Compare and or recommend...

[drband]

I'm shopping for a govt. size 1911. This will be a range toy (not for carry) and I've decided to stay with .45 ACP. So far, I've looked at: SA Range Officer, Ruger SR1911, Remington R1, SA Loaded, Colt 1991, and RIA models. I also am interested in the Dan Wesson Heritage & the STI Trojan. I own a RIA 4" midsize that I carry. It's not expensive, but it's a reliable, accurate shooter.
In particular, are the DW & STI 1911's worth the extra $$'s compared to the others (can't find them locally). If you have actual experience with DW's or STI's I would be very interested in your thoughts. I can see spending for a really nice production model 1911--I don't need a Baer, Wilson, Brown, etc... Though I sure wouldn't complain if I found an amazing deal on one!
Thoughts???

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I vote for whatever Colt fits your tastes and budget, followed by a Springfield.

 

[Onmilo]

I agree.
Colt should be top pick if you find one you like.
Other than that, choose the one that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside...

 

[Tallball]

I got a Turkish one from Bud's for $399. I think the brand is TISAS. I have put many hundreds of rounds through it with zero problems. My stepbrother has had the same experience with his RIA.

 

[bannockburn]

From your short list I would go with a Colt Government first followed by an SA Loaded and a Ruger SR1911.

 

[Hurryin' Hoosier]

Don't overlook the Auto-Ordnance 1911A1. For the money, you can't beat it. I love my Colt 01918 but the A-O is what I take to the range.

 

[JTQ]

The two biggest deals for me in looking at 1911's are the sight cuts and the grip safety. Both are personal preferences, but if you buy a gun with adjustable signs and want to go with fixed, your options will be very limited. If you buy a gun with a GI grip safety, chances are you may have to do some frame grinding to add the beavertail you want.

The three that need consideration for those issues are the Range Officer and Trojan with adjustable sights and the Colt 1991 with a GI grip safety. All three are fine guns, but you've got to want those features, otherwise you'd be better off with something else.

 

[Onmilo]

Most standard frames come with standard grip tangs.
No biggy as Wilson makes a bumped grip safety for standard frames.
Once you grind, you can't go back,,,,

 

[JTQ]

For clarity, you are saying the grip tangs of...

...SA Range Officer, Ruger SR1911, Remington R1, SA Loaded, ... Dan Wesson Heritage & the STI Trojan.

are the same as a…

..Colt 1991

Once you grind, you can't go back,,,,

That's right.

 

[agent109]

Don't overlook the Auto-Ordnance 1911A1. For the money, you can't beat it. I love my Colt 01918 but the A-O is what I take to the range.

Is that A.O. the original design out of NY or the redesigned tooling one that is being produced by Kahr Arms in Worcester MA?

 

[JTQ]

The new AO guns from Worcester use a Series 80 type firing pin safety. I believe the New York guns did not have a firing pin safety. I suspect the guns are different, well as different as you can make a 1911 at least.


Edit to add: I believe I have misread agent109's post. I now believe he is asking about the OP's gun in particular and not the difference between the NY and MA AO 1911's. I'll leave my post up in the event it is valuable to others.


..

 

[RustyShackelford]

Para-USA, S-A 1911s....

Para-USA is a well made brand. The company moved from Canada to NC a few years ago. They became Para-USA. They make the 1911s using high quality components & hand-fit the pieces(a suggested practice by a few gun-tactics instructors).
The firm offers a lifetime service plan.
The S-A/Springfield Armory 1911s are a good value too. The FBI uses the S-A .45acp pistols for the elite HRT & the special agents on regional SWAT.
S-A has a good offer where you get 3 free pistol magazines & a new mag holder with a new firearm purchase. Check the S-A main site for details. I think the special offer ends soon too.

Rusty

 

[JDR]

Are DW & STI 1911's worth the extra $$'s compared to the others

I bought my DW Valor used, and my 9mm STI Trojan new and I think these are both worth the $$. The new Colts are very nice, but based on firsthand experience I would recommend the Valor or the Trojan.

Two things to say about the Trojan, the build quality is excellent, and I love that Dawson F.O. front sight it makes a big difference in focusing on the front sight while you are shooting, I wish the rest of my guns had one of these!

 

[Girodin]

Personally I'd take a Dan Wesson over any other production 1911.

