Thoughts on a mid priced 1911 in .45?

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Kawamax

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I figured I would use my current "at home" time to figure out my next pistol purchase. I currently have two 1911s - a Kimber in 9 mm and a Springfield in .45. I'd like to add a third pistol in .45 as well with a 5" barrel and a full size frame. I am looking to spend around $800-$1200, with my major use being casual target shooting, with maybe home self defense. (Currently home SD is a P220 and CCW is a P365.) Thanks for any feedback!

Oh and there is no hurry on this, as I will wait for prices to settle down from their current points before I buy one.

The likely candidates are:
RIA Pro Ultra Match 5"
Springfield Ronin Operator
Kimber Stainless Target II
Sig Emperor Scorpion

I love my Kimber 9mm as it came with a sweet trigger, good sights, and it eats anything I feed it without an issue. The Springfield was a basic model, and over the years I've changed the sights, had it polished, and got it a (unfortunately poor) trigger job. I am still not happy with its trigger, so that will be more work for the future. Both guns are stainless and are roughly 20 years old.

I have heard mixed comments on current Kimbers. Has their quality gone downhill? Also, is the Sig really worth the $400 premium over the RIA or Springfield? I love my Sigs, but in a 1911 it's not clear how much it being a Sig is adding.

I prefer stainless if possible so if that is an option then it is a plus. Also trigger feel is very important to me, so it has to have a good trigger. Thanks again.
 
Of those you listed, I like the Sig and the RIA. I'd probably go for the RIA. I don't know what they sell for, but odds are that the RIA is gonna give more bang for the buck. The sights are nice for a range toy. I have the exact same ones on my 1911.
 
Of the choices you listed, I would have to go with the Sig. I’ve had a couple, 5” and commander Slide on a Officer frame. Some folks don’t like Sigs external extractor, but it has been flawless on both Sig 1911’s that I have. As for home protection I use a Sig 220 as you do. I don’t care for a 1911 in a static situation such as home defense. You need to have it in condition one or condition three. I don’t care for either in a night stand.
Condition three is slower into action and condition one in a drawer seems like a accident waiting to happen.
Don’t get me wrong, when carrying a 1911, condition one is the only way to go.
 
Wow - a lot of fast responses! Thank you. The Springfield and RIA are about $850, with the Kimber at 1K and the Sig at 1.25K. The Colt Competition is about 1K, with the Gold Cup more like $1600+. I think I'll have to add the Competition to the list...
 
Also, is the Sig really worth the $400 premium over the RIA or Springfield? I love my Sigs, but in a 1911 it's not clear how much it being a Sig is adding.
The SIG name adds something, but not much.

The RIA price is low because it is made in the PI.

The SIG costs more than the Springfield because you chose a 1911 in the SIG line-up with a bunch of "bling", while the Springfield 1911 model is a less-blinged version.

Whether they are available still, I don't know, but the SIG Nitron or XO would be similar to the Springfield Ronin in price and features.

Nitron https://www.topgunsupply.com/sig-sauer-1911-nitron-.45-iop.html

XO https://www.topgunsupply.com/sig-sauer-1911-xo-nitron-.45acp-fixed-sights.html
 
RIA.
Of the ones you mentioned, you can count on them to give you the best value for money spent.
Nothing at all against Springfield, Colt, or Sig... but the RIAs just run and can be as sweet shooting--sometimes out of the box, but definitely with only a little TLC.
Buy what you like-- you're talking great quality with your choices.
 
My thoughts are that ''mid priced'' is around $2000. 1911/2011's regularly run $1000-4500.

I'd save up another $500 or so and step up to a Les Baer or Dan Wesson. Same advice I was given 20 years ago. Yeah, I ignored it as well. All of those Kimbers and such were sold off years ago.

