Bozwell
Member
I was going to ask this question in another thread but figured I might as well start a new one rather than derailing that thread even further. I will probably pick up my first 1911 in about 6-12 months (I need to cool off on the spending for a bit - bought too many CZ's lately) and I'm having a hard time figuring out what I should be looking for in a first 1911. I don't mind spending a fair bit of money on a gun, but I don't want to spend an additional amount of money without getting some tangible return for it.
What makes it tough for me is that 1911's come in such a wide range of prices that I have a hard time finding that sweet spot between price and quality. I hear good things about RIA at the lowest price level, STI's Spartan looks like a decent deal at $650, Colt's seem like a solid choice above that, and beyond that Dan Wesson catches my eye (I've had great experiences with CZ in the past). I doubt I'd go above DW price levels for my first 1911, but that's already a ton of options and given that they all are basically the same fundamental design, I have a hard time distinguishing between them with it comes to these vast differences in cost.
So, what do you all look for in 1911's? Are the more expensive ones simply made with tighter tolerances than the cheaper ones? What's the practical effect of this - more reliable operation? Are there any "bells and whistles" for these guns that are worth looking for? Any info is appreciated.
What makes it tough for me is that 1911's come in such a wide range of prices that I have a hard time finding that sweet spot between price and quality. I hear good things about RIA at the lowest price level, STI's Spartan looks like a decent deal at $650, Colt's seem like a solid choice above that, and beyond that Dan Wesson catches my eye (I've had great experiences with CZ in the past). I doubt I'd go above DW price levels for my first 1911, but that's already a ton of options and given that they all are basically the same fundamental design, I have a hard time distinguishing between them with it comes to these vast differences in cost.
So, what do you all look for in 1911's? Are the more expensive ones simply made with tighter tolerances than the cheaper ones? What's the practical effect of this - more reliable operation? Are there any "bells and whistles" for these guns that are worth looking for? Any info is appreciated.