Best and worst 1911 between $500 - $1000 - Page 2

Noreaster · February 8, 2013, 01:47 AM

I've been very happy with my S&W E series.

cuba · February 8, 2013, 08:54 PM

$600.00 out the door, hammer forged steel, slide, frame, and barrel.

shoot safe, shoot straight, and have fun

KMAX · February 8, 2013, 10:02 PM

I have no complaints about my Taurus 1911 other than it has so little resale value. It is a good shooter and I have had no functional problems. If I had it to do over I would probably go with something from Springfield due to the resale aspect of the Taurus, but I will keep what I have despite the bad mouthing of others about Taurus.

k511 · February 8, 2013, 10:33 PM

+1 for the springfield RO, paid 850 it is probably the nicest shooter of my sub 1k 1911's..not for carry but for range use....if only it were made in the USA..... reciently picked up a remington R1 that has been a fantastic shooter out of the box for 650,,,100% USA made......also reciently picked up a ruger for 700 that is also a fine shooter and has been 100% reliable in the 200 rounds i have sent down range and is also USA made.... have to say though the fit on my remington is darn close to perfect where the ruger has just a hair of play in slide to frame fit...both fine shooters though, and if an adjustable sight were to be added like the RO has, i bet they would be just as accurate
on the cheaper end i would reccomend the RIA 1911, nothing special, good shooters, mine eat every kind of ammo i feed it....the taurus pt1911 is the only taurus i have ever owned and i wont bash it, but i will say my particular pistol gave me problems from day one...i no longer own it

joegator · February 8, 2013, 10:38 PM

I was faced with same decision and went for a SA Loaded.

TheDoubleDeuce · February 8, 2013, 11:10 PM

K511, what evidence do you have that the Remington R1 is 100% made in USA? The general concensus I have seen online (including interpreting the "political" responses from Remington) is that at least 51% of the machining and fitting is done in the US but many of the parts are imported.

This is not a huge point of contention for me but I am interested to see if you have hard evidence that I have not been able to find. Feel free to answer via PM if you feel it's not pertinent to the OP.

SauerGrapes · February 9, 2013, 12:07 AM

Quote:

what do you think of a Citidel 1911 for a basic 45.

No first hand experience with them. I compared it to a RIA at the gun shop. It's about equal in build to the RIA from what i could see.
Depends on what your want in a 1911.

Op, I've been impressed with my Colt, SA and Sig.

WVsig · February 9, 2013, 12:22 AM

Quote:

I am looking to pick up my first 1911. Willing to spend between $500 - $1000. So.......
What 1911, in this price range would you recommend, and, if you have the time, why?
What 1911, in this price range, should I stay away from and, if you have the time, why?

Your advice and counsel is appreciated..

What do you want to use the gun for? Is it strictly a range toy? Gun Game? Concealed carry? How many rounds do you intend to shoot a year? There are way too many 1911s out there in this low to mid range to answer the question you have asked without more specifics.

Help us help you...... The devil is in the details and we need more details in order to intelligently answer your question IMHO.

10mm4ever · February 9, 2013, 11:16 AM

Citidel and RIA are Armscor products. Both are 'good to go' from the box.

Rangegod · February 9, 2013, 11:49 AM

I’ve been a bit of a 1911 fan ever since I field stripped my first one under the watchful eye of GM1 Smith back in 1966. The following list is an overview of the “Out of the Box” performance of 1911's I’ve purchased over the years. (May have missed a few, as memory is not what it once was.)

