Best value 1911?

[Heiko]

Be sure to check the marketplace here. I've seen some pretty good deals on 1911s here. You won't pay tax either but you would have some fees for PPT and/or shipping.

[Black Majik]

I think you'll be VERY hard pressed to find a (NIB) Dan Wesson, especially the discontinuted PM7 or CBOB, for $1-1.1k now. Dan Wesson has really made a concerted effort to go upmarket with their 1911s and as a result, I don't really think calling them "steals" or "a best value" is too accurate anymore.

I mean, their Valor apparently sells for between $1400-1700 now depending on finish.

I would have to concur. Dan Wesson has made the jump into trying to get their name put under the "semi-custom" category which results in a significant price jump. But, they did change out some of the small parts so now it's MIM free.


I dunno, I still think the best value would go to the Springfield Milspec. A very plain jane 1911 with better sights than the GI and forged slide and frame. Plus, you get the Springfield CS to go along with it. Once you get into the Loaded, Custom II, 1911PD, and XSE category all the "best value" aspect goes right out the window.

[FUBAR]

SA milspec.

[sqroot3]

i know y'all are getting tired of hearing this but rock island also has superb CS (cf. armscor/rock island forum at m1911.org; rock island replaced a customer's kB that occurred while he was shooting reloads)--wanted to mention it in case it was a dealbreaker for anyone

[corvetteguy]

I love my Rock Island Armory 1911! You can read about it here: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ry#post5253194

Have fun with what ever you get!

David

[PlumDrumnGun]

Thanks - the Springfield mil spec is what I have been leaning toward the most.

There are so many 1911 manufacturers, isn't Colt the original? What do you think about the quality between these different companies - one way to look at it is to be loyal to the original maker. On the other hand, the next guy might take a good product and just make it better, right? Or just a quick copy to sell because it's popular.

I guess they are all made the same, but really which 1911 manufacturer is the best?

[Markus]

No such thing as the best. Manufacturers may offer higher end but they all tend to be very good. If you go rock island or Springfield you'll have a good gun either way. Though neither is made in the us.

[erikdjs]

Parallax (SP) Tactical is doing a group buy for some Springfield guns. Their pricing on the GI is crazy low.

They have a link in the commercial deals forum.

[STAGE 2]

I guess they are all made the same, but really which 1911 manufacturer is the best?

Simple. Which ever manufacturer most closely replicates the original designs, because this is the most reliable version of the 1911.

With this criteria, your two options are the colt reproductions (which aren't available in california unless you do the single shot exemption stuff) or a springfield gi/milspec.

They have a forged frame and slide, no firing pin safety, and aren't built to uber tight tolerances.

[C.W.M.V.]

/\ And the RIA. Damn near kunhausen(browning) specs on mine.
Forged frame, eh, not important. No real/appreciable difference.

[Fishslayer]

RIA Tactical. Still fairly new to me but I bought it after much research and almost unanimous praise from owners. Mine is 100% so far with 230gr round nose boolits. We're working on mags for HP & SWC. I have one Wilson Combat mag that feeds the SWC & HP very well.

Sights, beavertail, larger ejection port and I believe a better trigger are upgrades from the basic GI model.

IMO it's good bang for the buck. Still, if I could only have one (perish the thought ) I would keep my Ruger KP90.

[campperrykid]

Rock Island.

I picked up a Rock Island 9mm 1911 GI a few weeks ago . Around $420 OTD , branny new.
It's a bare bones 1911 - which I think is the place to start. There was a .45 right next to it , but I grabbed the 9mm. My wife has already muckled on to it . That meaned I'll just have to get the .45 later.

This specific Rock is very accurate. I gave a fluff & buff so it would run mild 115gn loads. The sights suck out of the box , just like the GI sights did. Very fixable .

[1911Luvr]

The RIA and SA G.I. model are probably your only sub-$600 choices for a 1911 right now. If you can wait a bit, get in on that Paralax Tactical group buy for the SA Loaded 1911 as it is about $200 off regular price and only a couple bucks over your price point, making it the best value anywhere! I have 2 Loaded models and absolutely love them. If I was buying a sub-$600 1911 I would personally go with the SA G.I. model because I will eventually build it up when I have a few extra bucks, and it makes the best choice for a build gun. If you get bit by the 1911 custom bug, you can take that G.I. model and turn it into the highest end custom you ever saw (big $$$) or somewhere in between.

If you never plan to upgrade the gun or you are not a person who likes to tweak out their toys, I would suggest the RIA in the base model or the Tactical for a bit more. These guns are good solid 1911s and are inexpensive for what you get. Since they are built on cast frames I would not recommend them as a basis for a custom build later, but they are a cost effective way to get into a 1911.

Since you are also in Riverside, I'd be happy to let you try out one of my SA Loadeds so you can get a comparative basis.

[PutTogether]

One thing I really respect about the Rock Island guns is that they don't use front cocking serrations.

[gasol1ne]

RIA for value if you plan on keeping it, but if you plan on selling it one day, im thinking the Springfield will hold value a little longer.

As for myself, i have a rock island, i dont really like selling my babies.