Need info and suggestions. Going to buy a model 1911 pistol,
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Springfield champion operator makes a nice carry piece. Better bang for the buck than kimber IMO.
My Kimbers have always been great. Springfield makes a great 1911 also. I would stay away from the Rugers personally. Fit and finish seem to be an issue, and they haven't been in the 1911 business very long. If you really want a good answer to this question check out www.thehighroad.org
Damn fine pistol. It's safe and reliable, won't go off accidentaly is accurate and has stopping power. The only real problem I have with these is their not a real portable or concealable pistol if that's what you're looking for. Also get ready to pony up some bucks. None of them a cheap to buy. Mine is a Colt 1911 combat elite edition. At a recent gun show my model was going for around $1200+. Figure $700 and up for a used base model. I recently bought a Sig-Sauer P250 .45. It's smaller, lighter and holds more rounds and cost a LOT less, a little over $426-tax and all. Bass Pro had this same pistol for $600. Go to a gun show and wait til their about to close and you can get your best deals. I bought my Sig at a gunshow from Mississippi Auto Arms. Hope this helps.
Sig Sauer is the 1st and probably only one that I would check out. Also, if HK still makes one, I would go that route. SS is top notch, but expensive.
It is damn tough to beat a Glock, why does the gun have to be a 1911?
Call around to some local ranges and see what guns they rent at the range. They may have some of the brands you are looking for. I would spend a lot more time holding the different guns and seeing which one points the best in your hand when you aim it. That is a hell of a lot more important than the logo on the side of it.
Also, stay away from the Ruger's, cheaply made and pretty ****** guns unless you are looking for the 22 pistol or a rifle, then they are great.
It is damn tough to beat a Glock, why does the gun have to be a 1911?
Call around to some local ranges and see what guns they rent at the range. They may have some of the brands you are looking for. I would spend a lot more time holding the different guns and seeing which one points the best in your hand when you aim it. That is a hell of a lot more important than the logo on the side of it.
Also, stay away from the Ruger's, cheaply made and pretty ****** guns unless you are looking for the 22 pistol or a rifle, then they are great.
Glock makes good, reliable guns. I own several, but their .45 ACP guns aren't for everybody. A person with small hands is going to have a hard time getting comfortable with the massive grip on the G21 and G30 even if it is the SF version.
Same for H&K. Great guns that are accurate and reliable, but they are bulky and entirely over priced.
Sig Sauer's P220 is a great pistol with a price tag in the same class as the 1911s you mentioned. The P220 and 1911s will have less capacity than their polymer counterparts, but they make up for it by offering a thin grip that feels natural in the hand and conceals well under even a light t-shirt.
The bottom line is if you have caught the 1911 bug, nothing else is gonna do. Kimber, Springfield, Smith & Wesson and Rock River Arms would be my choices in that order. Colt would round out the top five.
Mississippi Auto Arms is a good company with good prices, but they are based out of Oxford and the owner is an lawyer that graduated from Ole Miss. He hates Miss. State, but is a big Dan Mullen fan. If that bothers you, don't buy guns from him.
Same for H&K. Great guns that are accurate and reliable, but they are bulky and entirely over priced.
Sig Sauer's P220 is a great pistol with a price tag in the same class as the 1911s you mentioned. The P220 and 1911s will have less capacity than their polymer counterparts, but they make up for it by offering a thin grip that feels natural in the hand and conceals well under even a light t-shirt.
The bottom line is if you have caught the 1911 bug, nothing else is gonna do. Kimber, Springfield, Smith & Wesson and Rock River Arms would be my choices in that order. Colt would round out the top five.
Mississippi Auto Arms is a good company with good prices, but they are based out of Oxford and the owner is an lawyer that graduated from Ole Miss. He hates Miss. State, but is a big Dan Mullen fan. If that bothers you, don't buy guns from him.
I have looked at alot of handguns. I have a butt load of rifles and shotguns, but no hand guns. I like classic guns such as the 1911. High capacity is not that important to me. I will probably never carry it conceled but may carry it in my vehicle.Iwillprobablyshootit a few times a year . I I like the looks of the Sigs but read a bad review on a 1911 forum. I know Sig makes a fine rifle.
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has impeccable customer service.
The reliability and out of the box accuracy is the reason that the Secret Service (Sig P229 .357 sig), ATF (Sig P229 .40), Air Marshalls(Sig P229 .357 sig) , ICE (Sig P229 DAK .40), and Navy Seals (Sig P228) all carry them.
