Are all 1911s relatively the same?

[jcunning]

They are all based on the same design, so is one brand better than another, or are they all pretty much the same?

I finally shot a S&W 1911 last weekend. Very nice gun to say the least.
I was confused though when she was going to give me the remington 1911, but then said, we don't sell a lot of those, so take the S&W.

I see everyone makes a 1911, so what's the real difference?

[dhoward]

Fit and finish, intended use, bobs and baubles.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Quality, reliability, and features.

The 1911 is a platform, like the AR-15 or the 4-door sedan. Compare, for example, a BMW 5-series, an Audi A6, and a Cadillac CTS.

Now, strictly based on MY experiences (and no one else's):

I have found Remington 1911s to be very nice. Same with the S&Ws. The S&W is different in that it uses a different (not better or worse, just different) extraction method.

I have found Colts to be absolutely reliable but somewhat of a mixed bag when it comes to fit and finish.

I have found Springfield Armory to be decent with occasional hiccups in fit and finish.

I have found Dan Wesson to be outstanding in build quality, reliability, and customer service.

I have found Rock Island Armory (Armscor) to be cheap, mostly reliable, and ugly as sin.

I have found Kimbers to be junk if they were made in Yonkers, NY--and their customer service to be wildly sub-par. Kimber tried the same method of extraction as what S&W uses and bollixed it up so badly they have recalled every pistol that uses it.

I have found Para Ordnance to be slightly above Kimber. Only slightly.

The unfortunate part is that Kimber seems to have the biggest marketing department!

[krystar]

95% same. difference is in metals used and tolerances in machining. but that's kind of what makes a good one into a great one.

[Jim Bremner]

I want a Dan Wesson Valor, But my state charges a tax to test them to make sure that they're safe.

Dan Wesson won't pay for this tax (don't blame them)

I can't wait till my son can send me one from Ohio as a "gift"

[flipper35]

The pre and post external extractor Kimbers I have shot were all nice and tight with a great trigger. I like them better than my BiL's Remmington. And I like Remmingtons.

[98cobra]

Its all about what works for you, my boss has a Kimber .45 1911 and after i shot it i wanted to throw all of my S&W's away. I like my S&W but the Kimber felt better in my hand and shot straighter than any gun Ive ever shot. I think they are a little expensive though.

[matt711]

I owne at least one 1911 from each of the companies listed abover other than rock island. I have 1911s in .45, 9mm, 10mm, 38 Super, 9x23, and 22LR. I agree with most of the list other than Kimber and Para Ordnance. Every Kimber that I have owned was reliable, accurate, and had solid fit and finish. They are priced a little high IMO. My experience with Para ordnane has been less than stellar. Many custom 1911 gunsmiths won't work on a Para due to the feed ramp design.

It really depends on how much money you want to spend and what your intended use is. I am a big fan of Springfield Armory. The new Remington RO is a great pistol as is the new Ruger. The Taurus 1911 I owned was probably the best bang for the buck 1911 I have ever handled.

Some other brands to consider:
Double Star
Rock River
Ed Brown
If you can find a good used version from any of these builders you will be very happy.

I can't stress enough that a 1911 requires an added level of care by it's owner. As a single action pistol with a very short trigger pull it is not difficult to fire of a round unitentionally. I have seen it happen at the range more than once. Usually a new 1911 owner or an experienced owner that is careless. 1911s can become an addiction, my collection is way larger than I ever intended it to be. At this point I probably own over 20 of them and less than 2-3 other semi-auto pistols.

If your looking for a CCW then look hard at the Springfield Armory EMP in either 9mm or .40cal. If you want to get in cheap and see is the 1911 is for you then buy a 5" Taurus.

[Seahawk]

Interesting question.

A neighbor of mine just got a 'Randall' .45 and I got to shoot it last week. It felt, at least in my hand, perfect.

So I did some homework and discovered that the Randall had some meaningful positive change to the overall 1911, mostly materials and "mirroring" the 1911 for left handed shooters.

http://www.m1911.org/mod_randall.htm

So your post got me thinking...one of those question yo think you know the answer to but want to buttress your knowledge a bit. More interweb detective work and the consensus matches that of the replies here. I did find this site that is really cool. Spend some time on it and you can see ALL the working of the 1911 customized.

http://www.m1911.org/loader.swf

I've only own two 1911's and a Browning Hi-power.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Much like an AR-15 or an air-cooled 911, you can interchange decades worth of parts from numerous manufacturers and generally speaking they will still fit. I've often heard the AR-15 referred to as a man's Barbie doll, but the 1911 isn't far behind. I enjoy my Springfield Mil-Spec, box stock it's more accurate than I am.

[Mericet]

As others said; fit finish and add-ons for the most part. There will also be a difference in the feel of the trigger between the different factory guns. I have not had any (non-ammo) related problems with my Para double stack in .40S&W and I have not had issues with the one (basically a Nighthawk Custom frame and slide) I built for myself. Not that I have put a lot of rounds through it either.

[matt711]

ltwguns.com • Index page

Some of the best 1911 smiths in the world post pics of custom pistols on this site. They raise money for the Wounded Warrior project as well.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by jcunning

or are they all pretty much the same?

Well, they all look good, really good.







.

[weseeeee]

I've owned 5 1911's and currently have 1. They all performed well including an old WWII one that I saved from a scrap bin. The overall best one that I owned was a Les Bear (cost approx. $3,000). It had the finish, fit, reliability and it was capable of a 1 inch group at 50 yards (not with me shooting it). As mentioned above they are like a car and you generally get what you pay for with some exceptions. I also agree with the above statements regarding Kimbers being over rated and the Taurus being the best bang for your buck. I owned one and it was great.

[Vintage Racer]

I've had many 1911's but never one that didn't say Colt on it. Most of mine say Gold Cup National Match and have been very nice pistols.

[glewis80SC]

I have the Ruger model...love it. Very accurate right out of the box, no issues so far.

[KFC911]

My experience is somewhat limited as I've only had one, a Colt Combat Commander that I've had over 33 years...never needed another

[on2wheels52]

I thought this thread deserved at least one photo of a 1911



(the one in the middle)
Jim

[Vintage Racer]

Originally Posted by on2wheels52

I thought this thread deserved at least one photo of a 1911 (the one in the middle)

Who outlined the white on the rollmark?







The Colt is the best 1911.

[Bill Douglas]

This is a gunsmith built .45