$3875 1911 - Is it worth it?

[RobertNashville]

If you can afford it and want it then go for it.

I mean no offense but asking whether it's "worth it " or not is a silly question as the only person in the world who can answer that question for you is yourself!

There is nothing quite like a custom made 1911 - these firearms are works or mechanical art.

[c.a.willard]

Personally i think nearly 4 grand for a 9mm 1911 for carry is a bit more money than what its actually worth.  But again value is relative to the buyer.  You can however break it down by quality at the price point, and you there are several custom 1911's that are going to be of similar quality for a significantly lower price.

 

For me it would be more of a matter of where my money is going.  With several outstanding options for custom 1911's right here in TN why not get one locally.   

[Romad7]

From looking at his work, I am talking to Tim Calhoun so we'll see where that goes.  I would really prefer a local builder so I am glad there are a few good builders in mid-TN to choose from.

 

I guess when I ask is it worth it I am looking for some of the answers that were posted.  Work of art, super-precision, accuracy, reliability, etc are things that I am willing to pay for.  

 

As for a 1911 at nearly $4k, unicorn horn grips, diamond sight dots and supernatural accuracy are things that would have helped justify that price or at least a built in bottle opener;-)

 

Hopefully I can get everything that I want for a lot less.

 

 

Edit:  And to please the spirit of JMB, this gun will be a .45, that caliber just feels right for a 1911.

Edited May 1, 2013 by Romad7

[tercel89]

This is my Springfield-Armory Mil-Spec that I bought new on 2004. It has functioned great ! No malfunctions nor problems. It eats any ammo I feed it . The only thing I did was take out the main-spring housing that had the integrated key lock safety in it and put in a regular flat main spring housing .

 I carry it a bunch and love it . It is as dependable as my Glock 30 and that is saying a lot , believe me ! Oh and it cost me $400 in 2004 new out the door. If it were me I would find a older Springfield and have it built-up . Use it as a foundation. And dont be afraid of rattles, that is when I believe the 1911 becomes reliable ! If they are too tight then , to me , they are vulnerable to malfunctions. Glocks have a very loose fit which helps in reliability .

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Edited May 1, 2013 by tercel89

[Romad7]

This is my Springfield-Armory Mil-Spec that I bought new on 2004. It has functioned great ! No malfunctions nor problems. It eats any ammo I feed it . The only thing I did was take out the main-spring housing that had the integrated key lock safety in it and put in a regular flat main spring housing .

 I carry it a bunch and love it . It is as dependable as my Glock 30 and that is saying a lot , believe me ! Oh and it cost me $400 in 2004 new out the door.

 

 

I do like the classic look, I'm most likely going to get a full-size 1911 after this build (will be compact for carry).  I think that I may be on the road to a 1911 addiction.

[tercel89]

I do like the classic look, I'm most likely going to get a full-size 1911 after this build (will be compact for carry).  I think that I may be on the road to a 1911 addiction.

Oh yes ! I have had only 2 but find the ones that WORK!!!! Dont get hung up on the ones with all the hype and stuff. My S.A. Mil-Spec has been a jewel ! Take your time and the good thing is that if a magazine ban happens , Lord forbid , that wont hurt the 1911's !

[MarkInNashville]

Its not worth it for me, but that's just me.

[tnhawk]

:)

I can't afford one, and even if I could, I wouldn't buy one. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't spend a ridiculous amount of money on something else, if I wanted something and had the money.

My automobiles have depreciated in value much faster than my firearms.  However I enjoy each to the limits I'm willing and able to afford. :)

[tnhawk]

...... What good is money if you don't have what you REALLY want.

Money is a tool just as my pistol is also a tool.

[tercel89]

Money is a tool just as my pistol is also a tool.

I need to "feed" that to my wife but she will likely say that we need to use our "tools" to buy a Dooney And Burke or a Louis Vuitton  or a Coach !

Edited May 2, 2013 by tercel89

[tnhawk]

I need to "feed" that to my wife but she will likely say that we need to use our "tools" to but a Dooney And Burke or a Louis Vuitton  or a Coach !

Every tool has a purpose. 

