Long story short, I've been out of the 1911 game for a long time (I left the 1911 forum when I came to arfcom). Because I had a 1911, I switched my focus to AR's, other guns, degrees, professional licenses, brewing, and a whole host of other things.

Now, apparently I've come back full circle, and am considering getting another 1911. I'm wanting a decent, full size, with a rail. Not sure HOW decent I'm wanting to go yet.

What I recall (which could be slightly wrong), from way back then was:
1) High end guns were pretty hard to go wrong with (Dan Wesson, Les Baer, who knows who else), if you had the money. I assume it is all still the same.
2) Colts were highly revered, with some quibbling about which series they were.
3) Kimber was a mixed bag, some people really loved them, others said they were a PITA. Scared me off from buying them back then.
4) Springfield armory was pretty well liked, though some criticized it because of MIM parts and whatnot. Still, general consensus was it was a decent bang for your buck, which is why I bought one way back when. I know about their recent political stepping on their dicks.
5) Smith and Wessons were considered okay, but my memory on them is a little rusty. I know a friend of mine bought one.
6) RIA was the best deal going, $300 for standard GI model, and it was G2G. Never pulled the trigger on one, because I didn't have much money.
7) Armscor was good, similar to RIA in bang per buck ratio.
8) Llama and similar? You were rolling the dice.
9) Many other manufacturers of 1911 were just coming out (Taurus), or weren't even been thought of yet (Remington, Ruger, etc.).

How much of this is old/wrong info in today's 1911 world? Any of the manufactures who jumped into the 1911 game since 2005ish worth looking at? Any of the decent ones from back then who changed manufacturing techniques/ownership/business model and went to shit and now should be avoided?

Any information you could provide will be appreciated.

Still pretty much true.

I just got a Colt with a rail (M45A1 CQBP).

Was that close to pulling the trigger on a Colt Delta Elite w/rail...but got a Sig 220-10mm instead.

I wish we could figure out what's the deal with kimber.

People report horrendous customer service...
refusal to repair severe factory defects...
Stainless slides that arrive rusted...

Smith and Wesson perfected the external extractor.  The E Sries probably represents the most gun for the money.

MIM parts are gtg.

Wilson Combat is highly regarded by pretty much everyone, and is my grail gun.

RIA and Armscor are one and the same. Considered to be a very good value.

Ruger might be the best value in the mid range, and they probably have more models than than anyone else. They also just released a 10mm. I have a full size Ruger in .45 and love it. The most accurate pistol I've shot in decades. Since my last Ruger, actually. A Super Blackhawk. Their customer service is known to be top notch. The only issue I had was with the cheap 7rd mag. It also came with an 8rd mag that is of better quality and has never failed. It is a series 70 with a titanium firing pin and stiffer spring to prevent discharge from dropping.

Whichever gun you decide on, you'll want to buy Wilson Combat mags. Wilson makes several models with varying degrees of satisfaction among users. You'll see which to get by reading the reviews.

Collectors and folks interested in nostalgia gravitate to Colt. Duh.

As a company, Remington is messed up. I stay away.

I don't know if Kimber fixed their issues or not. I've seen some people say yes, others no.

I do not even consider Springfield Armory due to their dissing of the shooting community.

S&W, I don't know. I shoot my buddy's .40 Performance Center Shield and LOVE it. Don't know about their 1911's.

If you're interested in great customer service in dea!ing with issues, I've heard Ruger and Wilson Combat rise above the fray. I have no personal experience with either company in that regard.

Get a Wilson if you can afford it. I'm biased because that's what I want. I might be able to afford one in a year or two.

Some of what I know has come from reading reviews from pros and other users. I read a great deal and try to stay up on things. I do not and have not worked in a gun store, or any business related to guns.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply. Seems that not a whole lot has changed except we have more options and SA has screwed themselves over.

I'll consider Ruger as an option if a want a mid range, but I may want slightly a higher end 1911. Still on the fence about that.

Your comments are pretty spot on. It has been said by many Colt quality as currently produced is some of the best it has ever been, and a couple years back at vickers 1911 class I attended he pretty
Much said the Colt rail gun out of the box is the best 1k or less gun on the market.
I have an M45A1 ( the production version not the custom shop) and it runs perfectly.
They make both the basic rail gun ( street price right around 1k) and the higher end "combat unit" with checkering for around 1400.

what about a double stack 1911.  2011's are so sweet

Not much has really changed.   A few more players in the game.

