Les Baer owner here, I really don't think you can go wrong with Les Baer, Nighthawk, or Ed Brown. Don't know too much about the Wilsons, but they're magazines are the best.
high priced 1911s
- Thread starter Revolver Ocelot
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Ken... that special forces of yours ALWAYS gets me going! Drop dead gorgeous and superb photography as well! Reminding me that I do need just one more Ed Brown!
+1 on that.
As far as expensive goes, I currently trust and carry a $750 Smith and Wesson 1911sc Commander. I recently qualified again with it, and it was flawless. I rib one of my partners because his G27 glock had about half a dozen Fail to Feeds while we qualified. By no means am I dogging the Glock, but Ill be damned if that was the first time Ive ever seen a 1911 out perform a Glock on a LE Range!
If you stick with any of the big custom makers I know youll have a masterpiece that will last for generations. If you can afford it and its reliable, go for it!
DHart:
Does Colt manufacture a 4.25" XSE, blued carbon steel, with a steel receiver? I just can warm up to aluminum. I have looked, and have not been able to locate one.
Lunde:
That is what I like about my Colt Series 70 reissue. It has no serrations on the slide's front. The serrations at the rear are very fine, and really grip well.
Awesome pics all!!
Edit to add: Here is the latest addition to the family. I had been looking high and low for a Colt 1911 in .38 Super. I refuse to order one, then not like what arrives because (perhaps) it was not machined properly. So, I seek out only those that are in-stock and can be previewed. After looking for two years, I happened upon this one completely by chance! By an absolute fluke, I happened to have enough money with me for the rifles I was buying and the Colt...that is highly unsual...I don't usually carry money, so...fate or fluke? Anyhow, here my my newest affair. I think my wife is jelous of her...her name is Paolina, but I call her Paola.
Did someone say psychologicals were being added to NICS?!
View attachment 299135
Does Colt manufacture a 4.25" XSE, blued carbon steel, with a steel receiver? I just can warm up to aluminum. I have looked, and have not been able to locate one.
Lunde:
That is what I like about my Colt Series 70 reissue. It has no serrations on the slide's front. The serrations at the rear are very fine, and really grip well.
Awesome pics all!!
Edit to add: Here is the latest addition to the family. I had been looking high and low for a Colt 1911 in .38 Super. I refuse to order one, then not like what arrives because (perhaps) it was not machined properly. So, I seek out only those that are in-stock and can be previewed. After looking for two years, I happened upon this one completely by chance! By an absolute fluke, I happened to have enough money with me for the rifles I was buying and the Colt...that is highly unsual...I don't usually carry money, so...fate or fluke? Anyhow, here my my newest affair. I think my wife is jelous of her...her name is Paolina, but I call her Paola.
Did someone say psychologicals were being added to NICS?! View attachment 299135
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Doc... no blue XSE Commander.... but you could have one blackened (like EGW's e-treat). Better yet... get a base 1991A1 Commander (no front serrations!) in blue and have a few mods done to it... that's what I did... but I had mine hard chromed instead of being left blue. Also had the Old Roll Mark ground off... this is an incredible gun...
DHart:
Oh my word!!! Wow!!! Man, you have the nicest collection!!!
You know, now that I have most of the firearms that I want, I need to begin to focus on the enhancements that I want on them:
checkering the front straps
hard chroming 100% of pistol (inside & out)
night sights
custom grips
As you all know well, such enhancements can quickly rack up as much cost as the initial purchase. That stated, one of the reasons that I have held off with these customizations of my 1911s is to have time to investigate the differences between "black chrome" and hard chrome" (silver). I understand that black chrome is not quite as-hard-as silver (hard) chrome, nor is it as-corrosian-resistent-as hard chrome. Is there any truth to this? If so, to what extent is black chrome corrosion resistant, and wear resistant?
Doc2005
Oh my word!!! Wow!!! Man, you have the nicest collection!!!
