View Full Version : Most reliable 1911 around $700?
Nathan_Bell
04-10-07, 13:41
As the topic states. Have a friend wanting to spend about 7 bills on a 1911. He is an OK shooter, so does not need match accuracy, but it has to go bang when he pulls the trigger. If it does not, I will be stuck trying to figure out why it isn't.
Thanks for the advice.
Cheap production 1911s can be a gamble. That said, I have had excellent experience with Springfield Armory.
The Springfields do have a lifetime warranty so if anything were wrong it would be fixed. A Springfield Mil-Spec would be a good place to start.
I have a Kimber, Springers, but I think in that price range the Taurus is a good bet for about 150.00 less.
I knew someone would post that...
rubberneck
04-10-07, 19:20
From what I have seen of them the, STI Spartan's are the best value 1911's out there right now.
They are built in the PI by Armscor using STI parts and then they are given a qc check by STI before they go out the door. At less than $600 they are a real solid deal, and the two I have seen personally were nicely fit shooters.
I have no long term history with the gun, then again no one does since it has only been available for a couple months but STI has great customer service should you ever need it. Springfield is the only other gun in that price range that I would recommend. YMMV.
+1 here as well for Springfield....
when you talk about Kimbers and Colts I dont think, personally they are worth the money (i find them to be fine guns, but my current Rock River and Les Baer I purchased for $1100....which is DAMN close to what you pay for a Colt or a Kimber...and I know the RRA or Baer is a better gun...)
At any rate...you can find a nice springfield loaded for under $700....sometimes well under...that is generally with night sights etc....
thats what i recommend for my friends...
Bolt_Overide
04-10-07, 21:06
for the money id have to go with a springfield as well.
I have a couple of new production series 80 Colts that have been stone reliable, at about the 13,000 round mark of factory 230gr the Government broke the back leg of the ejector... although the pistol still ran without a problem zero malfs not related to mags or ammo. The Commander also has over 10,000 rounds without a malf that wasn't ammo attributable. With close to 25,000 rounds now through two Colts I am sold on these particular pistols as reliable.
I paid $549 for the Government and $599 for the Commander.
http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m198/2007cam/Colts/VZGrips03.jpg
im not trying to be argumentative....
it looks from your pictures that you have, at the very least, installed after market beavertails and thumb safeties on your colts (and done a pretty good job at that)...
I am assuming that the original poster is a "noob" and doesnt have the where with all or know how to do that....
plus, those are fantastic prices on Colts...if you can find the colts at that price BUY THOSE....
around me, NRM series 80s guns go for $750+...and that is bone stock government...if you want the XSE models you are looking at the $900 range....
Nathan_Bell
04-11-07, 07:39
Looking like I will tell Steven to look into the SA's, thanks for the advice, I have owned and shot 1911 for years, but it has been a long time since I looked to buy a new one.
For the $500-$700 range, I really like the S&W 1911's. Under $400, the Armscor pistols are actually pretty decent. >$800ish, I really like Colt Series 70 Government Models and while I really like the Les Baer and Wilson pistols, I think you're paying a lot for a name. Grant's build is really sweet for the $1500-$2500 range. The STIs are nice, but I don't really care for them. I'd rather have a Camp Perry NM rework.
Kimber and SA are both overrated, IMO.
I only have one 1911, a series 80 Colt Gold Cup that hasn't given me any trouble.
I think when you hear people having trouble with the 1911 it is either a lemon coming from the factory, a very old gun needing repair, a gun that someone has tried to tweak. The Tweakers are the problems. The others can be recognized and fixed. The tweakers may look great or not, but sometimes it is nearly impossible to figure out what is/was wrong without a pile of spare parts.
I would go with a 1991A1 NRM 5". These go right under 7 here (NC).
The only thing I dont like about the entry level STI is the Armscor cast frame and slide. I think that the Springer Mil-spec is a real good deal(not the GI-Milspec) with what is has standard. Nowadays there is alot of good choices for that price.
David Thomas
04-11-07, 15:34
I have to concur with Damian that 1911's in this price range can be a gamble.
