Thinking about maybe buying my first 1911....Suggestions?

Which 1911 would 'you' choose?

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The_Outlaw

The_Outlaw

~The Dude Abides~
I am thinking about 'maybe' buying myself my first ever 1911 in .45 acp for my upcoming birthday in June.
I would prefer it in either a 3" or 4" barrel.

I must admit that am a bit confused on which brand I should go with when there are so many reputable brands out there to choose from.
Should I go with; Colt? Kimber? Springfield Armory? Ruger? Taurus? Other?
What say you?
My budget is to spend no more than $999.00 (out the door).
 
From what I have read, Colt makes the most reliable 3" 1911, the Defender. I carry one daily. It has always worked for me.

If I were to buy a new 1911, I would look seriously at the Ruger, tho I think that is available only in 5".

I had the opportunity to try out a full-sized S&W 1911 a couple of years ago. I was impressed. Smith makes some good-looking shorter models, too.

There are a couple of good 1911-oriented websites. I would recommend checking them out before deciding.
 
Depends on your budget. Do your research and you might be surprised at the can of worms you just opened. For solid "working" guns there are solid 1911s for every budget level.
 
I own a Kimber Pro II, two Para Ordnance(s), and three Springfields, Love them all...
but I tend to carry the Kimber the most. Kimber offers a lot from their custom shop for just a little more $$$. I haven't handled the Ruger but I'd think that it would be up to par with their other models. Stay with a company you know and it would be hard to go wrong. Check your local shooting range for rentals? Try before you buy?
 
For your budget you are limiting your options, The 3" Colt defender would be an opt. at about $939 MSRP. Springfield Armory's Micro compact is around $1349. Can't touch a Kimber for what you want to spend. Ruger/Taurus are 5" only. Rock Island armory makes less expensive but are not the quality you would find in others. In a 4.25" Colt XSE about $973 MSRP. The SA ultra compact 3.5" is around $1050 MSRP. You can try looking online at gunbroker.com, You can find them NIB and not get scalped, most of the time. Good luck finding what you want.
 
The great thing about 1911's besides the nostalgia, etc. is that no matter which one you end up buying initially, replacement parts for a 1911 are abundant and the gun can nearly be rebuilt if you chose to do so. The more economical Taurus is what I've been looking at and if there is something that I end up not liking on it, it can be replaced/changed out...that simple. It would be a huge bummer if you bought a Kimber for huge $$$ and you ended up not liking it...food for thought. Good luck!
 
I have the Kimber CDP Ultra Carry and love it. I did have the Taurus 1911 at one time and it was a total piece of junk. Not saying all of the Taurus 1911 are bad just the one I had right out of the box was just not good. But the Kimber has been a good shooter from the get go. For the money I think I would stay with Kimber Colt or Spring Field all good guns.
 
You might want to take a look at Remington R1 1911 Enhanced. They list at 940 msrp and look like a high quality piece and I believe has previously produced them for WWII. They also have a basic model up to a centennial model.

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If your not dead set on a 45 cal they also come in the more powerful 10mm from Colt, Kimber, Dan Wesson etc
 
The_Outlaw said:
I am thinking about 'maybe' buying myself my first ever 1911 in .45 acp for my upcoming birthday in June.
I would prefer it in either a 3" or 4" barrel.

I must admit that am a bit confused on which brand I should go with when there are so many reputable brands out there to choose from.
Should I go with; Colt? Kimber? Springfield Armory? Ruger? Taurus? Other?
What say you?
My budget is to spend no more than $999.00 (out the door).
Click to expand...

Look at a Para Warthog in stainless.
 
Your first 1911... Buy an RIA.
Here is why.... They are solid guns. The tactical model has a decent trigger. Their customer service is awesome based on everything I have read. The price less expensive and if you like it you will need extra magazines, ammo and holsters.
Gun $450, Mags 4 x 30 =$120, ammo 600rds cheap white box $150. Holster $75 and you have $200 left to play with.
If you don't like it, you won't be out an arm and a leg trying to resell it.

Don't place this pistol next to any other weapon. They are like bunnies. They multiply!

Good luck!
 
Iam2Taz is right. I have owned a few different variations of the 1911 including the Colt and a Llama and now own a Rock Island. I love it. Its a reliable gun with no real fault that I can see and the cost is half of what you would spend. If you want a smoother trigger or lighter action have the gun worked over by a gunsmith. Its not as expensive as you may think to have these small things done and still be hundreds below what some of the guns named are. I wish I could afford a Kimber or a gun of that magnitude, but I can't at this point so I researched and tried some others and Rock Island is a great gun at a great price. Hope some of this helps.
 
Well, Tuarus doesn't make a short barreled 1911 yet... so that's kinda out. But they are very high quality, high value guns in opinion. I love mine, never had a malfunction in about 750rds.
 
While many would argue agaimst a Sig C3 GSR being a 1911 due to its external extractor, it still is a nice gun in the 4" Officer size.
 
I have several 1911's...gotta love 'em.

Kimber's price puts it off your list.

I also have S&W (2), Colt, and a Para-Ordinance. My favorite is the Colt...hard to beat overall.
 
There are Kimbers that you can get for under your price point. My most recent Kimber was a Stainless Pro Carry II, $850 out the door of my LGS. I also purchased a very slightly used Custom CDP II for $950. The 1911 I like the best and carry everyday is a SIG RCS. This model has been dehorned by the SIG Custom Shop, comes with low profile night sights, checkered frontstrap and MSH and more. The fit and finish of this SIG is as good as any I have seen. This one cost me $850 NIB out the door. It is more accurate than either of my Kimbers (at least for me). What I like the most is the size. It is a Commander length slide on an Officer's frame. This configuration makes for excellent concealability.

Good luck on your quest. It is not a simple one.
 
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