Best 1911's - regardless of price
- Thread starter BigJimP
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Springfield Armory "Mil-Spec"
Howdy,
If reliability and dependability is your goal, get the SA "Mil-Spec", according to an old gunsmith in Houston I know. If spending lots of money is the goal (and reliability is 2nd) get a Les Baer, he said! My "loaded" SA 1911 made in 1999 (it's really a modified "Mil-Spec" by today's standards!) hasn't had a FTF or FTE. Ever. Standard mags and WWB ammo. It's not terribly accurate with it's stock sights, but..
Larry C.
Howdy,
If reliability and dependability is your goal, get the SA "Mil-Spec", according to an old gunsmith in Houston I know. If spending lots of money is the goal (and reliability is 2nd) get a Les Baer, he said! My "loaded" SA 1911 made in 1999 (it's really a modified "Mil-Spec" by today's standards!) hasn't had a FTF or FTE. Ever. Standard mags and WWB ammo. It's not terribly accurate with it's stock sights, but..
Larry C.
StrikeEagle
New member
This is my gut feeling as well... I love Colt .45's.
Sure you can spend more but I'm just not persuaded that you GET more. I even have the idea that high end .45's can be finicky. Some of them are really fine TARGET guns, not exactly what you want for a fighting piece. Others have fancy gee-gaws that never occurred to John Browning.
StrikeEagle
Let's talk about cost for a minute. Sometime around 1990, I picked up a book written by a former steel plate shooter from Memphis, TN. He talked about his experiences shooting steel plates and the matches he had attended. He also talked about the pistols he had shot and the modifications to them. He recommended that you shoot awhile before deciding what you liked and actually placed an order. I did not folow his advice on the later. How do you decide if you like a flat or arched mainspring housing when you have neither. No, I did not know a friend with one in those days.
I called Springfield (Springfield Armory in those days as I recall). Debbie (you know, the Custom shop Debbie that we have all come to know since) answered the phone. She helped me decide as she read the options available on the Professional from the custom shop. I still own that pistol. I have since added Trijicon night sights.
Maybe 5,000 rounds later, it hasn't even blinked. The options are legion. The fit and finish are outstanding. Hardly anything is not a Nowlin, or a Videki, or etc. It was hand built by their expert gunsmith....I believe his name was Dave.
I paid close to $1500.00. Boy, did I get a great deal! That averages about $100.00 a year and I don't think it has even begun to wear out.
My other favorite is a box stock, series 70 Colt built in the seventies. Love it too. Beautiful........and it runs great!
I own and shoot some other pieces that I have acquired but so far they do not come near these two in either beauty or performance.
PigPen
I called Springfield (Springfield Armory in those days as I recall). Debbie (you know, the Custom shop Debbie that we have all come to know since) answered the phone. She helped me decide as she read the options available on the Professional from the custom shop. I still own that pistol. I have since added Trijicon night sights.
Maybe 5,000 rounds later, it hasn't even blinked. The options are legion. The fit and finish are outstanding. Hardly anything is not a Nowlin, or a Videki, or etc. It was hand built by their expert gunsmith....I believe his name was Dave.
I paid close to $1500.00. Boy, did I get a great deal! That averages about $100.00 a year and I don't think it has even begun to wear out.
My other favorite is a box stock, series 70 Colt built in the seventies. Love it too. Beautiful........and it runs great!
I own and shoot some other pieces that I have acquired but so far they do not come near these two in either beauty or performance.
PigPen
Dave Sample
Moderator
I have to clear up a statement I made about Ed Cameron. I have never held one of his guns in my hands, so I should not compliment him. I just looked at the pictures and made my post from looking at what I thought was very beautiful work. I recieved a nasty-gram from a smith that has taken offense at my compliment so I will withdraw it. I guess it is not proper to praise great work based on pictures now. This guy also said that Ed is four times the smith I never was, so you should know that, also. He may be right , as far as I know. Since I am retired now, it really does not affect anything that I do. I think that it is funny that this guy puts up pictures of his work and then wallows in the compliments that he gets.
The Internet is a strange and wonderful place.
The Internet is a strange and wonderful place.
RugerOldArmy
New member
Here's one I have a pretty solid opinion on:
Jardine Valtro
These are customs. Not vanilla Valtro semi-custom like Tamara mentioned (as fine semi-customs). Jardine seems to have an excellent rep (and is supposed to do a mean BHP).
I do believe the wait is a few YEARS. I've never heard someone say it isn't worth it. I've handled one, and a Springer Pro (very nice, I'd love one. And the 'Dave' praised highly is Dave Williams, who made me a fine gun from a springer frame and colt slide. They're good. These are art.) seems to pale in comparison. 4340 steel, excellent craftsmanship. I'd have a hard time considering another better. (I've never seen Dave Sample's work up close, so no offense Dave.) If I did one, and I hope to, there wouldn't be serrations on the front of the slide.
Jardine Valtro
These are customs. Not vanilla Valtro semi-custom like Tamara mentioned (as fine semi-customs). Jardine seems to have an excellent rep (and is supposed to do a mean BHP).
I do believe the wait is a few YEARS. I've never heard someone say it isn't worth it. I've handled one, and a Springer Pro (very nice, I'd love one. And the 'Dave' praised highly is Dave Williams, who made me a fine gun from a springer frame and colt slide. They're good. These are art.) seems to pale in comparison. 4340 steel, excellent craftsmanship. I'd have a hard time considering another better. (I've never seen Dave Sample's work up close, so no offense Dave.) If I did one, and I hope to, there wouldn't be serrations on the front of the slide.
Texas Sized
New member
While the 1* is quite a cool and innovative saying, it's beyond me why someone would want to put such on the pistol they carry and shoot. Seems so bragadocious and irrelevant to me...hehe, but to each his own. The Yost pistols are beautiful.
Peter M. Eick
New member
While I am very partials to my Baer collection, the very best 1911's that I have ever seen are some of the original 1912 to 1915 military and commercial 1911's. The bluing, fit and finish of those guns are so superior to any of the modern guns it is funny in retrospect.
Sure the modern guns are probably more accurate, have better steel, but some of fit and finish on the pre-ww1 are just hard to describe.
Quality, raw quality. "when steel was expensive and men were cheap"
Sure the modern guns are probably more accurate, have better steel, but some of fit and finish on the pre-ww1 are just hard to describe.
Quality, raw quality. "when steel was expensive and men were cheap"
doctor_brevic
New member
Unless you plan to buy the steel yourself and mill it too, gotta be a kimber. I won't tell you which kimber in particular because there are many models. I should hope you can find the one that fits your preferences.
Mike Irwin
Staff
This is the perfect example of a thread necro resurrection...
Doc, your post would have been a great addition to this thread.... six and a half years ago when it was fresh and new.
Closed.
Doc, your post would have been a great addition to this thread.... six and a half years ago when it was fresh and new.
Closed.
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