Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Which 1911 style 45 ACP for Home Defense?

I want to purchase a Model 1911 in 45 ACP (just like the one I carried for 15 or so years in the Army before they went with the 9mm Baretta). The primary use will be home defense, and I'll shoot it quite a lot here around the farm. I don't want to spend over $700.00. So, you folks that are in step with 1911 styles and prices - which brand do you suggest? Taking things a step further - If a 9mm semi-auto would be your preference, which manufacture/model would you suggest. Thanks for any ideas/responses.

Springfield or an old gen I Kimber

One that often gets overlooked is the Kahr/Auto-Ordnance 1911. I have the Auto-Ordnance deluxe 1911s as a carry gun. Nicely blued, good 3-dot sights, came with mediocre rubber combat grips but I chucked those quick. Overall a really good value. I picked mine up as a birthday gift from the wife for about $560. Plenty accurate, consistently dumps all 7 shots in to about 2 1/2" cluster at 25 yards, and it feeds everything thing I have run through it.

I can try to get some pics when I get home today.

Found one of the older Auto Ordnance 1911s in 98% shape for $300, and it is very tight and shoots well. The 1927 Colts from Argentina were running $300, but prices have skyrocketed as people found out what they were. Look for one someone bought in the first importation, who only paid $200.00 for it.

Taurus, for that price.

I keep a S&W 1911 .45 handy for home defense. I'm not concerned about concealed carry around the house. It is equipped with Crimson Trace laser grips and stoked up with Gold Dot ammo.
So far, this arm has given me nothing but total reliability.

Rock Island Armory, Para Ordnance. We have both, and they both shoot great, feel good in the hand. For the money, the Rock Island is one heckuva deal, running around $400. I'd get the Rock over a Taurus anyday.

Any, so long as it is deadnuts reliable, reasonably accurate, and has VERY good night sights.

The Rock Island, with upgraded sights, would be a smoker. As would any used Kimber with Tritiums and/or rail underneath for light.

Honestly, though, for that situation, a Glock is damned near impossible to beat. Hard to get one to jam, crazy high capacity, rail underneath to light....

I have a G20 for exactly that purpose (well, and backpacking...).

The Rock Island guns are good, but I believe they are made in the Philipines. The Auto-Ordnance are made right here in the U.S.A., I liked that so thats what I bought. I know some of the older ones were a bit roughly finished, but that seems to have gotten much better since the Kahr buyout. I would avoid the G.I. from Auto-Ordnance as the sights are tiny, but thats the same on any of the G.I. guns out there be it Rock Island or Springfield. The Deluxe version from Auto-Ordance(which is what I have) comes with pretty good 3-dot sights, and is a bit more well finished. The pics are a bit grainy but you get the idea none the less.

Here is a right and left of mine:



and one of my little who begged me to take a picture of him while I was taking these tonight!

So, a 1911 made in the Phillipines is bad, even if it's made in the old Colt plant on old Colt machines....

But, a 1911 made by a company bought out by the Moonie religious cult of Korea is fine, if it's made on sub-par stuff in the states, and with a sub-par track record....

Yeah....

This is yet another example of someone who is not familiar with modern manufacturing methods and processes otherwise such an ignorant statement would not have been made. Even if what he said happens to be true that fact alone will have no bearing whatsoever on the finished product except that it was built on old obsolete equipment..

Now as to the other statement --- no comment as the author�s knowledge on this product is supported by a plethora of empirical data and speaks for itself.



Yeah�

No its not an ignorant statement. I simply meant at least Americans are employed to make them.
I understand about the Rock Island guns. Bear in mind these are the same machines that pushed out the "wonderful" quality 1911s that colt was pushing decades ago that needed a hell of alot of massaging to make feed and function properly.
My Auto-Ordnance feeds everything I have thrown at it without a hiccup and came with better sight than you can get on your Rock Island.



replying in general not specifically to Busa

there have been a lot of good reports about the Taurus 1911 pistol, but you know a 1911 is kind of a special gun. I have had 5 of them I think. The most reliable up until my lattest Kimber but with worst accuracy was an old Remington Rand gun I foolishly sold one day for several times what I paid for it. Many folks don't keep them oiled as well as they should and many of the guns won't function too well unless they are pretty well oiled. Many folks don't replace the recoil spring every 500 rounds or so, and there are many of the internal extractors that are not tuned so well. It is a pretty special gun, when they work well they work well, when they don't they don't work so well. If you have your heart set on a 1911 the Taurus seems to be highly spoken for in the $$ range you are looking at but I have not had one. If you can afford a good Kimber you are better off, I have never owned a springfield but I guess they are OK. If you want something that you would be better off with, buy a glock 21 or a smokin Glock 20 in 10mm. My Glock 20 is just as accurate with 180 Grain DT ammunition as my Kimber which costs twice as much! Best solution a Glock 21 with an under rail, put a laser and a flashlight combo on it, then you are good to go.

Thats not what I said...What I actually said was
Rock Islands are good guns but I believe they are made in the Philipines.
They're good I just like the fact the American citizens were paid to make mine. I would say both Rock Islands, and Auto-Ordnance are of about equal quality in the ones I have handled. That beings said Rock Island offers a .38 super and sadly Auto-Ordnance does not. So in all likelyhood I will be picking up a Rock Island in the future.

I'd rather pay a Philipino than endow another Moonie cult or pad the pockets of a wack-job Korean.....

Then again, I'd rather a better 1911....

Hey, whatever trips your trigger.

But, like I said, I've got a G20 for the purpose questioned....

Nice Auto Ordnance. Like the grips too. Seems that's a great value for the price.

Agreed friend. I have many other handguns. I wanted a 1911 and not a custom. Mostly I wanted not break my bank.

See?

Nightstand duty:

Thanks the grips were a gift from my wife as well.
Olive wood by Esmerelda.

VA
Very cute

I am mostly a wheelgun guy. My wife has a difficult time with autos. So my old model Charter Arms Bulldog .44 rides in the nightstand with a minimaglite and two HKS speedloaders in addition to what is in it.