1911 .45

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He will buy more guns in his lifetime. Let him buy his own Kimber or whatever.

Speaking of Kimber, I hear it said on the forums that Kimber makes a nice gun but has poor customer service. I am sure Colt has a customer service department too, but I wouldn't know. I've had two Colt's 1911s for 20+ years and never had to contact their CS dept. I don't know anyone else who has either.

Buy him the Colt if that is what he wants. Nothing else is quite the same.
 
Winkman822 said:
Ruger 1911 - Again similar to the Springfield Loaded and S&W 1911. Not sure whether there's a firing pin block on these as I don't have ANY first hand experience with them. These come in around $750.
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They're Series 70 style, no block. One of the selling points for me was that the plunger tube is part of the frame, no restaking the tube ever again!
 
jlpskydive said:
Springfield Range Officer, I have one and minus a couple of bells and whistles it's every bit as good as my TRP.
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I agree. I have a 9mm RO in addition to the TRP, and the only thing I feel like it needs is an ambi safety, only because I'm a lefty. Trigger is great and fit and finish are great as well. Great value really.
 
Blacksmoke said:
Good points.

Growing up in the shadow WWII, all that old mil-spec stuff figures large in my life. The newer generations do not share that nostalgia, nor should they. So, a modern improved version might be better.
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There are good reasons most modern 1911s vary from the original mil-spec model 1911A1.

I personally have no trouble with the original style grip safety and spurred hammer, but some folks find pistols so equip painful to shoot. The real mil-spec pistols have small ejection ports that can result in ejection problems and damaged brass for those who are interested in reloading. Modern 1911s have ports that are lowered and flaired to reduce ejection problems and make ejection of unfired cartridges easier and safer. The original GI sights are not optimal even for very young eyes, and if you are older than 30 they are close to useless. The original GI spec trigger is very short, which might be good if you have smaller hands, but can make the pistol difficult to shoot well if you don't. The barrels on the original mil-spec pistols were not throated and often were unsuitable for shooting anything other than ball ammo.

Some so-called mil-spec 1911s such as the Springfield Armory mil-spec are not really GI mil-spec. They retain some aspects of the originals such as the short trigger, spurred hammer, and narrow grip safety, but incorporate more usable three-dot sights and a lowered and flaired ejection port.
 
Another vote for Springfield. Range Officer is a nice newer model, or go with the good ol' A1. It's made to the exact same specs as the Colt, since Springfields were also built for Gov't issue. Of course, it does have the improved ejection port and better sights. Mine doesn't have the ILS, when did they start putting that kind of nanny state stuff on it? Look around for an earlier model that doesn't have it. Why buy new when there are lots to be found in LGS and pawn shops? I found mine for $500 at a gun show a year or so ago, looked brand new, even got three magazines with it.
 
Blacksmoke said:
Good points.
Growing up in the shadow WWII, all that old mil-spec stuff figures large in my life. The newer generations do not share that nostalgia, nor should they. So, a modern improved version might be better.
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Depriving him of the perusal of Brownells, Midway and Ed Brown catalogs for the perfect farkles and smithy tools to make it truly his? :evil:
 
I have bought two Colts in the past few years, and they have been excellent.
 
Check on CDNN's website they have been blowing out Colts we'll below that 1000 dollar mark
 
I'm pretty much a dyed-in-the-wool Colt guy probably because that's all we had to choose from back when I was growing up. Still like them a lot but would feel right at home with a 1911 from Springfield Armory, Ruger, S&W, Dan Wesson, and SIG as well.
 
I have an old Star PD, Colt Commander, Ruger 1911 and Kimber. I like all of them and if I was going to buy one today it would be the one I got the best deal on. The 1911 design has been around for ever and has only gotten better with age. After saying all that my next 45 will probably be a Glock 30s because of the extra rounds.
 
JTQ said:
The word on the street is Springfield is dropping the ILS.
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That would be good, but replacing it is easy and cheap if they don't.

That said, if his son wants a Colt, buy him a Colt. Can't go wrong there.
 
The striker fired polymer framed semiautomatic pistol is simply a more cost effective design than the 1911 series. Which is better, is dependent on your view point.
 
Did you, just so happen, to notice the title of the thread?
or the OP?
hello
:scrutiny:
 
Today there are so many really good 1911 pistols available for under $1000 and all are good. IMO find the one he likes best and go with it because all are similar quality. I bought a used Springfield 1911 and all I did was change the springs and add a few mags. I have been shooting it for about 10 years now.

Colt, Springfield, Kimber, Ruger, Remington, S&W, Sig, CZ, Rock Island and a few others all make what you're looking for.
 
$1000 gives you a huge amount of options, and the Colts (the preferred choice) fit into that, so I'd say go with one of those.

If you listed something like $450, that would make your choices way tighter- that would be along the lines of a Rock Island Armory, ATI, or Tisas, new. Used would open up a few more options, but stay away from Llama- bad reputation aside, they aren't true 1911's.

For a first 1911, I would recommend a basic USGI with minimal tweaks (better sights maybe). Learn the platform, then get a two-tone with all the bells and whistles after he decides what he likes. A bright shiny slide, ambi safeties, short slide etc: might decide he may not want that.
 
I've owned Colts, AMTs, Detonics, Auto Ordinance ( West Hurley and Worcester), Kimber, and Taurus. Currently I own and carry a Colt and a Auto Ordinance.

I'd recommend looking at the Auto Ordinance 1911 Thompson Custom. It's Stainless, it's got all the features I consider to be desirable ( speed bump grip safety, moderately extended thumb safety, slide stop, mag release, etc.,.

It's fit and finish are excellent, better than the Kimber Custom II I side by side compared it with, and Kahr's Customer service has been excellent the 2 times I have dealt with them ( Kahr has owned AO since 1999).
 
If you can both take a look at several models, do so. A nice 70 series Colt (or Auto Ordinance, or Remington R1) are nice and all but I've found I need a beavertail and extended trigger to be happy with my 1911's. I also have come to prefer a steel frame over aluminum, even in a carry gun. Naturally, everyone is different.

Personally, for an entry level 1911 with all the common, nice features, its hard to beat the Ruger SR 1911. Granted, you can't go wrong with a Springfield, Colt or, Kimber either (though the Kimpro black finish will wear quickly, so if that's important skip the blued Kimbers)

If you want to go just a smidge over the $1000, Dan Wesson makes a fine, fine 1911. I'm a big DW fan myself. Once you both are exposed to the 1911 world, expect more to come :)

Also, don't listen to the Colt snobs, plenty of other manufacturers make great products.
 
As far is the most useful 1911 as it comes out of the box it comes down to a choice of two... The S&W Scandium frame 1911s (or the Commander4 size) and the ARMSCOR built Rock Island (they make other brands too) 1911A1. The S&W product is the only 1911 I have that was carry ready as it comes from the box. My normal rule of thumb is expect to spend about the same amount of money as a new 1911 costs to make it carry ready after you get the gun home... this was not the case with my S&W 1911s.

The ARMSCO (Rock Island) 1911A1s are about as close to a plain old GI 1911 as you will find on the market today... it is simply a 1911 as JMB designed them... The plus with this gun is the price... They can be found at around $375 on a daily basis. Rock Island also offers guns with more features at very favorable prices.

There is of course nothing wrong with a current Colt's 1911 except for the lawyer's safety. And Colt's still makes some from time to time without the safety (e.g. 1911 100 year commemorative)... proving Colt's still knows how to make a 1911.

So which gun to buy really hinges on what the intended use will be... for a carry gun that will be a real working gun, I'd go with the Rock Island for under $400 and add the enhancements I like... which are not too many... I add:

1. Trigger job set at 5lb.
2. Reliability package
3. Tritium night sights
4. Arched main spring housing

So less than $800 for a really serviceable gun that will give many years of service...

FWIW

Chuck
 
cxm said:
There is of course nothing wrong with a current Colt's 1911 except for the lawyer's safety. And Colt's still makes some from time to time without the safety (e.g. 1911 100 year commemorative)... proving Colt's still knows how to make a 1911.
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Colt has a handful of regular production guns currently in their inventory without a firing pin safety.

Series 70 http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols/Series-70

The Wiley Clapp models http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Special-Editions/Wiley-Clapp-Pistols

Gold Cup http://www.colt.com/Catalog/Pistols/Gold-Cup-Series
 
The heart wants what the heart wants, so get the Colt your son desires. A standard configuration will give your son two lifetimes of shooting joy.
 
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