Otherwise, get the Colt Competition.
 
image.jpeg For a great shooting range/home protection the Springfield range officer target is a great option and at the low end of your price range. I got mine at SOSS for right at 800. It's incredibly accurate and fit and finish is excellent. After 500 rounds and not a single failure I'm very happy with it. I really like the adjustable rear sight too.
 
Kimber had some issues in the mid 2000's, but it's my understanding they have pretty much fixed those, and have gone back to an internal extractor, which was also a source of contention. I have 2 4" Kimbers, they have been 100% since I've owned them... the Pro Eclipse II since 2003. I would put Kimber at the top of my list.

Springfield makes a decent pistol. My Springfield Government stainless was an OK pistol, it came with what I know now as a bent extractor, but getting past that, it did not have the fit and finish the Kimber has. I sold it to my brother to buy the Kimber way back when.

Not keen on the Philippine RIA's, although I understand they are a good value.

I am not a SIG moonie, although I'm sure they make nice pistols.
 
RIA is $400 cheaper because of the lower wages in the Philippines. Don't know if they use lower grades of materials or not. However they're a good value. The others on your list will be made in the USA and will hold their value if you sell it later on. The Sign is higher due to the features and finishes. I'd go for the Sig followed by Kimber and Springfield.
 
The 1911 Range Officer® Target .45 ACP pistol offers serious custom shop features and performance at a sub-$1,000 price point. The forged carbon steel frame and slide are the same components used on the top-tier TRP™ guns, while the extended lightweight trigger, flat checkered mainspring housing, and extended beavertail grip safety are all optimized for competition. The gun is finished in an attractive dull Parkerizing and comes with a pair of 7-round magazines.

Would be my choice. Adjustable sights are a must have for me.

Better yet- Springfield 1911 Trophy Match 45 acp 5" :)
 
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Of the one's you listed the Springfield Ronin Operator would be my choice. Skip the Sig it is not worth the upcharge in any way shape or form. RIAs are budget guns paying $850 for one makes no sense to me. MIM, Cast and extruded forged steel + lower labor cost make their guns cheaper than others. They are not in the same class as the SA.

At $700 the which is what they were selling for before the panic is hard to beat when you look at the total package. If it were me I would get the SA but stick with the Sig P220 as a home defense gun. I don't recommend even mid level 1911s for self defense.
 
Quote: I love my Kimber 9mm as it came with a sweet trigger, good sights, and it eats anything I feed it without an issue. END Quote.

The Kimber Stainless II is head and shoulders above the rest.

I own Colts, Springfields, and Kimbers. Going back 20 years of shooting thousands and thousands of rounds out of my 1911s the three Kimbers I own have been the best guns by far.
 
Hmm, why? I see no justice for this line of thought. My mid level 1911’s haven’t ever choked.

I owned 2 Taurus PT1911's for a bit, both developed serious problems and I sold them off. They were, basically, entry-level pistols... $400 each... but might be considered mid-level by the features they had. In any event, one shot so far left I didn't even like shooting it (and, yes, I swapped parts between the two pistols to see if I could find some magical combination of parts that would settle it down. Nothing doing.) The other one had improper heat treat on the slide... the slide metal peened into the firing pin retention plate... almost welding it in place, and I could not disassemble the slide for maintenance. Now... did they fire 100%? Yes, they did. Were they a good long-term pistol? No, they weren't. When I bought them, based on the price and brand, I thought 'Jeez, how can I go wrong?' It just goes to show not every pistol is the sum of it's parts.
 
I personally would go in this order sig>springfield>kimber>ria, in general. I seen some videos of instructors and talked to a few who run high round count handgun classes that plenty of “mid level” 1911’s seem to show up in. The sig 1911’s seem to perform the best by what I’ve seen and who I’ve talked to. Unfortunately I have no experience with sig 1911’s but I do with Springfield Armory and kimber. I had 2 Springfields, one was great and the other a turd. The kimber was a bit ammo picky, but as long as you fed it the ammo it liked it was fantastic and more accurate than the Springfields. I also have no experience with RIA.
 
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