....

[RedFord150]

I have heard nothing but good about the SA models you are looking at. My Brother in law has had the Mil-Spec for years and loves it. I think it is mostly stock. My Son's buddy is in the Border Patrol and has spent a small fortune customizing his GI model. He loves it.
I think every 1911 owner knows that SA and Hi-Point should never be mentioned in the same breath. No comparison, Apples to Pine cones, etc.

[POLICESTATE]

Hi Point = CRAP

Might as well compare a dog turd to a good steak.

SA and Kimber both make quality 1911's.

[Ricky-Ray]

I have the GI Mil Spec and never had issues with it. Shot perfectly fine right out of the box. Still shoots nice and straight 9 years later.

[ruchik]

Honestly, the whole thing about "must" upgrading a 1911 with things such as beavertail safeties, ambi safeties, match triggers, flaring ejection ports, etc. was largely due to marketing craze. They are not absolutely necessary. You only have to put them on your gun if you need it; for example, if you get no hammer bite, you don't need a beavertail, unless maybe you prefer the look and feel. If the gun didn't perform or function the way it was offered from the factory and had to be upgraded right out of the box just to work, Springfield Armory wouldn't have put the gun out for sale in the first place because no one would buy it.

[tacticalcity]

Not being the biggest 1911 expert, I would say an $800-$1400 1911 is about the equivalent of a $600 Glock. It's not until you hit the $1500 price range that you start seeing something "special" about a 1911 over your Glocks, Sigs and so forth, and sometimes not even then. You're paying for the 1911 lore. That does not change the fact that it is a really nice platform. The Wilson Combats, Nighthawks, Les Baers and Ed Browns are indeed something really special and a joy to shoot. They offer a precise fit, finish, and trigger that makes them the gun world's equivalent to a Ferrari or Porsche. Its not just looks or brand name, they perform significantly better because considerably more detail goes into both their design and assembly. The lower end 1911s are nice guns, not any nicer than a lot of other really nice guns out there, most of which cost you less for what you get. That said, I would happily own a 1911 from Springfield or Kimber, though I would prefer to start at the Loaded or Custom Carry price point to avoid hammer bite. But only if it meant I could afford to keep my Glock as well. In my not so humble opinion, as arrogant as it may be, I believe Glocks and 1911s represent the two greatest handgun designs ever conceived. If my life were on the line, I would want one of those two models of handguns available to me.

[DVSmith]

I bought a SA GI for classes and have put several thousand rounds through it. I abuse the you know what out of it and rarely clean the poor beast. I have never, and I mean never had a failure that was not an ammo problem (squib, primer, etc.)

I bought it because I didn't want one of my expensive 1911's dropped on the ground during class exercises. If this one hit the ground, it wouldn't bother me near as much as my Kimbers hitting the ground.

I would buy another in a heartbeat if I had a need for it.

It does not need tuning, polishing or any other such refinement. Mine certainly didn't need any break-in. I replaced the springs at about 2000 rounds. Not because anything was failing, but because a friend suggested it and they are cheap.

[Bentot]

I have both GI and Mil-Spec models. I have not had a hammer bite with them even as I have changed the GI's hammer to a wide spur type. The both have a high count with factory fmj and my own reloads without any problems. But beware, If you don't catch BRD from AR's you might catch the 1911 fever

[Ricky-Ray]

Like I've said, I've owned my MilSpec for 9 years or more now and I never did any upgrades to it. Well ok I did one. I change the grips to the Hogue rubber grips and that's all I've ever done to it and still shoots great.

[BryanB]

Drider,

As an owner of a few Springfield Armory 1911's (Gi, Mil-Spec, TRP Operator) I can assure you that Springfield Armory puts out a quality product. My GI, and Mil-Spec are used constantly in my courses and I have yet to experience any malfunctions due to the firearm.

That being said when I let students use my TRP Operator one of the first comments out of their mouth is "wow my groups are tighter and it's more comfortable." No I am not telling you to go out there and buy a $1,600 handgun. What I am saying is if you are going to buy something like a G.I. or Mil-Spec I can pretty much guarantee you that you will put after market parts and get smith work done to your firearm. This will definitely put you into the realm of a Loaded Model.

I think every 1911 owner knows that SA and Hi-Point should never be mentioned in the same breath. No comparison, Apples to Pine cones, etc.

RedFord150 said it best.

[Foriegn power]

Makes me feel much better, I think the Mil Spec will be on my own b day list!

[sevensix2x51]

I'm sure Springfield cuts the feed ramp the same on all of its pistols. I know some ramps are more polished than others but they are all cut the same way.

you dont think the match grade springfields have ramped barrels? i am not trying to get in a debate, but i just assumed they did. all the cool guys have ramped barrels. either way, my GI springfield absolutely did NOT feed swc. ymmv.

i was just sharing my personal ownership experience over the course of 2 years with the pistol in question. it was a nice pistol, but for another couple hundred bucks, i am much happier with my pro carry II. but i didnt buy it to take to the range and feel nostalgic. i bought it to take everywhere i go, at all times, and be totally reliable.

[.22guy]

I've had a Mil-spec Springfield for a few years now and it has never jammed and eats whatever I put in it. I sometimes carry it as my daily CCW weapon, and always do when coyote hunting. It hasn't let me down and I stake my life on that.

[bigbob76]

The base model Springfield GI and Milspec models are just as capable as the more expensive 1911s, they just don't have the bells and whistles the more expensive models do. In no way should the plain jane Springfields be compared against a hi-point.

If I was going to spend the absolute minimum on a 1911, it would be the Springfield GI.

+1

Also, a lot of guys buy the entry level Springers just to get the frame and a few other parts basically. Since we can't buy 1911 frames to build a pistol this is one way to start out. My thinking is unless you're going to have a lot of expensive work done just save a little more and buy the Springer Loaded version. It has most of the features people spend money having done but it's ready to go right out of the box. After you shoot a few thousand rounds you'll know what you really want.

[JanG]

i just got my gi last week after owning an RIA tactical for a year. got mostly for nostalgic reasons. accuracy is about the same, although RIA sights are easier to pick up, and more comfortable to shoot. i have a high grip and the gi hammer bites me every time.

as for reliability, i shot 200 rds an hour after picking up the gi, both fmj and hp. 2 ftf's with hp before hitting the 100 mark, no problems after that.

as for my ria, i've had very limited ftf's with hp, and only with the factory act mags. wilson mags cured that problem. now it runs reliably with fmj and hp. i don't use wadcutters so it's not an issue for me.

hope that helps.

[BLD]

I don't own a GI or Mil-spec, but I've yet to meet anyone who has anything bad to say about these models (except the occasional hammer bite and the small sights on the GI). From what I hear even a Norinco 1911 is more favorable than a high point. In fact I hear that they are made with very strong steel. The fact is that the base model 1911s aren't exactly extremely tight and tend to run well with all FMJ/LRN and most HP ammo.

If my life depended on it I would definitely grab a GI/Mil-spec SA over a High Point.