What's Your Favorite 1911 & Why?

[Jaenak]

Every now and then I get a random urge to research one particular thing to the hilt, every last detail until I'm satisfied that there's not much more to learn from it. Well, I just recently got the itch to research the 1911 pistols. Springfield Armory has a couple I think are just okay but I like a couple of the Colts better. Taurus has a couple really pretty special edition pistols but I'm afraid if I get something too pretty I'll be afraid to use it and it'll just sit in the display case and be a total waste of money. I also saw some from Ed Brown that I'd absolutely love to have but they cost WAY too much. When it boils down to it, my opinions are formed on very very limited knowledge of 1911's and I really need more info and some other opinions (and explanations for those opinions would be nice).

So, what I'm asking is..."What's Your Favorite 1911 & Why?" Oh, one more thing, is it just me or is the accuracy of the 45ACP round just a little more rebelious than other calibers? I know some people can punch the "X" out of a target almost every time but I find (again, it might just be me and my "skills") that the 45ACP goes where you want it to sometimes but other times it seems hell bent on investigating the cow pasture.

Does anyone have any links to places I can learn more about the 1911's? And where does a person get those titanium parts I keep hearing about, and what about those gold colored parts? Are those just a limited edition pistol only kinda thing or can you buy those parts too?

 

[DHart]

The 1911forum.com is a good source for info on 1911's. There are definitely some insecure twits for moderators on that forum, but it's a good place to learn from a LOT of wonderful members!

I have quite a number of 1911s I love from Brown, Wilson, Colt, Springfield, Kimber. My favorites?.. easy answer: Colts. Which one? Depends on the day and the use. Series 70 re-issues, XSE Government, bobtailed Commanders, Special Combats, Delta Elite... yikes. Probably the Series 70 re-issue because it is pure and simple classic 1911 nirvana and my custom bobtailed Commanders because they are the best 1911's for carry.

 

[krimmie]

Another good 1911 site is: http://forum.m1911.org/

I'm relatively new to the 1911, and am not loyal to any one manufacturer (yet). I went with the Para Ordnance P14, as I like the .45acp so much, I wanted 14+1 capacity. For me, I like the weight and the feel of steel.

 

[possum]

my favorite 1911 of all time is the mc operator, which is the reason that i own one. i love it for many reasons, nights sights, pacmyer grips are awesome, shoots great, feels great in the hand, it's accurate, and the black and green 2 tone is sexy as heck. has a rail for adding my light, it is solid in the hand.

 

[Rinspeed]

For the money the Baer 1911s are very hard to beat.

 

[Geno]

Some day, some day I will buy a Baer 1911 Monolith Commanche Heavyweight...some day.

http://www.lesbaer.com/mono.html

I handled one at a gun show about two years ago. This pistol had several thousand rounds through it, and still felt brand new, tight. The finish was pretty good, but the fit was unbelievable.

Doc2005

 

[lbglocker]

My favorite 1911 has always been the one that works 100% when I need it but that has never happened so I quit carrying them and have completly commited myself to Glocks and thats what I will grow old with I think.

 

[Chuck R.]

A pair of Baer's:



For me it's Baer's. Every time I read about how "tight" 1911s aren't reliable they just make me smile. 17K through the 5" and over 7K through the Stinger, and they just get smoother with use.

Chuck

 

[98C5]

I love my Springfield LDA 1911 with night sights. Much lighter than a regular 1911.

 

[robctwo]

Les Baer PII because it's accurate and reliable. Ed Brown Executive Target because it;s accurate, reliable, pretty and costs too much.

I didn't own a 1911 until I'd been lurking on these forums for a few years. Now I own four plus a Ciener .22 conversion.

 

[byf43]

So, what I'm asking is..."What's Your Favorite 1911 & Why?" Oh, one more thing, is it just me or is the accuracy of the 45ACP round just a little more rebelious than other calibers? I know some people can punch the "X" out of a target almost every time but I find (again, it might just be me and my "skills") that the 45ACP goes where you want it to sometimes but other times it seems hell bent on investigating the cow pasture.

I have shot many, many .45 acp 1911 and 1911A1 pistols, in my days of shooting.

While I am NO expert, I have found that these items have a LOT to do with the accuracy of the 1911 series:

• Bushing fit.
If the bushing is loose, the barrel will not be in the same place, from shot to shot. (Groups will tend to look like a shotgun pattern.)

• Barrel link.
The link needs to give the barrel lugs a consistent and constant fit into the slide. Otherwise, the groups will move. (Most likely, vertically.)

• Slide to frame fit.
While some prefer a 'tight' fit, it doesn't 'have to be that tight'.
Side note: I once handled and fired a 1911 built by Bob Chow. At one point in time, he produced the FINEST 1911 pistols that I've ever seen. That pistol 'sang' when it went into battery. That pistol was the absolute most accurate 1911A1 that I have had the pleasure of shooting!
I could have had that pistol for $500. I kick myself in the 'you-know-what' every time I think about it. (I was going through a divorce, and didn't have ANY money!)

• Loads.
Find an accurate load and the .45 acp is one of the most accurate calibers/cartridges on the market.

Lastly, here is a (not-so-great) photo of my beloved (old) Colt Gold Cup NM, along with my Glock G21.
I bought this Gold Cup in 1985. It's had tens of thousands of rounds through it, and it will STILL shoot the X-ring out of the target at 25 yds and 50 yds IF I do my part.
This is one pistol that will NEVER be sold.

 

[Constantine-p89]

Very nice guns. Mine will be a Rock Island Armory Tactical.

 

[Walkalong]

I have two favorite 1911's.