I also concur with Striker5, that the Colt 1991 NRM pistols wouild be a good buy for this price range. However, if I were in this situation I would likely opt for a base model Kimber.
Business_Casual
04-11-07, 16:48
I had good luck with two NRM Colts. I less than good luck with Springfield and Kimber.
I would be very wary of buying a used 1911 in this price range as there is usually only one reason that it is being sold.
M_P
I had good luck with two NRM Colts. I less than good luck with Springfield and Kimber.
I would be very wary of buying a used 1911 in this price range as there is usually only one reason that it is being sold.
M_P
not to disagree, but I have found that I have fantastic luck getting used 1911s in this price range....
Generally, in my experience, a new shooter, or a new 1911 shooter, gets one of these entry level guns, doesnt like them, or doesnt take the time to get to know a 1911, and goes back to their glocks or sigs, and so shoots the 1911 very little and sells it for cheap...
I have been able to get fantastic deals from "glock lovers" (nothing wrong with glocks, dont get me wrong) who got a 1911 to see "what we nuts all raved about" decided they wanted to stick with their plactic wunderpistol and so shot their 1911 a couple hundred rounds and off to the gun show it went....
I think the best "deal" like that I got was a practically new Kimber TLE/R Pro for $425 bucks...i wont disclose what I eventually sold the pistol for....
I had a S&W 1911Sc run 100% the whole time I had it. I liked it a lot, but traded it off in favor of something smaller for me to carry concealed.
The only thing I dont like about the entry level STI is the Armscor cast frame and slide. I think that the Springer Mil-spec is a real good deal(not the GI-Milspec) with what is has standard. Nowadays there is alot of good choices for that price.
Are you concerned about the STI Spartan because the frame and slide are made by Armscor, or because they are cast? Or both?
If it's because of casting, I hope everyone knows that Caspian frames are made from castings, and they're as good as any on the market (perhaps the best). As long as the heat treatments are good, the differences between a cast frame and one that is machined from a forging are negligible.
Are you concerned about the STI Spartan because the frame and slide are made by Armscor, or because they are cast? Or both?
There's nothing wrong with those Armscor pistols. For the price they really can't be beat. And a good base pistol to upgrade.
For the $500-$700 range, I really like the S&W 1911's. Under $400, the Armscor pistols are actually pretty decent. >$800ish, I really like Colt Series 70 Government Models and while I really like the Les Baer and Wilson pistols, I think you're paying a lot for a name. Grant's build is really sweet for the $1500-$2500 range. The STIs are nice, but I don't really care for them. I'd rather have a Camp Perry NM rework.
Kimber and SA are both overrated, IMO.
I was waiting for this...
I was told by the Supervisor at S&Ws custom shop who had my pistol for 2 months and hadn't done any repair work on it that "next time [I] should visually inspect a SW1911 before buying so I don't get one with so many problems."
I told her to just cut the check and I wasn't going to every buy one again.
Bought a SA 1911. no regrets- even after dumping $300 into all sorts of parts for it.
It was still a helluva pistol at $700 and worked just fine. Loadeds come with night sights, beavertails, extended ambi safeties, etc...
Cameron-
Which safeties are those? I would like something like that- doesn't seem as sharp as my stock safety...
I was told by the Supervisor at S&Ws custom shop who had my pistol for 2 months and hadn't done any repair work on it that "next time [I] should visually inspect a SW1911 before buying so I don't get one with so many problems." I told her to just cut the check and I wasn't going to every buy one again.
Probably best to just post a link to that thread rather than to re-hash too much in this thread.
There is, however, one point that your experience emphasizes with me. 1911s, especially at this price point, can really be hit-or-miss. My pre-Series II Kimber has been great, while other folks have horror stories about Kimber. Same with Springfield's and S&W's entry level 1911s.
Probably best to just post a link to that thread rather than to re-hash too much in this thread.
