the next one on my list

[coyote hunter]

Howdy, I've been looking for a 1911 for a bit, but I could still use a bit of advice.

I have a Ruger P85mkII in 9mm that I've realized is...not so nice.

So as soon as I can I'm going to sell the Ruger and move to the .45 side of the table.

I've been looking in to Para USA, after I saw the 2000 round torture test I was sold. But I've also been looking into Springfield, like the GI

So that’s my roundabout way of asking "what’s a good starter 1911 that’s a good all purpose gun?'

I plan on mainly using it for poking holes in paper, but as soon as Concealed Carry is legalized in this state (WI) I would most likely carry it as well, so reliability is a must.

Advice appreciated!
Thanks!

[Dirk Williams]

Im gonna get strung up here however I won't come off my observation. I have several 1911's been carrying one on duty for the better part of 25 years.

2 years ago I purchased a Tauras 1911 and simply think it's a fantastic weapon. A fella named Clint Smith did a torture test on the Tauras with I believe 5000 rounds and had 1 mal-funtion. An extractor broke.

500.00 and all the up grades already incorporated into the weapon. I have a very high oppinion of this pistol and will purchase another in the future.

I did change the grips which say Tauras. I then let some of my amego's shoot the pistol. EVERYONE of them at some point commented on how well my KIMBER shot.

Just my oppinion most of these guys will bock and tell you to stay away from the tauras their junk. Hell most haven't even held or shot one. They will tell you to spend the 1500 2000 plus on a 1911
Kimber/colt/springfield/wilson etc,etc.

Do your self a favor and at least take the time to physically look at one along with one of these others. You won't be able to tell the difference except for the name on the slide.

D Williams

[willowofwisp]

]

Just my oppinion most of these guys will bock and tell you to stay away from the tauras their junk. Hell most haven't even held or shot one. They will tell you to spend the 1500 2000 plus on a 1911
Kimber/colt/springfield/wilson etc,etc.

I will tell you from experience that Taurus 1911's at least the one my grandpa owned was junk...he got it in a trade about 3 years ago and right after he got it i ran the gun through several PPC practices and once i hit 400 rounds the thumb safety broke...I had issues with the grip bushing falling out and the slide stop broke right at 2,000 rounds..all in a months time.

for the money I would rather have a springfield than a Taurus..In my experience they are junk

[coyote hunter]

I made the choice to not buy a Taurus a few years ago, I've never liked anything that they made other than the judge, and to me that's more of a novelty gun than anything. But aside from my opinions of Taurus....

At this point I'm thinking a Para GI expert, $500 and all the bells and whistles I want in a handgun. But if anyone has info on Para that I should know about, please let me know.

Sorry to shoot down Taurus, I just never liked the brand

[Bolt_Overide]

I gotta say that if you dont know how to maintain and tune a 1911 you do NOT want to rely on it as your primary weapon, especially if youre going to get an iffy brand like taurus or para.

I would suggest looking at an M&P or a Glock.

[E53001]

under the 1k price range, id look at Springfield Arm, or a new/used Colt Series 70, And if you can swing a couple to few hundred more, i believe STI makes some models in that range and Ed Brown Les Beaer and no, i didnt forget about kimber,taurus,para, they are junk in my mind

[willowofwisp]

You can find a used les baer for 1200 or so or new for 15000

under the 1k price range, id look at Springfield Arm, or a new/used Colt Series 70, And if you can swing a couple to few hundred more, i believe STI makes some models in that range and Ed Brown Les Beaer and no, i didnt forget about kimber,taurus,para, they are junk in my mind

[Dirk Williams]

Im sorry your grandpa's gun didn't work. I have not experienced it.

As for the problems you listed, I HAVE experienced these problems with many other 1911 pistols in the past 25 years from Kimber's to Springfield's to Para to Colts 70 & 80 series.

Back to the Tauras, Ive never had a failure to feed, a failure to fire or any other problem. Im happy with the pistol and will purchase another in the future.

For 500.00 I can do alot of Fixn should I need to.
Good luck on your quest, I hope you find a pistol that meets your needs.

D Williams

[stifled]

If your budget won't accommodate a custom pistol, you want to get the best quality production pistol you can in your range. For my money, S&W makes an excellent production 1911. My sample size of one is simply an amazing machine for what I paid. It was shooting better than me from the factory without any futzing. That said, they don't all come from the factory perfect--no production 1911 does.

If your budget will accommodate a little bit over $1k, check out a used Les Baer for sure. I've shot a couple of these and they are flat-out awesome guns. I would get one for carrying, but typically when I carry I want something a little bit more compact with higher capacity. I've also read that some custom 1911s are finicky with ammo, simply because everything is built to such tight tolerances, so if you go this route definitely fully vet any ammo you intend to carry. I do carry my S&W now and then, but typically only in the colder months where a bulky coat makes concealing it and a couple spare magazines easy.

I'd suggest staying away from any budget 1911. The money you save isn't worth the lack of QC at the factory, in my opinion. You could get lucky and get a good one--but you could also be gearing yourself up to send the gun back to the manufacturer multiple times to get it to work.

[willowofwisp]

Im sorry your grandpa's gun didn't work. I have not experienced it.

As for the problems you listed, I HAVE experienced these problems with many other 1911 pistols in the past 25 years from Kimber's to Springfield's to Para to Colts 70 & 80 series.

Back to the Tauras, Ive never had a failure to feed, a failure to fire or any other problem. Im happy with the pistol and will purchase another in the future.

For 500.00 I can do alot of Fixn should I need to.
Good luck on your quest, I hope you find a pistol that meets your needs.

D Williams

my biggest thing with 1911's is i feel if you buy a 1911 under 1000$ your taking a roll of the dice..you may get a gun that runs awesome or get a POS that doesn't make it a whole mag without issues...some people get lucky some dont