You know, now that I have most of the firearms that I want, I need to begin to focus on the enhancements that I want on them:
checkering the front straps
hard chroming 100% of pistol (inside & out)
night sights
custom grips
As you all know well, such enhancements can quickly rack up as much cost as the initial purchase. That stated, one of the reasons that I have held off with these customizations of my 1911s is to have time to investigate the differences between "black chrome" and hard chrome" (silver). I understand that black chrome is not quite as-hard-as silver (hard) chrome, nor is it as-corrosian-resistent-as hard chrome. Is there any truth to this? If so, to what extent is black chrome corrosion resistant, and wear resistant?
Doc2005
I'm not usually on board with hard chroming (most seem too shiny, maybe) - but man is that a gorgeous looking commander.
I carry only black/blue pistols concealed. Those silver pistols look nice, but if your jacket opens up, they are easily seen, while black pistols are nearly impossible to see.
No, nobody would ever mistake checkered wood grips over black metal with a cocked hammer sticking out of your pants for a gun!
No concerns here about a light colored gun being accidentally seen, I carry dark and light colored guns at various times... guess it just depends on how/where you wear your gun and what clothing you choose!
I assume none of the high end production guns from baer, brown, etc have the series 80 saftey in them? The SnW does and has cause timing issues, etc for some, though my two SnWs have been great out of the box. However, when I had a full custom 1911 built, I wanted as few moving parts as possible. I might try a baer TRS in the near future.
to me its not you get what you pay for, i'd rather buy a decent 1911, and pay a few hundred to put in a custom packages and save my self the money, granted right out of the box it won't shoot like a wilson, ed brown, with the 1.5" promise. but after a good gun smith gets done with it. its just as accurate and reliable for 1000$ less.
"to me its not you get what you pay for, i'd rather buy a decent 1911, and pay a few hundred to put in a custom packages and save my self the money, granted right out of the box it won't shoot like a wilson, ed brown, with the 1.5" promise. but after a good gun smith gets done with it. its just as accurate and reliable for 1000$ less."
OK, so say you have a SW 1911 to work with as a base gun which cost you say a tad under $700. What would you then have done to it? Gut the gun totally? Keep some stuff and get rid of some stuff? New finish? No doubt, using this gun as a base gun and giving to a smith can cost a few hundred for say better sites, a trigger job, and perhaps a hand fitted bushing, to at least a grand or more to totally gut the gun, use all highest grade parts, re finish the gun, etc, etc for a full house customized gun using a cheaper base gun. So, what would you do?
OK, so say you have a SW 1911 to work with as a base gun which cost you say a tad under $700. What would you then have done to it? Gut the gun totally? Keep some stuff and get rid of some stuff? New finish? No doubt, using this gun as a base gun and giving to a smith can cost a few hundred for say better sites, a trigger job, and perhaps a hand fitted bushing, to at least a grand or more to totally gut the gun, use all highest grade parts, re finish the gun, etc, etc for a full house customized gun using a cheaper base gun. So, what would you do?
High-end 1911s are nice. Many of them are works of art and function, and I enjoy handling, ogling, and firing every one that I can.
OTOH...I have a USGI Colt that has seen better days...so, owing to the fact that a few parts were missing and because any collector value was limited...I rebuilt it for a carry piece, using as many of the original parts as I could. I tightened the frame to slide slop...installed a Kart hard-fit barrel and bushing...lightly tweaked the trigger for smooth...and installed new springs throughout.
The gun runs on anything that I can stuff in it...from any good 7-round magazine (Personal preference, of course)...and it'll shoot into 2 inches at 25 yards with PMC ball ammo if I do my part. I've got less than 300 dollars in the gun, including the cost of buying it in the first place.
How could a 2,000-dollar pistol serve me any better?
OTOH...I have a USGI Colt that has seen better days...so, owing to the fact that a few parts were missing and because any collector value was limited...I rebuilt it for a carry piece, using as many of the original parts as I could. I tightened the frame to slide slop...installed a Kart hard-fit barrel and bushing...lightly tweaked the trigger for smooth...and installed new springs throughout.