9MM Colt Commander (6)
45 ACP Colt LW Commander (5)
45 ACP Colt/Gov. Md.(original S70) (5)
45 ACP Colt/ Commander (1991 ORM) (4)
45 ACP Clot/Defender (4)
45 ACP Colt/LW Commander XSE (4)
45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (Blue) (1)
45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (Hard Chrome) (1)
45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (park) (1)
45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (park) (1)
45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (park) (1)
45 ACP Kimber/Clasic (3)
45 ACP Kimber/Royal Cary (2)
45 ACP Kimber/Custom Royal (4)
45 ACP Para-Ordnance/P12-45 (1)*
45 ACP Brown KC (1)
45 ACP Brown SF (1)
45 ACP Brown SF (1)
45 ACP Brown/Class A Ltd Commander (1)
45 ACP SA/TRP (3)
45 ACP SA/PRO (1)
45 ACP SA/Trophy Match (3)
45 ACP STI/Trojan (3)
45 ACP Dan Wesson CBOB (2)
45 ACP Taurus / PT 1911 (1)
45 ACP Valtro (1)
45 ACP S&W 1911PD (1)
45 ACP S&W 1911SC (E Series) (1)

Honorable mention “1911ish” guns
45 ACP Star/PD #1 (1)*
45 ACP Star/PD #2 (1)*
45 ACP Star/PS (1)*
9MM Star/BM (1)*

NOTES:
(1) 100% out of the box with all mags & ammo
(2) 100% with slight break-in, &/or mag change
(3) Reliable after break-in with specific ammo & mags
(4) Reliable after part(s) change &/or minor gunsmithing
(5) Reliable after major gunsmithing
(6) Never worked even after multiple returns to manufacture and gunsmiths
(*) Only OEM mags used

k511 · February 9, 2013, 01:37 PM

TheDoubleDeuce: I have been to the remington factory and have seen the frames and slides machined, barrels piloted and rifled, and final fitting and test fire in NY myself... during the tour i was told that the "small parts" come from vendors such as wilson

ET. · February 9, 2013, 05:11 PM

I bought the SA Range Officer as my first 1911 also. I paid $750 for it 1 1/2 years ago. I love it. My wife bought a Taurus pt1911 9mm parkerized for $475 at the same time because she liked the feel of mine, but didn't like the recoil. It has been flawless as well. It is under the $500 minimum though. Plus many people dislike Taurus. Buy a Range Officer if you want a nice shooting gun that few people dislike. Buy the Taurus if you want a gun that shoots well and is little trouble...except the guns that are trouble and have to get repaired at Taurus, sometimes more than once. It happens enough that it always becomes part of a Taurus conversation. Keep that in mind...

NWPilgrim · February 9, 2013, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shuler13

STI makes two fine 1911s in your range. The Spartan can be picked up for $650 and the Trojan for $1000. The Spartan IMO is the best package for the price. I own the Spartan and it comes with some of the more popular upgrades with great fit and fantastic trigger.

I've seen several STI Spartans at various gun shops and Cabelas at that price, too.

Adamantium · February 10, 2013, 12:15 AM

I own one 1911 and shoot it competitively. Not to be too anti-climatic but obviously you want a 1911 that shoots a bullet out of it's barrel. Every 1911 has you covered there. The real question is, what more do you want it to do? Do you want to shoot modern JHPs? It would be better to look at enhanced models. What about upgraded sights? There are fixed, adjustable, target, glow in the dark, etc. Are you worried about rust? Stainless is a good option if you are. What about accuracy? We all want an accurate gun but do you have some real and defined accuracy criteria?

When people ask me what 1911 they should look at first I always recommend a Armscor or Metroarms enhanced model. They have almost everything people want, cost around $450 locally and never wear out. I know people who have been shooting competition for years with their filipino 1911s without a problem. I think the #1 reason to go with something more expensive is because you want stainless and the #2 reason is because you want adjustable sights out of the box. I think there are some Armscor 1911s that even have those these days.

I think you are going to see a lot of people recommend you buy what they bought. Listening to satisfied customers is a good thing but it isn't at all very objective either. Good luck in your search.

