les baer or nighthawk?

[bayboydray408]

out of these top 2 1911s which name is the better one to go with?and y is les baer and nighthawk so exspensive and so much better than all the others?I know there both custom but wht else is so great about them?

oh and ive noticed the price range of these 1911s is around the same as an hk mark 23 which is an awesome 45. and isnt even legal in california,but how do the las baer and nighthawk compare to a mark 23?

[nn3453]

It depends on which you are more comfortable with.

Someone's gotta do it, so here's a question. How old are you? It is a bit hard to follow your posts, lol ,etc. How much experience do you have with handguns? I could be completely off but I doubt that you are going to be able to tell the difference between a Baer, a Hawk, a G21 or a HK23.

Personally, given Nighthawk's QC issues I hear about these days, I'd get a Baer. Never been too fond of HKs but a lot of people like them.

What is your intended use? It comes down to that.

[BLD]

I wouldn't call either of these a true custom, more of a semi custom or factory custom 1911. I couldn't tell you how either a Nighthawk or a Baer compare to an HK23, but I did spend some time fondling these models as well as the Springfield TRP, DW PM7, and several Wilsons. I've noticed that the Les Baer pistol is usually cheaper than the Nighthawks. I myself split the difference and went with an Ed Brown Special Forces and couldn't be happier. It had everything I wanted and nothing that I didn't (except the Gen III coating). That, and it felt perfect in my hand which is something none of the others did. When it comes to that price range I say buy what feels the best and has all of the features that you want. They are all great examples of a high quality modern 1911, and you really can't go wrong with any of them.

[Black Majik]

Handle both. If you can, fire both side by side. It should become pretty apparent which fits you better.

Those two makers have different build philosophies. Do you prefer them bankvault tight or smooth with no perceptible play?

Does a 1.5" @ 50 yard accuracy guarantee matter to you?

[Rock_Islander]

Les Baer all the way.

And I wouldn't call a Baer or Nighthawk a semi-custom at all. Those pistols are $2000 and up 1911s that are usually made by one person, one gun at a time.

I've read in a published article though that Baers are built in a shop that uses mostly files, reamers, lapping compounds, and various other HAND-TOOLS. They are NOT factory guns producing "semi-customs". Les Baer pistols are fashioned by hand. That is a custom build if you ask me.

An Ed Brown is a fine 1911 and also a true custom pistol. But Les Baers and Nighthawks are as well. I'd go with a Les Baer just because of the fine simplicity of all the features you'd "love or need" on a 1911, without all of the unnecessary "snakeskin" front strap gripping. Although creative, I'd prefer a good 25-30 LPI checkering. Les-Baer pistols are made to seriously tight specs and guarantee 1 and a half inch groups at 50 yards from a bench rest. After thousands upon thousands of rounds it's not unheard of for them to remain as tight as they did from new-outta-the-box. And they have a reputation for tremendous reliability, and durability. Reliable, accurate, durable, beautiful... What more can you ask out of a 1911?

Not to mention also that yes we've been hearing Nighthawks' quality-control to be heading south as of lately.

BAER BAER BAER.

R.I.

[tiko]

I have 2 Baers and they are very excellent, never look back after I bought them, otherwise, Kimbers are cheaper and good quality too.

[rgs1975]

If it were me buying, I'd go with the NHC. (Likely a T3)

[Mute]

These guys all make quality guns but they are not one man shops and they are not usually made by just one person, one gun at a time. However, the smiths who do work on them are skilled professionals so you're going to get a quality product, but it is not quite the same as a true custom shop. Most of the tasks for various guns are done in batches.

At this level, the differences are not going to be noticeable until you actually shoot them. Each maker's gun has a very distinct feel both in how they shoot and how they handle. I personally suggest getting your hands on as many different ones to try out as possible to find the one that best suits your preferences.

[bayboydray408]

It depends on which you are more comfortable with.

Someone's gotta do it, so here's a question. How old are you? It is a bit hard to follow your posts, lol ,etc. How much experience do you have with handguns? I could be completely off but I doubt that you are going to be able to tell the difference between a Baer, a Hawk, a G21 or a HK23.

Personally, given Nighthawk's QC issues I hear about these days, I'd get a Baer. Never been too fond of HKs but a lot of people like them.

What is your intended use? It comes down to that.

sorry bout that inability to read my posts,im 23 and usin a lil internet pad thing its real small lol and harder to use than a computer

[bayboydray408]

Handle both. If you can, fire both side by side. It should become pretty apparent which fits you better.

Those two makers have different build philosophies. Do you prefer them bankvault tight or smooth with no perceptible play?

Does a 1.5" @ 50 yard accuracy guarantee matter to you?

wow they r that accurate?

[nn3453]

sorry bout that inability to read my posts,im 23 and usin a lil internet pad thing its real small lol and harder to use than a computer

No problem. My suggestion would be to shoot the heck out of that G21 you got until you get good with it. Having more guns doesn't hurt though

[Schlamoo]

My 2 cents, I still have a couple of Baers but got rid of my Nighthawk. Just didn't think the fit was quite as nice and there was something about the way they cut the front of the grip that just didn't "feel" right. But with that said, I think Wilson Combat are the best of the semi-custom shops. They aren't built so tight (like Baer) that you need two men a baby to rack the slide and the finish is waaaayyyyy better. I've had 2 Browns the older one is great, back when Ed was making them and inspecting the guns himself before they left the shop, the newer gun was yuck. I still have the older gun.

Wilson is still my best buy recomendation unless your going to have a real custom shop build one for you.

Don't know nuttin' about HK's.

[bayboydray408]

My 2 cents, I still have a couple of Baers but got rid of my Nighthawk. Just didn't think the fit was quite as nice and there was something about the way they cut the front of the grip that just didn't "feel" right. But with that said, I think Wilson Combat are the best of the semi-custom shops. They aren't built so tight (like Baer) that you need two men a baby to rack the slide and the finish is waaaayyyyy better. I've had 2 Browns the older one is great, back when Ed was making them and inspecting the guns himself before they left the shop, the newer gun was yuck. I still have the older gun.

Wilson is still my best buy recomendation unless your going to have a real custom shop build one for you.

Don't know nuttin' about HK's.

wow somebody has a good job.lol

[bayboydray408]

No problem. My suggestion would be to shoot the heck out of that G21 you got until you get good with it. Having more guns doesn't hurt though

ya your right cuz i sure as hell cant shoot the heck out of my s&w 500,i can barely get through a box of 20 without my hand almost fallin off lol,whats some good cheap 45acp ammo i can buy in bulk?and what do you guys think of the s&w 500? i know its a hawk and baer thread but what do you guys think?

[Beetle Bailey]

I have a Les Baer Custom Carry I am very pleased with. It's not a "true custom gun" but it is hand-fit. On the certificate that came with the gun, there are the signatures of 19 different people who worked on my gun so clearly, it isn't a case of "one skilled craftsman" building my 1911 by himself. Mine is just a regular 3" gun, not one of the special 1.5" guns. But I don't mind because it still shoots better than me.

Basically I chose Les Baer because they were the cheapest manufacturer that made the gun the way I wanted it: no MIM, no plastic, no firing pin blocks/Swartz Safety. Oh, and I wanted blued steel. The Nighthawks I looked at in the gunshop all looked and felt great, but they just weren't for me. Oh, and being able to try Black Majik's Les Baers helped a lot in making my decision.