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my BIL and I are considering purchasing a (45 caliber) 1911 for the range.

As this would be either of ours first 1911, neither of us are sure of what to get.

So this post has 2 purposes

1 - to see what to look for in a 1911 range gun
2 - to see who may have one (in Houston area) that they may be looking to part with.

I have seen a few in a couple of the gun shops, and looked nice, but again, as never had one, not sure what to look for other than aesthetics.

I have a couple of 'musts' I think -
1 - .45 caliber
2 - full size
3 - availability to get extra magazines, as I feel that every gun I own must have 3 mags at least

Thanks in advance for your thoughts or ideas, as well as anyone who may want to sell, please PM me.

As long as you are not shooting the STI 2011 format, magazines are relatively easy to come by for these. Wilson Combat seems to be the most common that are picked up over the manufacturer stock mags. I have a few Kimbers and that is what I run in them.

You may not need it in a "range" gun, but if you are shooting IDPA or something else that requires off hand shooting (or a southpaw) an ambi-safety is a good feature to have. The one that I did change had to have a bit of work to fit it, so it might be good to have this OOTB. That was replacing a stock Kimber safety with a Wilson Combat extended ambi-safety.

The only major thing I can think of is if it has a firing pin block or not. Kimbers with this feature are the Series II and those without do not have the "II" designation. The Super Carry and SIS lines fall into the latter category. Some are particular about it, others are not and it is personal preference, but just to be aware of. I have one of each type in the Kimbers and have not had any issues with either. Colt and others have their own designations for this feature.

I'm sure others can provide more information. There will be a lot of opinions, but find what you and your BIL are comfortable with and start there.

I was thinking on buying an STI steelmaster in 9mm, then I said, Should I?

if you do a quick google search there are several online resources to help you identify potential issues with used 1911s.


congrats on the decision and welcome to the dark side ;)

FWIW, my father in law purchased a springfield range officer and it is one heck of a shooter. brand new i think they're only $750ish, used might save you a hundred or so bucks.

best of luck!

My first 1911 was a Rock Island Match-Grade 1911. It has ambi-safeties (I'm a lefty)
and a fiber optic front sight and a moveable rear sight.
It has been a blast to shoot and I look forward to many more years of
shooting it. Forgot to mention that they are not super expensive.

For daily carry I replaced it with a 3.5" barrel (commander size?) Rock
Island 1911 which is somewhat lighter and the shorter barrel makes it
more comfortable when I am sitting down.

I'm no expert, but the 1911 platform is one of the most customizable
platforms out there with custom parts for everything from grips to front
sights and everything in between.

STI Spartan 5.0 if you're ok with frame made overseas and/or want to save some cash

STI Trojan if you want 100% made in Texas (at a significant markup)

Plenty of other good brands, but you will not be sorry with an STI

Most all of the 1911's will accept another manufactures magizines. I use Wilson mags in mine but that is just my preference. If you can find a Colt or Springfield used at a decent price, I would go that way. Otherwise the Rock Island is not a bad choice for a 1st time, reasonably priced, range gun.

My first 1911 was my 2nd pistol to own. I shot a couple of IDPA matches with my first pistol, a S&W Sigma9...that thing could shoot great but the trigger pull was HORRIBLE. So a member of the club I was shooting with showed me his STI Trojan 5" 1911 in .45ACP that he was selling to fund another project. Best money I ever spent. That pistol is 100% rock solid and never lets me down...well, the sear did go on it once and it went into full auto, but I replaced the hammer/sear/disconnect with a matched set from C&S and it's been a dream. That was 5 years and several thousand rounds ago, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. The fact that it's made in Georgetown, TX makes it even better.

1911s should be approached with caution- once you own one, it won't be long before you own several. Heck, I am so in to them now that I have even built one from the ground up and have just about every tool a guy could need to build/repair more. So, in short, STI Trojan is my first choice- if it's for the range, get the full length guide rod.

Springfield's RO is another great option- out of the box they're setup well for the range and don't need much, if anything, done to them to enhance reliability.

Kimbers are also great for personal carry or for making people go "Oooooh, nice!" when they see it, but for the range, I'd rather have an STI or build one myself. If you get a Kimber, get the series 70 so you don't have to deal with extra trigger safety issues.

I have a non-politically correct Springfield Loaded that I am considering selling, and I am only a couple hours north of Houston.

(Non-politically correct means the locking mainspring housing has been replaced with one made by Wilson Combat.)

Everyone has their own opinions, and mine is a wrong as anyone else's...

I would consider a couple things.

1. What if you guys dont like em? Re-sell is best (now or years later) with a Springfield, Colt, STI (though slightly less so), Kimber, maybe Remington, Ruger, S&W. Guns like Rock Island, AO, "Desert Eagle", and the dozens of other brands may be great guns - but they wont hold quite the same value.

2. A lot of 1911s run great, out of the box. A lot of 1911's need a little massaging, including possibly new mags across the board. A good warranty is a great thing. Springfield has a great rep, as does Colt, and both have very good custom shops.

3. As noted, "cheap" 1911's can often turn into multiple, or very expensive projects. Be warned.

4. Enjoy!


With that said, I dont think there is a much better deal these days than a Springfield Range Officer or Loaded - you get the rep, the added parts most want/add quickly, and with a great company backing them. The SR1911 looks great, but I am a little hesitant just based on their short service life thus far. The 4" commander size keeps me interested, but its hard to spend $800 + tax at Cabelas when I know what that will get me in a Springer, or just a few bucks more on a Colt...

As mentioned, STI uses imported parts for the Spartan, but they get good reviews. Lots of good options.

Rock Island for value

Colt, SA, STI for quality

Nighthawk, Wilson, Wesson, for top of the line custom.

Stay away from Kimber as none of the above attributes are associated with the brand (IMO...the fanboys will be by soon to contradict...)

I drooled over a Nighthawk at the fun show this weekend, but Wilson has me hooked, unless I can convince myself that a SA Mil-spec or Colt Government and a trip to Mars is the better option.

Their "Thug"... MMMMMM


As to Kimber - Im with gigag - their reputation from the earlier years keeps em going. Id buy a SA or Colt every day of the week instead. But they have fans, so

I'm not gonna jump on the Kimber fanwagon, but I love my crimson carry full size and my Ultra compact for EDC. Both put boolits through the little square on the target without hiccups.

Crap, I jumped on the fanwagon but I swear my fingers were crossed.

gigag04 wrote:Stay away from Kimber as none of the above attributes are associated with the brand (IMO...the fanboys will be by soon to contradict...)

That's ok. You're entitled to your incorrect opinion.

Seriously though, blanket statements like the one above are rarely useful. Different people have different results. Personally, I've had 2 Kimbers and never had a single problem with either one.

I have 4 Kimbers that all function properly. That said, I would trade all but my Clackamas for a Colt.

Happy hunting!