Why, exactly, are 1911s so expensive? I've shot two of my buddy's Kimbers, and while they shot great, I don't understand why they cost so much. I'm not trying to come across as ignorant, I'm just uneducated. I see a lot that they are used as target pistols in competitions. Is it the craftsmanship/labor put into them? I'm not currently in the market for one, but I wouldn't mind picking one up some day. There just seems to be a great deal of sticker shock that comes along with them for me.
THAT MUCH for a 1911?!
- Thread starter seanie
- Start date
Technosavant
New member
Yes, 1911s tend to be more expensive than other models.
Keep in mind that the basic design is nearly 100 years old. It comes from the days when automation was expensive and labor was cheap. Now that situation is reversed. The 1911 requires a fair amount of hand fitting by qualified people in order to work properly. It has a large number of small parts. It is an all metal firearm that requires quality steel and final machining to shape.
Labor costs money. Newer designs with completely interchangeable parts that don't require a great deal of finish work are much less expensive. Compare the 1911 to other all metal guns of good quality (Sig comes to mind) or other guns that require extensive hand fitting (revolvers) and you'll see that they aren't too far out of line. When you can take any in spec barrel, frame, slide, and lockwork and slap them together, you get a less expensive gun than one that requires frame and slide fitting, barrel fitting, and lockwork custom fit to every example.
1911s made out of less expensive castings with overseas labor (Rock Island) can be perfectly serviceable for less cost. Ones made of top notch forgings with a great deal of attention from highly qualified American gunsmiths will be great guns, but you're paying for the privilege.
I love the 1911; it is my first choice among all handguns, but I am not blind to its faults- it takes some skill to put one together, and that drives up the cost.
Keep in mind that the basic design is nearly 100 years old. It comes from the days when automation was expensive and labor was cheap. Now that situation is reversed. The 1911 requires a fair amount of hand fitting by qualified people in order to work properly. It has a large number of small parts. It is an all metal firearm that requires quality steel and final machining to shape.
Labor costs money. Newer designs with completely interchangeable parts that don't require a great deal of finish work are much less expensive. Compare the 1911 to other all metal guns of good quality (Sig comes to mind) or other guns that require extensive hand fitting (revolvers) and you'll see that they aren't too far out of line. When you can take any in spec barrel, frame, slide, and lockwork and slap them together, you get a less expensive gun than one that requires frame and slide fitting, barrel fitting, and lockwork custom fit to every example.
1911s made out of less expensive castings with overseas labor (Rock Island) can be perfectly serviceable for less cost. Ones made of top notch forgings with a great deal of attention from highly qualified American gunsmiths will be great guns, but you're paying for the privilege.
I love the 1911; it is my first choice among all handguns, but I am not blind to its faults- it takes some skill to put one together, and that drives up the cost.
Christian James
New member
If you think your friend's Kimber is expensive, stay away from Ed Brown, Wilson, Nighthawk, and full custom pistols.
Big Ugly Tall Texan
New member
My 1911 has all the bells and whistles and cost less than $600
It's a Taurus PT1911 and is without a doubt the best 1911 I ever shoot.
I have several thousand rounds through it without any problems. No FTFs. No FTEs. No stovepipes. No problems.
And the thing is more accurate than I am.
Right after I got it in October 2006, I took it with me when I went for quals as a Customs and Border Protection Officer.
After we finished the first half, the instructors gave us a break for lunch, but I stayed at the range shooting Bully (my name for the pistol). Some of the instructors - who have to be outstanding shooters to get the instructor gig - gave it a try.
I was shooting good groups, but those guys shot TINY groups.
During my LEO career, I carried everything from a Smith and Wesson Model 10 to a Model 629, and including a PT92, and a Ruger GP-100.
That PT1911 is the best handgun I ever shot.
It's a Taurus PT1911 and is without a doubt the best 1911 I ever shoot.
I have several thousand rounds through it without any problems. No FTFs. No FTEs. No stovepipes. No problems.
And the thing is more accurate than I am.
Right after I got it in October 2006, I took it with me when I went for quals as a Customs and Border Protection Officer.
After we finished the first half, the instructors gave us a break for lunch, but I stayed at the range shooting Bully (my name for the pistol). Some of the instructors - who have to be outstanding shooters to get the instructor gig - gave it a try.
I was shooting good groups, but those guys shot TINY groups.
During my LEO career, I carried everything from a Smith and Wesson Model 10 to a Model 629, and including a PT92, and a Ruger GP-100.
That PT1911 is the best handgun I ever shot.
The 1911 is by far the most simple and best firearm in history.
You will pay more for a name like Kimber, or Wilson, or so on... There are alot out there that come off of the same manuf. line.... but you will find different names on them and about a $300-400 difference in the exact same firearm.
I have 5 different "brands" ... NO one sticks out as a huge for runner...
I have looked at the Taurus recently... it is as good as the others. And for the Springfield... at the range last sat... I saw a young kid that "just took it out of the box" and shot about 100-150 rounds when he had a pin falling out... & had to take it back to the store to be sent back to the factory. So the "quality" manuf. is just a way to push a name over the actuall product.
You will pay more for a name like Kimber, or Wilson, or so on... There are alot out there that come off of the same manuf. line.... but you will find different names on them and about a $300-400 difference in the exact same firearm.
I have 5 different "brands" ... NO one sticks out as a huge for runner...
I have looked at the Taurus recently... it is as good as the others. And for the Springfield... at the range last sat... I saw a young kid that "just took it out of the box" and shot about 100-150 rounds when he had a pin falling out... & had to take it back to the store to be sent back to the factory. So the "quality" manuf. is just a way to push a name over the actuall product.
