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I've wanted a 1911 ever since I was a teenager reading "The Punisher". OK so I've wanted two 1911s ever since I was a teenager reading "The Punisher". I purchased one, used a few months ago and finally took it out. I went shooting with a group and there were two other 1911s available too. So I had the chance to sample a variety.
There was a Rock Island Amory. Not sure of the model but I think it was about 5 years old. It was a two tone model with stainless upper.
There was also a Springfield Armory Loaded
And finally my Les Baer Premier II (w 1.5" guarantee).
I shot my Les Baer first. I put about five mags through it with a combo of 230 FMJ WWB hardball and 185 FMJ WWB flat nose. This was my first 1911 shooting experience. It was a much better experience than my last .45ACP pistol (a Glock 30). The Glock 30 was, in my opinion, not fun to shoot. My Les Baer was an absolute pleasure. First of all it felt great in my hand. And when I say "Great" I'm saying it like Tony the Tiger! It felt very solid. I love the weight of it, the balance, it just felt very good to handle and to aim. The recoil wasn't bad at all and I felt like I could shoot the gun all day. Unfortunately after buying a Les Baer who has money left over for ammo?
I next shot the RIA. I didn't look at it. I didn't inspect it for fit and finish. I just wanted to shoot it and feel it, experience it. It didn't feel as good in the hand. It did not feel as solid. I don't know if rickety is the right word, but if my eyes were closed and you put my LB in one hand and the RIA in the other I would have no doubt telling the two of them apart. Actually you probably wouldn't have to get both in my hand at the same time. I'm pretty sure I could pick them out as soon as I had a grip on either of them. I fired only one mag through it. I think I was firing the 185 flat nose through it as I wanted to get an idea of how it fed, though the owner told me he'd brought it to a gunsmith to have the feed ramp polished. No malfunctions shooting and I confess that I wasn't really paying attention to accuracy. I had been considering getting an RIA but after shooting that one I changed my mind.
Lastly I shot the SA Loaded. Like the RIA I wasn't in it to compare fit and finish. There was no inspection. I just wanted to shoot it. It definitely felt better in my hands than the RIA. But it also did not feel as good, as solid as my LB. Again I fired only one mag and again it was the 185 flat nose.
Though I did not spend all day with the RIA or SA, I could tell that my LB was money well spent, for myself anyway. Will I ever shoot 1.5" groups at 50 yards? Probably not. Will I ever find myself in a combat situation with a 1911? Probably not. But I do know this, I love my LB and I cannot imagine purchasing another 1911 that was not of equal or higher quality.
There was a Rock Island Amory. Not sure of the model but I think it was about 5 years old. It was a two tone model with stainless upper.
There was also a Springfield Armory Loaded
And finally my Les Baer Premier II (w 1.5" guarantee).
I shot my Les Baer first. I put about five mags through it with a combo of 230 FMJ WWB hardball and 185 FMJ WWB flat nose. This was my first 1911 shooting experience. It was a much better experience than my last .45ACP pistol (a Glock 30). The Glock 30 was, in my opinion, not fun to shoot. My Les Baer was an absolute pleasure. First of all it felt great in my hand. And when I say "Great" I'm saying it like Tony the Tiger! It felt very solid. I love the weight of it, the balance, it just felt very good to handle and to aim. The recoil wasn't bad at all and I felt like I could shoot the gun all day. Unfortunately after buying a Les Baer who has money left over for ammo?
I next shot the RIA. I didn't look at it. I didn't inspect it for fit and finish. I just wanted to shoot it and feel it, experience it. It didn't feel as good in the hand. It did not feel as solid. I don't know if rickety is the right word, but if my eyes were closed and you put my LB in one hand and the RIA in the other I would have no doubt telling the two of them apart. Actually you probably wouldn't have to get both in my hand at the same time. I'm pretty sure I could pick them out as soon as I had a grip on either of them. I fired only one mag through it. I think I was firing the 185 flat nose through it as I wanted to get an idea of how it fed, though the owner told me he'd brought it to a gunsmith to have the feed ramp polished. No malfunctions shooting and I confess that I wasn't really paying attention to accuracy. I had been considering getting an RIA but after shooting that one I changed my mind.
Lastly I shot the SA Loaded. Like the RIA I wasn't in it to compare fit and finish. There was no inspection. I just wanted to shoot it. It definitely felt better in my hands than the RIA. But it also did not feel as good, as solid as my LB. Again I fired only one mag and again it was the 185 flat nose.
Though I did not spend all day with the RIA or SA, I could tell that my LB was money well spent, for myself anyway. Will I ever shoot 1.5" groups at 50 yards? Probably not. Will I ever find myself in a combat situation with a 1911? Probably not. But I do know this, I love my LB and I cannot imagine purchasing another 1911 that was not of equal or higher quality.
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