I used to be a 1911 guy well over a decade ago. Loved the Springfields and owned basically every operator model from the lightweight to the long beach operator. I talked myself into going all 9mm Glocks because... reasons. They are cheaper, more reliable, and its better to train on a single platform. I am a middle aged enthusiast, not an (pun incoming) operator. So I want to get back to having a safe full of diversified fun.

First up will be a 5' .45 acp as JMB intended. Sooo... what is the lay of the land these days? I was pondering a Ruger or Springfield Garrison and sending it off for a reliability tune or slide/frame tighten. I've also considered the current operator or just going balls out and spending 2k on a semi custom. Or, maybe buy a 1911 and a 2011.

Any thoughts and/or suggestions are appreciated.

Except Kimber. Don't like them, never have, never will.

Colt Combat Unit. It might need a trigger tune up but that is it. They are series 80 if that freaks you out though.

Your budget will set your course.  

Buying any firearm with the anticipation that it needs to immediately be sent off for improvements just makes me shake my head and stare at the ground.  

Buy once, cry once.


I like my Kimbers.  All of them.  Maybe you live next door and want to borrow one?  

PSA has a Ruger 1911 for 600 now. Probably gtg out of the box

All good suggestions.  Let me give another. Dan Wesson.

Schiffer,

I’m sure whatever you decide on will be more than adequate, Yiu’re already a 1911 guy from years back, so, you’re already a 1911 guy.

I laughed a little after seeing this thread, because I just got back into 1911s last week. I gave my last 1911 away to my son more than a decade ago, sold my .45 cap dies and shit, only to re-buy everything to hand load .45 again.

I bought a Kimber Stainless Steel II last week. I had been thinking about another 1911 over the last few years and decided that if I had ever found a steal of a deal again on a quality pistol, I’d snag it. This dude bought it brand new, and never shot it, it was in it’s original plastic bag, case with all it’s documentation sitting in his safe. He bought it on impulse, he’s a SAA revolver and lever action guy, I had chump change on me, and literally paid him half of what he bought it for. He was hard up for cash, I wasn’t looking to buy that day, I had a few hundred on me, and he jumped at the cash I had, so, I bought the pistol, pulled off the highway, set up sone cans and plastic water bottles on a cinder pile, and shot it before I even brought it home. Fun gun. I took it to the range in the morning and put a few hundred rounds through it. I work at that range, so, I brought it with me each time and shot it when it was slow. One week down, a little over a 1000 round through it now.

So as far as a suggestion, what do you want? I am sure you have an idea. WildEarp suggested that you go big, cry now and smile later. I agree. Get the pistol that you WANT. Don’t cheap out, buy your dream 1911. I literally forgot just how fun a good 1911 is. I’ve got this lady gunsmith who is in her 30s and all eye candy. She has been telling me of things she would like to do to my gun. It’s a double trouble thing, hit lady gunsmith and stock 1911. So, it’s kind of two factors to trick it out, I can watch her wiggle around while she works on my gun. Too bad she’s married, can you imagine the trouble I could get in? Talk about fun! A lady gunsmith that is eye candy.

Oh well, I am going to her shop to let her “play” with my Kimber, she’s going to do a trigger job on it, not that it needs it, but it can always be better.

So what do you want to do with this pistol? Will it have a job?

This is the new Kimber, pictured below.

True that! Dan Wesson has some nice 1911s for sure.

I don’t second guess others reasons, but the idea of parting with a LBO makes me sick. IMO SA and Colt are still king in that $1k-$1500 bracket, and DW up to $2k or maybe a used Les Baer. Beyond that and you are in Nighthhawk/Wilson/other semi custom territory.

I have owned most.  Never needed any reliability tune or any work on any. Probably 16 guns, all 45 and all sizes.
I never liked the lack of a trigger guard undercut on the Ruger or others lacking it. Just my preference.
Colt did a great job on this Clapp gun in all aspects. It was around 1100 bucks.  Allegedly their QC is weak, but someone did this one right.  My only colt currently.  Springers have all been gtg, baers are nice, even a few kimber guns just ran.

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Baer and others at least cut the radius out where the trigger guard meets the front strap.  Colt did a bit of an undercut nicely.

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Springfield or dan wesson

I just bought a Springfield Garrison

it’s been 100% reliable for several hundred rounds

slide/frame fit is outstanding

my iphone cannot capture how beautiful the bluing is

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A lot of options.  Head on over to the 1911addicts Firearms Classified section.  Plenty of good used 1911's for 1/4 to 1/3 the retail price.  I've seen WC CQB's going for $2200-$2400.  If you've been out of the game for awhile, Prices have gone for $2-3k to $3-5K for semi-customs.  That's what I found when I got back in after being out for 15 years.