Madcap_Magician · February 10, 2013, 12:45 AM

The Armscor guns are excellent for the price. Very well built. I have seen them in the gun store with better parts fit than Colts, Springfields, Sigs, and Kimbers, sad as that is to say.

s3779m · February 10, 2013, 08:51 AM

Bought Taurus several years ago. Had to have extractor fixed after a couple hundred rounds and sent back to Brazil to have the lock fixed after several thousand rounds. Accuracy is fantastic, trigger pull great, good range gun, but there is a trust issue. Gun did not have enough rounds thru it for the breakdowns.

Armybrat · February 10, 2013, 10:34 AM

Bought my SA GI new several years ago - $510 OTD.

skoro · February 10, 2013, 12:40 PM

Best: Colt

Worst: I dunno. I've never shot a 1911 that was troublesome. And that includes some real cheapos.

TheDoubleDeuce · February 12, 2013, 09:08 PM

Well, my buddy and I just took our 1911's to the range. My SA mil-spec worked flawlessly with both factory mags and an 8-round Chip McCormick. I got about a 1.25" group @ 7 yards slow-firing from a Weaver stance.

His PT1911 rail gun malfunctioned after 6 rounds. The slide release popped out of the side. He put it back in, but then the slide wouldn't rack. He stripped it down, but ultimately left the range without being able to fix it, so he fired a total of 6 rounds to my 100+. So I guess there are two parts to this post, the first being:

Take that experience for what you will. He hasn't had time to contact Taurus or really sit down with it at home to see if it's a simple fix.

And the second being:

Does anybody know what might cause that?? I don't mean to hijack the thread but I couldn't find anything wrong with the gun.

Adamantium · February 12, 2013, 09:45 PM

Does he rest his index finger on the side of the frame? I've seen this break a slide stop that got partially pushed out. Otherwise there is a part broken, most likely the slide stop. Does the slide still lock back on an empty magazine?

TheDoubleDeuce · February 12, 2013, 09:52 PM

He doesn't rest his finger on the side of the frame. The slide won't even move to try and lock it back. The hammer will cock and it will dry fire but the slide will not move past about a quarter of an inch.

Adamantium · February 13, 2013, 01:54 AM

So did he manipulate the slide to put the slide stop back in there or did he just push it back in? If he did the latter then the slide stop is broken and his slide may well be jammed on the broken piece. If thats the case the slide stop should come right out with the slide in the forward position. Odds are real good he was putting some pressure on where the stop pokes out the other side when the gun fired. That can certainly break a slide stop. OTOH if the slide was freely moving to put the stop back in the correct way then I am completely drawing a blank on why it was able to move back without the slide stop then forward with it in but now is locked shut.

With the slide locked forward there isn't much you can do beyond look up the magwell with a flashlight. Hopefully the slide isn't dented because that would require a trip back to customer service. I'm doubting it is because if it were that bad the recoil spring wouldn't be enough to overcome it and move the slide back into battery.

Hopefully whatever is wrong gets sorted out without too much hassle.

TheDoubleDeuce · February 13, 2013, 02:05 AM

I really don't think he was putting pressure on the other side of the stop. The way he holds the gun is with his left hand under the magazine, and his right hand obviously doesn't hit that area when his finger is on the trigger.

Anyway I guess he got it working - he said after about twenty minutes working the slide back and forth it finally broke free and functions properly now. The only thing I can think is something got caught in the slide rail, or there was a burr somewhere or...?

I am really having a hard time figuring this one out, i kind of wish it had been my gun just so I could have messed with it to find the problem. Anyway thanks for the help... We will be shooting more this weekend and we'll see if there are any more anomalies with the Taurus.

