who makes the best 1911 .45acp?

[Co Th G]

That Kimber add is so convincing that I'm going to call their renowned "custom shop" and order me a true custom, hand built and fit Kimber with all the custom details I have always wanted on a 1911.

It will be a 5" government model with a bull barrel, tri top slide with 40lpi serrations. Schuemann AET barrel. Ed Brown grip safety and Maxiwell. Wilson Combat Bulletproof ignition components. I want it hard hat treated and with custom slide and frame serrations that I'll have to email them sketches of.

Anyone have any idea what their current lead time is on their true custom builds?

[Iron Man]

The definition of "best" should be answered by the OP since that is a subjective definition. The "best" 1911 would be the one that most closely conforms to the OPs requirements. Specifics need to be defined (compact vs. full size, stainless vs. black, brand vs. custom, single stack vs. double stack, what caliber, what kind of sights, left-handed, right-handed, or both). Also, what bits and goodies would the OP want (ambidextrous safety, extended beavertail, speed hammer, trigger job, cross-drilled trigger, full length guide rod, bullet capacity, etc.)?

Once the requirements are gathered the question can be answered objectively. Until then, this entire discussion is an exercise in futility.

[hounddawg]

Probably gonna get a flame job for this comment but my first 1911 was a Taurus PT 1911 which I got for around $650, last year bought a really nice Kimber. I have probably 5000 or so rounds through the Taurus and less than half that through the Kimber. The Taurus has been totally reliable as has the Kimber although the Kimber was a bit finicky about what it ate for the first 100 rounds or so where the Taurus has always shot whatever fits in the magazine. Both shoot a lot more accurately than I can, the Kimber has the better fit and finish and much higher price tag that reflected that fir and finish.

I can't speak for the CS since I never have had a problem with either pistol and those are the only 1911's I have ever owned. I had both at the range this afternoon and both went bang and the shots went pretty much where I aimed. When they did not it was the indian's fault not the arrows.

Myself I say buy the best your wallet can stand but in the long run unless you are planning on getting a gun for competing in Bullseye competition and plan on going to the Nationals about any name brand will do you just fine.

[whippoorwill]

I am surprised at the positive comments about Kimber.

You probably shouldn't be. In my experience, they are basically on par with all of the other production line guns.

Myself I say buy the best your wallet can stand but in the long run unless you are planning on getting a gun for competing in Bullseye competition and plan on going to the Nationals about any name brand will do you just fine.

Sound wisdom. Thanks for the even-keeled comments.

[MarineCpl]

The original is still the greatest: COLT !!!!!

[50gi-jess]

The 1911, is probably the best handgun ever designed !

[drail]

The "best" 1911? It doesn't begin with a "C" or a "K". It begins with an "L".

[rodfac]

In a full length (5" barrel), 1911, for the money, I'd say Ruger. I've owned Colts for almost 50 yrs now, and loved them all, but the Ruger SR1911 is better right out of the box than any of the Gold Cup .45's I've owned and handled over the yrs. It's that good.

Great features without turning it into some sort of mall ninja space gun; to whit: Beveled mag well, two magazines furnished, stainless steel construction, target grade adj. trigger, humped and beavertailed grip safety, extended thumb safety and mag release button, Novak sights, 1911 mainspring housing ( not arched), and a checkered back strap....my only wish for was that they would have checkered the front strap as well...and that's it...I love the gun.

And for $650 to $750 when you find them, they are beyond compare. I'm close to 2500 rounds through mine now with nearly 100% reliability...my hand loads with lead alloy bullets have mis-fed a cpl of times...but the gun is 100% with factory ammunition...round ball or JHP's. To get that kind of a 1911 will cost you the price of the gun and another $400-$500 in gunsmithing charges. Ruger did well with this one and spent their money on building a great gun, not on gun magazine advertising slick pictures, and no hoopla about needing 200-300 rounds to "break it in properly".

The pic below shows some handloads and one of the first targets shot with the new piece. I shot it Weaver Stance, 15 yds, shooting controlled pairs. The hard ball groups were even better.

Best Regards, Rod

[Chris_B]

Mine is best
Yours stinks
I've owned them and they are OK
None of them are good
You're buying a name
You're buying garbage
You're buying MIM
You're buying castings
Nobody makes them better
Their finish is terrible
Bad customer service
Some years are bad
The series 80 stinks
The series 70 stinks
The pre-70s stink
Their QC is awful
They charge too much

Does that cover it? Damn.

[Bamashooter]

Taurus. Chris_B's post pretty much summed it up

[silvermane_1]

i think i will invest in a ruger sr1911 when i think is time to to get a 1911.

[Hal]

Mine is best
Yours stinks
I've owned them and they are OK
None of them are good
You're buying a name
You're buying garbage
You're buying MIM
You're buying castings
Nobody makes them better
Their finish is terrible
Bad customer service
Some years are bad
The series 80 stinks
The series 70 stinks
The pre-70s stink
Their QC is awful
They charge too much

Does that cover it?

Nope - you left out:
WWI
WWII
Korea
Viet Nam <---places Colt has been that the others haven't...

Regardless of who actually manufactured the gun itself,,,,,it was and always will be a Colt .45 automatic to a huge percentage of people - both vets and civilians alike.

That recognition is why I say Colt is the best - even though there are better.

