Looking for a 45 acp that's reliable out of the box
- Thread starter mrt949
- Start date
- Status
New, out of the box is what the O.P. was concerned with.
From my personal experience and that of my friends: any Sig in .45 ACP, Ruger SR1911 & CMD, Colt Gold Cup Series 70, Remington-Rand '43 built 1911a1.
HTH's Rod. And I'll recommend the Sig P220, or either Ruger 1911: SR1911 or CMD. Rugers are the best bang for the buck in my experience and will produce 2" groups at 25 yds from rest with good reloads. Too, if the QC issues evident with Kimbers produced 5-7 years ago are still prevalent...I'd avoid them.
HTH's Rod. And I'll recommend the Sig P220, or either Ruger 1911: SR1911 or CMD. Rugers are the best bang for the buck in my experience and will produce 2" groups at 25 yds from rest with good reloads. Too, if the QC issues evident with Kimbers produced 5-7 years ago are still prevalent...I'd avoid them.
Tanfoglio Witnesses are junk. 
Some 1911s run better than others "out of the box," but that still makes the species a hit-or-miss proposition generally as to any particular gun.
If you do choose a 1911, make sure you have a pool of cash set aside, ready to throw at your pistolsmith of choice to fix any outta-da-box issues. Typically you'll encounter these in the first 50-100 rds fired.
Some 1911s run better than others "out of the box," but that still makes the species a hit-or-miss proposition generally as to any particular gun.
If you do choose a 1911, make sure you have a pool of cash set aside, ready to throw at your pistolsmith of choice to fix any outta-da-box issues. Typically you'll encounter these in the first 50-100 rds fired.
Why are Tanfoglio Witnesses junk? My experience is with full size steel models in 9mm, 40, 45 and 10mm. Nothing but excellent performance in my experiences. Please share why you feel they are junk. Best wishes!Tanfoglio Witnesses are junk.
Some 1911s run better than others "out of the box," but that still makes the species a hit-or-miss proposition generally as to any particular gun.
If you do choose a 1911, make sure you have a pool of cash set aside, ready to throw at your pistolsmith of choice to fix any outta-da-box issues. Typically you'll encounter these in the first 50-100 rds fired.
Ah, don't listen to it.
My experience with Tanfoglio / EAA Witness is also that they run flawlessly. Mine are both polymer.
The Witness line of pistols gets rave reviews everywhere, and they are popular in competition circles.
You shouldn't trust your life to anything "out of the box".
Mechanical devises need to run a bit, for all the parts to "settle in" and "get used to working together". You can pay through the nose for a custom fitted and tuned gun, and expect it to be fully ready when you put your hands on it, that's what you're paying extra to get.
You won't get that from a commercial off the shelf common production gun. You might get a gun that runs flawlessly right out of the box, I've had them, but you shouldn't count on that.
The recommended 2-300rnd breaking in period is recommended for a reason. If you think you don't need that. fine, roll your dice, its your gun, your wallet, and your life. (also consider that the break in isn't just for the gun, its for the gun AND the shooter)
I've had actual Colt Govt Models that ran fine from day one. had others that didn't. Bought a Browning BDA .45 in 1980, (early model Sig P220) its been flawless since the beginning as well.
Another point to consider, is "to work out of the box" with what?? GI ball? some special JHP?? target SWCs? ALL interchangeable? what are you expectations, really??
Mechanical devises need to run a bit, for all the parts to "settle in" and "get used to working together". You can pay through the nose for a custom fitted and tuned gun, and expect it to be fully ready when you put your hands on it, that's what you're paying extra to get.
You won't get that from a commercial off the shelf common production gun. You might get a gun that runs flawlessly right out of the box, I've had them, but you shouldn't count on that.
The recommended 2-300rnd breaking in period is recommended for a reason. If you think you don't need that. fine, roll your dice, its your gun, your wallet, and your life. (also consider that the break in isn't just for the gun, its for the gun AND the shooter)
I've had actual Colt Govt Models that ran fine from day one. had others that didn't. Bought a Browning BDA .45 in 1980, (early model Sig P220) its been flawless since the beginning as well.
Another point to consider, is "to work out of the box" with what?? GI ball? some special JHP?? target SWCs? ALL interchangeable? what are you expectations, really??
I have the Sig 220, the H&K USP and the Glock 30. mr bolo no speak with forked tongue. Any of these great pistols will go "bang" right out of the box. However, having said this, I'll repeat the old cliche that if you're going to count on it to save you life sometime, you really need to run a few hundred rounds through it before you put it to that test.
S&W-Keeper
New member
Glock, H&K,and Sig.are the .45's that I have experience with.They are all good.
PatientWolf
New member
What is a “special mag”?
Most mags are mostly platform or model specific, so I assume everything takes a “special mag”.
There are many good options out of the box. You have posed a pretty broad question.
What do you specifically not like about the 1911 platform?
SAO?
Weight?
Hammer fire control?
Takedown?
Capacity?
Answering these questions might help to narrow down the suggestions.
Most mags are mostly platform or model specific, so I assume everything takes a “special mag”.
There are many good options out of the box. You have posed a pretty broad question.
What do you specifically not like about the 1911 platform?
SAO?
Weight?
Hammer fire control?
Takedown?
Capacity?
Answering these questions might help to narrow down the suggestions.
sevt_chevelle
New member
CZ 97.
P220 not in the same league as the 97.
Fnx 45 found a new home
1911s collect dust.
Tanfoglio is such junk it's only the most popular brand in shooting sports.
P220 not in the same league as the 97.
Fnx 45 found a new home
1911s collect dust.
Tanfoglio is such junk it's only the most popular brand in shooting sports.
- Status