 

[Normandy]

Rock Island stainless tactical full size will make you proud. I stumbled onto a deal on one a while back, $500 out the door, NIB. An awesome sweet pistol. Pretty, with its black grips, trigger, safety, hammer, and take-down pin and sights. And shoots like a custom shop gun from a high-end maker. Seriously. I have one other Rock Island that shoots as well, and it's a blued "Match" full size. I paid a bit more for that one, but I like the SS tactical better.

 

[MICHAEL T]

Colt or any Metro Arms

I bought a DW in 2007 . Was well worth the price THEN. Now I think their way over priced .

 

[BlindJustice]

Colt 70 Series

Colt 1991 Series w/Series 80 Firing system
the trigger deactivates the Firing Pin Block
so it's a bit heavier trigger pull.

Springfield Armory Range Officer

I have the base model S&W 1911 5" SKU 1 -08282
Stainless Matte finish - exterior de-horned
Novak 'cary' 3 dot sights dovetailed fore & After
Beavertail Grip Safety w/memory button
skeleton trigger/hammer
Beveled mag well opening
Vertical serrations on front of grip/frame

They run about the same price range as the S RO

I usually carry a Colt Commander

Randall

 

[drband]

I've noted the number of Colt recommendations. For anyone with a DW, have you owned a Colt so you can compare directly? The DW and the Colt Gold Cup Trophy are high on my list right now. I know the GCT is a target gun, but that's ok. The DW is in roughly the same price range but has a FO front sight, black rear as opposed to the Colt's bowmar type adjustable sight. Any more opinions out there?

 

[BlindJustice]

Colt 1991 series - the '91 Colt Commander I have
has raised 3 dot sights, enlarged ejection port
long aluminum trigger and flat MSH w/vertical serrations

O.P. - you might look at / Price the Colt Combat Elite

R-

 

[Otto]

I own a RIA 4" midsize that I carry. It's not expensive, but it's a reliable, accurate shooter.

Then get a full size RIA.

In particular, are the DW & STI 1911's worth the extra $$'s compared to the others

In particular, DW and STI offer several different models and price points.
Doing comparisons isn't an easy task.

Example: Is a $1500 Valor more accurate than a $700 Range Officer? No, not necessarily.

 

[drband]

Looking at DW Heritage, STI Trojan as noted in OP. Comparing is NOT an easy task and so far, folks are sharing good info. The general gist I get seems to be Colts are never a bad choice. A couple of responders really like the DW and would take one instead of a Colt. The RO is a solid value (I don't care for the parkerized finish) and may well shoot as accurately as anything mentioned. If I could find a DW somewhere to check out, sure would make things easier! Anyone got any more Colt vs. DW thoughts?

 

[agent109]

My Opinions

Watch out for the dirty little trick that Springfield Armory pulls off with their series 70 style pistols. They use a 9 mm lightweight firing pin to pass the drop safety requirement tests standards. It has been know to puncture primers and cause a dangerous condition especially when some one starts playing around with spring tensions which affects timing.

Now regarding Para Ordinance, they were assembled in Canada by women and the warranty repair station was in Tennessee. Their defect ration was so bad that they went bust and were reorganized in Carolina after they were forced to factor off their Canadian assets, such as receivables and inventory and fixed assets in Canada and Tennessee.

The Kahr version of the A.O. 1911 is a fine weapon now that Kahr CNC is being used to produce them.

Metro Arms are the junk makers of the 1911 clone world...cheap and dirty and I would never waste my money on any of them.

Conversely, Armscor, Rock Island is the best producer of Philippine 1911 clones. The have excellent USA support right here in the states in Nevada and are very attentive to customer satisfaction. My .45 play toy is a Rock Island and it has always answered my instructions to go bang. That's my two cents!

 

[JDR]

Looking at DW Heritage, STI Trojan as noted in OP. Comparing is NOT an easy task and so far, folks are sharing good info. The general gist I get seems to be Colts are never a bad choice. A couple of responders really like the DW and would take one instead of a Colt. The RO is a solid value (I don't care for the parkerized finish) and may well shoot as accurately as anything mentioned. If I could find a DW somewhere to check out, sure would make things easier! Anyone got any more Colt vs. DW thoughts?

