Which Les Baer to get?

[Rival]

What is the best value for the money among different Les Baer models? I want basic no frills quality made full sized 1911, don't care about ambi safety, checkering, serrations and all that other stuff... It does not even have to have that 1.5" group.

 

[Watch-Six]

There is not a great deal of difference in the various Baer models. Choose your size, your material (blued steel, stainless steel or aluminum frame) and your sights. I prefer a full sized pistol for most uses. For concealed carry I have a light weight Baer Concept 9 Commanche (Commander sized) aluminum framed pistol. In general the Thunder Ranch Special (TRS) model has about everything that one could want. Check out the Baer web sight. The standard accuracy without the 1.5" upgrade is plenty accurate. When I got my first Baer pistol I put 100 rounds into a 1.8" group at 25 yards. That is not a typo! One hundred rounds of standard 230gr hardball into 1.8" at 25 yards. I like my Baer pistols. All five of them. Watch-Six

 

[rick_reno]

I got the PII with the 1.5 inch accuracy group. It's been incredibly reliable, about 1200 rounds thru it and it's fed/fired and ejected everything I've put in the magazine - mostly reloads.
Are you going to carry it? If yes, I'd get the hard chrome finish on it. I don't like shiney guns, but it's very durable.

 

[Tango Sierra]

Best value is the Premier II.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I like my PII's, but after I got my heavyweight monolith with the 1.5" guarantee, I kind of regret not getting it on the PII's. It is a big confidence builder that the gun is that accurate, not that it really matters, but in the head (where I usually screw up) it makes a difference. Also the tactical rounding is quite nice!

I started with a PII 45, tactical rounding and 8 mags. It was my first 1911

 

[Tamara]

Premier II is probably the best bang for the buck (if such a phrase can be used in reference to such spendy guns. ) If you want a toting piece, maybe go to the TRS. Unless you're going to use it for bullseye shooting or are super finicky about your groups at 25+ yds, I'd probably skip the 1.5" option; the 1.5" guns are uber-accurate, but can often be a little balky out of the box...

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I will second the comment above about balky. My 10mm took about 750 rnds to smooth out and become 100% reliable. No problems in the last about 4000 rnds though. It is dang accurate though, and after many many tries, I can OCCASIONALLY shoot a nice 5 shot sub 1.5" 50 yard group. No fault of the gun, just that I choke about after about the third or fourth shot.

 

[Rinspeed]

Rival,
You didn't mention if you plan to carry it. If so I would get the TRS if not the PII is a good value as others have said. I bought my TRS from Sportings Arms. Very good people to deal with and the price was right.

http://www.sportingarms.com/


Rinspeed

 

[Rich357]

The PII gives the most bang for the buck.

My Les Baer 5" Ultimate Master has the 1.5" option and has been completely reliable. It shoots very well.

Tamara, are you just guessing about the 1.5" optioned Les Baers being "bulky"? How many new LBs with the 1.5" option have you owned? How many of those have been bulky?

I only have the one LB with the 1.5" option but no problems with feeding or extracting.

Rich

 

[Tamara]

Tamara, are you just guessing about the 1.5" optioned Les Baers being "bulky"? How many new LBs with the 1.5" option have you owned? How many of those have been bulky?

You mean "balky"? (The only "bulky" Baers are the Monoliths... )

The only Baer I own is a lowly Concept III, w/o the 1.5" guarantee. And no, I'm not "guessing"; I've seen and sold and shot plenty of Baers.

I only have the one LB with the 1.5" option but no problems with feeding or extracting.

And that's cool, but you'll note that 50% of the 1.5" guns mentioned on this page were a little balky out of the box. Baers are known for having crazy-tight slide to frame fit, and in the 1.5" guns, that seems to be taken to an extreme. If folks need that kind of accuracy and understand that the gun might take 250+ rounds to wear in, then I'll unhesitatingly recommend a 1.5" Baer.

 

[rick_reno]

My PII with the 1.5 accuracy package was 100% reliable out of the box. I literally took it from the box to my backyard and started shooting. It's still 100% reliable today.

 

[Ankeny]

I have a PII with the regular 3" guarantee and I have never found the gun lacking in the accuracy department. I had Tripp industries hard chrome the gun after I abused the blue job (plastic holsters and daily dry fire). I replaced the extractor at about 30,000 rounds. The lower lug (where the link is located) cracked after about 40,000 rounds so I had Baer put in a new barrel. At about 45,000 rounds I replaced the sear and sear spring. Other than those fixes, the gun just keeps on blasting away.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

As an interesting aside, my PII 45 is actually tighter then my 1.5" Heavyweight Monolith. The differernce is hard to discerne, but the HWML is much much smoother over the whole slide stroke. The PII is just tighter. I have had several other shooters comment the same thing, so I doubt it is imagination. My 38 PII is much looser then either, but it was a used gun and had been shot a bit in the dust of West Texas and hence is a bit worn.

 

[Rich357]

The Les Baer TRS I bought new around the first of this year is tighter than my new Les Baer Ultimate Master with the 1.5" option that came in at the end of June ('04).

Rich