Posted: 1/27/2004 1:11:42 PM EDT
| Im in the market for my first pistol and was wondering what input everyone has on two of my choices. One of which being a Auto Ordanance 1911A1 in 10mm and the standard Springfield armory in 45. Im not looking to break the bank on a first pistol, but i dont want junk either. I like the 10mm and the extra energy it brings with it, but they are pretty close to a 45 anyways. Which would you go for, the 10mm or a 45? And which manufacturer would you reccomend for a 1911 style pistol under $500? Thanks. |
|
I must agree... If you are going to buy a decent pistol....Don't buy AO.. Under $500? Sounds like something used. 10mm is a powerful round but if you don't want to break the bank buying the pistol, you will buying ammo. IMO, buy a S.A. .45. At least you can buy realitivly cheap ammo to plink with. |
AO is fine if you use hardball ammo. Most here do not even realize that Auto-Ordnance is now owned by Kahr. If you get a AO, it may be finicky with hollow points, but at this time I would rather have a AO than a Springfield. Sringfield has been spewing a lot of junky guns of late, as far as I can see. I handled a AO just the other day and it did not look bad at all.EDIT: I am not brand loyal, I have many firearms, and sell more, if it works well I will tell it so, if it is junk I will bitch about it also. Everyone gets a lemon every now and then, and that is the guy who bitches once, and then it snowballs into a that brand is no good kind of thing www.auto-ordnance.com/ao_1911wgs_f.html |
|
IMO, an AO in 10MM for a first gun is not a great idea. The .45 SA would be easier to repair, if needed, by factory warranty or by yourself. .45 ammo is more common,(magazines too) less expensive to shoot and less recoil for a first handgun. I think the AO is still cast, I may be wrong but they were inferior in the past, overall. |
|
Hey Tackdriver.. The pistol must have some inherent accuracy to begin with, ie; good barrel/bushing fit, good slide to frame fit, a decent trigger, etc. The next issue is, as mentioned, practice..identify any bad habits and correct them. Find a brand of ammo that is reliable and accurate for your pistol. I've owned Colt's, Springfields, and Para-Ordnance 45's. The Colt and Springfield where both very reliable and accurate. The Para is still under testing. I've never owned a Auto-Ordnance so I can't comment. Finding a new Springfield for $500.00 or under might be tricky. I purchased my SA 1911-A1 loaded almost three years ago for $600.00 NIB. After a little tweaking, I had the SA shooting like I wanted. For the hell of it one day I tacked a quarter on a target at 25 yards and went at it with my SA 45 standing with a two hand hold. Finally nailed a piece of it on the eighth round (took me a half hour to find it). The ammo I used was Wolf 230 gr. FMJ with the steel cases (most accurate ammo for that pistol I found).  I am not advocating a particular manufacturer. This was my personal experience with this pistol. You can probably find decent used as well as new pistols that will fit your needs. Good Luck |
|
First pistol? A 22. Revolver or semi, your choice. Several bricks of ammo. Practice for six months to get the hang of this pistol thing. If you like it, move up to a 9mm or a 38. Practice some more. Then and only then consider a 45. A 45 as a first gun is a bad idea. A 10mm is even worse. You will develop a flinch that will be a bugger to cure. Trust me on this. Have seen far to many shooters jump straight into big bores and struggle mightly with them. |
|
Hey! The 45 is not that diffulcult to master. My 11 year old grandson (after some proper instruction) kept the contents of one mag (ten rounds of 230 gr. FMJ) on a standard IPSC target at 10 yards. I've had adults approach me on the range and ask me "how bad is the 45 to shoot". My answer was "Here you go, try it for yourself". After a mag the usual response was "Hey! Thats not as bad as I heard". |