Adamantium · February 13, 2013, 02:10 AM

Good to hear. I would replace that slide stop though, even as a precautionary measure.

cbuck · February 13, 2013, 02:21 AM

i own and occasionally carry a citadel, pretty much a RIA with different slide serrations. they are great guns for the price you pay for them however if i had had a price range going up to $1000 when i was looking for my 1911 i would have gotten a loaded SA. the citadel has plain back sights where id prefer three dots

February 8, 2013, 08:54 PM	#27
cuba Member Join Date: January 2, 2010 Location: Lake Placid Florida Posts: 90	PT1911 Best kept secret $600.00 out the door, hammer forged steel, slide, frame, and barrel. shoot safe, shoot straight, and have fun

February 8, 2013, 10:02 PM	#28
KMAX Senior Member Join Date: June 20, 2011 Location: Texas Posts: 778	I have no complaints about my Taurus 1911 other than it has so little resale value. It is a good shooter and I have had no functional problems. If I had it to do over I would probably go with something from Springfield due to the resale aspect of the Taurus, but I will keep what I have despite the bad mouthing of others about Taurus. __________________ This is my gun. There are many like her, but this one is mine. With Freedom Comes Responsibility!

February 9, 2013, 11:49 AM	#35
Rangegod Senior Member Join Date: August 19, 2002 Location: South FL. Posts: 135	Real world experience I’ve been a bit of a 1911 fan ever since I field stripped my first one under the watchful eye of GM1 Smith back in 1966. The following list is an overview of the “Out of the Box” performance of 1911's I’ve purchased over the years. (May have missed a few, as memory is not what it once was.) 9MM Colt Commander (6) 45 ACP Colt LW Commander (5) 45 ACP Colt/Gov. Md.(original S70) (5) 45 ACP Colt/ Commander (1991 ORM) (4) 45 ACP Clot/Defender (4) 45 ACP Colt/LW Commander XSE (4) 45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (Blue) (1) 45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (Hard Chrome) (1) 45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (park) (1) 45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (park) (1) 45 ACP Norinco/1911A1 (park) (1) 45 ACP Kimber/Clasic (3) 45 ACP Kimber/Royal Cary (2) 45 ACP Kimber/Custom Royal (4) 45 ACP Para-Ordnance/P12-45 (1)* 45 ACP Brown KC (1) 45 ACP Brown SF (1) 45 ACP Brown SF (1) 45 ACP Brown/Class A Ltd Commander (1) 45 ACP SA/TRP (3) 45 ACP SA/PRO (1) 45 ACP SA/Trophy Match (3) 45 ACP STI/Trojan (3) 45 ACP Dan Wesson CBOB (2) 45 ACP Taurus / PT 1911 (1) 45 ACP Valtro (1) 45 ACP S&W 1911PD (1) 45 ACP S&W 1911SC (E Series) (1) Honorable mention “1911ish” guns 45 ACP Star/PD #1 (1)* 45 ACP Star/PD #2 (1)* 45 ACP Star/PS (1)* 9MM Star/BM (1)* NOTES: (1) 100% out of the box with all mags & ammo (2) 100% with slight break-in, &/or mag change (3) Reliable after break-in with specific ammo & mags (4) Reliable after part(s) change &/or minor gunsmithing (5) Reliable after major gunsmithing (6) Never worked even after multiple returns to manufacture and gunsmiths (*) Only OEM mags used __________________ “Whatever the State saith is a lie; whatever it hath is a theft.” ~ Nietzsche

February 9, 2013, 05:11 PM	#37
ET. Senior Member Join Date: June 8, 2010 Location: Savannah, Ga. Posts: 638	I bought the SA Range Officer as my first 1911 also. I paid $750 for it 1 1/2 years ago. I love it. My wife bought a Taurus pt1911 9mm parkerized for $475 at the same time because she liked the feel of mine, but didn't like the recoil. It has been flawless as well. It is under the $500 minimum though. Plus many people dislike Taurus. Buy a Range Officer if you want a nice shooting gun that few people dislike. Buy the Taurus if you want a gun that shoots well and is little trouble...except the guns that are trouble and have to get repaired at Taurus, sometimes more than once. It happens enough that it always becomes part of a Taurus conversation. Keep that in mind... __________________ Soldiers are dying every day to protect our freedoms. The least we can do is vote.

