I am new to the 1911 world. I am looking for a basic pistol. It will be primarily for range use. The main factor for me is reliability, not bells and whistles. I need to keep it under $1,000. Are there certain brands to avoid or certain brands to look for? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Dave

Springfield or Colt.

Or a a Rock Island and a lot of mags and ammo.

I like the big name brand guns like Colt, Springfield, ET.

Meet three people that had those Rock Island 1911's; they all loved 'em. Never had a problem, thought they shot great.

Thanks guys! I have looked at the Springfield lineup and liked their Range Officer model. I have heard good things about the Springfields, but wasn't sure how they compared to Colt, Ruger, etc.

Keep them coming.

Ruger is GTG too. The Springfield Range officer is a good pistol.

Is there any advantage of finish, stainless steel vs blued or parkerized? Or is that just a personal preference type thing?

I would say stainless>park>blued for corrosion resistance. Keep it oiled and any of them will be fine.

This is true, but a blued gun also does not exhibit as much friction as stainless does. At least with bare metal in bare metal. A blued gun will feel smoother when cycling than the same exact gun in stainless.

If you want a good no frills gun for a grand...

The only answer is a Colt O1991.  

It's a helluva good gun that far surpasses any Springfield that's not a Custom Shop gun, they look good and they run.

I would stick with a blued carbon steel 5".   I would rather have parkerized, but Colts come blued or stainless, and I loathe stainless.  

With a couple of mods, they're bulletproof.

I have a RO and like it a lot, has shot well for me right from the box, with your budget you should be able to buy one with money left over for some extras.

Mostly preference on the finish. as said before, Springfield and Colts you can't hardly go wrong.

Springfield Armory Loaded or Range Officer it depends if You want Fixed Sights or Adjustable Rear. The Loaded can be bought with 3 White Dot or Night Sights. Springfield Armory makes the Best under 1000.00 1911 Period! They have Forged Steel Frames and Slides and First Rate Customer Service. No Other MFG can Match That.

NICE!

My First Handgun I Bought for Myself when I turned 21 was a COLT Series 70 That was 30 Years ago, I have Owned a Many a COLT since then. I have Owned Pre Series 70 National Match to Series 80 's Including 1 O1991 Out of all the Ones I owned Over 10 for sure I lost Count along time ago, only a Few Really Stood Out What I noticed with COLT is the Machining can be hit or miss Meaning it can be Perfect or Down Right Sloppy! And there Many Gunsmiths that will back this up just ask Them.
The Series 80's Guns Have the Firing Pin Safety and Plastic Mainspring Housings, and MIM Parts. I owned a Early Springfield Milspec that was made 20 plus Years ago and it had the 2 Piece Barrel and not perfect Machining. I sold it and never had any Interest to Own Another One until Last Year when I Bought a TRP and Recently this Year Bought a Milspec Both of these have the NM Marked Frames and Made in the USA The Machining on Both is Perfect and All Springfield 1911's are based on Series 70 COLTS Meaning No Firing Pin Safety to add more Mechanical Parts and Affect the Trigger.
The Machining on My 675.00 Milspec is as Good or Better Than any COLT I have ever Owned and I had at least 3 Gold Cups and 1 Pre Series 70 National Match. I believe since Dave Williams and Rob Leathem got Involved the Quality at Springfield has Increased Alot. Just like You I was a Die Hard COLT Person but not anymore there are just as good and better Options Availble Today thanks to CNC Machining. If COLT was so great why did the FBI Choose the Springfield Armory Professional over COLT and Many Others?
Your Statement that a O1991 COLT Far Surpases any Springfield Except a Custom Shop Gun is Incorrect a TRP is Light Years above a O1991 and the Loaded is way above the 1991 and I will put My Milspec up against Your O1991 any Day. My New Milspec Made in America has a Perfectly Machined Slide and Frame with Zero Play between the Frame and Slide, It has a Lowered and Flared Ejection Port and a Match Grade Barrel that looks just like the Barrel in My TRP Which is Supplied By Storm Lake Barrels. The Feed Ramp is Perfectly Machined and Polished as is the Barrel Throat. And it does NOT have a Firing Pin Safety!

Pictures of My Milspec

..................

This.

Start with Springfield. Their warranty is also bullet proof if you do ever have any trouble.

If you have a $1000 budget, I'd recommend the Springfields.  For a few hundred less you can get the Ruger, and spend the rest of your budget on ammo and mags.  Either would be a solid choice.

I like the Springfield Range Officer full size for reasonably priced range duty.

Thanks for all of the input.  Let me explain where I stand.  For the last ten years or so, I have been focused on Glocks. Then I went to the range with a couple of friends. One had a Springfield RO and an Ed Brown (not sure which model.) the other guy had a Colt MK IV and a Sprinfield Lightweight. I was really impressed with how the 1911s shot. Well, it is about time for me to add to the stable. I decided that I need to diversify a little. So I decided to go with a 1911, but I know very little about them.

That is when I decided to check in with you all. After reading all of the input, yesterday I went to LGS to look at a few and also did some research on line. You guys taught me a lot,for instance, i did not know the difference between a series 70 and series 80. I definitely want a series 70 style pistol. Also, I have decided to go with the stainless steel version. Nearly all of my other pistols are black. That being said, I am leaning towards a Springfield Loaded. I am not 100%, but pretty sure that is what I will get unless I run across a super deal on one of the others.

Again, thanks for all of the input, advice, opinions, and etc. It is greatly appreciated.

Dave

Dave I was at a gun show in Houston last weekend and found brand new govt. Models for sale for just under your budget. Even had a stainless Delta Elite for $975, almost bought it....

For a few dollars more you could have a Kimber if you should be so inclined.

My choice would be the Colt for your budget.

Steve

This is what I did. I also put a Dawson Precision fiber optic front sight on it, and had the pistol cerakoted (I just don't care for parkerized finishes).  I also put some VZ grips on it.

It's a great pistol.

You're gonna shoot yourself when you stumble on the stairs while wearing a 70 series.

Colt O1991 model - $710 at Bud's.

Was gonna say black friday i picked up a dan wesson heritage for under a 1000 brand new...

As that is a lot of pistol for the money..

A decent starter, id look at  rock island, want to move up a little ruger SR, then a slew of springfields...So many..lol..i have had some and more of al lof them and so far for the money the dan wesson is a lot of pistol, but for half the price the rock is a good gun and for a 100 bux plus or minus, you can get a new ruger sr

My first 1911 was a Rock Island FS railed, and turned into a great starter 1911.   While the gun was damn near flawless when it comes to operation, I just couldn't really love the rail.  Only bought it because I got a great deal on it new.   Since then I have put well over 8k rounds down the pipe.  Only malfunctions to date were from handloads.   Two very underpowered rounds that hardly had enough power to move the slide.

Don't be put off by the "Series 80" safety feature. It is an excellent upgrade to the original design. I have both types and have yet to feel a difference between them in actual use. Disassembly and reassembly are easy for anyone with an IQ greater than 70. I am confident that if John Moses were able to see a series 80 safety, he would say "Why didn't I think of that?!

 

If I am that clumsy, I have no business walking around with a gun strapped to my side.

 

Holy smokes; if you can swing a couple of hundred dollars more, this is one of the best deals you'll run across. The pistol in my avatar is a customized Wiley Clapp.

For what you get out of the box for the price, Sig is your answer.