Time to buy a Colt 1911

[WVsig]

Colt is kinda being screwed by the LGS's. I haven't seen a single well priced Colt anywhere in Ohio. All are marked up way too high.

Basic Colt rail guns for $1350. Custom Colts for $2000. Kimbers are $1300-1700! What a rip off. $1700 for a $600 Kimber! Can't even get a Colt 1991 GI for less than $1000.

Seems like lesser stores push Kimber and Sig pretty hard. My more skilled/respected stores tend to avoid them. I wonder if some stores are getting really good mark ups from wholesale pricing on Kimber & Sig or something.

Rumor is that it's hard to get credit when your bank was bailed out. Many of those creditors for Colt can't lone to gun companies anymore. Every biz needs a line of credit.

Colt's just getting good again. I think they'll survive.

1991 Colt Govt are selling right now for about $700 with a $100 rebate. OTD net of about $625 including shipping and $20 transfer here in KY.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I didn't know about that rebate until just now...hmm...

 

[psyopspec]

I think it's laughable that some people still think current-production Colt pistols don't represent a good value and aren't high-quality firearms.

Note that I didn't say Colt's weren't good quality. All I'm saying is that a buyer can get similar quality for a lot less money (value), or if one has a colt in their budget, they can get a better firearm for the same or a bit more (quality). Colt makes good guns, but why spend the money unnecessarily? Colt makes good guns, but they're far from the best.

 

[george burns]

It sounds like Harley back when they restructured. Sometimes the people in charge just aren't really into it any more.
Like heirs who are left these great American company's and could care less.
I don't know who owns Colt, if it's still partially owned by family, or split up into pieces and run to the ground. But when the man or woman with the vision dies or get's pushed out, this seems to be what happens.
We have seen it many times with automobile company's, airlines, an others.
You need a passionate person who loves guns at the wheel.
Not a bunch of people who were left shares in the company and never set foot in it.

 

[Fishbed77]

Note that I didn't say Colt's weren't good quality. All I'm saying is that a buyer can get similar quality for a lot less money (value), or if one has a colt in their budget, they can get a better firearm for the same or a bit more (quality). Colt makes good guns, but why spend the money unnecessarily? Colt makes good guns, but they're far from the best.

Good job quoting just part of my response. If you would have quoted the whole thing, you would see where I too stated that Colts are not the absolute best, but that the better ones tend to cost much more.

Here - I'll help you out and properly quote my own statements:

I think it's laughable that some people still think current-production Colt pistols don't represent a good value and aren't high-quality firearms.

Colt's recent investments in CNC manufacturing (along with more hand-fitting than most mass-produced 1911s receive) means that their current 1911s are among the best the company has ever made. With XSEs going for as low as $875 (on sale recently at PSA) it's hard to call them a poor value as well. No - they are not on the level of quality of custom or semi-custom pistols like Wilson, Baer, or even Dan Wesson, but no one is saying they are - and those pistols typically cost quite a bit more.

In the $700-$1200 price range that most of the more common Colts (1991, XSE, Combat Elite, Rail Gun, etc.) occupy, they ARE among the best values you can find for 1911s.

Especially if you are looking for a US-made, forged slide & frame, well-built, reliable 1911 with fewer MIM parts than most other mass-produced 1911s.

Sigs and S&Ws come close if you can get over the external extractors and spotty QA (my brother's SW1911 has been a disaster). If you want a Brazilian 1911, Springfields are a good choice. I don't even consider Kimbers due to their questionable QA and in-the-white barrels. They are definitely over-priced for what they are. Most other 1911s priced lower than these have cast frames. If that's what you want - that's OK I guess. Not what I'm looking for in a pistol that I would consider to be anywhere equivalent to a Colt.


.

 

[WVsig]

Look at these guys. They can build a "heirloom" quality gun on anything platform that they want. They take base guns, frame and slides and make them into functional works of art. http://www.heirloomprecision.com/

Guess what they prefer to use as a base gun?

What brand of pistol/frame do you prefer to build on?

We make no bones about it, we’re big fans of using Colt pistols as the basis for our custom 1911s. However, in addition to Colt most any quality base gun/frame such as those from Springfield Armory, Les Baer, and Caspian will make a beautiful custom gun once we’re done with it. With that said, we have found that using a specific brand or model of base gun may better suit certain projects either stylistically or functionally and we’re always happy to lend a hand or a bit of guidance when choosing your base gun.

Colts are well made guns and they have gotten better in the last few years IMHO. They are not the cheapest but they hold their value better than any other production 1911 including people like Dan Wesson. They are still the standard by which other 1911s are judged by.

The company has made mistakes but it is still a icon and the product these days IMHO lives up to the name. YMMV

 

[Old Dog]

All I'm saying is that a buyer can get similar quality for a lot less money (value),

Really? And who do believe makes those pistols? How about some manufacturer names, please, of those you believe makes a pistol of as good quality as Colt for a lot less money?

I personally am not okay with cast frames and a lot more MIM, and function that's at a level nowhere near most production Colts -- not to mention I hate those large, bizarre and often quite fugly roll-marks (or laser-etching, even worse). And, frankly, I'll stick with a company that's been producing 1911s for a little while. In America.

I'm in agreement with Fishbed77 and VAgunner on this one, for sure.