Champion and the GI .45 3",
Micro Compact but other suggestions are welcome (Including more from Tuner!) I plan on using it for CCW. It will probably be the 2nd gun I buy this year as I am going to pick up a 9mm first. ~Nathan

Right now, in that price range, Springfield Armory and Smith and Wesson are making the most reliable 1911s, though Springfield sticks to the original design, so if you are a purist, you will prefer the Springfield.

Oh, I just noticed that you are asking about compacts and micros. In that case, I wouldn't recommend anyone. They are all notoriously finicky and unreliable in my experience. Even if you get one that starts reliable, it could go unreliable at any time because precise spring tension is critical in their reliable function, unlike the full sized 1911 which will function reliably with a wide range of variance in spring tension, so long as it's made right, and most Springfield full sized 1911s are made very well, and those that are not will be made right as soon as you send it back, but my recommendation is to stay away from anything shorter than a 4.25" slide, and preferably stick with the five inch slides.

 

[1911Tuner]

re:

I just love these kinds of threads...

Colt's Commander pistols...Combat and LW...are generally reliable and I've had very few that didn't run from the git-go. Clones of the same gun...I can't say that about. No matter how your cut it, though...the simple fact stands that the farther you get from original design specs, the more likely you are to have trouble.

I also can't say the same for the sub-4.25 inch guns of ANY make or model.
Some hit the ground runnin' and some don't. Most don't....and I've had more than my share on the bench for an attitude adjustment. Some respond pretty quickly to standard tweaks, while others have driven me nearly over the top. While it's true that there are some fullsized guns that don't behave, the ratio of chopped critters vs 5-inchers stands at about 10:1 and even when the 5-inch guns don't run, it's usually a matter of a good magazine or spring...and a little minor extractor adjustment.

So...for the sake of clarity, I'll repeat my first observation.

If you want the best chance of getting one that runs straight out of the box,
the 5-inch guns are the ones to stay with. Colt Commander rates next.
All others and all those that are shorter than Commander-length are a crapshoot, and I hope that Lady Luck smiles on ya.

Bottom line is that ya lays down your money and ya takes your chances.

 

[Wastemore]

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

I think that the people who want a compact or micro are operating under the false impression that somehow a shorter slide is going to make the gun more concealable and more comfortable to carry. The opposite is in fact the case. Shorties are less stable in the IWB holster, and tend to want to bend outwards due to gravity, which not only makes it less comfortable (the muzzle end is now being driven into your flesh), but also less well concealed, as the grips frame and the rear of the slide are now printing on your cover garment. There is nothing more comfortable to carry or more concealable in a holster gun than the full sized five inch 1911. Even an all steel full sized 1911 is comfortable for all day carry in a properly designed IWB because it is nice and flat, and contact pressure is even all around, helping to reduce pressure points and helping to stabilize the gun's position.

This is what I carry 24/7. It's a Springfield Loaded model that I bought about ten years ago. Been literally 100% reliable. It's a full sized, all stainless steel 1911A1.