Who made it best and why do you think so?

Who made the best model 1911?

  • Colt

    Votes: 47 45.2%
  • Kimber

    Votes: 7 6.7%
  • Taurus

    Votes: 3 2.9%
  • Smith & wesson

    Votes: 4 3.8%
  • Ruger

    Votes: 5 4.8%
  • Rock island armory

    Votes: 11 10.6%
  • Spingfield

    Votes: 5 4.8%
  • CZ

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Browning

    Votes: 4 3.8%
  • Sig sauer

    Votes: 9 8.7%
  • Wilson combat

    Votes: 24 23.1%
  • Christensen arms

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dan wesson

    Votes: 29 27.9%

  • Total voters
    104
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In this age and time I would list them as follows:

1) STI and SVI is a tie (a mix of the best parts and hand and machine fitting)
2) Norinco (for the tenacity of the steel and value)
3) Colt (for obvious reasons)
4) Springfield Armory and Dan Wesson is a tie (this generation's out of the box quality)
5) Rock Island Armory/Armscor (best value if you are in a budget)

the other more expensive ones are attributable to a higher labor cost (gunsmiths just giving it more tender loving attention)
 
As far as production guns I believe that Dan Wesson is giving you the best bang for the buck. They are a gateway drug to higher end 1911s. Your very close to the point of diminishing returns when you move above a Valor for about $1500.

That said under the $1000 mark I still like Colts. They are well made. They have a high level of fit and finish and they hold their value.

All of that said the poll is flawed because the best 1911s are not production guns. They are custom built guns made by people like Ted Yost, John Harrison, Jim Garthwaite, Don Williams, Bob Cogan, Ned Christiansen, Jason Burton, CT Brian, Chuck Rogers etc... They are made to order on quality base guns or bare frames. They have everything the buyer wants and nothing they don't. There are no compromises. The are functional pieces of art.

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Since a WWII M1911A1 Singer sold at auction for $25,000.00 obviously the Singer Manufacturing Co. version must be the best 1911 ever. [/]

There have been 1911s that sold for much more than that. R.I.A. Co. sold a three digit serial # , first month production commercial 1911, 99% gun......for around fifty Gs a couple of years back. If I remember correctly, the last Singer they sold went for $38,000.

But your humor was appreciated:)
 
I have to agree that this poll is somewhat flawed. There is such a difference between a custom, hand fitted and tuned 1911 and the one I have which is a 100% reliable and quite accurate RIA 10mm. So, I vote for HiPoint.
 
I was really hoping for more pictures in a thread like this.

While my XSE is still untested, my Commander has been out standing in accuracy and reliability and it has just about every bell and or whistle I'd want from a custom shop, but in a factory turn-key package.

Same with the XSE. To be my dream guns they both only need a few small tweaks. And much much more range time.

iRc5otE.jpg
 
I have had some really bad Colts, some decent ones, and a couple, which were full-sized Government Models, were really very good ones.

I tried three Kimbers, three up, three down; a strike-out. These were from the pre-internal-safety era; I bought the first two in 1997, followed by the third, within a year or two. I sank far too much much ammo and money into those Kimbers, and, I reckon, all the malfunction-clearances were good for training, and, uh building character. Kimber may have solved their numerous problems by now, but I will never risk my money again with Kimber.

If limited to the posted poll choices, my emotional choice would be Wilson Combat. My personal mistake, in hindsight, was choosing the tiny Sentinel, before Wilson knew how to make a reliable magazine for them. It ran 100% reliably with full-length magazines, but that defeated the purpose of the small weapon, so I sold it to a collector, with full disclosure of its problems. In hindsight, I should have kept it, but at the time, I made (almost) all of my firearms work for their living. Perhaps, someday, I can justify the cost of acquiring another Wilson Combat 1911.

In 2002, I kept only my very best 1911, a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special, and thought it might remain my sole 1911. In 2016, nearing retirement, and thinking a high-end 1911 would be a nice gift for myself, I bought another Les Baer, a pre-owned Premier II, customized by John Harrison, with his permanent mag well and massive, wide-notch, fixed rear sight that fits a Bo-Mar-cut slide.
 
I believe Singer #1 sold for over 100k
Actually, there was no serial #1 from Singer, their serial # range was S800,001 to S800,500. Their guns were such high quality that the government decided that the companies talents could best be utilized making more technologicly advanced things....

But I know what you meant.. I wasn't aware of the first gun's sale but it wasn't through R.I.A. co. I would have spotted it.
 
In 2002, I kept only my very best 1911, a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special,
I am honored by your Evaluation of your best 1911. I checkered the front strap on that gun and did the frame to slide fit. The man who did your retirement present ( no names, a promise to Les, company secrets and all that rot, eh, old chap?) is a young, twenty something kid who is better than I ever was doing either job. :)
 
Actually, there was no serial #1 from Singer, their serial # range was S800,001 to S800,500. Their guns were such high quality that the government decided that the companies talents could best be utilized making more technologicly advanced things....

But I know what you meant.. I wasn't aware of the first gun's sale but it wasn't through R.I.A. co. I would have spotted it.


https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/51/1954/singer-1911a1-pistol-price-80500#detail
I was wrong on the price though.. It was only 80.5k
 
Coonan 1911 I have the classic in 357mag its better than any 1911 I’ve ever shot plus it’s a 357mag.Which makes it a great hunting hand gun
 
This is a subjective question, but I have to go with Wilson Combat of those listed. The Colts that I've had have been nothing special. Springfield 1911's have all been good solid guns, but still needed some tuning. The Kimbers that I've had have been absolute junk with each one exhibiting different problems ranging from mistimed firing pin blocks to small part breakages to being picky about ammo. The Smith and Wesson Gunsite that I had was a good gun, but still not anything that made me thing WOW, this thing is a great gun. That said, the only 1911's that are currently in my collection from the list are a Wilson Combat CQB Compact and a CQB full size. I also have a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special that's a great gun aside from coming with thin grips which were pretty promptly replaced with standard thickness grips.

The Wilsons are just such well made consistent performers that just flat out perform. The gun goes bang every time. Much more than I could say for my Kimbers, the Colts and Springfields went bang every time, but they still needed a little tuning to really run.
 
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