Current Colt 1911s - Good/Not?

[unclebilly]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

I'd love to be able to collect handguns.

Up until a few months ago, you could. I have a couple 1911s, even a Canadian made one.

[Skytrooper]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

I’ve always wondered that one myself. It would be nice if we could all meet at a range and try out the various models.

I would like to see the difference between my 1942 1911 and the newer ones.

Man, made in Ithaca, NY by the Ithaca Gun Company ! I would love to have that in my collection !

[RNajarian]

Originally Posted by Skytrooper

Man, made in Ithaca, NY by the Ithaca Gun Company ! I would love to have that in my collection !

Thanks for the compliment Top.

Is the Ithaca 1911 any better/worse than the Colt ones? I know fewer were manufactured since they were done under license.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by flipper35

Kimber Custom Shop stuff like The Raptor II is guaranteed less than an inch group at 25 yards. Mine is very accurate and reliable.

I know that I love mine..

[tabs]

Now I am a real Wilson man..

Well damnation...the other mr wilson was feelin lonely so I jis had to git another one to keep him company... this one is in 38 superduper. Ifn I told ya what I am in it for you would say dam you pert nearly stole it.. Classic

This caliber is real tough to find in the Classic..

[tabs]

Originally Posted by jyl

Tabs, do you think there is much faking of GCNMs going on? I'd be willing to buy an older one if I didn't have to be a detective to avoid getting ripped off.

Prewar yes it is possible as they are so valuable...the 60's and later ones I don't think so they are not worth doing..

You can get the ones made in the 60's NIB, they are forged and are rock solid in fit and finish.. They start at about 1K,,and go up to about 2k. You can also mate it to a Colt 22 lr conversion slide for a 2 for 1 set up. These are very nice pistols

[Skytrooper]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

Thanks for the compliment Top.

Is the Ithaca 1911 any better/worse than the Colt ones? I know fewer were manufactured since they were done under license.

I do not know if they are more valuable or not. Ithaca Gun is here in the Finger Lakes region of NY state. Remington is also an NY gun company. I have an Ithaca model 37 Featherweight 16ga shotgun that I inherited from my step father...years ago. I still use it !

To me, the value is that it was made by Ithaca. That makes it special to me ! Until I saw yours, I had no idea that they made 1911's ! The search is on !

[Rick Lee]

During WWII all kinds of companies made standard mil-spec guns. In fact, Springfield still has a 1911 model called "Mil-Spec" and that term exists because any company that had the tooling available then could build them to uniform specs for the US military. Aside from Colt, Springfield and Ithaca, companies like IBM, Smith Corona, John Deere and many others built small arms for the war effort.

[jyl]

Nice pics!

I have two 1911-variant pistols, one a micro (Detonics CombatMaster) and one a double-stack (ParaOrdnance P12). It feels like I should also have a classic pattern 1911, and I finally have come up with a specific use case for one.

[Jeff Higgins]

Admittedly a Colt "fanboy" here. More so for their revolvers than their semi autos, for sure, but I like my Colts.

My newest 1911 is a Colt, but it was purchased back when the two different companies that called themselves "Colt" merged back together. I think they were putting a little extra effort into their off the shelf guns, just to demonstrate they were "back".

And they were. I had no intention of buying a gun that day (these things just happen...) when I was shopping my local Cabela's. This thing literally just jumped out of the cabinet at me. Honest...

It was easily 20% cheaper than the Kimbers and Springfields next to it. So I played with all of them. The Colt was more tightly fit, better finished, and just (visually at least) better made. So I bought it.

I still have it, so it must have worked. What do we demand from these anyway? It's not the most accurate sidearm I own. Not the most powerful. Not the prettiest. But as reliable as any auto has any right to be. It's one of the few guns I carry, on the rare occasion I choose to do that.

Beyond that, it says "Colt" on it. Anything else is like driving a Beck Speedster, or Intermeccanica 356. "Better" in every measure. But they aren't Porsches...

[jyl]

Jeff, I think you’ve a modern Colt, meaning one made in the past couple years? What did you think about its quality?

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

Thanks for the compliment Top.

Is the Ithaca 1911 any better/worse than the Colt ones? I know fewer were manufactured since they were done under license.

I have an emotional attachment to the Ithaca and the Remington Rand. Those are the two armory issue makes that I shot Perfect Qualifying Scores with. (That was before the Beretta became issue).

