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What is your favorite brand of 1911?

12K views 66 replies 49 participants last post by  teddybear 
#1 ·
There are many manufacturers out there now offering their own versions of the classic 1911 style autoloader. Even S&W has jumped into the market. Here is the chance to pick your favorite...
 
#2 ·
Springfield Armory

Just last year, I finally broke down and jumped on the 1911 band wagon. Now that I have, my thoughts are, why in the world did I wait so long to buy one. I can see a couple others in my future.

I picked up a used 1911A1 Springfield at a local gun shop. The pistol had a lot of wear on the finish and the inside was in bad need of cleaning. With a new finish on the slide and frame, and a little TLC, I now have a 1911A1 that looks and shoots like new. If I can get a picture of it scanned, I will post one.
 
#3 ·
Hmmm, that's a loaded question, kinda like, "What's your favorite brand of car?" My favorite brand of car is in a price range way beyond what I can afford, and it's ALMOST the same with 1911's.

I like Les Baer's guns, as they have a great reputation for reliability and accuracy (I will have a Baer Thunder Ranch Special with the 1.5" package before the year is out.)

However, in the less expensive end, I like Kimbers.

I'm a little leary of Springfields. In '87, i bought a Defender for use in IPSC. I put about 30K rounds through this gun, and then one day at the range, the entire lug under the barrel sheared off after firing a shot. At first, I thought the slide had locked back for some strange reason, but when I put my hand on it, then entire top end fell off into the dirt. I could look down inside the frame and see the link and lug still held in place by the slide release pin. Ever since then, I've been not too sure about 'em, but I rank them second behind Kimber.

My primary PDW is a Colt 1991A1 modified by Dave Pegram of Triad Custom Handguns in Greensboro, NC.
 
#4 ·
Good question -- tough answer

My guess is that responses will be flavored by personal experience. I like Kimbers. Why? Well, my Springfield had intermittent extractor problems from day one until I replaced it with a Wilson extractor. It works fine now, but still isn't as accurate as my Kimbers. So far they (3 of them) just keep putting holes in the paper right where I want them, with 0 malfs so far. :)
 
#8 ·
The Slabside Buffet?

Hello, being a smith and making the cantankerous old gun work back in the days when a good trigger meant swapping in fragile Gold Cup parts and hoping the thing would make it through the IPSC trials without ripping the entire mag downrange has been interesting.
Nowdays it's still pretty much standard to replace parts in brand new guns. Rumour has it that the newer MIM parts are much tougher but when I compare the time and cost of say 20K rounds to test, I just call Browells.
Both of my personal Kimber Pro Carries (.45 & rechambered 10mm) got the best grade AFTEC extractors and new hammers-sears & slide locks along with Ed Browns grip and thumb safeties.
The Kimber is an outstanding rig but I've lost track of how many I've had to tweak the extractor for someone even at the range.
Some people I generally trust say the Springfield guns are best but I've seen too many slides break to trust them.
The best place for feedback IMO is the IPSC/IDPA circuit where hard use is the rule.
 
G
#9 ·
Monte,

How is Anchorage these days? I was stationed up there for a few years back in the early early 90s. If I ever win the Lotto my home will be back up there, probably somewhere just outside of Palmer, along the river. Of course I'd winter out the mid-winter months outside.

You say your a Smith. Do you have a shop?

Oh, and my favorite 1911 brand would have to be a Gunsite built Springfield. Had one for over 10 years and haven't had any reason to change, it still runs great, places the shot where I want it (if I do my part), though it is getting long in the tooth and needs to be refinished.
 
#10 ·
Los Anchorage-

Hello Schmit!
How early in the 90s? I drove up in '93, I could write a book if'n I was a wordsmith like the Guru!
I work out of the house, seems like every range trip someone has a project or something that needs help.
I hate 1911s! The collection is thinning to around a dozen or so, he-he
 
G
#11 ·
Monte,

I drove up in 92 during the 50th anniversary of the AlCan, with my 7 month pregnant wife and my daughter. Drove back down in 95 with my 7 month pregnant wife and my daughters. :D

When I retired from the Corps I put an application in with APD but was denied. I answered the questions on the application truthfully. One asked if I ever used drugs. Well yeah! Teenager in the late 60s early 70s? After being denied I made some inquiries with an aquantance that runs APD CERT. He made some inquiries with recruiting (prior drug use policy was WAY less then 20+ years). I probably could have brought the denial to court and gotten hired but it wasn't worth the trouble.