FBI (Glock 23), DEA (Glock 22), and US Marshalls (Glock 22) all carry different types or models of Glocks.
I would be careful about some of those gun forums and focus more on the testing that the different guns have been through. Glock and Sig have been through the toughest most demanding, brutal test and come out on top.
I have Sigs, Glocks, H&Ks and a ****** Ruger. I shoot the Glocks more than any of the others and like them due to their weight and reliability. The best shooting pistol I have ever shot or held is a Sig P220, amazing accuracy and built like a tank but there is some weight associated with it.
Now don't get caught up in a lot of the Glock ********. People at the local gunshop will tell you that they can be thrown from a plane and still function. To me, that is absurd, why the hell would you throw a gun from a plane and how the hell would you find it after you landed? But, they are fantastic pistols.
The reliability and out of the box accuracy is the reason that the Secret Service (Sig P229 .357 sig), ATF (Sig P229 .40), Air Marshalls(Sig P229 .357 sig) , ICE (Sig P229 DAK .40), and Navy Seals (Sig P228) all carry them.
FBI (Glock 23), DEA (Glock 22), and US Marshalls (Glock 22) all carry different types or models of Glocks.
I would be careful about some of those gun forums and focus more on the testing that the different guns have been through. Glock and Sig have been through the toughest most demanding, brutal test and come out on top.
I have Sigs, Glocks, H&Ks and a ****** Ruger. I shoot the Glocks more than any of the others and like them due to their weight and reliability. The best shooting pistol I have ever shot or held is a Sig P220, amazing accuracy and built like a tank but there is some weight associated with it.
Now don't get caught up in a lot of the Glock ********. People at the local gunshop will tell you that they can be thrown from a plane and still function. To me, that is absurd, why the hell would you throw a gun from a plane and how the hell would you find it after you landed? But, they are fantastic pistols.
I've been thinking about getting a 1911 lately too, and this is some random trivia I've picked up.
1) If you are on a tight budget, there are lots of Rock Island Armory 1911 fans out there. You can get these for $400-450, and lots of people have very good things to say about them, including that they seem to be very reliable. I believe they are manufactured in the Phillipines.
2) I am giving the Ruger a hard look. I've basically pushed back my buy date for a year or so, to see how the Rugers do in the marketplace. But a stainless steel, made-in-America 1911 with Ruger's legendary customer support backing it up, for a street price of about $650, has got to be considered, in my book. I think it's a damn good looking gun, too. Lots of gun snobs frown on Rugers for some reason, maybe their clunky P-series pistols, but I have an SR9 and it's a great gun for me. Then again, I don't buy guns as status symbols.
3) I have shot Glocks and as much as I'd like to run with the "popular" crowd, I just can't get into them. Yes they are reliable, but I just can't adjust to the goofy grip angle.
4) My brother has a Kimber 1911 and seems to like it. I have heard rumors that their quality control has slipped in recent years though. They probably cost more than I want to pay for a 1911.
5) One more suggestion, if you have NO handguns, save up $200-300 and buy yourself a .22 cal pistol like a Ruger 22/45. You can learn to shoot a pistol pretty cheaply when you're just plinking with .22 ammo. .45 cal ammunition, however, is pretty expensive, as you may have noticed. You'll make that $200 or so back pretty quick on ammo savings, and it's a legitimate excuse to buy another gun. I've got a Ruger .22 semiauto pistol and it's one of my favorite handguns, because I can shoot the thing literally ALL DAY LONG for about $15 worth of ammunition. The 22/45s have the same grip angle as a 1911 too, so that's a plus too.
Do your due diligence, check out thehighroad.org and thefiringline.com forums, along with others such as m1911.org. Have fun and let us know what you decide.
1) If you are on a tight budget, there are lots of Rock Island Armory 1911 fans out there. You can get these for $400-450, and lots of people have very good things to say about them, including that they seem to be very reliable. I believe they are manufactured in the Phillipines.
2) I am giving the Ruger a hard look. I've basically pushed back my buy date for a year or so, to see how the Rugers do in the marketplace. But a stainless steel, made-in-America 1911 with Ruger's legendary customer support backing it up, for a street price of about $650, has got to be considered, in my book. I think it's a damn good looking gun, too. Lots of gun snobs frown on Rugers for some reason, maybe their clunky P-series pistols, but I have an SR9 and it's a great gun for me. Then again, I don't buy guns as status symbols.
3) I have shot Glocks and as much as I'd like to run with the "popular" crowd, I just can't get into them. Yes they are reliable, but I just can't adjust to the goofy grip angle.