There is, however, one point that your experience emphasizes with me. 1911s, especially at this price point, can really be hit-or-miss. My pre-Series II Kimber has been great, while other folks have horror stories about Kimber. Same with Springfield's and S&W's entry level 1911s.
Nope, not gonna rehash it. Not allowed to. It was removed altogether anyway...
My sub-$600 Kimber Series 1s and Springfields have been extremely reliable.
You didn't like your comment? I can picture the perfect ad now. Just don't have photoshop installed on this new computer yet...
You didn't like your comment? I can picture the perfect ad now. Just don't have photoshop installed on this new computer yet...
I think you're in the wrong thread... my photoshop ad comment is in this thread: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?p=47880
:)
Colt NRM 1991a1
Kimber Custom II
Springfield Loaded.
I was waiting for this...
I was told by the Supervisor at S&Ws custom shop who had my pistol for 2 months and hadn't done any repair work on it that "next time [I] should visually inspect a SW1911 before buying so I don't get one with so many problems."
I told her to just cut the check and I wasn't going to every buy one again.
Bought a SA 1911. no regrets- even after dumping $300 into all sorts of parts for it.
It was still a helluva pistol at $700 and worked just fine. Loadeds come with night sights, beavertails, extended ambi safeties, etc...
Yeah, I read your S&W thread and I can't blame you at all. I would be horrifyingly upset as well.
I've owned two, and neither had any problems, but sold them because they mostly just sat around collecting dust. I'm a rifleman primarily anyways.
I'd go with a Kimber or the new Smith & Wesson M&P 45
I had to check- I thought he said 1911 but it could have said 45.
Ok, done checking. It says 1911. :p
Springfield, again.
Just finished putting my SDM Gold bead front sight on. Damn. That took longer than the trigger.
I just shot my Lt.'s Sig 1911 (basic model) Revolution XO black, MSRP 899 but paid barely over 700. They must be doing something different now since the slide width is like a "regular" 1911 (not wide in areas like the other Sigs and their original 1911), so it fit into my holsters fine.
It shot well at 2.5" @25 yards offhand. My only complaint (and is the same with most production guns) the trigger was a little creepy and had a slight stub point in it. Really nice for the money with clean fitting and smooth function like Sig is known for. The stubby trigger may be due to the firing pin safety though I did not take it apart to see how much like a Series 80 it is...does anyone know about this safety?
Nra-Life-Member
05-05-07, 21:54
If you look - you should be able to find Sig Revolution XO's for the high 600's or low 700's. IMO - they are one of the best out there from a Top Manufacture..
Wow. Revolutions at the time of Sig's first introduction were some of the shittier name brand 1911s.
I like and dislike that they've abandoned their unusual slide. But then again, I would too if I found out Caspian was selling seconds to every fool in the country. It WILL be the trademark of a second or fourth tier gun considering the early problems with SIGs and then the home made "Recons" that Caspian sold as kits.
The manhole covers were ugly too...
SAs with non-existent 70 series safeties are very nice...
Still.
All the S&W 1911 owners seem to be very happy with their guns.
Yeah, the ones that kept them and didn't have to deal with SW's customer service.
Trust me, noone wants me to get into it some more...
Yeah, the ones that kept them and didn't have to deal with SW's customer service.
Trust me, no one wants me to get into it some more...
Well, I understand your point of view. I've had crappy service with Glock before - and everyone raves about them. But, 99% of the posts I have seen concerning S&W customer service has been fav. No one is perfect, and unfortunately, they all drop the ball sometimes.
David Thomas
05-06-07, 20:48
Well, I understand your point of view. I've had crappy service with Glock before - and everyone raves about them. But, 99% of the posts I have seen concerning S&W customer service has been fav. No one is perfect, and unfortunately, they all drop the ball sometimes.
I have never owned a S&W 1911, but have shot 5 or 6 of them. I have never seen or had one choke, except one that would allow the hammer to follow (to half-cock) upon manually closing the slide.
However, there are numerous posts on the 10-8 foums regarding the external extractor beeing designed poorly (riding to high on the case rim) and causing failures after 2-3 thousand rounds have been fired.
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