[dunndw]

I carry a Nighthawk and love it. I picked it up used. My very first high end 1911 was a Nighthawk Talon II bobtail... bought used. Keep your eyes open for one to crop up. Usually the higher end 1911s end up being more safe queen than duty rig. My bobtail was ordered and purchased new from the shop I got it from. The feed ramps didn't even show any wear when I picked it up.

[Romad7]

Those Nighthawks look good, you got a nice one there. How much was yours used, if you don't mind?

Are they associated with Wilson since they are both in the same city? Edited May 2, 2013 by Romad7

[Oh Shoot]

My two cents, which figuring in inflation ain't worth more than three pesos.

 
Dude! Three pesos are worth .24 USD, don't sell yourself short!
 
I love guns but a $4K 1911 would have to feed me classy dinners for a week and show me a damn good time afterwards. Plus that one is only a 9mm so isn't any good for self defense either, right?  :crazy:
 
(Seriously though, depending on degree of happiness it may impart to ya, it may be a steal).
 
- OS

[RobertNashville]

Those Nighthawks look good, you got a nice one there. How much was yours used, if you don't mind?

Are they associated with Wilson since they are both in the same city?

If I remember correctly the fellow who started Nighthawk used to build for Wilson then split off...I don't think there is any love lost between them these days.

 

I have a Nighthawk Custom Talon and I USE it...I've taken it through more than a few classes where we are firing a lot of rounds and for a long time; it's never been picky about the ammo used and the Talon kept working when other, even more expensive 1911s were choking...mine only failed when we induced malfunctions. :)

 

I've got more expensive and less expensive 1911s but if I was going to be my life on one the Talon is the one I'd pick up.

 

Wilson, Nighthawk, Ed Brown and Les Bare make excellent, even exquisite 1911s...I don't believe you would be disappointed with a 1911 from any of them.

Edited May 2, 2013 by RobertNashville

[Romad7]

$4k is a lot and hopefully I don't get close to that with what I want. Between shopping around for used ones or just having one built, I shouldn't have a problem keeping it under $3k. That's probably still too high for many of you but I'm good with that if I get what I want.

I'm really liking the Nighthawks now, too many guns and not enough money for all of them.

Is there a shop in the Nashville area that would have a good selection of high end 1911s that I could look at? It would be good to be able to get a feel for the different styles/brands before spending that kind of money.

Thanks! Edited May 2, 2013 by Romad7

[chances R]

I am sure that the high end guns listed here are fine, dependable firearms.  Can't say anything bad about them, but I've never owned one.  IMO, it is a lot like driving the upper end cars, or more relevant, high end shotguns like a Krieghoff, perazzi, DT10, Blaser, etc.  Very well-made, and fine looking guns.  I've seen people shoot just as bad with all of them, and some shoot 'em very well.....but it is the Indian not the arrow.  No one should feel that you have to invest high $ to have fun and shoot well.  I've got a Remington R1 with several thousand rounds through it and when benched will shoot 2" at 25 yds.  Less than $500 in that gun.   With that said, if you want an expensive item, gun, or whatever, and can afford it, and enjoy it, have at it but don't feel as though that is what is necessary to shoot well.......but it never hurts to look good while doing it.

[Romad7]

Good advice. My RIA and G17 shoot quite well so I'm not lacking in that area. In reality, I'm probably not going to get a huge jump in reliability and accuracy by putting an extra $2-3k into a gun. I want this gun to be as good as it gets in all areas and be a work of art at the same time.

Also, I like to know that if I am off target with my shooting that it's me and like having a higher standard to work towards. Then I can focus on my shooting vs wondering if I need to work on the gun. Not all my guns have to be this good of course, they all have their specific uses, I just want this one to be the best. Edited May 2, 2013 by Romad7

[Guest ab28]

This is why I carry a 1911 although I love Glocks. I know that a Glock can be carried locked and cocked but I do feel safer with the 1911 safeties.

More safeties are actually less safe. That is one more thing to fumble with when you are getting shot at. I carried a Glock for years with a round in the chamber, and never thought twice about it. Following safety rules and having good trigger discipline is worth more than a manual safety. If I pull a gun out, I just want to squeeze the trigger and it go bang. Glocks have more than enough accuracy to get the job done, and are probably more accurate than most shooters need or can shoot. I had my long guns set up as safety off, full mag in the weapon, just chamber a round if you need to use it. Carry weapons always had a round in the chamber.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have always loved 1911's, but a Glock personifies to me the perfect aspects of a tool designed for the job.

