Which 1911

[sorensen440]

buy one of each and let us know
I think a big part of the problem is not very many have owned all three at the same time to get an opinion on whats the best

[J-cat]

I had the Baer and the Wilson, but sold them to get a Springer Professional. Here's why:

The Baer looks great on the outside, but is very rough. I don't like the feel of the slide riding on the frame. I tried different lubes, but could not get that nice ball bearing feel. You'll say the slide is on there too tight, but that is not so. Pull the barrel, replace the slide, and you'll see plenty of horizontal/lateral play (not as much as a loose production 1911, but has plenty of clearance) I think it has to do with the steel. Second, I did not like the way the barrel fits. The hood and the feet are poorly cut and bear unevenly on the slide stop pin.

The Wilson also looks great, but the barrel and bushing are fitted loosely. Mine had a .011" gap between the rear of the hood and the breechface. The barrel feet were nicely cut, but did not push the barrel up into the slide. The gun was not accurate enough. I could not replicate the test target supplied with the gun. The slide to frame fit is tighter than on the Baer, but way smoother, perhaps the smoothest I have felt on a 1911.

One day I came across a Springer Pro. That gun is fitted like a Swiss watch. I have a Sig P210 and the Springer is equal to the P210 in every way. It is a superb firearm, much like a Freedom Arms revolver in the single-action arena. The gun is so tight that you'd think it won't cycle. But it does with 100% reliability. Best of all, it shoots most of my handloads into little teeny groups, unlike the Wilson. If you fieldstrip the gun, you'll see that all cuts are perfectly executed and there is maybe .003" of clearance arround the barrel hood. The bushing is tight, yet finger removable. The barrel feet bear evenly on the slide-stop pin. The slide rides the frame smoothly and without binding, yet there is not a hint of play in the rails. That's my pick.

I played with a couple Ed Browns, but they are not as tight as the Springer. If you want a 1911 which locks up hard (i.e wedges shut while in battery) the EB is not for you.

[Shenaniguns]

I had the Baer and the Wilson, but sold them to get a Springer Professional. Here's why:

The Baer looks great on the outside, but is very rough. I don't like the feel of the slide riding on the frame. I tried different lubes, but could not get that nice ball bearing feel. You'll say the slide is on there too tight, but that is not so. Pull the barrel, replace the slide, and you'll see plenty of horizontal/lateral play (not as much as a loose production 1911, but has plenty of clearance) I think it has to do with the steel. Second, I did not like the way the barrel fits. The hood and the feet are poorly cut and bear unevenly on the slide stop pin.

The Wilson also looks great, but the barrel and bushing are fitted loosely. Mine had a .011" gap between the rear of the hood and the breechface. The barrel feet were nicely cut, but did not push the barrel up into the slide. The gun was not accurate enough. I could not replicate the test target supplied with the gun. The slide to frame fit is tighter than on the Baer, but way smoother, perhaps the smoothest I have felt on a 1911.

One day I came across a Springer Pro. That gun is fitted like a Swiss watch. I have a Sig P210 and the Springer is equal to the P210 in every way. It is a superb firearm, much like a Freedom Arms revolver in the single-action arena. The gun is so tight that you'd think it won't cycle. But it does with 100% reliability. Best of all, it shoots most of my handloads into little teeny groups, unlike the Wilson. If you fieldstrip the gun, you'll see that all cuts are perfectly executed and there is maybe .003" of clearance arround the barrel hood. The bushing is tight, yet finger removable. The barrel feet bear evenly on the slide-stop pin. The slide rides the frame smoothly and without binding, yet there is not a hint of play in the rails. That's my pick.

I played with a couple Ed Browns, but they are not as tight as the Springer. If you want a 1911 which locks up hard (i.e wedges shut while in battery) the EB is not for you.

You never did finish our discussion after calling me out...

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?p=1408092#post1408092

[E. Fudd]

Question is what do you want to use it for: casual target shooting, competition, home defense?

The Colt's adj. rear sight has lots of sharp edges and the straight up front sight. Also, it'll need a standard or heavier recoil spring to run full-loads. The one I had back in the day was tuned for lighter target loads and standard loads would beat it up without the spring upgrade.

For HD use, I'd go with the other two choices

[aplinker]

What happened to the interesting discussion? It got removed wholesale?

[JMB1911]

I've never had the pleasure of owning Colts or Ed Browns. I do have a Wilson Stainless Protector and Baer PII Supertac. Which 1911 do I shoot better with? Springfield TRP Operator. LOL. The Wilson and Baer are great guns. Both have uber smooth actions but the TRP's weight makes rapid fire a lot easier.

[J-cat]

What happened to the interesting discussion? It got removed wholesale?

I dunno.

Another thing I want to add about the Baer is they like to round off the top lugs on the barrel to get the gun to run. Seems they don't want to correct the internal dimensions of the slide/frame in their manufacturing process.

The Springer Pro uses a Nownin barrel. The top lugs are sharp and crisp, yet the gun is timed perfectly.