February 10, 2013, 12:15 AM	#39
Adamantium Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 948	I own one 1911 and shoot it competitively. Not to be too anti-climatic but obviously you want a 1911 that shoots a bullet out of it's barrel. Every 1911 has you covered there. The real question is, what more do you want it to do? Do you want to shoot modern JHPs? It would be better to look at enhanced models. What about upgraded sights? There are fixed, adjustable, target, glow in the dark, etc. Are you worried about rust? Stainless is a good option if you are. What about accuracy? We all want an accurate gun but do you have some real and defined accuracy criteria? When people ask me what 1911 they should look at first I always recommend a Armscor or Metroarms enhanced model. They have almost everything people want, cost around $450 locally and never wear out. I know people who have been shooting competition for years with their filipino 1911s without a problem. I think the #1 reason to go with something more expensive is because you want stainless and the #2 reason is because you want adjustable sights out of the box. I think there are some Armscor 1911s that even have those these days. I think you are going to see a lot of people recommend you buy what they bought. Listening to satisfied customers is a good thing but it isn't at all very objective either. Good luck in your search. __________________ New gun, same ol' shot.

February 8, 2013, 01:47 AM	#26
Noreaster Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2011 Location: New England Posts: 978	I've been very happy with my S&W E series.

February 8, 2013, 10:33 PM	#29
k511 Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 344	+1 for the springfield RO, paid 850 it is probably the nicest shooter of my sub 1k 1911's..not for carry but for range use....if only it were made in the USA..... reciently picked up a remington R1 that has been a fantastic shooter out of the box for 650,,,100% USA made......also reciently picked up a ruger for 700 that is also a fine shooter and has been 100% reliable in the 200 rounds i have sent down range and is also USA made.... have to say though the fit on my remington is darn close to perfect where the ruger has just a hair of play in slide to frame fit...both fine shooters though, and if an adjustable sight were to be added like the RO has, i bet they would be just as accurate on the cheaper end i would reccomend the RIA 1911, nothing special, good shooters, mine eat every kind of ammo i feed it....the taurus pt1911 is the only taurus i have ever owned and i wont bash it, but i will say my particular pistol gave me problems from day one...i no longer own it

February 8, 2013, 10:38 PM	#30
joegator Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 525	I was faced with same decision and went for a SA Loaded.

February 8, 2013, 11:10 PM	#31
TheDoubleDeuce Member Join Date: January 8, 2013 Posts: 88	K511, what evidence do you have that the Remington R1 is 100% made in USA? The general concensus I have seen online (including interpreting the "political" responses from Remington) is that at least 51% of the machining and fitting is done in the US but many of the parts are imported. This is not a huge point of contention for me but I am interested to see if you have hard evidence that I have not been able to find. Feel free to answer via PM if you feel it's not pertinent to the OP.

February 9, 2013, 11:16 AM	#34
10mm4ever Senior Member Join Date: December 11, 2005 Location: SW Ohio Posts: 641	Citidel and RIA are Armscor products. Both are 'good to go' from the box.

February 9, 2013, 01:37 PM	#36
k511 Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 344	TheDoubleDeuce: I have been to the remington factory and have seen the frames and slides machined, barrels piloted and rifled, and final fitting and test fire in NY myself... during the tour i was told that the "small parts" come from vendors such as wilson

February 10, 2013, 12:45 AM	#40
Madcap_Magician Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2009 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 412	The Armscor guns are excellent for the price. Very well built. I have seen them in the gun store with better parts fit than Colts, Springfields, Sigs, and Kimbers, sad as that is to say.

February 10, 2013, 08:51 AM	#41
s3779m Junior Member Join Date: November 12, 2012 Posts: 8	Bought Taurus several years ago. Had to have extractor fixed after a couple hundred rounds and sent back to Brazil to have the lock fixed after several thousand rounds. Accuracy is fantastic, trigger pull great, good range gun, but there is a trust issue. Gun did not have enough rounds thru it for the breakdowns.

February 10, 2013, 10:34 AM	#42
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 156	Bought my SA GI new several years ago - $510 OTD.

