1911's

[Guest Zombie Response Medic]

I just bought a Kimber and love it. Are there any other 1911's that you would recommend? I want something else that shoots as good as the Kimber does. Looking for a 4 or 5 inch barrel model.

[mikegideon]

Most of them are pretty good, even the cheaper ones.

[DevJames]

bang for the buck, Rock Island Armory are quite nice.

How much do you feel like spending will dictate what kind of options you have for a nice 1911.

[mikegideon]

If you're gonna look at Rock Island, look at American Classic as well.

[DevJames]

True. And the ATI guns as well.

a perk on the RIA's however is the rave reviews of customer service should the gun need to go in.

[TN Outlaw]

EVERY 1911 i have owned has been great even the low end ones

[Guest rebeldrummer]

i have owned the RIA Tactical 2011 series....great gun

i currently own a Ruger SR1911 and REALLY like that one...

looking to get a Kimber

[tnhawk]

I have 1911 pistols from Colt, Kimber, Springfield Armory and Wilson Combat. Each is a dependable, accurate pistol. Your intended use and budget should reduce the available choices to a few. However the more 1911 pistols you acquire, the greater the chance of becoming a 1911 addict.

[chances R]

I have a Remington R1 that I like a whole lot better than a Colt CC, 70 series. If I hadn't had it so long I would get rid of it..but just can't. Looking to get a Sig 1911 soon.

[TMF]

I just bought a Kimber and love it. Are there any other 1911's that you would recommend? I want something else that shoots as good as the Kimber does. Looking for a 4 or 5 inch barrel model.

What model Kimber did you get? I love my CDP II and haven't come by another 1911 I would want over it. I've started carrying it again since I decided to go with an OWB holster, so now my Glock sits in the safe.

[BigK]

i have owned the RIA Tactical 2011 series....great gun

i currently own a Ruger SR1911 and REALLY like that one...

looking to get a Kimber

The Ruger SR1911 is the only one I've ever shot or owned. I know they get better as the price doubles, but it's everything I hoped it would be. I hope I never have the misfortune of shooting a high-end 1911 like a Nighthawk or a Les Baer. It'd ruin the whole 1911 experience for me, since I'll never afford one.

[Links2k]

The Ruger SR1911 is the only one I've ever shot or owned. I know they get better as the price doubles, but it's everything I hoped it would be. I hope I never have the misfortune of shooting a high-end 1911 like a Nighthawk or a Les Baer. It'd ruin the whole 1911 experience for me, since I'll never afford one.

I know what you mean. A Les Baer TRS made me get rid of a perfectly good Springfield TRP.

[graycrait]

I have owned a dozen 1911s and can do a fair trigger on most any I have come across. However, a friend of mine has over 41 1911s (I quit counting when he hit 40. Damndest thing in the world is to look at those lines of 1911s in one of his huge gunsafes). He has 4 Rock Islands all the way through personally commissioned Les Baers & Ed Browns. He recently ordered a Springfield Custom Shop 1911 in 9mm. So I get to shoot a lot of 1911s. The coolest 1911 I have seen lately is the Rock Island belonging to a young GI here at FT Campbell. He bought his 1st 1911 to learn about the gun. He has handfitted aftermarket parts for everything except the barrel (lugs) and the link, but he has done a bushing too. That "Rock Island" shoots like a dream. If he ever gets the jigs and tools to swage and peen the rails he will become "dangerous."

One thing that bugs me about some 1911 "fan boys" is the number of them that extoll the virtues of the gun, but cannot detail strip or do routine internal maintenance or can't tweak the action on one. Next to the Glock the 1911 is the easiest gun to detail strip and reassemble. With not a lot of effort one can learn to tweak their stock gun to have a wonderful trigger. If someone comes out with a 240z plastic frame double stack 9mm 1911 I will be the first in line to buy one.

The one thing I find interesting in many of the 1911 fan boys I meet, and I meet a lot of them, is their lack of understanding of the need to lubricate their all metal guns. Read this and you will likely need to know anything else about lubing a handgun.

http://www.grantcunningham.com/lubricants101.html

Lastly, the conventional wisdom cautions about going too short in a 1911. Most adherents to the platform say 4.25" is the minimum. However, Springfield and Kimber both offer viable 4" guns. Anything less then 4" IMHO is a gun for someone who completely understands the platform and can tune and tweak their own gun. I have met a number of folks who have had issues with their "micro" 1911s. I don't know about the EMP because that is a slight departure from the orginal JMB design cause and I haven't had one, but I have seen enough of them for sale on the used market to make me wonder. I would like to give one a spin sometime.