Edited May 2, 2013 by ab28

[Romad7]

Good points but with good muscle memory that's not a problem. When I was in Afghanistan, I had no issues flipping the safety back and forth as needed on my M4 or M9 without thinking. It kind of just happened instinctually.

This was under considerable stress also. Edited May 2, 2013 by Romad7

[Lowpower]

I'm old and for the life of me I can't remember ever having a failure to feed a round into my Colt .45 acp's. I used one as a duty gun for a few years. a long time ago in a a galaxy far, far away...wait where was I?...told ya I was old... and shot it 2-3X a week since we could. Mine have been smoothed up and all and I really don't have a need any other guns. The Gl...Geh...Glo....<gag> plastic guns are ok for some but I am a man of steel and will continue to be. :)

 

I wish I had $4k to spend on a gun like you rich folks. Ah well.  

 

I will say there is a difference between spending money on dinner, a night out and a good gun. Dinner is fleeting but the gun remains in your possesion unitl you die or sell it.

 

Lp

[LagerHead]

From looking at his work, I am talking to Tim Calhoun so we'll see where that goes.  I would really prefer a local builder so I am glad there are a few good builders in mid-TN to choose from.

 

I guess when I ask is it worth it I am looking for some of the answers that were posted.  Work of art, super-precision, accuracy, reliability, etc are things that I am willing to pay for.  

 

As for a 1911 at nearly $4k, unicorn horn grips, diamond sight dots and supernatural accuracy are things that would have helped justify that price or at least a built in bottle opener;-)

 

Hopefully I can get everything that I want for a lot less.

 

 

Edit:  And to please the spirit of JMB, this gun will be a .45, that caliber just feels right for a 1911.

 

 

I have shot one of Tim's guns. He had to hit me over the head with a board and pry it from my hands to get it back. In other words, it was AWESOME! It was a .40 though. 

[Guest ab28]

Good points but with good muscle memory that's not a problem. When I was in Afghanistan, I had no issues flipping the safety back and forth as needed on my M4 or M9 without thinking. It kind of just happened instinctually.

This was under considerable stress also.

When I was in Iraq, I generally carried my M4 with the safety off, but that was in 2004, so times might have changed. I can't remember whether I carried my M9 with the safety off, too, its been a long time and a lot of alcohol ago, and I rarely used my handgun.

 

A couple of REMFs noticed I carried safety off, but we generally gave them lip service, and ignored them later. They weren't out there with us.

Edited May 4, 2013 by ab28

[McAllyn]

If that's the exact weapon you want, go for it.  I've never heard any negatives about Wilson's, EB's, Nighthawks, etc.  But, personally, when I was looking for something in that price range, I decided to contact a custom builder and have exactly what I wanted, not something that was essentially "upgraded" not "custom."  If it's got a list of standard parts and is mass-produced, it's not "custom" regardless of what the vendor calls it.

 

There are a lot of vendors that would be happy to work with you over the phone (at least one locally that would work with you in person) and build exactly what you want (and help determining if what you want is, in fact, what would work for you.)

 

Mac

[Guest ab28]

If that's the exact weapon you want, go for it.  I've never heard any negatives about Wilson's, EB's, Nighthawks, etc.  But, personally, when I was looking for something in that price range, I decided to contact a custom builder and have exactly what I wanted, not something that was essentially "upgraded" not "custom."  If it's got a list of standard parts and is mass-produced, it's not "custom" regardless of what the vendor calls it.

 

There are a lot of vendors that would be happy to work with you over the phone (at least one locally that would work with you in person) and build exactly what you want (and help determining if what you want is, in fact, what would work for you.)

 

Mac

Not talking about anyone specific, but honestly, most shooters couldn't tell the difference between a stock 1911 and a custom one if they shot one, as far as their accuracy.

 

If I was gonna spend that kinda money, I'd get a rifle. All handguns do about the same thing, close range self defense. I've seen people hit 1 liters at 50 yards with a G19, that is plenty more accuracy than you would need.