Posted: 2/6/2005 3:32:17 PM EDT
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I am looking at purchasing a 45 to add to my collection and I am not sure which way to go. Moneywise, I would like to stay in the $700 and under range. This gun would be used for field carry and target shooting. Probably move to the position as house gun as well. I have looked at several Springfields, Kimbers, and the S&W's. Do any of you have 45's from these manufacturers? Any problems? Likes and dislikes. I have had a GI Springfield and an AMT Hardballer in the past. Looking for a pistol with a few more options to replace these. I really like the looks of the Kimber, but I have heard they have problems with parts breakage. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Ken... |
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Kimbers do NOT have a problem with parts breakage. They have many MIM parts, as do the Springfields, and there is a persistent belief that anything MIM will break. Though I have seen MIM parts failures in hammers, and a couple freak breakages of ambi safeties, MIM is really not a problem. That being said, you can always replace high impact parts, like hammers. Springfield loaded and Kimber gets my nod for under $700 guns. They both come with numerous good features, and will both do well right out of the box. Or, S&W 1911. In other words, same thing ALPHAGHOST said first. As far as NRM Colts, I have seen major reliability issues from them. Colt changed to a new barrel throat, and it is majorly wrong in my opinion. I have seen many NRM Colts come into my friend's shop recently. It's an easy fix, and I have no problem buying an NRM with the knowledge that I can fix it, but it sucks to have an out of the box gun that costs that much that will not feed. The last one I bought new was a year ago, and it would not feed even one mag of Winchester 230gr. hardball without failing to feed (w/Colt and Wilson mags). |
I have 6,000+ through mine and I could not agree more. I liked it so much, I bought the Sc commander as well. I also own Kimber and Colt, but the SW1911 is by far my fav.  
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The S&W 1911s seem way overpriced to me. Sure seems like a could get a new Colt 1911 for that price. Why so pricey? |
Shop around, once in a blue moon one goes through gunbroker.com for $600 new, I could have bought one locally for $500 used a few weeks ago, but didn't. My vote goes for a used SA loaded, however. there are usually a couple in the EE for $400-$650, depending on which model it is. I have 2 of 'em, and will not hesitate to buy another. |
Acctually, they are not pricey at all. I just bought the Sc brand new in a box at Carter's Country here in Houston for $599.99 plus tax. You are never going to find a LW Commander for that price. Same goes for the stainless steel SW1911. You can buy them all day for $650 and under. A Colt in SS would never be that cheap brand new in a box. Granted, the MSRP is really high for these pistols, but most volume dealers never sell them that high. You could get a blue 1991 for less than the SS SW1911, but S&W just came out with a model to compete with that. LINK MSRP is $960, but the street price will be closer to $550 
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That is a Performance Center pistol. That is why the MSRP is so high. That pistol is semi-custom like a Wilson or Baer entry level gun. Besides, MSRP should be of no concern if the dealer sells it way below that. |
Bought a SW1911 last year. It is my most accurate pistol and has been %100 reliable. I bought mine brand new for $639 at a Houston gun show.
Springfield Armory GI .45 MSRP $498.00, probably the cheapest 1911 you will get from a reputable manufacturer. I think. ETA: Doh! I just read the rest of the OP. Well, I'll leave the GI .45 up there for those of us looking for the cheapest decent 1911 ou there!
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Thanks for all the replys. I looked at 2 dealers today. Looked mainly at the Smith 1911 ($729) and the Kimber Tactical ($979). Prices at both stores were different, but within $40 of each other. I am a little surprised at the support for the Smith, but after looking at the one today, I think I am leaning that way. It does seem to be a well made pistol. I could not find a single SA to compare to the others. Going to another shop tomorrow that I think will beat the other 2 by a wide margin on prices and selection. Hobbs, what is and MIM part? Not familiar with that term. Thanks for the help |
SS, you should go to 1911forum.com and read up for a day or two before you buy. You can use the search function and surf the forums for tons of info. Just keep in mind that some owners will say the pistol is flawless and they have only shot a few hundered rounds through it. That's like saying a car is great because nothing needed repair in the first 10,000 miles.  Keep in mind that most manufacturers don't consider a pistol broken in untill at least 500 and sometime 1000 rounds. And many of us can shoot 500 rounds in a day. "Reliable" is a word you have to define for yourself.BTW, MIM stands for Metal Injection Molding. Some people think it is the work of the devil  but everyone uses it to some degree. The parts you will typicaly see from the MIM process are thumb safteies, hammers, triggers, sears, mag releases, slide stops, main spring housings, grip safties. Some brands use more than others, and some brands use better quality MIM than others. |
+∞! |
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Thanks for all the help guys. I finally decided on the SW1911. Got the stainless with novak sights. Just like Strick's picture above. Love the gun so far. Very well made and tight. Picked it up new in the box with extra Wilson mag for $670. Found a dealer in K-ville (Gun Rack) that had them much cheaper than Greensboro. |