1. My most accurate 1911, which happens to be an accurized 5" Colt with a Wilson barrel. Blue.

2. A box stock parkerized 5" SA, love that gun.

 

[kamagong]

I only have one 1911 right now, a Kimber Custom II, and I have a LB Concept II and a Springfield Custom Carry on the way. I like my Kimber, and I know the Baer is going to be great, but I just have a feeling the CC will be my favorite. My future wife bought it for me, and just a few months ago she didn't like the idea of me owning guns. Now she's buying me guns as presents! I found a keeper.

The CC is an absolutely great gun, the best buy of the upper end of Springfield's lineup. It has the exact same internals as the Pro, for much less money. The only thing it's missing is a few non-essential extras (to me that is) like night sights, ambi safety, Black-T finish, and extended magwell. Don't want them, so I went for the better deal. Only problem is that it won't arrive for another 6 months.

 

[TRP1]

My Springfield TRP is my Favorate.

 

[mavracer]

of my 1911s, love them all, but the one thats most special to me is my 5" stainless Delta Delite.back in '92 I was layed off (aircraft ain't it great) with a pregnant wife,and my buddie got a sts delta in his gunshop.well Mom offered to buy it if I quit chewing tobacco.I threw my can away and she wrote me a check.the next week I was hired by another aircraft Co. and now I have a beautiful nearly 16 year old daughter who has never seen me chew.

 

[ernunnos]

Dan Wesson, hands down. I like Kimbers and Springfields, but the new Dan Wessons are even tighter, use only the best quality parts, and have a classic, understated style.

 

[steelyblue]

I love my Kimber Eclipse Target II. It was the gun of my dreams and now it is mine. It cycles anything I put into it perfectly, has very tight tolerances, and Lord is it accurate! It is the most accurate gun I've ever shot(far more accurate than me). Everyone that I've let shoot it has not wanted to put it down. It's Kimber for me in 1911's.

 

[CPshooter]

A very nice commander would do it for me. One with a bobtailed aluminum frame would do it better.

A single-sided (non ambi) safety is a must, along with 30lpi (lines per inch) checkering on the front strap, 3-dot night sights, and some thin and attractive grips.

These are some of the best looking 1911s I've ever seen:

http://lundestudio.com/1911s.html#emp

I'm also a big fan of the slightly extended Wilson magazines w/ the small bumper. You can see it on the Wilson CQB at the bottom of that page...very tasteful touch to any nice 1911 IMO.

 

[DMK]

Colt CCO, 4" barreled Commander slide on an alloy Officers frame.

It's light, compact gun that conceals well, carries comfortably, yet balances nicely, shoots easily, and runs reliably. Uses shorter six or seven round mags flush. Will still take standard 7 and 8 round mags, but they stick out a bit.

With the alloy frame and some mim parts it doesn't give me warm fuzzies about long term durability, but functionally, this setup cannot be beat as an all around "do anything" handgun.

 

[Setzer77]

Hands down the Colt series 70 or S70 repro. Clean lines, blue steel, classic configuration. It is the reason I bought my SA GI and changed a few parts.

 

[MikePGS]

Today after going to the range with Doc2005, (he kindly let me shoot his 1911's) i'd have to say that Setzer is onto something. The Series 70 seems as if it were molded to your hand, and the trigger is just perfect.

 

[WinchesterAA]

Don't own one yet, but I want to.. First pistol I ever repeatedly chewed circles out of a target with.

 

[schmeky]

I have owned bunch of 1911's, but this is my favorite:

 

[mljdeckard]

For me, you start with a G.I. 1911A1, and then decide if anything really NEEDS to be changed.

One thing I recommend for all guns which will or might be used for SD is night sights.

Make sure it is able to feed good JHP ammo. (Refer to a gunsmith for throating.)

If you think a G.I trigger is too sloppy, have it upgraded and tuned. If G.I. accuracy isn't good enough for you, get a better barrel, link, and bushing.

I like the arched mainspring housing with a lanyard loop, many don't, but this is easy to switch out.

My Kimber Custom II has a hand-fitted slide, but I don't think this is as important as a good bushing fit.

I like grips that are stable even under bad weather, I use Hogue wrap-around finger grips. (Although, I did fore a Nighthawk Custom with machined aluminum grips that felt very nice indeed.)

I have no use for high-visibility finishes. If you are really just going to use it for plinking or competition, some of the higher-vis finishes have some natural lubricity.

I think the match hammer looks cool, I have no idea if it actually helps me in any way.

I think these kinds of functional mods are good. Cosmetic mods are a frivolity. I can't see any reason to spend $2000 more on a pistol for maybe 1" more of accuracy at 25 yards.

Just don't fall for the "Emperor's new clothes" phenomenon. Just because all the magazines, competition shooters, and stores all seem to like a trend, finish, brand, etc, doesn't mean it's good, and doesn't mean it's what you need. If you handle a basic RIA or Springfield Armory G.I. spec, and it works for you, start there. Don't let anyone tell you you can't STAY there. Save your money for practice ammo. This will do you a lot more good than $2000 worth of mods.

The .45 ACP is inherently a very accurate round. Most agree that the reason for this is that it isn't so fast it's tricky to stabilize, and it's so heavy, that for shorter ranges, it has more inertia, and is harder to foul. Pretty much any reference I have ever heard of a 1911 or the .45 round being inaccurate comes from 40+ year old army pistols with old barrels, bushings, and links. When I was an assistant armorer in 1992, we were in the process of switching out our 1911s for M-9s, and when I heard that we were going to get one last weapon qual on the .45, I scrounged for a few parts, and put new bushings, barrels, and links in about a dozen pistols, and made sure that anyone who was listening or cared shot these at the range, and you know what? Not a single one was putting lead in the dirt that day. Miraculous.