4) My brother has a Kimber 1911 and seems to like it. I have heard rumors that their quality control has slipped in recent years though. They probably cost more than I want to pay for a 1911.
5) One more suggestion, if you have NO handguns, save up $200-300 and buy yourself a .22 cal pistol like a Ruger 22/45. You can learn to shoot a pistol pretty cheaply when you're just plinking with .22 ammo. .45 cal ammunition, however, is pretty expensive, as you may have noticed. You'll make that $200 or so back pretty quick on ammo savings, and it's a legitimate excuse to buy another gun. I've got a Ruger .22 semiauto pistol and it's one of my favorite handguns, because I can shoot the thing literally ALL DAY LONG for about $15 worth of ammunition. The 22/45s have the same grip angle as a 1911 too, so that's a plus too.
Do your due diligence, check out thehighroad.org and thefiringline.com forums, along with others such as m1911.org. Have fun and let us know what you decide.
While I don't keep up with firearms like I once did, I have heard some grumblings about Kimber quality after a change in company management. Seems like they set out to be the worlds larges supplier of 1911s and quality suffered.
If you want a traditional 1911 frame, it seems tha Colt has made a come back in recent years, probably in response to Kimbers attemmt to overtake the market.
If you just want something in 45ACP, the like someone posted above, Sig makes a damn fine gun.Also,I would love to own an H&K.
And if you are at all up in the air about caliber, a .40 is more accurate, holds more rounds, and is almost a good for personal defense. That being said, I keep the 45 on the night stand.
If you want a traditional 1911 frame, it seems tha Colt has made a come back in recent years, probably in response to Kimbers attemmt to overtake the market.
If you just want something in 45ACP, the like someone posted above, Sig makes a damn fine gun.Also,I would love to own an H&K.
And if you are at all up in the air about caliber, a .40 is more accurate, holds more rounds, and is almost a good for personal defense. That being said, I keep the 45 on the night stand.
If you are wanting self defense and general target shooting for a good price go with a Springfield Mil-Spec (Not the GI model). Takes a while to break it in (as w/ all 1911 models) buts its pretty good after 250 rounds. Goes for about $600-700, which is much cheaper than you will find Colt, Kimber, Dan Wesson etc. Good track record and customer service too. .45 ammo is going to cost you a lot.
And want a good, classic model 1911, go with the Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911. You can't go wrong there. However, I second the recommendation of the Taurus offerings because you get a heck of a lot of gun for your money there. Kimber makes a mighty fine pistol but they are overpriced in my opinion. Yes, the argument can be made that you get what you pay for but based on your original post, I think you'd be better served with SA or Taurus. Use the $ you save to buy ammo.
Joe Schmedlap said:
I meant to add in my original post, I have heard a lot of good endorsements for a Springfield Mil-Spec too, but the main thing I hear about Tauruses is that their customer service is non-existant. Basically they will tell you to <17> off if you need service. I think this may have to do with them being manufactured out of the country, but in comparison, Rock Island Armory apparently has good CS, and they are made in the Phillipines too. I have heard Taurus makes a good 1911, but if you think it may ever need service, keep that in mind.
If I were spending about $600 or so on a 1911, I would look at Springfield Mil-Spec, Ruger, and Rock Island Armory Tactical.
but I have a Tarus PT 99 AF , nine that sleeps very near to me and has for about 17 years.
Has never failed to fire anything that I have put through it.
Have yet to need factory service of any type.
Has never failed to fire anything that I have put through it.
Have yet to need factory service of any type.
The only thing that takes getting used to is the stippling on the grip. You want to get the best advice look up some of Larry Vickers posts and reviews. He had nothing good to say about Kimber.
I have carried a sig for seven years and a glock for five. The thing that no one has mentioned is ammo. Sig is in my opinion the best handgun going. I have taken it through ungodly use and conditions and it wil not jam. But if you are not using speer gold dot ammo, you will see a noticeable decrease it accuracy. I currently carry a glock and it is accurate but not as accuarte as a sig. I carry a glock but I purchased my wife a sig. Double action weapons have a deep trigger on the first trigger pull. That makes me even more comfortable with my decision to destroy the target or decrease the level of force. I am not familiar with the correct ammo for a Kimberly or a sw but Speer is what federal agencies utilize. Hope it helps
Little insight of mine.. Kimber used to be a great company but recently within the past couple years they have been mix matching the parts (not like they used to where every part was made for each gun). They have kinda lost their value and are still extremely expensive. I have just bought a 1911 and it's the new Magnum Research Desert Eagle G model. It's modeled after Charles Daly's and it is made in Israel. I've put a little more than a 1000 rounds through it and have yet to have a misfire or jam. Bought it for 600 bucks off of gunbroker.