Technosavant
New member
No worries. That's exactly it, though. For those used to CZs, Glocks, and newer designs, the 1911 and its relatively antiquated use of large amounts of labor and small parts is a revelation. That little plunger tube can be a pain. The lockwork can't just be tossed right in. The barrel lugs have to be individually fit to the slide.
This is also why 1911s tend to be more individualistic in terms of quality- take any ten identical 1911s and you're likely to have some that work great and one or two that just won't run. The same just doesn't seem to happen with other designs.
The fact that people such as myself tolerate this in order to get the 1911 feel ought to be a testimony as to just how good they shoot when you get a quality one.
Like in many things these days - you often get what you pay for.
I'm not overly impressed with anything Kimber puts out / but they aren't bad guns either. When you look at the higher end 1911's - from Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk and Wilson Combat - its hard to tell just by looking at them - but if you pay more, you will often get better quality parts, more hand fitting, maybe a better finish ... but that all equates to more time on the bench with a gun / and the higher quality parts / and more time - mean a higher price.
For my money, Wilson Combat makes some of the finest 1911's out there - and they run great right out of the box ....
The 1911 may be an old design / but to me its a perfect combination of fit and feel - in any caliber ( I have 1911's in 9mm, .40 and .45 acp ) and I like them all for different reasons.
I'm not overly impressed with anything Kimber puts out / but they aren't bad guns either. When you look at the higher end 1911's - from Ed Brown, Les Baer, Nighthawk and Wilson Combat - its hard to tell just by looking at them - but if you pay more, you will often get better quality parts, more hand fitting, maybe a better finish ... but that all equates to more time on the bench with a gun / and the higher quality parts / and more time - mean a higher price.
For my money, Wilson Combat makes some of the finest 1911's out there - and they run great right out of the box ....
The 1911 may be an old design / but to me its a perfect combination of fit and feel - in any caliber ( I have 1911's in 9mm, .40 and .45 acp ) and I like them all for different reasons.
Stonebender
New member
Oh, I doubt he will enlighten us NGIB and scholling. While that practice may work like that to some extent- as in motor oils and gasoline, I think claiming that it works like that with 1911s is asinine.
Big Ugly Tall Texan
New member
Different brands of 1911 from the same factory?
I know the Baby Eagle, TZ-75 and EAA Witness have been made at the same plant in Tangfolio, Italy, but never heard of different brands of 1911s coming from the same production line.
I also would like more info on that.
I know the Baby Eagle, TZ-75 and EAA Witness have been made at the same plant in Tangfolio, Italy, but never heard of different brands of 1911s coming from the same production line.
I also would like more info on that.
Shadi Khalil
New member
Yeah, this insider information should shake the insdustry. Lucky for us you have it, so lets hear it...
skydiver3346
New member
You get what you pay for:
Quote: "you will pay about $300-400 (different names on them) but the are all about the same firearm"???
Yeah, right. You must know something I don't know, as I just purchased another Wilson Combat CQB .45 auto and it cost me over $2,200. The quality and workmanship, plus unbelievable accuracy and dependability is what you are paying for. No way you can get all that from a cheap 1911. Oh, you may get one to shoot for a low price but that is about all you are getting for your money.
No offense, but there is a huge difference in a knock off 1911 and a top quality 1911 like Wilson, Brown, etc. Ask anybody who owns one, (if they would trade it for a Taurus, etc)?
Quote: "you will pay about $300-400 (different names on them) but the are all about the same firearm"???
Yeah, right. You must know something I don't know, as I just purchased another Wilson Combat CQB .45 auto and it cost me over $2,200. The quality and workmanship, plus unbelievable accuracy and dependability is what you are paying for. No way you can get all that from a cheap 1911. Oh, you may get one to shoot for a low price but that is about all you are getting for your money.
No offense, but there is a huge difference in a knock off 1911 and a top quality 1911 like Wilson, Brown, etc. Ask anybody who owns one, (if they would trade it for a Taurus, etc)?
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vranasaurus
New member
You don't have to spend $2000+ to get a very good 1911.
The quality difference between a $300 1911 and a $1000 1911 is far greater than the quality difference between a $1000 1911 and a $2000 1911.
At a certain point you are spending a great deal of extra money to get slightly better quality.
The quality difference between a $300 1911 and a $1000 1911 is far greater than the quality difference between a $1000 1911 and a $2000 1911.
At a certain point you are spending a great deal of extra money to get slightly better quality.
You know, I have seen threads slamming the Taurus 1911 as not a $2,000 gun, but as at least one has said here, it works. Mine works. I won't be trading it, trade up or down. It's a keeper, and I didn't pay over $600.00 for it. I would not know what a $2,000 gun can do, but I know that I won 3rd place in a shoot a week after I got it and I never really shot a 1911 design before. (Revolvers almost exclusively except for small caliber semi-autos).
Get a Taurus and be happy.
The Doc is out now.
Get a Taurus and be happy.
The Doc is out now.
I've never understood why anyone would spend two or three thousand dollars on a 1911. I don't really care how nicely made they are; I'm only interested in how well they shoot. I've got a Kimber Gold Match and a Sig GSR that will shoot less than one inch groups at 25 yards, and each cost less than $800. Each has been 100% reliable and although they may not look as pretty as an Ed Brown, Baer or Wilson, they shoot just as well.
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HisSoldier
New member
The law of diminishing returns.
If you polish the slide ten times as long it only
shines .2 times brighter.