Who carries high-end pistols?

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98C5

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I'm talking custom pistols, 1911's in general. Ed Browns, Nighthawks, Les Baers, etc. that are $2000+. Are these custom pistols really made for carry or for target/show? There was one thread here (or maybe TFL)that a poster said their new Ed Brown was so tight that it took several hundred rounds to get her running smooth. (FTF to be exact.) If that is the case, would you trust it in a carry situation? What about battle scars? Would that bother you?

I, myself, really want a Nighthawk but wonder if it is more for a show piece than carry piece.

What say you?
 
Why carry such high end stuff

If you shoot someone w/ it, it may be gone forever. Don't take the chance. That is why I stopped carring my S&W 686-1. I would hate to think that I would loose it.

My two primary carries = a Rossi 38 spl 5 - shot revolver as a back-up to a GLOCK 21 in 45 acp.

If anything happens to one of those, either one can be readly replaced w/out much of an issue.
 
Arms Heresy:

I personally just don't "get" paying more than a grand for a 1911.

The heart and soul of a 1911 is a basic, rock solid fighting pistol, not qualitatively different from the $800 price point at which all other "high end" fighting pistols such as Sigs, HKs, etc exist.

One reliable fighting pistol will function the same as any other, and any improvements in fit and finish are incremental.

I severely question the value you recieve for every dollar you pay past $1,000.
 
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First of all, geek is right, paying that much for a 1911 is silly just on the face of it.

That said, if you believe that a $2000 1911 will enable you to potentially save your life then why in the WORLD would you not choose what you believe to be the absolute BEST protection.

Choosing to carry a cheap gun because it might be taken away is ridiculous.

My life or my families is worth $2000 certainly. If I had to lose a $2000 gun to save their life I don't think I'd worry too much about it.

If that's the criteria why aren't we all carrying Lorcins or Jennings? I mean, since they might be taken away and all that.
 
In the 1 in a million chance you actually wind up having to use your gun to defend your life, are you going to be that upset that you're still alive even if you wind up losing your $2k gun? I'd be mad on principle of course but far more glad that I was still capable of being mad.
 
Who carries high-end pistols?
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Rich guys! :neener:

I like my guns to be pretty, so spending $100 on a fancy set of grips may not be out of the question... but $2000+? :eek: Get real! Maybe if it was an engraved showpiece destined to become a family heirloom... but for a working gun that shoots the same exact bullets as a fugly Glock? NO. I'll spend only as much as I need to, in order to get a reliable tool... then maybe another $100 to spiffy it up.

As for losing a gun to the police evidence locker... I think that would be the least of my worries at that point!
 
I don't think anyone is advocating pot-metal guns.

IMO, the question seems to be: why carry a $2000+ Wilson or Baer when a sub-$1,000 Colt or Springfield will work just as well?

I don't know why. I think when you get into that price level, you're just burning cash. Which is fine if you can afford it. Kinda like asking why do people drive BMW M5s. Because they can. A Corvette is faster and cheaper, a Towncar more comfortable and cheaper.
 
I have a couple of Ed Brown guns and a Les Baer commanche. I carry one of them whenever I can for protection.
I purchased them because I like them.
I shoot very regularly and competitively and want an attractive accurate gun. These pieces feel good in my hand, I enjoy handling them.

If I ever have to shoot someone in self defense and my weapon is not returned, I will purchase another to replace it.
I would not even consider not carrying what I practice with because I was afraid of it being taken away. I want what I consider the best I can afford to protect myself and my family.
Battle scars are just that. If it gets scratched while I am training with it then it is a character mark. I would not expect to keep my working guns in pristine condition.
 
Because like the ladies say about their hair color chemicals "Im Worth It". I have shot everything from the cheapest 1911 on the market to my Wilson Combat Professional. I am definately not "Rich" but through some creative trasing and saving lots of my mad money, I bought, as far as I am concerned, one of the best out there. It does everything I paid for out of the box and when my life depends on it I only want the best....something I can trust, without any doubt. This is just my personal opinion but anyone carrying a gun ,should get the best gun they can afford when using it to defend their very lives or those of loved ones.
 