I thought I wanted a true 1911 and ended up with the Sig. I dont pretend to be a marksman, but the Sig did make me more accurate at the range. An ex-narc buddy of mine (who is a gun collector) told me to give one a try and I'm glad I did. He told me the slight change in grip angle from the 1911 to the P220 will make you a better shot, and sure enough...it did. Could be mental, I dont know. Either way, I'm extremely glad happy with it (other than the cost of .45 ACP rounds).
My 1911 stays home because it needs to be "cocked and locked" to be an effective self defense weapon. My Glock 32 gets a lot of carry time but to be honest it's still a little big to be my everyday. I love the size of my Ruger LCP .380. It's not sexy and has no where near the punch of the .45 or the .357 SIG but it's always on my person. A .Dirty Harry pistol does you no good if you leave it in your truck because it's too heavy. Saying that, the Kimber is the tits....
Kimber change some things to have more pistols on the market and they seemed to have suffered in quality a little.
I shot a buddies Kimber last year though and it was a fine gun. It was not a gun I considered when I was buying pistols.
I have always bought firearms based off of several gunsmith's recommendations. The way I figured it was that if a gunsmith tells me to go with a certain firearm, they knew what they were talking about because they deal with repairing them all the time.
I have 2 Glocks, .40 and a 9mm, they are bulletproof and for the price, absolutely impossible to beat for the money. Most Police forces use them for two reasons, they are rock solid pistols, and they will not break the budget. Glocks are probably the most widely used and tested pistols on the market.
I also have a Heckler & Koch USP Compact .40. It is a fantastic gun, but I am much less accurate with it than my Sig and Glocks.
The Sig is a P220 .45. It only holds 8 rounds but is extremely accurate and a rock solid gun. Shooting it compared to my other pistols is a huge difference. It just feels very smooth and solid. I don't really know how to explain it other than that.
My biggest suggestion, and I think I said it earlier in the thread, is to pick them up and point them. Decide which gun points the best, meaning, which gun lines up with what you are aiming at without you having to do an adjustment. That should narrow your choices down a good bit. Then, rent the models you are looking at from the range. If a range does not rent the model you are looking at, ask around and see if you can find someone with the model you are looking to buy. NEVER, buy a pistol without shooting that model first.
We could argue calibers all day, and most guys are going to say to get the .45 for knockdown power. I disagree, get the .40. The .40 is, in my opinion the perfect caliber with a ton of knockdown power and allows you a few extra rounds over the .45.
Another pistol that has not been mentioned that I would seriously look at if I was not going to get a Sig would be the Smith and Wesson M&P. It has done very well in test, many law enforcement agencies are switching to it. It also offers an adjustable grip, with different backstraps that snap in to fit your hand perfectly. They are priced very close to Glocks but are closer to the 1911 style you are looking for. Buddy of mine just bought one but I have not had a chance to shoot it yet. He loves it and says it is better than his Glocks.
I don't know what your intentions for the gun are. For plinking targets, just buy you a 9mm and save a ton of money on ammo. For self protection, get you a .40.
I shot a buddies Kimber last year though and it was a fine gun. It was not a gun I considered when I was buying pistols.
I have always bought firearms based off of several gunsmith's recommendations. The way I figured it was that if a gunsmith tells me to go with a certain firearm, they knew what they were talking about because they deal with repairing them all the time.
I have 2 Glocks, .40 and a 9mm, they are bulletproof and for the price, absolutely impossible to beat for the money. Most Police forces use them for two reasons, they are rock solid pistols, and they will not break the budget. Glocks are probably the most widely used and tested pistols on the market.
I also have a Heckler & Koch USP Compact .40. It is a fantastic gun, but I am much less accurate with it than my Sig and Glocks.
The Sig is a P220 .45. It only holds 8 rounds but is extremely accurate and a rock solid gun. Shooting it compared to my other pistols is a huge difference. It just feels very smooth and solid. I don't really know how to explain it other than that.
My biggest suggestion, and I think I said it earlier in the thread, is to pick them up and point them. Decide which gun points the best, meaning, which gun lines up with what you are aiming at without you having to do an adjustment. That should narrow your choices down a good bit. Then, rent the models you are looking at from the range. If a range does not rent the model you are looking at, ask around and see if you can find someone with the model you are looking to buy. NEVER, buy a pistol without shooting that model first.
