$2500 1911's?

[Gary O]

I am returning to the 1911 market after some years away. Last time I was buying was when Colts rulled and you then sent it to Bill Wilson for some tweeks to get them to run reliably, improve the sights and get a good trigger. Now that I am blessed to be able to buy any gun I want I find the market populated with many high dollar guns. Whats up with that? Do you need to pay that much for a solid 5 inch enhanced 1911? What say you? Thanks...

[elberettas]

If I had the $$$ to buy ANY 1911, It would be a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special. I believe they run about $1,800.

[Black Majik]

I few models to shoot/handle:

Ed Brown Executive Target or Special Forces
Wilson Combat CQB
Springfield Professional
Les Baer Custom Carry, TRS, PII, Ultimate Master, or SRP
Nighthawk Talon or GRP

They have different build philosophies so you'll have to decide which make and model would best fit you.

Good luck in your search.

[dan12580]

Nighthawks are worth it. My next 1911 however will be a kimber super carry pro.

[Legasat]

Nope, you no longer need to spend $2500 to get a solid, reliable 1911.

You can spend that much, but you no longer need to.

There are production 1911's that run just fine ($700 - 1000), there are the high end semi custom guns up to around $3k.

I chose one in the middle - Dan Wesson. Beautifully made, 100% reliable....a fine example of a 1911. There are others, but this one fits me just fine, for a reasonable price.

Dan Wesson 1911's

[ap3572001]

If I had to do it I would pick up a clean ( about 90%) used series 70 Colt.
Even in Ca You can get one for about 1000.00 or less.
I would send it to a WELL known custom shop ( Novak's, C&S etc) and have them do the work that YOU want.

Custom Colts I owned over the years are MUCH , MUCH better than current custom/production pistols.

[fennecfrank]

I did some calculations before I bought my Ed Brown Special Forces last year. The money you'll spend for what they do on a high-end 1911, will be the amount that you pay to get one already made, PLUS the cost of the original gun ($800-$1,000 on a Colt). As a result, you actually save about $800-$1,000, if you get a high-end 1911.


The ones from Les Baer, Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Customs, Dan Wessons are really nice. If I have that kind of money again, I won't hesitate to buy another one. My personal favorite are the ones from Guncrafter Industries. Great quality and smooth action.

[someR1]

sometimes cheaper guns outperform the most expensive guns on the market....


That being said, no, you don't have to spend $2500 on a 1911. Hell, you could spend $700 and still get a nice pistol.

[fennecfrank]

Is a toyota more reliable than a BMW?

Yes.

but can a toyota outperform a BMW?

No.


I won't say that a regular, stock on can outperform a high-end 1911. The experience is jvery different, or else I will not pay that kind of money just to get one.

[hkdad]

i say custom STI or INFINITY if you can get 'em.

or production...



OR

[resident-shooter]

Glock 19 is what u need

[Steyrlp10]

To the OP: I would spend that much on a Les Baer (now that I know how the Thunder Ranch edition feels - lol), but that's because I want all the trimmings on a Bullseye gun.

As the other folks have said on here, you can find a 1911 for less, depending on what would make you happy -- and that's why buying a gun is such an adventure

[mif_slim]

I think its just a "brag" title.
"Ha! You suck your 1911 is only 1800, mines 2500! I have more $$ then you!"

Theres plenty of 1911 out there that is less priced that runs waay better. And for 2500.00 I would spend it on a STI just because. haha

[RedFord150]

You can find some good 1911's under $1K. At least take a look at the Springfield Armory (SA) 'Loaded'.
I bought a Dan Wesson (DW) PM7 last year for less than $200 more than I would have paid for the SA. In my mind, this was money well spent. The DW has now gone up in price and is a lot more expensive than the SA.
Only you can decide what a 1911 is worth to you. Some guys keep it under $500 for Rock Island Armory (RIA) or the SA GI or Mil-Spec models. Other guys spend $2K without blinking.
Good luck.

[tacticalcity]

I've had the opportunity to shoot a few of the high-end 1911s. Ones that all said and done were closer to $5K than $2K. Nighthawks, Wilson Combats, etc. that professional shooters had tricked out even further. They were all A-M-A-Z-I-N-G to shoot. Pure joy. With little to no effort at all the shots were right on top of each other and exactly where you were aiming. I am not talking about plinking or target shooting where you take all day and place your shots. I am talking about drawing from concealment, from a holster, and putting the rounds center mass right ontop of each other in a second and half, and then being able to do it again and again with the exact same results. Sounds like no big deal, but the Kimbers, Springfields, and Glocks we were training with took considerably more effort to get not as great results. It felt like we were fighting with our guns to get them to give us the results we wanted, while with the high-end 1911 it felt like the gun was taking the lead and we were just hanging on for the ride. Bear in mind this was on day 3 of a 4 day training course, so I was pretty tuned up by then. But the difference in performance was more than noticable. It was flat out shocking. It was clear we were pushing ourselves and our firearms to the limit...but that a more tuned up firearm would open up an entirely new world of possibilities. Of course, unless you train ever single day for several hours a day it is next to impossible to maintain that skill level. Handgun skills are perishible. But it did prove to me that the high-end 1911s do give you something to justify that expense.

That said, I cannot afford to drop that kind of money on a 1911. Partly because I have other expenses and partly because all my gun money is tied up in my ARs. Much like that Ferrari I have always wanted it...it is relegated to the "someday - maybe - when I win the lottery" list. In the mean time I'll be content with my Kimber Custom II and a Glock or two.