Newbie 1911 Help

[whatwhy]

I'd say grab the ruger if you can find one. It's off roster I believe, so if you see one on the shelf grab it and don't look back.

Totally forgot about that...Ugh, Ruger isn't even listed as a Manufacture on the roster....back to square one.

[thomashoward]

Spend another 195 bucks over your budget and get a Kimber. The Springfields are nice guns too, and so is the new Remington. My son just bought a Kimber, and I was very impressed by its fit and finish, and it shot great right out of the box, right to point of aim out to 50 yards. I own 4 1911 style pistols, have shot and worked on my own for over 40 years, in case you wondered. If you are planning on only one, make it a good one. Shoot them if you can.

+ 1
Get what you are paying for

[riderr]

Thank you! What makes the RIA trigger so awful? I'm a firm believe in "you get what you pay for" which is why I kind of threw the RIA aside because of its price point (though all reviews say it's great bang for the buck).

RIA is a decent quality gun made by Colt mil-specs in the Philippines. According to the reviews I read, it's a good and somewhat reliable gun with a good CS.
I dry-fired it at a shop and didn't like the trigger. It was too long and not crisp as Springfield. However, for the price, it's a very good gun and it has very good reviews. Between RIA and Springfield GI, I will definitely get RIA

I'm partial to the Ruger because it seems priced well and nobody has anything bad to say about it. I also prefer the silver finish as opposed to the black finish.

I tried a few Rugers, but not 1911. I absolutely didn't like the quality, ergonomics, grips... , but again, it's not relevant to 1911.

Stainless Steel is usually a bit more expensive than parkerized, but it's easier remove scratches from it.

[bulletblood]

Totally forgot about that...Ugh, Ruger isn't even listed as a Manufacture on the roster....back to square one.

They're listed as sturm ruger. I've actually seen it on a counter once. Forgot which store, but they do Single Shot exemption. Was picked up pretty quick though.

[whatwhy]

RIA is a decent quality gun made by Colt mil-specs in the Philippines. According to the reviews I read, it's a good and somewhat reliable gun with a good CS.
I dry-fired it at a shop and didn't like the trigger. It was too long and not crisp as Springfield. However, for the price, it's a very good gun and it has very good reviews. Between RIA and Springfield GI, I will definitely get RIA

I tried a few Rugers, but not 1911. I absolutely didn't like the quality, ergonomics, grips... , but again, it's not relevant to 1911.

Stainless Steel is usually a bit more expensive than parkerized, but it's easier remove scratches from it.

Interesting, you're probably the first person I've asked that wouldn't pick the Springfield. Is it just a matter of price/value?

They're listed as sturm ruger. I've actually seen it on a counter once. Forgot which store, but they do Single Shot exemption. Was picked up pretty quick though.

Ah I see. Blah. Well I'm not going to go hunting for the great white buffalo...are the RIA's also off roster then?

I guess I should ask, which 1911's can I order at my FFL in CA?

[riderr]

Interesting, you're probably the first person I've asked that wouldn't pick the Springfield. Is it just a matter of price/value?

I caught a very good deal on Springfield loaded on gunbroker and didn't let it slip away

[geedavell]

[IMG][/IMG]

If you find the Ruger, you will probably pay much more than list price because they're not available here in Ca, unless SSE which cost more.

And whats wrong with a 9mm 1911. I have one and love it.
As much fun as the others but cheaper to shoot

[whatwhy]

I caught a very good deal on Springfield loaded on gunbroker and didn't let it slip away

I don't understand most of the add-ons for the models...from what I can gather:

MilSpec -- Cheaper, has most of the good upgrades, comes in black only (?)

Loaded -- More stuffs, something about the sights, however, it has the front serrations on the slide which make me cringe...is the loaded much better? I guess it's getting technical here but I'd like to find out for sure what I am actually getting.

Also trying to find prices for these things in CA, could someone ballpark these for me?

[geedavell]

Be careful buying on Gunbroker. Alot of sellers won't even deal with Californians.
If they do, it's your responsibility to make sure it's excepted here

[bigbob76]

The most common upgrades done on 1911s seem to be adding a beaver tail grip safety and a trigger job. In your budget an RIA Tactical would give you the beaver tail grip safety and enough money left over for trigger tuning. Or spend more and get a Springfield Loaded, but you will still want trigger tuning in my opinion. Personally I would stick with the 1911s that have the Series 70 style system.

[whatwhy]

Be careful buying on Gunbroker. Alot of sellers won't even deal with Californians.
If they do, it's your responsibility to make sure it's excepted here

I'm gonna keep it local for my purchase.

The most common upgrades done on 1911s seem to be adding a beaver tail grip safety and a trigger job. In your budget an RIA Tactical would give you the beaver tail grip safety and enough money left over for trigger tuning. Or spend more and get a Springfield Loaded, but you will still want trigger tuning in my opinion. Personally I would stick with the 1911s that have the Series 70 style system.

I keep reading the Series 70 vs 80 and something about about a firing pin safety? Can't seem to quite get the concept here, maybe it's one of those things you have to see rather than just read about.


Saw this on calguns, it's local to me, thoughts guys? http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=810734


And another: http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=824916

[bigbob76]

In the 1980s Colt started making the Series 80 system 1911s. Most of us think it was a solution to a non existent problem. More parts and extra work to fine tune. As long as there are idiots we won't be having idiot proof firearms, just more parts to lose, break, etc.

[bulletblood]

The firing pin safety prevents the gun from going bang if you drop it. I actually don't mind it and prefer it. Some people don't like it because it supposedly gets in the way of a good trigger job. I'm pretty skeptical about that.

If you're sticking with roster guns then the usual suspects are colts. springfields, kimbers,ria, and sigs. I'd get a colt or springfield, but I'm not sure they're in your budget.

[whatwhy]

In the 1980s Colt started making the Series 80 system 1911s. Most of us think it was a solution to a non existent problem. More parts and extra work to fine tune. As long as there are idiots we won't be having idiot proof firearms, just more parts to lose, break, etc.

Gotcha, if I don't get a Colt, what should I look out for to make sure I get a Series 70 style system?

The firing pin safety prevents the gun from going bang if you drop it. I actually don't mind it and prefer it. Some people don't like it because it supposedly gets in the way of a good trigger job. I'm pretty skeptical about that.

If you're sticking with roster guns then the usual suspects are colts. springfields, kimbers,ria, and sigs. I'd get a colt or springfield, but I'm not sure they're in your budget.

I'm willing to buy used and push the budget a little, especially since I'm realizing a lot of the later mods I will want to do come with these models. I've (prematurely) decided to look for a Springfield Loaded or Mil-Spec. I think I could swing around $800-$1000 for the right gun.

[geedavell]

Here's one for $ 700

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=829353