To Colt or not to Colt...

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MisterG

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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?
 
Colts are great 1911's. True, the NRM Governments are pricey for what you get, but they just have that classic look which no other company can mimic.

Mine is reliable and an accurate shooter. I shoot informally, but if I do my part, I can get pretty decent groups.

Looser slide to frame fit isn't necessarily a bad thing. My Colt does rattle somewhat, but it doesn't bother me. Slide to frame fit doesn't really determine accuracy, its barrel lockup. In full lockup, press down on the barrel hood to see if theres any play in there. There shouldn't be any. Next check the bushing fit to the barrel. It should be tight. My Colt has a very tight barrel lockup. That's why its accurate. :)

Go for the Colt.
 
My loose, nrm Colt is more accurate than the tight Kimber I have possession of right now. I think Colts are great 1911's.
 
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
Click to expand...

Now I am no expert but I don't know if I agree with that statement that was made by your gun shop owner. It depends on what you are going to do with the gun. If you are going to try to shop 2" groups at 50 feet that is more important. Several of my guns (including a Sig) rattle a little witn I shake them. They are still accurate.
 
The only rattles in my Colts are from the mags; take 'em out, and they're noise free. That barrel hood bit I've heard, but I've also read that doesn't matter one bit.

Colt is, right now, making some of their best products in years. There's always a chance of something going wrong, but it's that way with anybody.

I would say drop our 1911Tuner a note; he can help you with anything you need to know.
 
My opinion is that you should not go back to that gun store as the man who gave you the benefit of his wisdom....is a blithering idiot
 
Mister G..........if you live anywhere near Lexington or Salisbury, come on over and you can try either/both my Colts 1991 models in exchange for me tryihg your Smith 1911. Can do some moderate amount of shooting in my back yard.
 
Colt-bashing has become "cool" on gun forums. Having owned products made by most current 1911 makers (Colt, Kimber, Para-Ord...), I found that Colt were as good as most and better than many when it came to the actual quality of the product. But you will hear people whine about how they had a bad Government Model 20 years ago, and use that as a basis for saying that all Colts have sucked forever. Whatever, kiddies. :rolleyes:

My advice? Be patient and shop around. Lots of folks charge severely inflated prices for Colts for some reason. People regularly try to pass off 01991 guns that were selling new for $550-$650 a couple years ago for $800+.
 
Gun store dealers don't want to sell you what you want but want to sell you what they have. Colts are harder to get and they usually have SW1911 and Kimbers in stock.

A friend of mine sold me his lightly-used S&W1911 in pursuit of a Colt Gold Cup Trophy. He absolutely had to have the rampant pony on the side of his gun. Having had the opportunity to compare both, they are excellent pistols but by every measure the S&W is as good as the more expensive and harder to find Colt. To say however that Colt isn't making a good pistol is wrong.

But the allure of Colt is undeniable. The money that I saved buying the S&W1911 was put toward the purchase of an excellent condition used Colt Python.;)
 
I like Colts but I am unwilling to pay a premium for one. It would be interesting to find out just who builds the parts that the various companies that build 1911s use. I suspect that most of the companies outsource a large portion of the parts that they use.
 
Thanks...

Thanks so far for the information and the offers to shoot. Good to hear I may stillhave hopes for getting a Mil-Spec Blued Colt one day.
 
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