Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns New to 1911s

I have an itch for a 1911. Have shot one or two, but not much. I have a Glock 21, which I shoot well enough at closer ranges, but the wheels fall off, when I stretch the range. I shoot revolvers and other auto's well enough at longer ranges. Wondering if a 1911 would be more shootable for me.

I started digging in, it's a huge world out there, of brands and models, and parts, etc.

I'd like one with an adjustable rear sight, and a 5" model. Otherwise, I don't know if I have any preferences.

Is there anything I should be looking for, or avoiding? I'm under the impression that a decent 1911 is going to be more accurate than striker fired pistols, coupled with a nicer trigger pull, should be more accurate at longer ranges too. Don't know if that's really the case though. Thoughts?

Budget ? Tisas has different models and are maybe the best bang for the buck right now. If you have a bigger budget I would highly recommend Alchemy Custom Weaponry.

This oughta be fun.

I'd recommend a Kimber, not too pricey, reliable and accurate.

Don't necessarily have a budget.

I do like the grip angle, balance, and controls on the browning buckmark, figured a 1911 should be similar.

You gotta decide.


$800-$1800 is the range of some refinement to where your are paying for
pride of ownership and niceties more than trigger pull and accuracy.


Lotta guys are tickled with <$600 Tisas or RIAs.


1911s are just like ARs.
To most folks they all look alike, the differences in things that matter in use
are not obvious.

A$400 gun will tickle some.
Others want a $4000 one.

I would ask at 1911Forum where there are guys with depth of knowledge on this type of pistol.

Would something like a ruger 1911 be considered middle of the road? Could I expect it to be more accurate than a glock, just by design? Or does it not really work that way?

Something like the Les Baers, is that the only way to be sure that it's going to be noticeably more accurate than something striker fired?

Guys here that have lots of experience with both, do you find that you can shoot the 1911's noticeably more accurately than a typical striker fired pistol?

The title will draw a few members. Ones who might have a 1911...condition.
And will gladly share some good information.
You just need to find and sort out any bias.

I would look at 2011's too before I decided. That's where my money would go if I was in the market today.

Interesting question and I'll throw in my 2 cents since I shoot and love the 1911 a lot. Being a Bullseye pistol competitor, I shoot 1911's a bunch, several thousand each year. Accuracy and reliability are my two biggest concerns. Most of my 1911's have been accurized since I require the pistol to be capable of placing 10 rounds within a 3" group at 50 yards. However, I have a couple of Springfield Range Officers, which are no longer produced, that were capable of this kind of accuracy straight out of the box.

So with all that said, I would recommend to most people who don't shoot competitively to find a Range officer which will more than meet their needs.
Phil

I shoot a 1911 slightly more precisely than my Sig P320 Compact. I believe this to be a training and trigger time issue. I'd have to burn more ammo than most old guys do to make my striker fired pistol targets look like my 1911 targets.

Springfield Range Officer or whatever they call their current version of that model would be hard to beat for the money.

Shop around the gun market is flooded right now. Handle as many different guns that you can. Do not impulse buy.

Springfield Armory would be a good start.

Dan Wesson first, followed somewhat loosely by new production Colt's in second place. Springfield Armory, Ruger, S&W, and Sig are in a tight third place.

Skip the target sights, get low-profile Novak style instead. And of course that means avoiding the plain GI-style 1911.

Well...

Bang/buck?

SA 1911 Garrison




No adjustable sights, but a lot of really nice features w/o bein' a pimped-out sissy pistol or race gun.

Got an SA "Mil-Spec," which is the next step down, on clearance, due to the new roll-stamp change, and then put $7 grips on it to use as a beater.



Couldn't be happier.




GR

A reasonable quality barrel and snug barrel to slide fit in battery promote the best precision shooting in a 1911. A 4 pound trigger, adjustable to minimize over travel, can certainly help take advantage of that potential shooting precision, and a 4 pound trigger pull is probably the minimum for safety in a 1911 intended for carrying.

The kind of snug, glass smooth slide to frame fit, which so many swoon over, is very expensive to produce and does not make the pistol shoot any better, except perhaps from a Ransom Rest. Remember, when shooting 1911 by hand, you’ll actually be aiming the slide, which points the barrel; you’ll not be aiming the frame. I’ve seen many 1911s which rattle like a castanet, yet still shoot quite well because of a decent barrel which is snug to the slide when in battery.

Reasonably good barrels, reasonably well fitted to slides, can be found in relatively inexpensive 1911s, though sometimes you may need to inspect a few before finding a suitable candidate. Others have already mentioned the Springfield Armory Range Officer, and I’ve never known of one which did not shoot well.

On the other hand, this Colt Government Model wouldn’t shoot worth doo-doo because of loose barrel to slide fit. It was cured by the proper fitting of an aftermarket barrel: