I have a question about purchasing my first 1911. I have been doing a lot of research on the 1911's and am getting more confused than ever.
I want something for the range and home defense. The only real stipulation is that it has to be bought at Bass Pro Shops because I have $900 in gift cards from them but don't have anymore cash to get a higher price gun.
I was at the store in Bolingbrook and they don't have the greatest selection but they do have some. I have been leaning toward the S&W 1911PD Commander which just feels good in my hands. They are selling it for $779 which is a very good price compared to what I've seen online. Anyone with this gun have some feedback on it?
The other option is the Springfield Mil-Spec which is $719 but I don't care for the sights on it. Is this gun any better or worse than the S&W 1911PD?
They do have the Remington, Taurus and Citadel 1911's but they are asking like $699 for these,  that is why I'm really not looking at these as options because I'm not gaining much in savings.
Of course they have 2 Kimbers, The CDP ($1350) and the Ultra Carry ($1050) Too Much for me and there not even a full size or commander length.
Would anyone happen to know if the Gurnee store has a better selection? I really don't feel like driving from the west suburbs to Gurnee if they don't have anything more to offer.

Just trying to get some opinions on what is a great gun is for the money @ bass pro shops.

Let me know
Thanks
Whitesoxfan1

I think your local BPro can check the inventory in Gurnee.  You could probably even call the gurnee store and ask to be transferred to the gun counter.  

I'll give you two honest options.

1.  But the SA and build it up later when you have more money.  Sights can be changed out for that price.
2.  Save some money and buy a better gun.

1) They can probably order something for you and they will probably price match if you push them.
2) While 1911s are beautiful guns with a rich history, I will never own one because they TEND to be too much of a headache to find / build one that runs and they are much more maintenance-intensive than modern designs.
3) I would buy a 9mm Glock or M&P, get a few cases of ammo, a good holster and take some training classes.

Good luck and enjoy whatever gun you decide to go with.  
Mike

I haven't been to the Gurnee store in a couple of weeks, but I would guess that they could get you most 1911s.
You can go to the Bass Pro website, and search for their stocked 1911 pistols, and I imagine if they are out in one store, they can get it from another.
Bass Pro does have a nice full size S&W blued 1911, with ambi. safety, and target sights for $850, I believe, listed as available at their stores.  I'm going to look at that model myself.

I'm a 1911 guy and agree.  Get a Glock 21, M&P .45 or FN45 if you want the almighty .45 ACP.  

1911 is like a model T.  You can appreciate a nicely crafted 1911 but for what you want and your price you are better served with plastic.

My opinion get a nice 9mm, much cheaper to shoot.  

P.S.  a 9mm at bass pro is cheaper and you have $200 or $300 left for ammo.  Bass Pro can get other guns from other stores if you want to wait.

All those guns listed in the OP's post are remarkably overpriced.  Like $1-200 each overpriced.

Save your money, buy a nice Springfield Loaded for $750 and pimp it out later.  Or do the 21st century thing and just buy a polymer piece and never worry about it failing.

Thanks for the input so far everyone.
I do have a Springfield XDM 9mm Bi-Tone that has worked flawlessly so far. I'm just wanting to add to my collection with a 1911. I know that once I buy one it won't be my last,  just what I've been told.
I know Bass Pro Shops is not the best place to purchase a firearm because of price but hey $900 in gift cards might as well be spent on a decent gun. I did go online and look at there firearms but they don't even show the S&W 1911PD but they have it at the store.
If you could only choose between the S&W or the Springfield Mil-Spec which is the better out of the box 1911?? I know down the line I will do upgrades and eventually buy another and so on.

Whitesoxfan1

I'd buy the Springer any day of the week.


FWIW, you could always sell the gift cards for $800 and buy a proper 1911 for that price...

Second hand NIB Mil specs go for $500...true story.

I don't really have much experience with S&W 1911 pistols, but these seem like pretty good prices for a retailer like Bass Pro.

http://www.basspro.com/Smith-&-Wesson-SW1911––45-ACP-Large-Frame-Pistol-w/Synthetic-Grip/product/10218170/-1194266

http://www.basspro.com/Smith-&-Wesson-SW1911––45-ACP-Large-Frame-Pistol-w/Rear-Adjustable-Sight/product/10218299/-1301927

Hell I might just go for the loaded. It would basically cost me $100 plus tax
http://www.basspro.com/Springfield-Armory-Loaded––45-ACP-Stainless-Steel-Pistol/product/10218461/-1499850

I'm sure I could come up with some extra $$ to get that.

The loaded is probably your best bet at bass pro.   The SW1911s are nice too.   I'd recommend you fo for a government size 1911 and stay away from the smaller commander and officer size guns.  

I have one .45, a Kimber TLE/RL II in stainless.  It runs flawlessly.

I have a ton of other guns, too, which also run very well, some of which are decades old (inherited from my dad).

Any firearm will jam with bad ammo, a weak magazine spring, or limp wristing.  The guns you listed are all quality pieces.  Purchase what is in your range and fits your hand.

Lets face it.  How many of us are really beating the crap out of our guns (like the military does when testing)

I like the suggestion of buy the Springfield and build it up later (or change out the sights later).

First 1911? $900 range?

Colt Govt model # O1070XSE

/thread.

Look in to the Sig C3 1911. I have one and love it.

Well I have more Bass Pro Gift cards to spend (gotta love raffles at work). I have $1150 and may see if they could order something in for me. I'm going there tomorrow to see what I can get. They said last week that they have 50 Springfield Armory Loaded 1911's on order. I would think if they have that many on order that they would have a sale on them coming up????

Any more options let me know.

Thanks everyone

Whitesoxfan1

Bought my Kimber Custom 1911 nine or so years ago.. fed it nice loads, fed it crap... fires flawlessly. Don't think I'd own anything else at this point. Bought it when Gallyan's was selling out to Dick's.. picked mine up for $550.00. Tackdriver out of the box.

I second that emotion. I'm not sure what model number that is, but a Series 70 is easily had for $900.

Ah the first 1911.  So glad I was ignorant.  I went through three before i landed my flawless Springfield Loaded.  Much trial and error.  Unfortunately, since most 1911s are still made the old fashioned way (poor dimensional control and lots of hand work), it's hard to predict how any one pistol will perform based on experience with others from that maker.  Plus, 1911 shooters are like hot rod owners.  Many fiercely (and ignorantly) defend "their" brand, and rail against one or more others.  Interestingly, all have irrefutable evidence why their biases are well founded in fact.  You will hear many untruths: "you get what you pay for", "MIM is crap", "tack driver", etc.  

Kimber has done for the 1911 what Gaston Glock did for firearms manufacturing has a whole - dragged it kicking and screaming into modern manufacturing.  Because of that, they make some pretty good guns.  There are plenty who will willingly chime in that all Kimbers are junk and you can't trust any of them.  Someone will say that about any manufacturer

Armscor (Rock Island, Metro, and another brand) makes a good entry level 1911.  They're extremely inexpensive, and that makes some people angry, for some reason.  They've been throughly tested and are very well liked on another website I frequent, m1911.org.  Taurus had problems with their original ambi safety, and as another inexpensive brand, is often villified for being afforable.  Generally I have heard good feedback on Taurus 1911s, both on the range and when working in the gun shop.  SigUSA and Smith & Wesson have pretty good reputations with their 1911s, also, and the SIGs don't have SIG triggers! . That Smith you found might be hard to beat if you're okay with an external extractor.  Others have tried them on 1911s, but they havent had a good track record (Kimber abandoned them).   Speaking of Smith and Wesson, how can we forget their historical nemesis.....Only on the internet have I met a happy Colt 1911 owner.  Everyone I've ever personally known who has owned a Colt 1911 pistol hates it.  I take that back.  There is one guy who took his top of the line Gold Cup and had $1800 worth of custom work done on it, and he likes his.  On line (here and m1911.org) there are many who love Colts and would fight over what I've just said.  Personally I know nothing, and can only share the experiences of my friends and acquaintences.

Para Ordnance (now ParaUSA) has an awful reputation on arfcom, and i cant understand why.  Elsewhre on the net they are more fairly evaluated.  Plus,  I've owned their single action and currently carry an LDA as my primary CCW when traveling.  Both are excellent.  Until recently i was able to say they were flawless, but the LDA does not feed short barrel gold dots well.  Actually no 1911 I own feeds them, so I can't blame Para.

The platform has a reputation for reliablity issues.  Never mind we takea  100 year old design and expect it to work with ammuntion that didnt even exist when the gun was made.  Running hollowpoints through a 1911 is kind of like  running 10 ethanol through a gasoline engine and thinking it should hold up.  Fortunately 1911s on hps do better than cars on "gasahol".  

The only firearm-based malfunction I've had was a chronice failure to feed witha  Charles Daly.  The local smith couldnt make it run, CD's rpair center couldnt make it run.  traded it on my first Para.  the paras were ge3rat, my first 1911,  a commander IAI, was great.  it's hard to go wrong with a modern 1911, and usually they dont break.  if they work at first they will work for a long time.  if they dont work at first its usually a magazine problem.

If you have a prob with your gun, remember, there are very few problems with firearms that cannot be made worse by the judicious application of a dremel tool.  

You guys can't read.  He has gift cards to Bass Pro.  Last time I checked I only saw 1911's made by Sig, S&W and Taurus maybe one more brand at least what I remember.  

Bass Pro don't stock 1911's in the Colt, Kimber and some other flavors you mentioned.  You might get them to special order stuff and I did once from them but you don't get to touch it first.

Go S&W (even with external extractor, 1911 purist hate that) based on being stuck at shopping at Bass Pro and for the gift card amounts.

Just got back from BPS and they sold out of the S&W 1911PD and the SA Mil-Spec. They only has a Citadel, Remington R1 and about 4-5 different Taurus'.
Looks like I might wait for them to get the SA Loaded they have on order or wait till they get the Ruger SR1911.

I could always sell my gift cards to someone if you like

Why don't you see if they will do an FFL transfer for you direct from SA. I can't imagine BP not being on file with SA.

Either that or see if they can transfer one from another store. If you're determined to get a 1911, I think you'd be happy with the Springfield Loaded. They are pretty popular in competition circles with single stack shooters.

Even the GI WW2 models are an outstanding value in my opinion. I am a big fan of Imbel however so I may be biased. I have one that I have run hard. Only thing I have done to it is tune the extractor and put 70 series recoil spring in it.

Well I pulled the trigger today and bought what I hope will be a great first 1911. I purchased the Springfield Armory Loaded (PX9109LP). I think this is a great start to the 1911 family.
The first thing I checked for was the S/N which starts with NM. Comes with Trijicon night sights and a few other upgrades compared to the Mil-Spec. I'm going to shoot it first before changing out parts.
Now comes the 72 hour wait, Thanks Illinois.

Does anyone have this model and if so what can I expect?

Whitesoxfan1

Looks like you got a winner.  I have a loaded with adjustable night sights, stainless.

Shoot it a bunch but you will probally want some trigger work done to it eventually.  My stock trigger was quite heavy, don't remember if it was crisp or not but I remember it was pretty heavy.

Is that the parked model?  

Try here:  http://forums.1911forum.com/showthread.php?t=190507

I think you made a fine choice for your first 1911.

Yes it is.