The gun runs on anything that I can stuff in it...from any good 7-round magazine (Personal preference, of course)...and it'll shoot into 2 inches at 25 yards with PMC ball ammo if I do my part. I've got less than 300 dollars in the gun, including the cost of buying it in the first place.
How could a 2,000-dollar pistol serve me any better?
They can't form a function standpoint, of course. I have an old Springfield full size "mil-spec", although they did not call them that at the time, which is as reliable as any 1911 out there. I would, and have, trusted my life to it.
We buy stuff like Ed Brown 1911's and Freedom Arms single actions because they are so nice, not because they are more dependable than another less awesome to look at piece and instill pride of ownership.
Oh, no doubt! I'd love to have a couple of the custom masterpieces I've seen.
I guess I just take a more utilitarian view...that, and I can buy a helluva lotta ammo and dog food for 1700 bucks.
Speaking for myself only, having been stung once by a "pretty boy range toy", I managed to spend near Nighthawk type pricing on a pistol with aesthetics approaching those of a polymer truck gun with the specific purpose of obtaining "no excuses" reliability. "No excuses" in this context means no break-in required, incapable of being limp-wristed, using factory magazines and shooting any mainstream factory ammo out of a 4" barrel.
On an intellectual level, I realize that a utilitarian appearance isn't needed to have a reliable firearm but my personal history with art guns inhibits my accepting this conclusion just yet. And there's something "businesslike" about Dawson "duty" tuned STI polymer. Granted that STI's 1911-ish acorn fell further from the JMB tree than most under discussion here.
I'd like to have an old GI Colt / Singer / Union Signal but I came on the scene too late - Tuner and Fuff have scarfed them all up. As it is, my next 1911-ish firearm will probably have a Talon price tag affixed to a polymer frame.
Nighthawks are great pistols, I plan on getting two of them, BUT as my wiser friend reminds me: "these are only semi-custom guns."
For the same price, you can have a gun personally customized to your taste.
For the same price, you can have a gun personally customized to your taste.
I own a Nighthawk Dominator which i purchased recently. I love it. Yes you could have a $300 1911 that would shoot as good or maybe even better. But if you can afford to buy a $2k 1911, then go ahead and pick up that $300 one just for poops and giggles.
I paid close $2300 for my Nighthawk, About $1300 for my Kimber Gold Combat RL (posted picture below). big diff in price between the 2, and my favorite is the Kimber Gold Combat. I love the nighthawk, but i dont use it much.I dont have anything bad to say about the nighthawk, i think the only objections you'll see here will be from the guys that own the $300 1911 saying that you dont need a high end 1911.....my opinion is that YOU DO. Post pictures when you buy it!
I paid close $2300 for my Nighthawk, About $1300 for my Kimber Gold Combat RL (posted picture below). big diff in price between the 2, and my favorite is the Kimber Gold Combat. I love the nighthawk, but i dont use it much.I dont have anything bad to say about the nighthawk, i think the only objections you'll see here will be from the guys that own the $300 1911 saying that you dont need a high end 1911.....my opinion is that YOU DO. Post pictures when you buy it!
I used to make fun of my buddy on him buying high end 1911's, I tell him I can get 2 guns for that price. I just got a Les Baer PII with nite sights. I no longer make fun of my friend. To me a name brand gun is a name brand gun they all shoot good right. Wrong I have never shot anything soooo sweet. I don't own a NH but have heard great things about them. ENJOY.
Now, now. I don't have a problem droppin' the bucks on the right gun. Not at all. Matter of fact, I'm tryin' to negotiate a buy on a nice-but-not-quite-mint Union Switch as we speak. If he can get his heart right, I'll post pictures. If he can't...*sigh*...I guess I'll hafta try for that rearsenaled Rand my dad's old gun-tradin' pard is holdin' onto like gold.
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