[Chris_B]

You're off in left field Hal

I like Colts. I own four of them. One of them an actual Model of 1911 made during WWI, which most folks don't really have

I wasn't commenting on Colt. I was commenting on the argument

[Hal]

You're off in left field Hal

How so?

Colt has the name & the mystique.
The others simply don't.

& as I mentioned in my initial post....
If it doesn't make sense to you it never will..
Some are going to agree w/it 100% - even if you feel it's "out in left field".

[Chris_B]

How so?

I explained this already, lol. I like Colts. I own three of their pistols and one of their rifles. I was commenting on the argument. But you feel I'm bashing Colt

Colt has the name & the mystique.
The others simply don't.

That mystique is partly based on things that even Colt can't achieve today. Take for instance their bluing process from 1914 and compared it to their bluing process today. Since neither you nor I can do anything but live in 2012, then we must forget nostalgia when discussing 'the best' thing, be it a car or a firearm, a painting or a singer, that is available right now

If we do count on nostalgia, then the Singer 1911A1 must be one of the absolute "best available" based on the name and mystique. But do people crow about the perfection of that pistol? No, they crow about it's rarity

A pistol like an original Model of 1911 can't be 'the best' in many ways, and an important one is metallurgy. Simply put, compared to today, the metallurgy was bad. They didn't know how to really harden the slides. Even in WWII, the slides were 'half-hardened'

& as I mentioned in my initial post....
If it doesn't make sense to you it never will..
Some are going to agree w/it 100% - even if you feel it's "out in left field".

That's fine and well, but you need to read other people's comments more closely before you decide that they are disdaining something. For the third (and last) time, I like Colts. I chose a Colt Series 70 over many other and less expensive 1911 pattern pistols

[Hal]

I was commenting on the argument. But you feel I'm bashing Colt

I understood that from the get go.
It's you that somehow feels that I feel that you feel that I feel that you feel Colt is being bashed...

A pistol like an original Model of 1911 can't be 'the best' in many ways, and an important one is metallurgy. Simply put, compared to today, the metallurgy was bad. They didn't know how to really harden the slides. Even in WWII, the slides were 'half-hardened'

Well - if that's the case then I'll run out & buy one of those Rugers and trade you even up for that old inferior WWI relic you have.....
The Ruger is a whole lot better right?

[Chris_B]

Jeez, Hal. Why do you keep assigning to me things I never said?

if you didn't think I was bad-mouthing colt you never would have defended Colt to me

I didn't say that you should buy a Ruger

I didn't say that Colt was no good

I didn't say mine were no good


You just want to fight. Go fight with yourself, amigo

[rodfac]

Does anyone have actual US Government figures on 1911 and 1911-A1 procurement? It's been my impression that the majority of 1911 types in US military and Gov't service were contract guns: Remington-Rand, Remington, Singer, Ithaca, Springfield Armory, and a cpl of vendors that I can't remember. The 1911's record in service is a good one to be sure, but it's spread over many manufacturers besides Colt...it was a Browning design, not Colt...and before I get flamed, I currently own 4 Colt 1911's of one sort or the other, and my sons each have several more. We love the venerable old Colts. Best Regards, Rod

[Bamashooter]

I think Colt is overrated and quite frankly there are many other gun companies building better 1911's. Im not stupid enough apparently to pay for a name. I like sinking my cash into quality. Lot better 1911's for alot less money. Screw colt.

[pete2]

I think Colt is best for the money. Wilson if you don't have to consider cost.

[jimbob86]

Were money no object, I'd get a custom job done by Cylinder and Slide...... maybe this one.....

http://www.cylinder-slide.com/index....how&ref=CSP901

[Dan31]

Its funny but you can have the gun with all the bells and whistles on it but if you can't shoot worth a beans it isn't worth the money you spent for it.

My choice just for my taste and style would be the STI Off Duty as my CCW gun.

[Hal]

The 1911's record in service is a good one to be sure, but it's spread over many manufacturers besides Colt...it was a Browning design, not Colt...and before I get flamed

Correct - but - ....
(& no flames)
Colt is still the owner of "the legend" - regardless of who actually manufactured the gun to fill the war time need.

Here's what I found as far as WWII production numbers:

"During the war, about 1.9 million units were procured by the U.S. Government for all forces, production being undertaken by several manufacturers, including Remington Rand (900,000 produced), Colt (400,000), Ithaca Gun Company (400,000), Union Switch & Signal (50,000), and Singer (500). "

Colt - as the figures above show - really only made 1/4 of them.
However - I'd bet that if you asked 1000 WWII vets what sidearm they carried, darn near all would say "A Colt .45".

Legends are like that..
Colt is to the 1911 like Kleenex is to facial tissue.

Oh - & Chris,,,
I'm not looking for any kind of fight.
You asked a simple question (Does that cover it?) & I gave you a simple answer.
Matter of fact, by your own admission you seem to view, what up until your post had been a friendly discussion - as an argument.
If you want to "argue" fine - knock yourself out. I won't be joining you.

[Amsdorf]

Isn't it great that we have so many choices today?

The 1911 has come a long way.

[laytonj1]

it was a Browning design, not Colt.

I guess you could argue that a couple ways as it was Colt who paid Browning for those designs and Colt who turned those designs into guns.

Jim