Ruger - a fair 1911 for the price.   Maybe a few iffy parts but they are generally solid.
SIG - generally regarded as good.  Many (if not all) models are Series 80.
S&W E series - Good value.  Their older models tend to be a little hit and miss but the E-series seem to be solid.  
Remington - Assembly and parts seem somewhat sloppy.   People seem to be happy with them, but after the one I had, I won't bother with them again.

Dan Wesson is somewhat unclear.  The Valor is a verified excellent model because it's built with the same level of hand work that many semi-customs receive.   I'm not sure which, if any, of their other models receive the same amount of attention, but they are all priced like they do.  I get the impression that DW wants to keep that information as obscure as possible.  I know I see more posts complaining of problems with their other models, especially in non-45 flavors, than I think I should be seeing.   The DW I owned (a 10mm), while it had some fancy gingerbread features, was nothing to write home about, and it would literally jam on every other round before I found the problem and did some drastic surgery on the feed ramp.  

STI - Production guns that are a notch above your typical production Colt or SA.   They tend to be outstanding in accuracy because their barrels are fit with more care than your typical drop-in production parts.  Some of their guns are priced at a semi-custom level, especially their 2011s, but the fit and finish aren't comparable IMO with real semi-custom shops.

Fusion - They style themselves as a semi custom shop but they are priced lower than many others.  They seem to be a little hit and miss from what I've seen.  I personally don't like them because when they began selling parts, they would buy parts from real manufacturers, repackage them, and were using misleading information when trying to sell them.   Some of those parts were real shit, too.

Some guys who've ordered custom guns from them have reported not getting what they paid for, or getting a gun that didn't run right.   Still, people seem to be generally high on them for some reason, so they can't be turning out crap guns consistently.

I'd rather have a standard mag. I don't want to have to buy more.

Not to mention, if I want a hi-cap handgun I'll just grab my S&W 9C (yes, I replaced the trigger, yes, it was awful, especially compared to a 1911).

It'd be hard to go wrong with a Colt Rail Gun or Springfield Operator.

The S&W E series is well built as well.

I went the MC Operator route as I didn't want stainless steel. Sent it to SACS when they were still doing full custom work.

The ruger rail gun looks nice for 730 ish
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I also went with the MC Operator. Well worth the $1000 OTD that I paid.

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If we are talking railed guns, hard to beat the LBO from SA or the Combat Operator. The LBO pictured below is getting sacrificed for a Combat Operator in 45 as I can't justify the cost to upgrade the LBO with checkering, etc.
Also, DW is making some damn nice guns. They have had some teething issues with their stainless guns, my 2013 Stainless Valor has been flawless and so far my 2017 DT Valor has been as well.
Baer is still a good value at $2k over that, Wilson/Nighthawk's parts and attention to detail outshine Baer. 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/WZ9Ppn]20170827_123647[1][/url] by jason dorman, on Flickr

20170625_110138_zpsofqmo0g1 by jason dorman, on Flickr

ken_mays is spot on IMO


My personal opinion

Ruger best american made no frills gun for the money.

S&W best with extras for the money.

I'm sure Dan Wesson turns out lots of guns that work perfect but IMO to many reports of functional issues for guns that cost that kind of coin.

Colt's new 70 series guns would be a contender but i always hear meh~ to bad things if you happen to need customer service.

SA politics aside they are a bit pricey now IMO for what you get...... flip side never heard anything bad if you happen to need customer service.

ED Brown read about the customer service from peoples experiences before you buy......

Wilson Combat only big name i've ever personally dealt with it was years ago my experience was positive.

It's cheaper to buy a gun near what you want than to send one off.  If you must have all the special touches it cost.

Been doing this for 30 years. Let me make it simple.

Go Buy A Springfield Professional ( Rail or no rail)

Dan Wesson's are the best production 1911's on the market no doubt about. Honestly it's almost as good as a Wilson Combat or Ed Brown, but way cheaper. Of course the usual semi-customs like Wilson and Brown are still very good, but still very expensive also. If I need another 1911 it'll be a Dan Wesson no doubt about it. Love my Valor

I do not have much experience with 1911s but I bought a Dan Wesson specialist and I really like it. 

If I wasn't in CA, I would get a Colt Combat Unit 1911 in .45ACP and never look back. I think it has the best feature set for the money and is configured similarly to my SACS built Colt O1991A1.