I carry a custom 1911 almost every day. You don't have to be rich to carry a $4000 gun, you just have to have your priorities right :)

You guys seem to think that Wilson and Les Baer are customs. They are not. They are high end production guns anymore. True custom guns cost alot more then $2000.... Look at some of Chuck Rogers, or any of the Louder then Words guys. That is true custom guns. Id rather spend $4000 with any of them guys, then $3000 on a high end production gun..
 
I trust my $300 EAA Witness with my life. It has never jammed on me. Ever. Never failed in any way. I thought I might end up trusting my $300 CZ-75, which also has never failed in any way, but when push came to shove, I chose the EAA.

So in what way will the $4,000 gun be better?

Ash
 
Please dont misunderstand me, I have nothing against less expensive guns, especially those that work flawlessly, consistiently. I carry a $250.00 Taurus PT-145 as a back up for my Wilson. I just prefer a gun with a little more attention to details. I also carry an XD45 and CZ75B, and even a couple of Ruger revolvers. I have yet to experience any problems with any of them. I still prefer to carry my nice Wilson. Some folks drive a Rolls Royce because it is a status symbol of the rich and successful and some deive it because of the way it is built, by hand, not on an assembly line, and that's why it is more expensive.

tex
 
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Once your gun is taken by law enforcement, you can assume it is gone, and will be very lucky to get it back, and if you do, it might take a year or two. I speak from experience. And I speak of legally owned guns, not criminals, since they already know that they aren't getting thier gun back, How much money is your life worth?
 
Once you reach a certain point with a high-end pistol it is all about detail. Not sure if that is $1000 or above or what. I have carried a G19 for the reason that if it was taken from me by LE I would not mourn its passing. The Glock has been 100% reliable and I think I paid about $490 a few years ago.

But that is me. I think you should carry what you are comfortable with. If that is a $4000 supergun then fine, it it is a $150 beater, then that is your choice as well.

No one should have to justify to anyone but themselves what they carry and why. And no one should have to justify why they spend their money. That should only matter to them and their family.
 
my life or my families is worth $2000 certainly. If I had to lose a $2000 gun to save their life I don't think I'd worry too much about it.
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So is mine, that's is why I carry four G19's that have never failed. That's 64 rounds. :)
 
Just for the kicks....My GLOCK 26 which is a 500$ pistol in the US, I paid 6000 US$ for in Pakistan, and so did I for My 19, and HK P2000. I guess that hid end here. On the other hand I have Sticken which is 4000 US$ here but 20K in the US.
 
It's pathetically easy to buy a $500 gun that works reliably every time. The occasional "lemon" aside, what's wrong with a CZ or an XD or a Glock or a right out of the box Rock Island 1911 or any kind of decent revolver? Will they not launch lead in a credible manstopping size and do it all the time? Of course they will! So the real question is, what do you shoot well? What "works" for you? What do you have confidence in? Those are people questions, not gun questions. If you want a "nicer" gun to tote around than the ones mentioned above, it is for people reasons, not gun reasons.

I have some "nice" guns in my safe. Oh, of course I trust them all to go bang. They're accurate as well as reliable, and oh so pretty. But frankly, when I've wanted/needed something on tap for real defense, I've always chosen either my Ruger P345 (.45 ACP) or my Charter Bulldog (.44 special) and occasionally the Ruger GP-100 (.357 magnum). Got fancier guns, sure - got NICER guns, sure - got more expensive guns, oh heck yeah... But nothing that can get the job done better than these and I sweat a lot less knowing if I get a scratch, chip or dent in them, or worse, if they're confiscated after a real-life shooting, I won't be crying in my beer over a lost "valuable" firearm.

