Best choice of 1911.

[Stuart993]

What's the forums opinion on this?

Thanks in advance.

[MotoSook]

Budget?

[on2wheels52]

They only made 360 Packards that year, I think it would be hard to go wrong with one.
Jim

[on2wheels52]

On further review you may have had this in mind.



Jim

[m21sniper]

Originally Posted by Stuart993

What's the forums opinion on this?

Thanks in advance.

I had a Colt, a Para Ordnance, and a Springfield.

I liked the Springfield the best.

[esample]

If you want to spend $3k, Wilson Combat. $1k, Kimber.

But don't go by me.

-e.

[m21sniper]

What i did was buy a used Springfield champion for about $375.00

I then had a Les Bauer integral feed ramp match grade barrel fitted, and gunsmith fitted ambi safeties and extended slide release. Total cost including gun was about $700.00

It would easily outshoot a $1000+ Gold Cup.

[pwd72s]

If I was looking for a .45...I'd probably settle on a kimber.

[MT930]

Ed Brown $2500+
Wilson Combat $3500+
Kimber $1000+

They all are really nice the Kimber's are a great value.

Ed Brown Kobra #1 on My wish list

[MotoSook]

Kimber seems to have fallen into the "just another factory" gun category of late. I don't own one but I read too many posts that made me steer clear of Kimber. Of course any brand you can spend more money and never see the issues that afflict the lower range of brand models.

If budget isn't a concern, I would just get a well known smith to build you one. The factory pistols don't have the quality to match their price.

[m21sniper]

That's basically what i was saying. Buy a cheap used 1911 that is buildable, tell your smith what you want, boom, custom pistol for way less than a Brown or whatever.

[MotoSook]

I'm with you snipe. If I couldnt build one nor had any interest in building one, I would buy a used pistol and send it out for new parts and high tech coating. Some of the smiths out there turn out some truely amazing work with the kind of attention to detail that a factory could never match.

[stogie25]

I am partial to my Colt Gold Cup.

[MotoSook]

Here's an example of a worked over Colt.

[m21sniper]

You can really take almost any good quality box stock used 1911, install a match grade integral feed ramp barrel, hi sweep beaver tail, good sights, get a trigger job done (even on a stock short trigger) and have a truly magnificent piece of combat worthy spoon.

Most of the crap people get is pretty superfluous.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by m21sniper

I had a Colt, a Para Ordnance, and a Springfield.

I liked the Springfield the best.

Ditto

and

Ditto

Though I will say my dad's Commander has always shot so much better than the two I've owned.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Until they jacked the prices up 20-60%, I would have said Dan Wesson. At this point the upper end DW guns are reaching into lower-end Wilson, Baer, and Brown territory.

Now my vote in a production 1911 is for Colt, Springfield, or STI.

In recent years Kimber and Para have built up a well-deserved reputation for a higher-than-average rate of "lemons" with lower-than-average customer service.

Bad combo, IMHO.

[m21sniper]

My Para worked, but accuracy was mediocre, even for an officers length gun, and it was about as ergonomic as a brick to my medium sized hands. That fat double stack frame is just gigantic.

[Rednine11]

I have had good luck with SA, Colt and Para. I've never had Kimber. This is what I have now

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

If I was looking for a .45...I'd probably settle on a kimber.

Same here.