IonBond DLC black is pretty much the best surface coating of the guns mentioned.
Novak .140" notch rear and tritium front is exactly the configuration I use, and is my favorite.
M45A1 spec railed frame.
Stainless steel frame and slide are fine.
Series 80, which I massively prefer for a fighting gun.
I'm hearing they have good factory triggers.
Slotted grip screws, so you can pull them out with a .45 case.
Colt dual recoil spring system, which is what I'm using on my O1991A1 SACS gun.
Beveled mag well without a magazine chute/MSH. Which is what I use. (With a recessed lanyard loop, which I wish the CCU had.)
25lpi checkering from factory. Which is what I got done by SACS.
Undercut trigger guard. Which I prefer.
VZ made grey G10 grips, double diamond pattern, with thumb scoop, which is nearly exactly what I use on my gun, except mine doesn't have the Colt logo and I get them in black cherry.
Colt "match" barrel, and bushing. Probably fine. Should do about 2" at 25m with good ammo.
Novak non-ambi thumb safety. Literally the same setup I use.
Lowered and flared ejection port with loaded round clearance cut, and extended ejector. Which I also use.

One thing about triggers, some of them come with the aluminum black, serrated face trigger with no overtravel screw. This would be my preferred, as I use the Harrison medium (smooth face) with no overtravel screw, so the screw can't back out, which I've seen on some guns. Other CCUs have the three hole Greider style trigger with over travel screw exposed. I wouldn't prefer that, but it's not a show stopper since everybody from Colt, to Wilson Combat uses a similar trigger.

Overall, every person I've seen post about them has been thrilled with theirs.

The finish, rail, sights, dual recoil spring system, excellent grips, excellent checkering, series 80 (I consider it an upgrade), extended safety and beavertail from factory would be enough to sell me.

At the $1,400-ish mark, it competes with the Springfield TRP, and beats the hell out of it in feature set, IMO.

It's an M45A1 with some extra features. I want one REAL bad.

If I got one, all I'd do is add an EGW flat bottom firing pin stop, 25lb mainspring, and a Wilson bulletproof extended mag catch.

So, admittedly, while I don't have direct experience with this gun (@GS5414 has experience with the 9mm Colt Combat Unit, and was/is issued a Colt M45A1), I do have direct experience with the features included on it, and it's exactly how I would spec out my own 45 rail gun.

Quoted:

Dan Wesson is somewhat unclear....

My experience with a DW Eco has been great, and the finish and fit of the pistol stand up to the closest examination.  Accurate, flawless.  Can't speak to their other offerings, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy one judging by my limited experience.

Fusion - They style themselves as a semi custom shop but they are priced lower than many others.  They seem to be a little hit and miss from what I've seen...
Some guys who've ordered custom guns from them have reported not getting what they paid for, or getting a gun that didn't run right...

I had an absolute train wreck of an experience with Fusion and the service and the pistol itself was a POS.  I will not detail my dealings with the owner other than to say I would not buy so much as a grip screw from him.

Well, not much for me to add here. That's rare when it comes to 1911s!

I've run M45A1s, CCU 9mms and .45s.

Only thing I'd suggest is leaving the factory mainspring in, same Novak cut rear but more of a ledge for one handed cycling, and using a Wilson Bulletproof ambi. A little sensitizing of the grip safety is suggested, using a deactivated EGW as an upgrade option later down the line.

The 9mms need the .45 commander ejector. The .45s and the 9mms could use just a HAIR more extractor tension from the factory in my experience, but will run just fine without it.

The deepest .45 frame ramps will be had with Colts, not Springers or even Dan Wessons. This makes a huge difference.

But to answer the question, lots has changed with 1911s. Lots of '1911-isms', learned from hard users of them two plus decades ago, have changed. Colts are legitimately parts interchangeable nowadays and really don't need tuning. The barrels really don't wear out much (believe me, I've tried), and you won't get the dreaded failure to go into battery 300+ rounds into a range session with a hot, sludgy gun (re: feed ramps).

A parting note - the most reliable magazines are Wilson Combat 47s, ETM/ETM-Vs (particularly these for 9mm), and for ten rounder .45s, 47Ts. This is just something I've learned, sometimes painfully, over the years. If the gun won't run with WC 47s, the gun is built wrong or broke. Fact.

S/F

Agreed with GS4515. Except, I'd also add the Chip McCormick RPM magazines. They're excellent, though the Wilson 7rd HD/+P mag has worked exceptionally well for me.

Wilson Combat 7 round HD/+P magazine with steel lo-pro basepad.
Chip McCormick Railed Power Mag 8 round.

Buy a DW imo they are the best production guns on the market rivaling some of the semi customs for Lucy less money.