Colt 1911 gurus...what's a good clone?

[alf]

Here is my old GI Colt. Shoots great but ammo is freakin' expensive.

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by alf

Here is my old GI Colt. Shoots great but ammo is freakin' expensive.

Beauty! Define "expensive"? I haven't purchased .45 ammo in years...

[911boost]

I have a Kimber Ultra CDP II as a carry gun. Its pretty dang light and kicks like a mule. Once Kimber replaced the slide for one with the traditional extractor, is has fired seamlessly, and I know everytime I pull the trigger it will go bang.

I also have a Para Ord. 1911, Hi-Cap .45, (Nite tac would be the closest model). It was a limited production gun that a buddy of mine's Special Forces Unit purchased. I was lucky enough to have him get him one. Its heavy (14+1 rounds), came with 5 magazines, and is an absolute tack driver.

I can get pictures if you would like.

Bill

[Rick Lee]

.45 ammo can be had at Wal-Mart for around $19 for 100 rds. I buy it by the 500 or 1000 case from Georgia Arms. It's pretty affordable if you buy a lot of it and don't have to shoot Hydra-Shoks at the range.

[Seahawk]

The below has great info across the spectrum of 1911.

http://forums.1911forum.com/

I need to revisit the the CDP

[onewhippedpuppy]

I buy cheapo .45 ball ammo from Wal Mart for a bit over $10 for 50. More expensive than 9mm, but not that bad. Worth it for how nice it shoots.

[Jeff Higgins]

I'm with SlowToady on the Les Baer; I have never personally shot (or even handled) one but I hear nothing but good things about them.

With any of the custom 'smiths like Baer, Clark, Wilson, Brown, rdane, etc. you have a couple of choices. They all sell "production" guns, or as close as they will ever come to one, with pre-specified (by them) features. If they suit you, it's one hell of a good way to get a great gun. The other choice is to really go custom, and specify what you would like. This will cost more, but it will be your gun; the only one like it in the world. Either way you get a hand fitted gun that is going to shoot very accurately and reliably. Then there is pride of ownership, and all of that as well.

Problem is, if you shoot some one with it, they are going to take it away from you. Even if you are exhonerated as having fired in self defense, it will be a very long time until it is released back into your possesion. Especially if civil proceedings (family of the poor innocent thug you killed suing your ass) follow. In some places or cases you may never get it back. In some cases if and when you do, you may not recognize it. The evidence room won't take care of it for you - it may resemble the exhaust manifolds on an old Ford when you get it back. Anyway, what I'm getting at, is any gun used for self-defense should be viewed as a throw away item. Don't use something too nice. The sweet custom guns are great at the range, great for plinking, great in the woods, and every growing boy needs a few. It would just be a crying shame to lose one because you had to shoot some miscreant with it.

My personal "everyday" 1911 is a 25 year old mil spec Springfield purchased brand new for about $350. I installed a full length guide rod, a Wilson 22 pound spring (and matching firing pin spring), and some Bianchi hard rubber stocks and called it good for the parts swapping. An evening spent with my Dremel and Kunhausen's book on 1911's, and I had a lowered and flared ejection port, a throated barrel, and a polished feed ramp. Ta-da; el cheapo reliable sidearm. I won't cry if I have to use it someday, and lose it as a result.

[Danny_Ocean]

Originally Posted by BSiple

I also have a Para Ord. 1911, Hi-Cap .45, (Nite tac would be the closest model). It was a limited production gun that a buddy of mine's Special Forces Unit purchased. I was lucky enough to have him get him one. Its heavy (14+1 rounds), came with 5 magazines, and is an absolute tack driver.

I can get pictures if you would like.

That's one of the guns on my list.

[alf]

Originally Posted by Danny_Ocean

Beauty! Define "expensive"? I haven't purchased .45 ammo in years...

I usually shoot 9mm. $100 per 1000 for the reloads at gun shows.

[ChrisBennet]

I haven't shot in a while but my philosophy was to shoot a decent gun (not a fancy one) but shoot it a lot. I beat a lot of guys with 1911 "race guns" shooting a stock 629 (.44 mag revolver).
It's similar to the "Track time vs performance parts - which will make you faster?" argument.
The last Colt 1911 I bought had a factory "improved" beavertail which forced you to grip the gun lower - just the opposite of what you want. I had it "back dated" to a normal grip safety.
-Chris

[Tim Hancock]

Suprised no one mentioned Rock River Arms, they make some high quality pistols. http://www.rockriverarms.com/CatList2.cfm?Category=16&Subcat=Custom%20Pistols

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by ChrisBennet

I haven't shot in a while but my philosophy was to shoot a decent gun (not a fancy one) but shoot it a lot. I beat a lot of guys with 1911 "race guns" shooting a stock 629 (.44 mag revolver).
It's similar to the "Track time vs performance parts - which will make you faster?" argument.
The last Colt 1911 I bought had a factory "improved" beavertail which forced you to grip the gun lower - just the opposite of what you want. I had it "back dated" to a normal grip safety.
-Chris

Yup; nothing beats "trigger time", just like seat time. Great analogy.

Years ago, before the laser dot sights, freakish compensators, and whatnot on the "race guns" guys shot practical pistols in, well, practical pistol matches. They were still fixed up and tuned by some very talented (and expensive) 'smiths, but they were certainly not what you see today. I just shot my mil-spec Springfield and did fairly well.

Then one day, just for grins, I showed up with a pair of single action Colts. I grew up with these things, having been shooting nothing but as a kid with my dad. He would let me shoot every bullet I could cast, but that's another story. Anyway, this was years before anyone came up with "cowboy" action shooting. I had to use both guns so I had enough rounds to cover some of the stages. No one said I had to use one gun (they do now...). Anyway, I almost won that day. I shot slow enough to hit everything - fast misses don't count, in competition or real life. That upset a few of the boys with the several thousand dollar custom 1911's; they found out they couldn't buy a win. They actually had to go and practice. That wasn't their answer, of course; they decided we (more like me) could only use one gun.

Moral of the story, in the context of which 1911 to buy? Once you "buy up" to a certain level of functional reliability and accuracy, the rest of your money is only buying "cool". If you can afford it, and it pleases you, great. Custom guns are very cool indeed - I have too many (but never enough...) If it eats into the ammo budget, buy the ammo instead. Any of the production guns we have discussed will be as reliable, and as accurate, as any high dollar custom out there. Take the extra grand you'll have left over an buy practice ammo. Then start shooting it up until shooting your 1911 is as natural as brushing your teeth.

[id10t]

Jeff Higgins - I used to shoot IPSC with a off-brand CZ clone in 9mm, with knife ouches to hold my mags and a cheap $10 nylon holster. Really pissed off the race-gun-guys when I was shooitng high C and low B scores... with less than $400 in equipment (inlcuding the days ammo!)

[911boost]

Danny,

I can't copy a pic from the website. But this is similar to teh Nite-Tac I have, and I really like it.
http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=109#

Bill

[rcm]

I own 7 Colt 1911's, Officer, Commander and full size. They range from 1936 to 1978. These all shoot well and I use an early Officer for personal and off duty carry. Only have had a few FTF and that was ammo.

Sooooo...I'm suggesting Colt over the others.

[tabs]

Ohh how interesting I suppose! Anyway this is about as good as a 1911 will ever get, and other than the grips it is straight outa the box from Colt.