Posted: 10/7/2011 6:07:10 AM EDT
I'm just starting the search for a 1911 to add to the collection. In calling many dealers to see what they have in, I'm getting the usual "all 1911's are the same in basic quality, you just pay extra for names and bells and whistles- but hey, I've got a 1200.00 kimber that you may want here...... " Anyhow, one guy-who I've purchased from before due to price told me that "many pro's buy the cheap norinco 1911's because they have the best metal on the frame...then they modify them for race guns" OK, I'm not a pro...not building a race gun either...just seeing if he is full of crap...is he?
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The first statement about all 1911s being the same basic quality is errant bullshit. There are significant variations in reliability, fit and finish, and feature sets among 1911s even in the same price range, let alone between a $300 RIA and a $3000 Wilson.
The second statement is partially true. Norinco 1911s are pretty well made, with some exceptions... but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one to make a "race gun". I shoot with a guy who has a racegun built on a Norinco frame, which wasn't an uncommon thing to do before the doublestacks took over. They hold pretty close to the original GI dimensions, but the slides are often hardened to the point that it makes them difficult to work with. At one time Wilson Combat was willing to use them as base guns for customs. Every smith has his own opinion and I don't doubt that there are some folks who just don't want to bother with them. The Norincos were a market aberration because you were getting a lot better gun than $300 would buy you elsewhere. If you can't get them cheap, there isn't much allure IMO. |
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... The Norincos were a market aberration because you were getting a lot better gun than $300 would buy you elsewhere. If you can't get them cheap, there isn't much allure IMO. And now that unmolested used are selling around 400 and NIB for 500 the only real draw I see to them are the fact they are dead ringers for M1911A1s. At that price, you can buy a low end pistol with factory support, should you need it |
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Not the worst stuff I've heard from a gun shop guy. As a general statement, without getting into specific models or the details of the features you want, most of the 1911's from the big makers are good guns.
Most have their issues too: Kimber's often come tight from the factory, but aren't custom fit, so many require a break in period. Their CS doesn't have a great rep either. Springers have been prone to chipping extractors, and their ejectors are just glued in which bugs some people. Colts fit and finish is often a touch below the others, ie: loose tolerances, dust cover rub lines, rattley slide-to-frame, etc. IMO, do your research, pick the features you want, then decide which gun is right for you. Don't let the gun store clerks input sway your decision. What they have in stock isn't really relevant to you. Transfer fees are cheap. Good luck. 
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There are differences in quality from maker to maker. There is one less expensive maker out there that has all the bells and whistles on it, but I wouldn't own one personally because they don't seem to hold up well at all.
He wasn't full of it about Norinco, but may have been exaggerating a little. They have been made with pretty good steel and when they were still imported a lot of people did make them into some nice custom guns. Unfortunately they haven't been imported since Bush Sr. signed the import ban. |
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I have taken a rock island and put all new high end parts in it and then spent about 80 hours fitting everything, tightening the barrel/frame/slide and learning a little about it along the way. 1911 guys with a lot more smith time and range time felt it held up well to high end guns in fit and function, but I will never get my money out of it. I made it for my dad.
Anyways, time spent fitting a 1911 becomes more apparent as you spend more time with them. That is where a lot of the money comes from. The metal in a Wilson does not make up the extra thousand dollars or more. It is the time and expertise to fit the gun. There is a reason people pay several thousand dollars over the cost of a Glock and are happy to do so. They are more than just a gun to go bang. A well made 1911 is an extension of our selves, a reminder of the ingenuity and creed of the American way and a finely finished pocket watch like gentlemen used to carry all in one. If you can understand those sentiments, then you might appreciate a nice 1911. |
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I have taken a rock island and put all new high end parts in it and then spent about 80 hours fitting everything, tightening the barrel/frame/slide and learning a little about it along the way. 1911 guys with a lot more smith time and range time felt it held up well to high end guns in fit and function, but I will never get my money out of it. I made it for my dad. Anyways, time spent fitting a 1911 becomes more apparent as you spend more time with them. That is where a lot of the money comes from. The metal in a Wilson does not make up the extra thousand dollars or more. It is the time and expertise to fit the gun. There is a reason people pay several thousand dollars over the cost of a Glock and are happy to do so. They are more than just a gun to go bang. A well made 1911 is an extension of our selves, a reminder of the ingenuity and creed of the American way and a finely finished pocket watch like gentlemen used to carry all in one. If you can understand those sentiments, then you might appreciate a nice 1911. That was almost poetic. 
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Quoted:
I'm just starting the search for a 1911 to add to the collection. In calling many dealers to see what they have in, I'm getting the usual "all 1911's are the same in basic quality, you just pay extra for names and bells and whistles- but hey, I've got a 1200.00 kimber that you may want here...... " Anyhow, one guy-who I've purchased from before due to price told me that "many pro's buy the cheap norinco 1911's because they have the best metal on the frame...then they modify them for race guns" OK, I'm not a pro...not building a race gun either...just seeing if he is full of crap...is he?It was true of the Norincos when they were being imported, but not so much now that they have become collectible. But they are known for very hard steel. They are still made, and they have many models - we just can't get them because of the stupid ban on Chinese guns and ammo. So I guess the 'Truth O'Meter' would swing up to about 75% on this one, or 'Mostly True'. |