I have decided I want a  5" 1911, but do not know which way to go. I am looking to spend in the $800 range.
When I have looked at the different forums, there  seems to be alot of people having problems with their 1911's. I do not like to tinker with things.  When I spend money on a gun, I expect it to run right out of the box.
The pistol once I get used to it, will be used for night stand, and maybe even for gun games.
Is it possible to get a 1911, that is reliablle, and that I'm not going to have to mess with in the $800 range?
If so, what brands would you suggest?
Thanks.

Some shooters seem to accept having to tinker with a new 1911 to make it run 100%. As long as the design has been around, there should be some that have been perfected enough to run out of the box. I asked a similar question a few days ago and Springfield and S&W seemed to be the most common responses.

Smith and Wesson 1911's

they have been refered to as the "Glock of 1911's"

My Springfield has been wonderful.  It has run "right out of the box". A point of contention is the sights, and mine spent a week at the factory getting readjusted, but the weapon has been superb so far.

Quoted: When I have looked at the different forums, there  seems to be alot of people having problems with their 1911's. I do not like to tinker with things.  When I spend money on a gun, I expect it to run right out of the box.

Let me start you off on the right foot here. When you spend money on a 1911, you (should)expect it to run right out of the box.

Myth: 1911s are rarely reliable out of the box, but once smithed/tuned, they are very reliable.

This is plain bullshit (today at least). There are some companies that crank out a hell of a lot of 1911s. They are basically made of good material, but in an effort to save costs their QC dept is not stellar and a couple of lemons get by just as a couple of otherwise great pistols that need a simple adjustment get by. All the rest are PROPERLY DESIGNED/ADJUSTED pistols and as such, will not give you any problems. A 5" 1911 costing $500+ that doesn't run out of the box is a defective/maladjusted pistol, not the norm and definitely not what you would expect.

$800 buys you a quality pistol that should have no reliability issues. Failing that, $800 buys you the right to have it fixed/adjusted in the minority case that you have one that needs tweaking. I have my share of 1911s and while I post about how I enjoy X or how I reccommend Y, I don't usually have the time to write a bunch of unsolicited raves about the weapons that serve me well. If on the other hand, one of them started acting up on the range you can be sure I am going to have a WTF post or two to get you guys to share your brains & exp to address the problem, or if I feel mistreated by a company (and their unacceptable product) I am certainly going to share.

I read alot of posts on AR10s not "running reliably out of the box" and that did scare me away from them. The fundamental difference however, is that there is one shop that cranks them out and there are only so many made, thus each post represents a significantly higher percentage that I might end up with the same problem. There are so many 1911s being made that the amount of negative posts or problems accounts for an extreme minority that experiences real problems. If such a forum exists for Toyota Corollas you might well think them problematic as hell given all the posts about problems and troubleshooting. It's all a matter of putting things in perspective.

If I were in your shoes I would be debating between a Springfield and a Colt. I don't like Kimbers or S&W (personal taste).  

Springfield and S&W are both good choices. I recently purchased a SA PX9109L and love it! Not a single problem with mine. You would easily be abel to get one under that price, leaving you with extra money for some Wilson 47D's and ammo! Good hunting.Brian

Thanks for the replies and the information. What you have said in you replies about the compalints you see on the internet vs the number of pistol turned out, does make since.

I was able to look at severtal makes and models last night , and really like the 5" SA Loaded PX91154L Black Stainless Steel.

From the replies if I bought one of these 1911's, it should give trouble freee service.
Would this particular 1911 be a good choice?
Once again, Thanks for the help.

Kimber Custom Anniversary

Heck, if the decision is between a S&W and a Kimber, definitely go Kimber.

I didn't have to tinker with mine at all to  run 100% out of the box, I got the 4" Pro Carry and it performs like a champ, easy to conceal too.