For me, my nice guns have always been like my dress shoes. I bring them out on special occasions, but they are too nice to muck up with everyday wear and tear.
 
Once your gun is taken by law enforcement, you can assume it is gone, and will be very lucky to get it back, and if you do, it might take a year or two. I speak from experience. And I speak of legally owned guns, not criminals, since they already know that they aren't getting thier gun back, How much money is your life worth?
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A long story could be told here, but I'll just give out the cliff's notes.

About 8 years ago I bought a Norinco SKS. Fully loaded, synthetic stock, 30rd mag, bipod, red dot scope, you know, everything that makes it an evil black gun.

I kept it in my truck most of the time, because I like to shoot it a lot. One night, it was taken out of my truck by a former friend of mine. Evidently he had gotten into a fight with several guys and got his butt kicked.

Long story short, he dumped the mag at a gas station where a lot of the guys were. He didn't hit any of them(he later said he was aiming high). My gun got taken away because of that and it took almost 3 years to get it back.

My brother had 2 of his guns taken away last year. A longer story goes into that, and he should have had a better lawyer. The DA let me take possession of the guns when the hearing was over and I just ended up buying them from my brother.

In 1981, someone broke into our fab shop here at the house. I was still in the belly of my mom who was laid up in bed. My dad heard the noise and went outside with his .357(Security Six, I believe). The BG in the shop came at my dad with an axe and dad shot him 3 times. The gun was taken away and the BG's family tried to sue us for wrongful death. Dad got a good lawyer and beat it. He got the .357 back about 5 months after the incident, but had bought one identical to it while the original was in impound. He sold the original and gave me the new one for my 20th birthday.

I don't know how it is every where else, but at least where I'm at common sense usually prevails and once it's established that you're the good guy.

-John
 
my every day carry is a wilson supergrade compact (purchased prior to the nighthawk split). it has about 7500 rounds through it. it takes a beating. I shoot it in matches and in classes. why shouldn't I? i'm not a collector. i bought it to shoot.

just my opinion here, but I've never shot a colt/springfield/rockisland etc factory gun with a trigger that's even in the same league with wilson's. (for that matter, I've yet to feel a les baer or ed brown trigger that was as good as wilson's) it makes a difference to me.

I will say that i agree in principle with geek45, but I put the diminishing returns dollar amount at $1800 or so, instead of $1000. After you go past $2000 or so, you're mostly paying for all the hand-stippling and stuff that is a work of art, but not significantly more functional than $5 worth of skateboard tape.
 
I'm a new permit holder, and my carry weapon is a Bersa Thunder 9 Ultra Compact. It's $300. My girlfriend's carry weapon is a Bersa Thunder 380. It's $200.

We aren't cheap. We just know that if we ever use our guns to defend ourselves, we're going to lose them. We made sure we were getting reliable weapons, but we couldn't justify spending $500 or $2000 per handgun on student budgets. We could've gone cheaper, and there are other guns in our price range we could've bought, but like I said... we're not cheap. Price wasn't our only deciding factor. It was price AND reliability.

I want to make sure that my carry weapon is reliable, practical, and not of historical or sentimental value to me. I plan to buy several milsurp handguns in the near future. I will not carry them, because even though they will be both inexpensive and reliable, they will have historical value. I have some handguns that my father gave me. I will not carry them, because even though they're inexpensive and reliable, they have sentimental value to me. I do one day hope to own an expensive custom handgun. It will be a range toy, not a carry weapon, because it will be too expensive to risk losing when my Bersa or other reliable carry weapon is a viable alternative.
 
I was intending my USPc to be my carry gun, but the more I think about it, I would probably just get a Makarov. My buddy carries one and has collected them for decades, talk about a simple, easy to use and reliable pistol. Its not super powerful, but it seems to do the job. It would be nice to carry a nice pistol, but the chance of it being impounded and some police officer "recovering" it from impound is just too much to bear. So I keep the safe queens where they are and got a nice C&R lisc. Goodluck
-bix
 
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