First post: Which 1911 to choose...

[AFJailor]

In the past few years I have developed a fascination with firearms and i have been buying the ones that really cought my eye. The first one that i bought was a springfield GI spec 1911. I liked it and it was very accurate but it just didnt "feel" right. Well 6 guns later ive decided that I need a 1911 again.
I have been looking heavily at Kimbers, mainly the Warrior, although im not too hot on having a rail. I have also thought about the Gold Combat but i dont know how easy it would be to convince my wife on that one seeing as its like $400 more than the warrior.
I have also looked at Dan Wesson, S&W (although i dont like all the writing and insignia's and stuff on the side), Para-ordnance, and some Springfields.
Whats most important to me is 100% reliability (or close to it), and also a gun with a nice finish on it would be nice.
Any suggestions?

[hoss4570]

Kimber.

[stevie_d_64]

Taurus PT1911

I give it a 3 shooting guy rating...

It has some features that make it feel pretty good in the hand...I don't care much for the Heinie sights, but that is something easily remedied...Other than that, not too bad a firearm...

Just my opinion...

[G.C.Montgomery]

IF I were going to buy a Kimber, the Warrior/Desert Warrior would be the most likely choice. I too am not keen on the rail but otherwise, it's a solid choice with no unecessary "features." I am not a fan of Kimber's firing-pin block/safety and the Warrior, thankfully, is manufactured without this "feature."

I also like Springfield Armory's 1911's. I've got a few minor gripes but I think they are solid guns and don't have a problem recommending them. Having said that, I'd pitch their proprietary ILS mainspring housing for a standard model. Many of the SA pistols I've handled and owned came "pre-sharpened" from the factory but I know they started offering a "carry-bevel" treatment on some guns. In addition, it seemed many of their guns shot as much as a foot low at twenty-five yards for a couple years. I've heard they fixed this in current production guns. Like I said, a few minor gripes but I still recommend them. If I had the money, I'd buy a Professional Model since that gun has EVERYTHING I'd want, right out of the box. But at a dealer cost of $1800, it will be a while before I caugh up the necessary cheddar to buy a spare pistol identical to the first.

If I had to have a firing-pin safety in a 1911, Colt's system IMHO is the most reliable. Like some Springfield Armory 1911's, many Colt's come from the factory "pre-sharpened." I personally would probably go for the Gunsite Pistol if it's still in production. Otherwise, I'd buy any of their other Government Models and build it to suit my tastes.

Smith-Wesson actually seems to build a nice 1911 most of the time. I don't like external extractors on this design but theirs usually seems to work. They did however choose a firing-pin safety that is actuated by the grip-safety and like the Kimber, this system can have timing issues caused by the fit of the grip-safety that prevent reliable ignition. Other than this two complaints, these guns seem to work just fine.

Rounding things out, I haven't yet handled the Taurus, Rock Island or other new comer 1911's so I can't comment on them. Dan Wessons certainly looked nice externally but all that I've handled left me less than impressed mechanically. Also, custom built STI's can be an absolute dream, but factory guns have been hit or miss in my experience.

Up market from the above mentioned parties, I'd say take your pick but do realize that there is no guarantee you are getting a more reliable pistol out of the box. I've seen Wilsons, Baers, Nighthawks, Rock River and even the venerable Ed Brown pistols get sent back to the factory for all the same reasons as the lower market pistols. Of particular interest to me was the first dozen or so Nighthawk pistols I handled...These guys got rave reviews in magazines but the workmanship I saw on early pistols was hardly worth praise, let alone the price.

YMMV

[AFJailor]

Man, so early and already some great advice, thanks a lot. I've still got some time before I'll have the cash but all the input i get helps

[stevie_d_64]

Man, so early and already some great advice, thanks a lot. I've still got some time before I'll have the cash but all the input i get helps

Mainly that is because someone forgot to wake up our Engineering "server" this morning...

Its tough to get all those little hamsters in their circular treadmills going sometimes...They have such crabby attitudes...

[AFJailor]

Anyone have any experience with the Kimber CDP line? I like the idea of the weapon, my Sig p220 is a bit hard to conceal during the summer. Also i was wondering, if i did get a Kimber, what size should i get for concealment? i feel a little awkward with the Ultra, never held the compact but the pro feels just fine.

[htxred]

decently priced, id go with SA 1911s. they are reasonably priced and work well. out the box.

if i had money to spend, i would get a dan wesson cbob. beautiful. and from what i hear very acurate.

if i had money to blow, nighthawk in black diamond finish. look it up and you'll see why that particular finish.

i wouldnt recommend messing with kimber. not so sure about the warrior, but i have the pro carry II, i've already had to replace the recoil spring and purchase a dremmel to do some polishing. and i purchased it july 8th.

[AFJailor]

The Dan Wesson PT-CBOB in 10mm caught my eye, but the rounds are a little more expensive than the .45 auto...but ive always wanted a 10mm id like to try killing some deer with it this next season.

[htxred]

i thought they are chambered in .45 auto too. i guess not. they are such wonderful pieces of work though. i wouldnt mind adding a 10mm to my closet but i think living expense come first right now....

maybe if im really good my wife will get me one for christmas.

but the black diamond finish is like indistructable. a friend of mine has a 1911 with that finish, he took a knife and started slicing away at the slide, trying to put a scratch on it. end result, a dull knife and "blade residue" on slide. took a towel and wiped it off. was left with a dirty towel, dull knife, and a beautiful, unscratched 1911.

[Thane]

If I were to get another 1911 at this point, I'd buy a Springfield Armory "mil-spec GI" 1911 stainless in 5" and tweak it to my liking (flat mainspring housing, ambidextrous safety, longer trigger, replace GI rear sight with basic white dot sight - essentially what I've done to my parkerized Champion GI).

The 5" stainless "Loaded" model would be tempting, but I'm not terribly big on extended beavertails and commander-style hammers; my hands are small enough that I don't need either. Besides, I could obtain and modify the mil-spec GI model to my own specifications for cheaper than the Loaded.

I like Kimber, but I'm currently carrying my Springfield Armory Champion "Thane Custom" 1911.

[rm9792]

Anyone have any experience with the Kimber CDP line? I like the idea of the weapon, my Sig p220 is a bit hard to conceal during the summer. Also i was wondering, if i did get a Kimber, what size should i get for concealment? i feel a little awkward with the Ultra, never held the compact but the pro feels just fine.

I have about 8 1911's and my Kimbers do shoot the best. I have a Commander size CDP II and an Ultra Carry II. Neither has ever jammed and both are tack drivers at 20 yds. They arent cheap but are well made. Do get the FPB removed though as it is unnecessary and potential for problems. My smith charges $20 to do it.

[BrassMonkey]

Kimber

[RPBrown]

Les Baer TR
Wilson Combat
S&W
Colt
SA

In that order

[Moonpie]

No matter which brand you purchase, each 1911 type gun has an individual personality.
Some run great. Some from the same maker are boat anchors.
I've had excellent luck with Colt's.

Mosey over to http://forums.1911forum.com/index.php?

1911 info all over the spectrum.

Good luck in your purchase.