Gaston Glock - Doing for the 21 Century what John Browning did for the 20th! :twisted:
 
#15 ·
I keep an eye out for old GI or 1970 Series or older Colts. I'd just as soon work over the internals myself, and then farm out any refinishing. They're just too easy to work on, for a cheapskate like me to spend the money for a high-dollar clone.

:D, Art
 
#20 ·
Richard Jefferies said:
I'm a little leary of Springfields. In '87, I bought a Defender for use in IPSC. I put about 30K rounds through this gun, and then one day at the range, the entire lug under the barrel sheared off after firing a shot.

My primary PDW is a Colt 1991A1 modified by Dave Pegram of Triad Custom Handguns in Greensboro, NC.
Richard, didn't you shear the bottom lug on your 1991's barrel as well? I remember being there at Shooter's Choice when it happened.
 
#22 ·
STI

In 1996 I acquired my first ipsic gun: A Colt Special Combat Government. The only thing special about it was that I ended up changing everything but the frame and slide to get it working as I wanted to. Now, with its Briley barrell and spherical bushing combo, Ed Brown ambi and beavertail, EGW slide release and all internals by STI, it is a sweet one to own and shoot. I still have it.

However, my USPSA limited (IPSC Standard) pistol is an STI Edge in .40S&W to which after a while I had Virgil Tripp cut the extended dust cover and recut the slide to classic shape. My STI is a very, VERY accurate gun and runs 100%.

If I was in the market for another "skinny gun" I would definitely make an STI Trojan most likely in .40S&W.

Try them... you won't go back!

Cheers,
8)
Nemo
(no one)
 
#23 ·
Dan, somehow I missed you question about the 1991. No, it only happened with the Springfield.

When I purchased the '91, I sent it to Dave Pegram in Greensboro, NC, (Triad Custom Handguns) for some set-up work. When he was done with it, he notified me that it was on the way back to me and should be arriving on X date. The day before it came in, I took my Springfield to Mid-Carolina to do some chrono work so I could compare it to the '91.* That's when the shear occured. The next day, the '91 came in with the Kart barrel and bushing installed, and Dave had returned the factory Colt barrel, which I then installed in the SA. I went back to the range, and then the SA went full-auto on me, so it went to Dave for remedial work.

I still carry that sheared-off barrel and lug in my shooting bag.

*The Springfield barrel was a "fast" one; at a GA state IPSC match, they chronoed my loads from the test gun and they didn't make major; I let them shoot 3 from my gun, and it did make major with a 180 power factor. HUGE difference!

TB, I just caught your remark, too. According to Baer's website, the 1.5" package is available on the TRS. Even if it's not, I'm still going to have a TRS.
 
#24 ·
RAJ-
They may have changed their policy. One of my partners and I both ordered early TRSs. We have consecutive SNs in the 40's. He wanted the 1.5" guarantee and they told him it wasn't an option on the TRS. Still, mine shot under an inch at 25 yards, so it would be close to 1.5 @ 50.
 
#25 ·
Tim, after I watched Charlie put one of your Baers through the Ransom Rest, I had to re-evaluate my opinion that you can't get a reliable and accurate 1911. Les knows how to do it, and I am going to have one of his guns, period. I'm not going to do a durn thing to it except shoot it a LOT. (Well, maybe a different set of stocks.) Heck, even if it holds only 2 - 2.5" @ 50 yds, that's plenty good enough for me.
 
#26 ·
Richard unless you're gonna play Ransom Rest I honestly see no need to spend that extra money. At 25 yd. the difference- if there is any- is so small that you'd probably never see it. And as you've seen the normal guns shoot very well.

I think the "guarantee to shoot" part really should read "guaranteed to have shot" because no gun- none-nunca- is going to 1.5" each and every time.

The final point is that I'd bet that 90% of the ammo you can buy is not capable of 1.5" groups at 50 yd. anyhow.
 
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