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

During WWII all kinds of companies made standard mil-spec guns. In fact, Springfield still has a 1911 model called "Mil-Spec" and that term exists because any company that had the tooling available then could build them to uniform specs for the US military. Aside from Colt, Springfield and Ithaca, companies like IBM, Smith Corona, John Deere and many others built small arms for the war effort.

And don't forget Singer and US Switch and Signal.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins;11907088[B

]Admittedly a Colt "fanboy" here[/B]. More so for their revolvers than their semi autos, for sure, but I like my Colts.

My newest 1911 is a Colt, but it was purchased back when the two different companies that called themselves "Colt" merged back together. I think they were putting a little extra effort into their off the shelf guns, just to demonstrate they were "back".

And they were. I had no intention of buying a gun that day (these things just happen...) when I was shopping my local Cabela's. This thing literally just jumped out of the cabinet at me. Honest...

It was easily 20% cheaper than the Kimbers and Springfields next to it. So I played with all of them. The Colt was more tightly fit, better finished, and just (visually at least) better made. So I bought it.

I still have it, so it must have worked. What do we demand from these anyway? It's not the most accurate sidearm I own. Not the most powerful. Not the prettiest. But as reliable as any auto has any right to be. It's one of the few guns I carry, on the rare occasion I choose to do that.

Beyond that, it says "Colt" on it. Anything else is like driving a Beck Speedster, or Intermeccanica 356. "Better" in every measure. But they aren't Porsches...

And yet you shoot Shiloh's and Fahawkens instead of the real McCoy

The last outa the box bonafide Colt factory hot rods were the pre series 70's NM Gold Cups of the 60's. Forged parts and rock solid fit and finish.. The 1911 tweakers back in the the day liked the pre series 70's to work their magic on (forged parts)..One of the originals was Al Capone out at Kings Gun Works in Glendale...I have a couple of SW's that he owned.. So you had guys like Ed Brown and Les Baer start tweaking and eventually building guns as Colt quality and focus fell off. Buyers just didn't like that rattle that they heard when they picked up that new Colt eleven at the shop..

I GUESS that now that CZ owns Colt the quality has improved ..they are probably building some good stuff in their Custom Shop..but you are gona being paying the stroke for that hand fitted quality..check out GB on pricing..

Personally I wana get an 8 in Anaconda and if they bring it back a 8 inch Python.

[tabs]

I would say ifn you wanted to buy a straight outa the box performance tweaked 11 and don't wana pay the stroke of a full on custom hotrod..ya should be looking at the Springfield Operator TRP.. and ya better be quick as they have been discontinued..

I guess about 20 years ago now Springfield got a contract from the FBI to build a Custom Shop performance built 11. ..After the contract was filled Spring then offered them to the public...later hanging the the designation to a Custom Shop build That has since been discontinued. The semi production version of that FBI 11 is the TRP..It offers about 80% to 90% of what a full blown custom is.. Good value for the money..and it's now being discontinued is a sure bet that they will become more expensive as time goes on.

The FBI version when one pops up is going for north of 4K. The TRP is just a around 1700 plus or minus.. From my pov why settle for a TRP when you can have a full blown custom for about the same dinero?

[KFC911]

As long as I can still hit the side of the barn, I'll stick with my Combat Commander .... it was $298 NIB .

The Diamonback .22 was mebbe 20 bucks more.

A good pair of Levis .... mebbe 10 .... and my ass wasn't draggin' either

[jyl]

Originally Posted by tabs

[img]The last outa the box bonafide Colt factory hot rods were the pre series 70's NM Gold Cups of the 60's. Forged parts and rock solid fit and finish.

Seems price is around $2,500 for these? Where do you look for this sort of spoon?

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by KC911

As long as I can still hit the side of the barn, I'll stick with my Combat Commander .... it was $298 NIB .

Mine is like that too. I went with my mom to buy it for my dad for Xmas around 1977. $150 used. But she got one of the good ones. There are lemons out there.

[Seahawk]

I bought a Kimber Desert Warrior in 2001 that has been flawless...my son has it now. Apparently that vintage of Kimber has a good reputation.



As far as Colt's, the below is my Dad's Colt Commander he had in Korea and Vietnam. We shoot it once a year during Thanksgiving in his honor - he died over Thanksgiving nine years ago. Still works perfectly.

[KFC911]

I know you cherish that Commander .... that is so cool !