[Links2k]

I consider myself lucky. The 1911 was still standard issue when I was a young MP. I was never issued anything else even during the war. The Berettas were pretty good looking guns, but I never shot one.

[Guest Sooner]

I consider myself lucky. The 1911 was still standard issue when I was a young MP. I was never issued anything else even during the war. The Berettas were pretty good looking guns, but I never shot one.

The 1911 was the standard when I was a Medic in USAREUR, as well. I'd just about pay anything to get an old 1911 like the one I carried in the service (actually made by the Singer Sewing Machine Co. in 1919). That was a damn fine weapon.

[sschrick]

+1 on Springfield Armory. . .they have a huge selection of 1911's. . .

can't go wrong

[tnhawk]

.....Lastly, the conventional wisdom cautions about going too short in a 1911. Most adherents to the platform say 4.25" is the minimum. However, Springfield and Kimber both offer viable 4" guns. Anything less then 4" IMHO is a gun for someone who completely understands the platform and can tune and tweak their own gun. I have met a number of folks who have had issues with their "micro" 1911s. I don't know about the EMP because that is a slight departure from the orginal JMB design cause and I haven't had one, but I have seen enough of them for sale on the used market to make me wonder. I would like to give one a spin sometime.

My Colt Commander, EMP 40, and Ultra CDP II have performed without a problem during the time I've owned them.

[Guest eloist]

I personally ECD a "parts" 1911.

Colt barrel, Ithaca slide, Essex frame, Wilson Combat mainspring, hammer, sear, beavertail, and magazines.

I also have VZ grips on it.

I bought it from a friend for $300, and put another $200 into it. I've put at least 3,000 rounds through it and I have NEVER had a malfunction.

It is a true american workhorse. most reliable firearm i have ever had the pleasure of owning.

That said, it's heavy for ECD. Looking into a Springfield XDM subcompact to replace it with for ECD.

I will never get rid of this 1911 though. No way, no how.

[Guest Zombie Response Medic]

What model Kimber did you get? I love my CDP II and haven't come by another 1911 I would want over it. I've started carrying it again since I decided to go with an OWB holster, so now my Glock sits in the safe.

I got it for my wifes carry gun. Its a kimber pro carry II with the slatewood crimson trace grips. Out of 7 rounds it was normal to have 1 large hole. Loved it.

[jtmaze]

If you're gonna look at Rock Island, look at American Classic as well.

I have the American classic commander and went that way because it had better sights that the RIA. I have over a thousand rounds with no failures. Finish isn't great on the American classic but works great as a workhorse.

JTM

Sent from my iPhone

[Dolomite_supafly]

I also have a Metro Arms American Classic. It has been 100% reliable since round one. I now have about 3K rounds through it. It has a slide to frame fit that was better than my Colt and the Metro shot better than the Colt.

After buying it I did go through and replace all the MIM parts with forged parts because this was destined to be a carry gun. I also replaced the barrel bushing with a hand fitted Kart bushing.

I can bust clays with it at 125 yards regularly.

I will be keeping this gun forever.

Dolomite

[timcalhoun]

I've had several Metro Arms cross my bench now, and I have to say that I'm impressed with their guns. Particularly when you consider the price point.

[Gophert]

American Classic Commander....No doubt a sweet piece of hardware at a great price. No problems with mine either.

[Guest Aces&8s]

Another thumbs up for Metro Arms. Both my ACII and my new Commander run like champs. I did swap out the mag catch on the ACII for the EGW higher catch, which has made it 100% with hollowpoints (had a few FTF issues before that with JHPs), but the Commander was flawless out of the box.

Those Rock Island guns are nice, too... and ever since Remington started making them again, I have been lusting after one of those, too... I think I am in need of an intervention.

[mikegideon]

I have the AC Amigo (Officer size). Like Dolomite said, I bought it because of the great side to frame fit. It wouldn't run out of the box, but Tim was able to flog it into submission. Runs great now.

I did order an Ed Brown extractor, and Tim did his extractor fitting magic as part of the fix.

Gophert, you and I seem to have the same taste at different times . I bought a G36 as well.

Here's my little pop gun. It has the factory mag in the pic, but I'll use Wilson 47 series mags exclusively.

Edited June 11, 2012 by mikegideon