Picking out first 1911

[montanadave]

I own a variety of .45 pistols (Springfield XD, Glock 30, S&W Model 645) but am interested in getting a classic 1911. Primary use would be as a target shooting pistol. I'm just a little overwhelmed with the choices. My budget would probably max out at around $1500. Would appreciate some advice about how to get the best bang for the buck--whether I would be better off buying a less expensive model and doing some custom work or simply buying a more expensive model up front.

[Mr. Smith]

I wood look at STI thy are nice guns for the money.Thy have lots of basic guns and thy have forged parts for the most part if you look at the specks on the guns you will see a wide range to pick from.


SUPERIOR FIREARMS LLC
5510 Fern Vally RD.
Louisville KY. 40228
502-365-2244

[kaltblitz]

A Springfield TRP or Loaded Model would be a good place to start.

[Outrider]

whether I would be better off buying a less expensive model and doing some custom work or simply buying a more expensive model up front.

Unless you're doing the work yourself, I don't think you're going to be saving money by buying a less expensive, more stripped down model and then doing custom work. I've gone that route with gunsmiths and it ended up being very expensive. -It's kind of like buying a car. There's a minimum cost to get a good one. The difference in price between the base model and the loaded model isn't nearly as much as it would be if you bought and paid to have each extra / upgraded component installed separately.

One thing you might want to do is look for a used higher end 1911. I haven't checked the market recently but two to three years ago, people were selling used Wilson Combat CQB 1911 pistols between $1500 - $1750. I picked up one from a friend with eight 47D mags, range bag, DVDs, and paperwork, for $1550. It was like it just came from the factory.

I'm not going to shill for other sites by name, but some other boards have for sale sections where used high end 1911 pistols are listed for sale or trade on a fairly regular basis.

[d90king]

If it is going to be a target oriented 1911, I would go with a Les Baer PII. Very accurate and reliable out of the box. It has adjustable sights so it will be good for the range and paper. There is no need to get the 1.5" @50 upgrade...

[shadco]

If it is going to be a target oriented 1911, I would go with a Les Baer PII. Very accurate and reliable out of the box. It has adjustable sights so it will be good for the range and paper. There is no need to get the 1.5" @50 upgrade...

I couldn't agree more

A Les Baer Premier II is really accurate and ultra reliable. It's a little hard to breakdown until you get a coupla thousand rounds through it.

[RojasTKD]

If I had $1500 for my next 1911 I'd be looking at a Les Baer also.

[MarshallDodge]

Les Baer. I will send you a PM with info on where you can find a good used PII.

[d90king]

Here's another cool range/target pistol. Les Baer Monolith Heavy Weight. Has almost zero muzzle rise because of the added weight with the full length dustcover. I prefer no front cockers..

[montanadave]

The Les Baer models look pretty impressive and from what I've read, their performance matches their looks. What should a 1911 noob be looking out for when checking out used models?