Of these two 1911's which would you choose ?

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LouPran

New member
Both are "used" ... but in excellent condition.

Baer Custom 1911, 45 ACP

925408_baer_01l.jpg


Baer Custom 1911, 45 ACP
# Cal./Gauge: .45 ACP
# Barrel(s): 5 Inch
# Weight: 38 ozs.
# Sights/Scope: Dove Tallied Front w/Novak Low Mount Rear
# Stock: Checkered Walnut Grips
# Metal Condition: 100%
# Wood Condition: 100%
# Bore Condition: 100%

vs

Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911-45 ACP.

950498_colt_02l.jpg


Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911-45 ACP.
# Cal./Gauge: .45 ACP.
# Barrel(s): 5 Inch Barrel
# Weight: 40 ozs.
# Sights/Scope: Colt-Elliason Rear Sights
# Stock: Black Rubber Grips w/Colt Medallions
# Metal Condition: Excellent
# Bore Condition: Excellent
# Extras: Original Box, Gun Case and Manual
Colt Gold Cup National Match 1911-45 ACP; 5 inch barrel; Colt-Elliason rear sight; wide grooved adjustable trigger; black rubber grips with Colt medallions; metal excellent; bore excellent; comes with original box, gun case, and manual. This 1911 is in excellent condition, a great gun to add to your Colt collection.

Seems to me the choice might be pretty obvious , but I'd like opinions pro and con for one choice over the other.

Thanks :)
 
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robctwo

New member
Baer. I have the PII in .45 and 9mm. The .45 has the 1.5" guarantee, but the "normal" is 3" @50 yards. I bought mine slightly used as well.
 
K

kraigwy

New member
That would be a no brainer for me. I've had my series 70 gold cup for over 30 years. Its seen some pretty heavy use when I shot for the NG. I mean heavy use, often using the heavy Hard Ball ammo the Military got from Israel in the 80s.

Besides the USGI 1911, the Cold 1911 is what all other 1911s try to imetate.
 
L

L-2

New member
Les Baer. It seems to have more features which I'd want on a pistol: night sights; ambi safety; under triggerguard cut; upswept grip safety; front serrations; front strap checkering; as to what I could see in the photos.

I'm not a fan of the Gold Cup's slide top, either.
 
S

Shane Tuttle

Staff
Well, since you didn't provide any information whatsoever as to the purpose of use....

My choice would be the Les Baer. A hacked up Colt is towards the bottom of the totum pole for me to buy.
 
V

VHinch

New member
The Baer. I have many Colts, including a couple of Gold Cups, but honestly they just sit in the safe and look pretty. For a daily use gun I'd go with the Baer and not think twice.
 
L

LouPran

New member
Why call it a hacked up Colt Tuttle???

Honestly I expected it to be unanimous for the Baer ... but ...

What do you think if the Colt is almost $1000 less?
 
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Ivory Grips

New member
From a collector's view point, the obvious choice would be The Gold Cup. When it comes to 1911's my tastes are rather spartan. I prefer the classic look and feel of an unadorned 1911. That would exclude the Baer.

Ivory
 
S

Sevens

New member
...this is off on a tangent, so I apologize for that.

IMO, Colt enjoys a reputation and a name that is so much bigger than what it really is. Certainly, the name makes them more valuable than others if everything else is equal.

I love me a nice 1911, but I freely admit that I don't know half of what many others know about them. I don't live and breathe 1911 like a lot of people do.

So, when I look at those two pistols, one thing occurs to me RIGHT AWAY. That one thing is simple... one of them comes from a factory that produces handguns on a large scale, and the other comes from a custom house that has built a reputation on years of customizing them almost from the ground up. Does Les Baer still hand fit and fabricate things on a small scale? I don't know. But when I think of Colt, the first thing in my mind is different than a lot of people.

A lot of people see the prancing horse, they see dollar signs in the blue book, and they see a legendary American firearms maker that's been around for 150 years. What I first see is a company that has run itself in to the ground half a dozen times through corporate mismanagement and decisions that have not set well with the buying public. What used to be a legendary arms maker now catalogs: 1911's and little else.

I do honestly think that Colt handguns are very fine arms, but I think their name gets them a helluva lot more respect than they've earned. But as for these two on the table right now, I'd probably go for the one by a well-known custom builder than one that simply came down the production line from a company that's had almost as many bad headlines as they have subheadings in a classic firearms encyclopedia.

If I were buying now, it'd likely be a Fusion.

Apologies in advance for anyone who is offended at the opinions of a guy who thinks the name "Colt" has let down the American public at least as much as they've delivered to it.
 
S

Shane Tuttle

Staff
Why call it a hacked up Colt Tuttle???
Click to expand...

It's strictly a personal issue with me. I believe that Colts should be left stock for the most part. The lines of a stock Colt are meant to be left alone in my eyes. Plus, I think their value holds much better without add ons.

Kinda like a '49 Beetle. If kept stock all its life, it's worth tens of thousands. If someone tried to chopped the top and slapped a Cal-Look to it, it may be only worth a few thousand. On top of that, it's basically ruined. It will never be able to be sold as original again.

I think there's plenty of other base model 1911s out there that could be used for "upgrades".

I'm pretty sure the National Match models come staight from Colt. But, IIRC, the trigger and hammer isn't. I could definitely be wrong here.

Les Baer's pistols are known to start out with loads of features to begin with. Historically speaking, Colts weren't.

Again, it's only my personal viewpoint.
 
S

Shane Tuttle

Staff
Does Les Baer still hand fit and fabricate things on a small scale?
Click to expand...

Yes they do. Their new facility is a stone's throw from my house. Les isn't the only guy to fabricate his pistol line for obvious reasons. But, he doesn't have Brazil or other foreign countries make just about every other part and ship it in a box for him to assemble either.

He's a very, very, picky guy. He's adamant about the people he trains to do it his way. As controlling as it may be, it is after all his name on those guns...
 
S

Sturmgewehre

New member
Does Les Baer still hand fit and fabricate things on a small scale?
Click to expand...

Baer makes about 1,700 - 2,000 handguns a year.
Wilson makes about 1,700 - 2,000 handguns a year.
Nighthawk makes about 1,000 handguns a year.
Brown makes about 500 handguns a year.
 
J

jpwilly

New member
I like them both...price would have to come into the picture at some point. Both are probably more than I could spend on a 1911. If I had to pick only one I'd get the Colt now. You may have a hard time finding one again.
 
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IanS

New member
I used to own a Gold Cup and several other Colt 1911's. Today I have a TRS. Les Baer simply makes a better 1911.
 
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RickB

New member
I didn't see a mention of price? Comparing a $1000 gun to a $1800 gun, aren't we?
The Gold Cup looks stock, to me.
 
V

VHinch

New member
LouPran said:
Vhinch ... do the Gold Cups not perform?
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They perform fine, but most of my shooting these days is training, not just target shooting, and that's not really the Gold Cup's forte. Plus, it's not like there are any more new ones out there on the shelves, so when they get fired they get babied.
 
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