We could argue calibers all day, and most guys are going to say to get the .45 for knockdown power. I disagree, get the .40. The .40 is, in my opinion the perfect caliber with a ton of knockdown power and allows you a few extra rounds over the .45.
Another pistol that has not been mentioned that I would seriously look at if I was not going to get a Sig would be the Smith and Wesson M&P. It has done very well in test, many law enforcement agencies are switching to it. It also offers an adjustable grip, with different backstraps that snap in to fit your hand perfectly. They are priced very close to Glocks but are closer to the 1911 style you are looking for. Buddy of mine just bought one but I have not had a chance to shoot it yet. He loves it and says it is better than his Glocks.
I don't know what your intentions for the gun are. For plinking targets, just buy you a 9mm and save a ton of money on ammo. For self protection, get you a .40.
for less money and better quality go with this guy: http://kandroscustomgunworks.com. His prices are starting to go up now that his name is getting out there, but I've seen Kimber owners want to trade in for a Kandros.
If money is an issue, buy a used Kimber in good condition. I have a used Gold Match, and it is the best gun I own by a long shot.
I wouldn't pay $1,000+ for a handgun to do that with. Given his circumstances, what I look for in a "truck" gun is 1) low-maintenance, 2) dead-nuts reliable, and 3) not too expensive (in case my vehicle gets broken into or stolen). That's why I started with RIA, Springfield Mil-Spec, and Ruger suggestions.
OP, you are getting lots of people telling you what brand they think is the best. I'm not trying to argue what is/isn't the best brand out there, but if you do intend to keep it in your vehicle, please consider the points I listed above. Also, if it is going to ride in your vehicle (or possibly ever be carried concealed) and not simply live in a gun safe or bedside table, you may want to consider a stainless steel model instead of a blued-steel, to mitigate any possible rust issues. Guns stored in vehicles tend to not get cleaned and lubricated too often, and rust happens.
OP, you are getting lots of people telling you what brand they think is the best. I'm not trying to argue what is/isn't the best brand out there, but if you do intend to keep it in your vehicle, please consider the points I listed above. Also, if it is going to ride in your vehicle (or possibly ever be carried concealed) and not simply live in a gun safe or bedside table, you may want to consider a stainless steel model instead of a blued-steel, to mitigate any possible rust issues. Guns stored in vehicles tend to not get cleaned and lubricated too often, and rust happens.
Two feets they come a creepin'
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are layin' naked
Creeper think he got nothin' to lose
So he creeps into this house, yeah
And unlocks the door
And as a man's reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of .38 holes
(Chorus)
Mr.Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't no good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Big Jim's been drinkin' whiskey
And playing poker on a losin' night
And pretty soon, Big Jim starts a thinkin'
Somebody been cheatin' and lyin'
So Big Jim commences to fightin'
I wouldn't tell you no lie
And Big Jim done pull his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes
(Chorus)
Oooh Saturday night special...
For twenty dollars you can buy yourself one too...
Oooh let me tell you all about it...
Well hand guns are made for killin'
They ain't no good for nothin' else
And if you like to drink your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why don't we dump 'em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some ole fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me
(Chorus)
Ooooh it's a Saturday night special
And I'd like to tell you what you can do with it too...
Like a black cat do
And two bodies are layin' naked
Creeper think he got nothin' to lose
So he creeps into this house, yeah
And unlocks the door
And as a man's reaching for his trousers
Shoots him full of .38 holes
(Chorus)
Mr.Saturday night special
Got a barrel that's blue and cold
Ain't no good for nothin'
But put a man six feet in a hole
Big Jim's been drinkin' whiskey
And playing poker on a losin' night
And pretty soon, Big Jim starts a thinkin'
Somebody been cheatin' and lyin'
So Big Jim commences to fightin'
I wouldn't tell you no lie
And Big Jim done pull his pistol
Shot his friend right between the eyes
(Chorus)
Oooh Saturday night special...
For twenty dollars you can buy yourself one too...
Oooh let me tell you all about it...
Well hand guns are made for killin'
They ain't no good for nothin' else
And if you like to drink your whiskey
You might even shoot yourself
So why don't we dump 'em people
To the bottom of the sea
Before some ole fool come around here
Wanna shoot either you or me
(Chorus)
Ooooh it's a Saturday night special
And I'd like to tell you what you can do with it too...