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I'm in the market for a 9mm 1911...I have two potential candidates and need some help deciding.... First I am a bit new to the 1911, and I am looking for a gun that I can build up over time but expect to do some basic work right up front...
The two guns of interest are both Springfields both are 9mm supposedly Loaded models in Stainless. Both with NM serial numbers. Both seem tight.
Gun A is a brand new loaded model, Gun B is an older gun with unknown number of rounds through it but it looks to be well maintained. I notice a couple of differences, first the grips are slightly different in that Gun B has no Logo on the grip it, both appear to be hardwood however. Gun B has a few minor scuffs but nothing major. Gun B has the harder trigger pull even though it is clearly 'broken-in'. The big difference I see is the barrel and ramps. Gun A has a stainless looking barrel that is not tapered and is a ramped barrel which I presume means the frame has been relieved by the factory. Gun B has a tapered barrel which is black in color. It is not a ramped barrel and clearly has a ramp on the frame. The owner assures me this is the original barrel. I do not know if or when SA changed to the ramped barrel or maybe this gun isn't the loaded model even if it appears to be very similar. Sights on both guns appear the same.
I expect to do a trigger and action job on either gun right off. Maybe change out some of the small parts if they are not high quality. I will eventually do some custom appearance work so the minor scuffing is probably not a problem. The price difference is about 20% call it $200. I don't know if one or the other is the better gun to start from...of course with Gun B I save 200 I can put toward upgrades on the other hand if it needs a barrel or some more extensive work that the new gun would not then $200 doesn't go very far. New is always nice and I am not sure how the SA warranty works on used guns not that I expect to use the warranty.
I could wait some more maybe something better will come along but 9mm 1911s for sale in CA seem to be a bit rare, and of the new legal CA guns the springfield seems to be the one I prefer over Para, and Kimber.
Any thoughts on the matter? Anyone know if/when SA changed things? Given a choice ramped or no ramp barrel? I kinda lean toward the ramped barrel.
TIA
The two guns of interest are both Springfields both are 9mm supposedly Loaded models in Stainless. Both with NM serial numbers. Both seem tight.
Gun A is a brand new loaded model, Gun B is an older gun with unknown number of rounds through it but it looks to be well maintained. I notice a couple of differences, first the grips are slightly different in that Gun B has no Logo on the grip it, both appear to be hardwood however. Gun B has a few minor scuffs but nothing major. Gun B has the harder trigger pull even though it is clearly 'broken-in'. The big difference I see is the barrel and ramps. Gun A has a stainless looking barrel that is not tapered and is a ramped barrel which I presume means the frame has been relieved by the factory. Gun B has a tapered barrel which is black in color. It is not a ramped barrel and clearly has a ramp on the frame. The owner assures me this is the original barrel. I do not know if or when SA changed to the ramped barrel or maybe this gun isn't the loaded model even if it appears to be very similar. Sights on both guns appear the same.
I expect to do a trigger and action job on either gun right off. Maybe change out some of the small parts if they are not high quality. I will eventually do some custom appearance work so the minor scuffing is probably not a problem. The price difference is about 20% call it $200. I don't know if one or the other is the better gun to start from...of course with Gun B I save 200 I can put toward upgrades on the other hand if it needs a barrel or some more extensive work that the new gun would not then $200 doesn't go very far. New is always nice and I am not sure how the SA warranty works on used guns not that I expect to use the warranty.
I could wait some more maybe something better will come along but 9mm 1911s for sale in CA seem to be a bit rare, and of the new legal CA guns the springfield seems to be the one I prefer over Para, and Kimber.
Any thoughts on the matter? Anyone know if/when SA changed things? Given a choice ramped or no ramp barrel? I kinda lean toward the ramped barrel.
TIA
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