Like I stated earlier, I got my DW Valor used for a lot less than what they go for new. I have a bud at the LGS who called me when this one came in and I jumped on it. As much as I like it, there's no way I'd pay 2G's full ticket for a new one. For $800 - $900 less money, I'd rather have an STI Trojan, but that is strictly my own humble opinion. A new Colt Gold Cup is in the price range of the Trojan (probably a little more $) and it is a very nice piece, excellent fit & finish, and it will serve your intended purpose very well which is really the only thing you have to worry about. An LGS / LGR that I frequent is the biggest Colt dealer in the area, and they sell every one of these that come in. The big selling point is that if you shoot it a while and you decide you want something else, he will buy it back off you at a price that will let him make a little money off the next guy he sells it to, which is fair.

 

[ugaarguy]

Colt vs DW

It's been a few years, but I did own a DW RZ-10. Amongst many other 1911s, I've also owned a few Colts including an XSE Commander, original Delta Elite and a Wiley Clapp Commander. The Colt Wiley Clapp was as nice as, if not a little nicer than, any current production Colt Gold Cup. The DW RZ-10 was still nicer than the Wiley Clapp, and nicer than any current or recent production Gold Cup I've seen. I've also owned a few SA 1911s. I thought the base model Loaded Parkerized was as nice as my Colt XSE Commander, but not as nice as the Wiley Clapp, nor as nice as the Delta Elite. In contrast, I've also owned an SA Loaded Lightweight Operator. The MC Operator is supposed to be about halfway between the Loaded line and the TRP line. Having handled and torn down a friend's TRP for comparison I thought that the LW Operator (even though it's part of the loaded line and not supposed to be as nice as the MC Operator) was right between the base Loaded and the TRP. If the MC Operator is nicer than the LW Operator it must be 3/4 of the way to a TRP. I also had the chance to tear down and clean a couple SA Loaded Target models that came into the shop on trade. The Loaded Target models were a bit nicer than the base loaded models, and the bbls and bushings felt better fitted than on the base loaded models. That was from an admittedly small sample size though. (And, yes, I did change 1911s about as often as I changed my socks when I worked in the gun shop. )

I'll use Bud's prices for ease of comparison. Currently, the DW RZ-45 Heritage is $1074 and the Colt Gold Cup Stainless is $1143. That's not a true apples to apples comparison though, since the Colt GC has the Bomar style adjustable sights. The fair comparison would be the Colt GC vs the $1474 DW Pointman 7. I think the DW PM7 is worth the extra roughly $300 over the Gold Cup.

The other one to consider is Springfield Armory Loaded Stainless Target, which is $890 (even less at a few other retailers). That's only $150 more than the Range Officer for an equivalent pistol, but with the better looking polished stainless steel finish you want. The DW PM7 is certainly nicer than the SA Loaded Target though.

So, what would I do if I wanted a range use only 1911 with adjustable sights? If I had $1200 to drop on a stainless Gold Cup, I'd save a little longer to have the extra $300 to get the DW PM7 and be much happier in the long run. If a $1500 pistol absolutely wasn't in the cards I'd get an SA loaded stainless target for $300 less than the stainless Gold Cup. Then I'd buy a fair amount of ammo and range time with the savings, and still be happy. If the Bomar style adjustable rear sight isn't a must have get the DW RZ-45 and don't look back.

 

[drband]

"So, what would I do if I wanted a range use only 1911 with adjustable sights? If I had $1200 to drop on a stainless Gold Cup, I'd save a little longer to have the extra $300 to get the DW PM7 and be much happier in the long run. If a $1500 pistol absolutely wasn't in the cards I'd get an SA loaded stainless target for $300 less than the stainless Gold Cup. Then I'd buy a fair amount of ammo and range time with the savings, and still be happy. If the Bomar style adjustable rear sight isn't a must have get the DW RZ-45 and don't look back."-ugaarguy

This is the kind of input I've been looking for... I can get a Gold Cup Trophy for about $1100, but I've been really wondering if the DW models were as good as some say. You seem to indicate the DW's are a cut above the Gold Cup-- is that the essence of your comment? I'm not wedded to the bowmar type sights... If the DW RZ-45 (Heritage-available at $1200) is a better made pistol, I'd be just fine with the front tritium and black rear sights.