Posted: 7/8/2013 8:41:09 AM EDT
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My father has always been interested in a 1911, he just never seemed to have the disposable income to purchase one. He has always been an avid firearm owner and as a single parent did a tremendous amount for my brother and I. For about the last 5 years I have wanted to get him a 1911 as a gift. Now that I am grown and have the financial means to purchase it for him my search begins.
The problem I am running into is there are so many options to pick from, I am having trouble knowing where to start. If anyone could help me narrow down my search that would be greatly appreciated. Now for the specifics: I would like to keep the purchase price somewhere between 800 and 1200 dollars although there is wiggle room if necessary. This would not be his home defense weapon or his cc; to that end this may be the case where form over function applies. I am not implying I do not want a well-functioning weapon but rather something that displays as well as fires. For example the Springfield Armory loaded model caught my eye as something he may enjoy. Although, that is simple my opinion and purely based off aesthetics. Thank you for your input, T |
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First, welcome to the board! Glad to have you--it's a good thing you're doing.
The Springfield Loaded is a very solid pistol but before we can give much advice, maybe you can give us an idea of what your dad likes. Is he into the modern, beavertailed, 3-dot sighted, stainless finish shooter, or do his tastes run more to the traditional GI look? When he does take it out, would he be prone to bullseye shooting, or field plinking? The more info you share, the better we'll be able to help. The good news is that there will be plenty of choices in your price range. |
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From the very few discussions we have had on the topic my best interpretation would be a more modern firearm with a stainless finish. He is much more into plinking and shooting steel drop targets then he would be into bull’s-eye shooting.
I am not sure what you mean by 3 dot sighted. If it helps I would like to find something with adjustable rear sights. Thanks, T |
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To stay with SA, you can look for a SS loaded target model. It has the loaded features but with the addition of target sights. They also have the blackened SS loaded. Nice contrasting pistol finish, but last I read the blackened finish wasn't so good.
You can look at the STI line of pistols, but I don't think they have any SS models. Ruger - no adjustable sights Remington - no adjustable sights Dan Wesson - no adjustable sights Colt has a few models in SS with adjustable sights Then you can add a few hundred more and get into Les Baer territory... |
| I agree with what some have said. The SA loaded or a Colt. One question I have is, What size barrel are you thinking? If its strictly target, then a 5" barrel is good. I just bought a Colt Defender .45. It has a 3" barrel. They go for about $1,049. It is SS slide. |
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My guess is that it will only be used for target shooting. Knowing my father he would not want to use it for daily carry or home defense. Not because it would not fit the bill but rather he reluctance to damage it. This being the case I am guessing 5 inch.
After doing a lot of research last night I think I have narrowed my search down to Colt and SA. Les Baer was interesting but quite a bit out of my price range. Considering I am not familiar with the 1911 platform is there a significant enough difference between the Gold Cup and the XSE? I am trying to make the determination myself but the specifications are not all that helpful and they look very similar. |
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He's your father. Get him a Colt Rail Gun or a Combat Elite.
Second choice should be Springfield Armory TRP or Range Officer. Order now & wait or start shopping online. EDIT TO ADD: Get the Gold Cup over the XSE. Especially if it's target shooting! The Rail Gun and the Combat Elite will easily hold their own next to the GC with a wide range of ammunition but the GC gets a leg up with target ammunition, especially handloads. |
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I've had Gold Cups and currently have an XSE Commander. Both are fine pistols for their respective purposes. If you're not looking to carry and you desire competition-type accuracy, go with the Gold Cup.
The XSE sights are perfectly good for quick shooting and plinking, but if you want adjustables, you need the Gold Cup. As for SA vs Colt, if I could only own one 1911, I'd buy a Colt. Not because I'm a fan-boy and not out of disrespect to the SA, but simply because Colt invented the thing and the words "Colt" and ".45" simply go together. Again, not to dis the SA--they're a fine pistol for the money. But years from now, I seriously doubt you'll ever look at the Colt and think, "Sure wish I'd gotten a Springfield instead." |
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The Gold Cup will have the adjustable rear sight for target shooting. I believe that it is also built to tighter specs than the XSE, but I cannot state that as fact. It will have a national match barrel, but the XSE might, as well. The Combat Elite does. By the way, the Combat Elite is just about one of the best looking pistols made; you could always put adjustable sights on later. Just keep this in mind; Colt specifically does not use loctite on the rear sights, due to user changes, but they don't tell you that. So, many people complain when they come loose. When you get it, just put a drop of Loctite on the screw, and you're good to go.
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Colt Rail Gun 
I showed my Dad a legit 1918 Colt and we liked looking at and all but not shooting it, traded it towards a Black Cerakoted Rail Gun and he loves it as much as I do. That said I will also grab a Gold Cup down the line of life sooner than later, chose the Rail Gun since its just as accurate and I can abuse her more in the woods plinking/hiking. |
| I sure liked that Gold Cup I fondled at the LGS. It was sweet. If he's not carrying it, there's nothing wrong with a Target sight. I wouldn't like to carry one with them though. A little more bulky and might dig into your side, depending on holster. Some people do though. So you might want to keep that in mind if he might want the option of carrying eventually. |
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I wanted to thank everyone for their input. It has really helped to get the preferences of others and it certainly narrowed down my search. I have decided to go ahead with the Colt Gold Cup in SS. I am not a big fan of the hand grips but that is something he can change later if he so chooses.
I plan on spending some time this weekend trying to track one down. If I have too much trouble would it be better to have a local shop order one for me or just purchase off of the internet? Thanks, T |
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Grips are probably the last thing you should worry about when looking for a 1911.
There are so many out there, it would make your head spin. You will have no problem finding suitable replacements. You can call around to your local shops to see if they have any in stock, but you can definitely find them online at this very moment. You can do the math to see which way is cheaper. Local with tax vs online with shipping and transfer fees Let us know how the unveiling goes. |
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Here's how I go about purchasing a firearm that I've decided that I want. First, nail it down. Next, find the lowest price I can online via Gunbroker, Gunsamerica, and internet dealers. Factor in shipping and transfer fees. Then, I see if I can find it locally, and how the price compares to my internet factored prices. If it's only a few dollars, and I don't have to way for a local shop to get it in, then I'll go that route. But, I saved over $250 once by just finding it online. If you do use Gunbroker or Gunsamerica, just be sure that you are dealing w/a FFL, or at a minimum, someone with many good feedbacks. |