I'm shopping for a 1911. Any help?

[MrBret]

Afternoon all.

I am looking for a new 1911 & would like some input, feedback, help etc....

I will be used 90% as my range gun & I would like the following:
Full size (5")
9mm
$500-$800
the better looking style (skeleton trigger etc)
Black, steel, etc does not matter

Now this is the hard bit, I also need ideas AND somewhere that has it in stock.

So far i have been looking at the Rock Island, Citadel, STI Spartan V (which I really like), Taurus PT1911, Magnum Research (if it were 9mm), Ruger SR1911 etc

I may go for a 45ACP if the deal is super sweet.

Also, I hear the Wilson mags are the ones to get, any others that are pretty good & not $45+


Any thought or feedback would be great. Also links to places that have them in stock.

Thanks

[ltxi]

Afternoon all.

I am looking for a new 1911 & would like some input, feedback, help etc....

I will be used 90% as my range gun & I would like the following:
Full size (5")
9mm
$500-$800
the better looking style (skeleton trigger etc)
Black, steel, etc does not matter

Now this is the hard bit, I also need ideas AND somewhere that has it in stock.

So far i have been looking at the Rock Island, Citadel, STI Spartan V (which I really like), Taurus PT1911, Magnum Research (if it were 9mm), Ruger SR1911 etc

I may go for a 45ACP if the deal is super sweet.

Also, I hear the Wilson mags are the ones to get, any others that are pretty good & not $45+


Any thought or feedback would be great. Also links to places that have them in stock.

Thanks

No help on 1911's in that price range for new. Other than I'd not go for any you mentioned....again, no help.

Wrt mags, however, I long ago chose not to cheap out nor experiment further and buy nothing but Wilson. There be no need to pay $45. They go for low to mid-$30. The last few I bought cost me $29.95 shipped. That was last month.

[JohnR]

My Girsan is pretty sweet and below your price range. Check Bud's.

[Redstate]

I don't know about in your location, but a LGS here has a new Springfield Range Officer (45) for $745.00. Not one that you mentioned; but one certainly to be considered. If you are stuck on the 9mm, the Rock Island is a good choice and can be had for around $465.00 here when in stock.

[bulletdodger]

You're gonna get what you pay for. If I were you I'd put that money down on a nicer pistol. Most places have layaway. If you're willing to spend 800, put that down on a nice 1911. Kimbers are nice. Tight tolerances though. Remington makes an Enhanced 1911 with a skeletonized adjustable trigger and a tactical look. Its a 45 though. Run you around 900-1000. I have a Remington R1 Centennial that ran me 1200. Some guys talk **** about their lower end model R1 and there is a noticeable difference in quality. But I preferred a "close to mil spec" 1911 without all the fancy new age features. My grandfather had a Military Remington 1911 and so its kind of nostalgic. Loose tolerances on the Rem. Room for grease. No break in period. Ready to rock out of the box. Never a single stovepipe. Around a 1000 rounds through it so far. Springfield EMP is a very nice 9mm 1911 frame pistol. Not full size though. Why not get a Beretta or a CZ? Those can be had in your price range. Full size, with high cap mags. Shoot, the CZ Duty has a 19+1 capacity I do believe. What is the reason you want a 9mm 1911? Cheaper ammo?

[yqtszhj]

Look at a Sig 1911. I don't have one but I can't see where you could go wrong. For $800 you can get a reliable nice 1911.

[knkali]

I am going to piss a lot of guys off BUT. If you are talkin 1911, it must be a .45ACP AND American made. Finally, it must have a set of Bawanna's handles. End of story.

I am a retard though. See my recent post. Retard Shoots 1911.

[MrBret]

It does not have to be one of the makes I listed, they ate just ones I've been looking at so far and from what I've seen have mostly good reviews.
I do want a full size 1911 as I already have CW9 as a carry gun & have sold my XD9 sub compact so full size is a must for me now. I had been looking at an Springfield XDM9 but if I can get a good 1911 for the same kind of money then why not.

[Bawanna]

I know next to nothing about 9mm 1911's. I didn't even know Wilson made mags for them but I guess that shouldn't be a surprise.

I do like the looks of Gregs RIA Tactical, it has all the right stuff.

I can see where sticking with the same caliber for ammo inventory would be a good thing, pretty much my thinking except I go 45.

I surely don't blame you for hankering for a 1911.

[Longitude Zero]

Preice really means quality here. There are plenty of "cheap" 1911's but the sweetness of the low price will be forgotten in the woes of troubles some can cause.

Kimber has some very nice weapons a bit above your price range all the way up to skys the limit.

Get a Kimber.

[TheTman]

I hear nice things about the STI 1911's. Some claim the Spartan is the nicest 1911 in it's price range. I can't say as I've not shot one. Kimbers are pretty tight, my friend has a Kimber Ultra Carry II that will STILL not feed HP ammo reliably. They keep telling him to put more hardball through it until it loosens up some.
But I see I see you are talking 9mm. Those are .45. There are definitely other pistols I'd look at in 9mm before going with a 1911. I think if I was going to get a single action 9mm, I'd go with a Hi-Power. They are beautiful Browning designed pistols, built for the 9mm. But it's not me, so enjoy whichever you decide on.

[Bawanna]

That's actually a great idea Tman, probably why I didn't think of it.

In a 9, if you want a SA the Hi Power would be great.

I love the feel of mine in the hand. Mine's an old Argentine Police gun and still not 100% reliable. I put a recoil spring in it and that helped, think I need some mag springs, just not feeding good.

Still very accurate. I want to get it shooting and then send it to Birdsong for a Black T finish, maybe someday.

[gb6491]

...

Also, I hear the Wilson mags are the ones to get, any others that are pretty good & not $45+
...

IMO, the gold standard for 9mm 1911 magazines is Checkmate's 9FR-794.

9mm 1911s are a joy to shoot: you have the 1911's ergonomics and trigger with a low recoiling (in platform) round.
Regards,
Greg

[O'Dell]

I hear nice things about the STI 1911's. Some claim the Spartan is the nicest 1911 in it's price range. I can't say as I've not shot one. Kimbers are pretty tight, my friend has a Kimber Ultra Carry II that will STILL not feed HP ammo reliably. They keep telling him to put more hardball through it until it loosens up some.

Tell your friend to trash the stock mag and get some decent ones. I bought two KimPro Tach mags for my UC II and all my feeding problems disappeared.

As for the STI, I have an Escort and it had a problem going into battery. It went back and got a new barrel and recoil assy, and now works fine. They said the chamber was undersized and the stronger springs were a running change, but I wasn't especially happy. It should have been right out of the box for what they cost.

[Dirt doc]

A couple years ago I bought a Rock Island Armory full size tactical in 9mm. I had a .45 but wanted a 1911 that was a little cheaper to shoot. The tactical includes the skeleton trigger, beavertail and upgraded sights. I paid $430 for it. It was a very accurate soft shooter that was reliable with 124 grain and heavier bullets but had extraction problems with 115 grain initially. I sent it back to Armscor (on their dime) and it came back completely reliable, with an extra mag and a polished feed ramp.

I found though that when I grabbed a 1911 to shoot, I always grabbed the 45. Since I wasn't shooting it much, I sold it to a family member with the stipulation that I can shoot it anytime I want.

If I was in the market for a 9mm 1911 range gun, I wouldn't hesitate buying another Rock Island Armory 1911.