February 10, 2013, 12:40 PM	#43
skoro Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,239	Best and worst 1911 between $500 - $1000 Best: Colt Worst: I dunno. I've never shot a 1911 that was troublesome. And that includes some real cheapos.

February 12, 2013, 09:08 PM	#44
TheDoubleDeuce Member Join Date: January 8, 2013 Posts: 88	Well, my buddy and I just took our 1911's to the range. My SA mil-spec worked flawlessly with both factory mags and an 8-round Chip McCormick. I got about a 1.25" group @ 7 yards slow-firing from a Weaver stance. His PT1911 rail gun malfunctioned after 6 rounds. The slide release popped out of the side. He put it back in, but then the slide wouldn't rack. He stripped it down, but ultimately left the range without being able to fix it, so he fired a total of 6 rounds to my 100+. So I guess there are two parts to this post, the first being: Take that experience for what you will. He hasn't had time to contact Taurus or really sit down with it at home to see if it's a simple fix. And the second being: Does anybody know what might cause that?? I don't mean to hijack the thread but I couldn't find anything wrong with the gun.

February 12, 2013, 09:45 PM	#45
Adamantium Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 948	Does he rest his index finger on the side of the frame? I've seen this break a slide stop that got partially pushed out. Otherwise there is a part broken, most likely the slide stop. Does the slide still lock back on an empty magazine? __________________ New gun, same ol' shot.

February 12, 2013, 09:52 PM	#46
TheDoubleDeuce Member Join Date: January 8, 2013 Posts: 88	He doesn't rest his finger on the side of the frame. The slide won't even move to try and lock it back. The hammer will cock and it will dry fire but the slide will not move past about a quarter of an inch.

February 13, 2013, 01:54 AM	#47
Adamantium Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 948	So did he manipulate the slide to put the slide stop back in there or did he just push it back in? If he did the latter then the slide stop is broken and his slide may well be jammed on the broken piece. If thats the case the slide stop should come right out with the slide in the forward position. Odds are real good he was putting some pressure on where the stop pokes out the other side when the gun fired. That can certainly break a slide stop. OTOH if the slide was freely moving to put the stop back in the correct way then I am completely drawing a blank on why it was able to move back without the slide stop then forward with it in but now is locked shut. With the slide locked forward there isn't much you can do beyond look up the magwell with a flashlight. Hopefully the slide isn't dented because that would require a trip back to customer service. I'm doubting it is because if it were that bad the recoil spring wouldn't be enough to overcome it and move the slide back into battery. Hopefully whatever is wrong gets sorted out without too much hassle. __________________ New gun, same ol' shot.

February 13, 2013, 02:05 AM	#48
TheDoubleDeuce Member Join Date: January 8, 2013 Posts: 88	I really don't think he was putting pressure on the other side of the stop. The way he holds the gun is with his left hand under the magazine, and his right hand obviously doesn't hit that area when his finger is on the trigger. Anyway I guess he got it working - he said after about twenty minutes working the slide back and forth it finally broke free and functions properly now. The only thing I can think is something got caught in the slide rail, or there was a burr somewhere or...? I am really having a hard time figuring this one out, i kind of wish it had been my gun just so I could have messed with it to find the problem. Anyway thanks for the help... We will be shooting more this weekend and we'll see if there are any more anomalies with the Taurus.

February 13, 2013, 02:10 AM	#49
Adamantium Senior Member Join Date: June 7, 1999 Location: El Paso, TX Posts: 948	Good to hear. I would replace that slide stop though, even as a precautionary measure. __________________ New gun, same ol' shot.

February 13, 2013, 02:21 AM	#50
cbuck Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2011 Location: NC Posts: 141	i own and occasionally carry a citadel, pretty much a RIA with different slide serrations. they are great guns for the price you pay for them however if i had had a price range going up to $1000 when i was looking for my 1911 i would have gotten a loaded SA. the citadel has plain back sights where id prefer three dots