If you want to just get your feet wet for cheap, the new Tisas & RIA are around $400.  And are a decent gun (although they lack a soul).  Chambers Custom did a review of one of the newer RIA, and said it was a better built gun than some of the semi-customs he's seen.

I usually gear my purchases towards something I'd carry.  That means Colt's, SA's, semi-customs, etc.  

And don't dismiss Kimber's (I did for the past 15 years).  But recently I found this full size lightweight for under $600 at a local Pawn shop.  It's not a series II gun, so not FP block.  And I'm pretty impressed with the quality for the price point.  I also like how light it is to carry with the alloy frame.

Dan Wesson Valor or Les Baer. That or go Ed Brown or Wilson Combat for a little more.

Thank you all, lots of good advice and things to ponder. My dream 1911 had always been either a Ed Brown with a slide with almost no markings and the chain link checkering on the front strap, or a Les Baer. Shopping around today I am in a bit of sticker shock as Dump1567 referenced. I recall Baers being 2k and Dan Wessons or TRP's being 1,200. Not so much anymore. I do remember seeing years ago someone selling a springfield mil spec someone had sent into the custom shop for the TRP package but without the forward cocking serations--I wish I would have bought that.

One thing I should have added: of the semi custom shops, who has the best warranty for their product, including used? That was one thing I always loved about Springfield.

Question is just buy the Baer or Brown (probably used).. or... buy a Ruger, a springfield prodigy and a case of ammo for the same price as a Baer? I guess the standard afrcom answer would be buy them all! Which, maybe I'll make a go of that after selling off some Glocks (already posted one for sale).

And thank you for the 1911 addicts link, already bookmarked a Vickers springfield master class that is up for sale.

GingherShanks: I've bought, sold and traded a lot of guns the last 20 years. Selling that Long Beach Operator was probably the dumbest of all my transactions. That or selling a SAR-1 AK for like $500 a couple years before their value sky rocketed.

And for my Kimber breathern, its a Ford vs. Chevy thing for me... no disprespect to your choice. Though mad disrpect to the Kimber SIS. I had a commander SIS way back when and that thing was a slippery POS.

The old Series I Kimbers are nice guns.

Prodigy.  You had to go there didn’t you.

I would absolutely get another 2011 pattern before I get a 1911, but I have plenty of 1911s.  My prodigy sucked at first some.  Now it just runs like a scalded ass ape.  You should shoot a 2011 type before you buy anything.

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Buy once, cry once. No ragrets.

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BUL for lower end, Dan Wesson for Mid grade and Nighthawk for higher end

Can not go wrong with Dan.

I had one of their original Series I guns I bought in the mid 90's that and foolishly let go.  It was my first new purchase 1911.  I had Tussey Custom install an ambi-safety and drill some dots for a 3 dot sight set-up (I use to like that).  His shop was still in CA and on my way to work.

This gun is actually new production.  I thought Kimber only did Series II guns these days?  But after I bought it, I realized it was a fairly new production gun.  I'm not sure what other new production configuration Kimber offers in a Series I?  But I'm pretty impress with this one.

STAINLESS LW, ARCTIC

And OP, if you're looking to go 2011, unless you like to tinker, I'd bypass a Prodigy and jump to the Staccato.  The Prodigy may or may not work great out of the box.  The Staccato should be 100% right from the get-go.  And you'll probably want to replace some of the mim parts in the Prodigy.

Yes!

Great gun right out of the box.

True that.  I could have saved a ton of time and money if I had just STFU and bought a Dan Wesson.  

My version. Except I had to cry twice. Still love them both.

Me too…

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Not trying to be a Kimber shill, but ironically PSA just sent me this email ad.  This should also be a Series I.

KIMBER 1911 CUSTOM LW 9MM 5" 9RD BLACK W/ ROSEWOOD GRIP - 3700772 $629.99

OK.. per the advice here: I'm going to get two.

1. A full size .45 acp around 2k. Leaning towards a Baer (used) or a Springfield Vickers Special or a DW Valor.

2. A commander sized Dan Wesson with the bobbed frame. Only question on this is .45 acp or 9mm? Leaning .45 as if I'm going to start stocking/reloading .45 again makes sense to have two guns. But... I hear such good things about the lightweight 9mm 1911's. Thoughts?

Get both, full size .45 ACP and Commander in 9 mm. That's how I roll. I never leave the house without my 9 and 45.

That’s the route I’d go.  And I don’t think the SA Vickers come around to often.  You may want to jump on the one on Addicts if that’s the gun for you.

I have a Springfield Mil-Spec and a Garrison.  Both have been 100% with good magazines like Ed Brown's.

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This lightweight commander is my favorite pistol of all time, in .45 acp of course.