Advice on 1911a1 .45 handguns?

[QuackerSmacker]

Trust me, you WANT the Tisas.  If you don't like it, I'll buy it off of you.  I have no risk here!

[Moped]

On 8/15/2021 at 8:53 PM, QuackerSmacker said:

Trust me, you WANT the Tisas.  If you don't like it, I'll buy it off of you.  I have no risk here!

Love mine!!!  

[bobsguns]

My vote goes to Rock Island. I have two of them, a Commander & dbl stack 2011, both in 10mm. I would buy both again, which is the highest recommendation I can give a gun. 

Tisa's do have a good rep, although I have seen a couple come back to a shop for warranty issue. No gun in that price will always be perfect. 

[John_Cea]

Modern pistol designs have made the 1911 obsolete in its role as a combat sidearm. It's finicky and demands constant attention that a warfighter can't afford to offer. But when it's tuned and running well, it's the most accurate pistol out there. Warnings aside, the pistol's appeal is strong and romantic.

[tnhawk]

I'm old and obsolete as most of pistols are.  All of my 1911 pistols are reliable, accurate and have been easy to maintain.

[Grayfox54]

The 1911 will never be obsolete. The gun as JMB designed it can be dropped in the mud, rinsed off in a puddle and still go bang every time AND be self defense accurate as well . Its probably the finest combat pistol ever created. 

Its when people start messing around with the original design that they get finicky. Trying to get all the tolerances as tight as possible, adding all kinds of un-necessary  add ons and striving for target grade accuracy are what make it unreliable and finicky. But these things can also make the 1911 a world class target and competition pistol.  So its a trade off.  A good 1911 gunsmith can get all that and still be utterly reliable. However, with most so-called factory "target" or "competition" models its hit or miss at best.  This is where that unreliable myth comes from.  That and the fact that plastic fans feel the need to diss on better guns. 

[tnhawk]

I generally purchase or order a pistol as I desire it to be built.  I've heard some will buy a lower end pistol and then "improve it" by putting better made parts in it.  If I replaced the parts in my Rock Island pistol with Wilson Combat parts, I'd still have a Rock Island pistol.

[Mowgli Terry]

Right now have a STI  45 ACP Commander Clone. I find it somewhat better finished than my old RIA 9mm. I don't care about tricking out any potential carry gun. The thing works or it does not. Somebody may laugh at the gun. The laughter stops  when they see your targets.  I find my gun to be accurate and reliable after 300 or so rounds of lead bullet loads. To me, anybody can say what they want about the Filipino guns. Owners appear to be happy finding the guns very serviceable. My only change to the STI was replacing the rubber grips for wooden. OP was looking for suggestion for a low cost but not cheap handgun.  When somebody is giving information about a gun always ask about their hands on experience.

Edited September 24, 2021 by Mowgli Terry
Old age and run down condition

[hipower]

I've found the RIA firearms to be very good. Have had several and really like them. Actually have an unfired(just never got around to getting out with it) FS CS double stack 9mm waiting for me to take it out.

As an alternate on the loer mid-range 1911 platform, look at the SDS imports. Got a Commander size , hard chromed 45 that will stand against anything else I own in 1911. And it's one of the tightest and best fitting, right out of the box 1911s I've shot.

Seems that the Turkish manufacturers are beginning to be know for more than just the Canik line. Some very fine pieces still coming in from them.

For now at least. Get one. You'll be happy with either. 

[hipower]

On 8/7/2021 at 5:26 PM, BJB said:

I really like my Rock Island 38 Super 

I really need to get one of those!

[JustEd]

No revolver love on here?