MisterG
Member
Old question/discussion I'm sure...
I love 1911s. I currently have an S&W 1911 and I feel it's as good as it gets for me. That's all the quality I need. I don't shoot much, just target practice some. No need for a Les Baer here. But, I'd like a true Goverment Model style 1911. I keep thinking I want a Blued Colt but I know I can get better for less. I understand it's just a name game. Of course some will dissagree but I think that's true about everything. Harley Davidson's are great, the only bike to ride and all that jazz but so many more are built better and cost less. Blah Blah Blah. Anyhow I'm in the gun shop today and the owner (who like all gunshop owners knows everything) says Colt hasn't made a good gun in 5 years and that in the last five years all they've made is crap. Says S&W, Kimber, Springfield, they're all better guns. He says I can find a good colt but it will cost me and I have to be particular and observant when I buy one. That good ones can be found. So how do you tell a good 1911, especially a colt? He says the frame to slide fit, especially around the bushing area and the ejection port. He says if there's any rattle or looseness there, in any 1911, that's bad. He says if'n it's tight and quiet it's good. He showed me a Colt he could rattle just by pushing on it with his hands and he showed me a Springfield and S&W that were tight and quiet. Then he showed me another Colt, not sure what kind, but it had a bunch of Gold inlay on it, and it was nice. I don't know a lot but it just felt good. Hell, it even sounded good when he worked the action and dropped the slide. It was smooth and quiet. Not a harsh "Clack!" like when some slides are released.
So how do you examine a 1911 for quality?
I love 1911s. I currently have an S&W 1911 and I feel it's as good as it gets for me. That's all the quality I need. I don't shoot much, just target practice some. No need for a Les Baer here. But, I'd like a true Goverment Model style 1911. I keep thinking I want a Blued Colt but I know I can get better for less. I understand it's just a name game. Of course some will dissagree but I think that's true about everything. Harley Davidson's are great, the only bike to ride and all that jazz but so many more are built better and cost less. Blah Blah Blah. Anyhow I'm in the gun shop today and the owner (who like all gunshop owners knows everything) says Colt hasn't made a good gun in 5 years and that in the last five years all they've made is crap. Says S&W, Kimber, Springfield, they're all better guns. He says I can find a good colt but it will cost me and I have to be particular and observant when I buy one. That good ones can be found. So how do you tell a good 1911, especially a colt? He says the frame to slide fit, especially around the bushing area and the ejection port. He says if there's any rattle or looseness there, in any 1911, that's bad. He says if'n it's tight and quiet it's good. He showed me a Colt he could rattle just by pushing on it with his hands and he showed me a Springfield and S&W that were tight and quiet. Then he showed me another Colt, not sure what kind, but it had a bunch of Gold inlay on it, and it was nice. I don't know a lot but it just felt good. Hell, it even sounded good when he worked the action and dropped the slide. It was smooth and quiet. Not a harsh "Clack!" like when some slides are released.
So how do you examine a 1911 for quality?