Never had a 1911 before, getting a mid-range one now.  Locally have Remington r1 enhanced, Colt competetion(the blue one, "series 80"), and the basic ruger stainless.  They are all about the Same price $ after tax.  

I like that the r1 is checkered on the front strap.  The colt seems to be a great price but I dislike the blue grips.  Im generally a ruger fan and it's very nice, but I prefer the black finish of the colt and r1.

I'm leaning towards the r1 I think.  Which one should I get?

Of your 3 options, buy the Colt and get a new set of grips for it.

I would never buy a new remington product after the shit CS i received on a new shotgun.

I don't buy 80 series guns so it would be the Ruger of your list if that's all your looking at.  

I have a railed Ruger it runs like a champ little over 1400 rnds threw it now.

As far as 1911 's go I prefer the ones that are built like series 70 Colt with no rod inside the spring because its easier to take them apart to clean them.  I have always had Colt and Kimber and wished I had a Wilson Combat.  The stainless Taurus looks like a lot of features for the money. The Stainless Ruger looks like a solid choice and every ruger I have owned was reliable.  I have owned two Sig 1911 pistols neither one was reliable even after a return trip to the factory.  1911 guns can be very picky on ammo and tend to always feed ball ammo.  I have a Colt lightweight commander stainless / alloy built in 2011 that feeds everything from the factory with no modification.  The grips are very easy to replace and pachmeyer has rubber ones with diamond checker on the front of the grip so that part is an easy fix.  A blue Colt can always be refinished with Cerakoat or better yet Walter Birdsong Green and Black T finish or bright nickle or electroless nickel there are always options if you find you do not do well at wipeing the blue down constantly to prevent surface corosion. The older high polish blue just totally sucked as a finish if you did not do constant manintenance. In comparison you can leave a glock out in the weather and not see corosion their finish is unbelievable.  I tend to prefer a stainless or a nickle finish but I have had several in blue also.  Milt Sparks makes several good holsters for 1911.  I know - tough choice for me it would be between the Colt and the Ruger and most likely the Colt.


http://www.kimberamerica.com/pro-cdp-ii  Kimber Pro CDP   MSRP $1173.  would be my pick If I were to buy another 1911.  I like the commander length and I like the alloy frame with stainless slide.

Please keep shopping!!!!  Until you have series 70 Colt's or SA or Dan Wesson pistols on your list, you have more work to do.

I have had a Remington R-1 Enhanced for a few years now. It has run just fine with no problems. I don't know the round count but it is over 1000 so far. I changed the front sight on the R1 to a Dawson tritium but otherwise is is as it came from the factory. The front strap has serrations not checkering. Mainspring housing is checkered.  The Colt and Remington are series 80 pistols. To some people this is important to others it is not. YMMV

Id get the Ruger out of those options

Is Springfield Armory an option or do we still hate them?

Loaded and Mil Specs are nice guns.

Steve

I just bought a Springfield MC Operator today. They are one of the few companies keeping guns flowing into this shitty state. I respect that. And the Operators and TRPs seem to be highly recommended in spite of Springfield's transgression. People eventually forgave Ruger, they'll eventually forgive Springfield too.

In your price range Springfield Loaded IMO..

Of the choices listed Colt is the clear winner. Many 1911 purists and reputable custom builders will say Colt has the most consistent dimensions and fewest MIM parts of any major manufacturer, and even the USMC rail guns are series 80 and run great. The days when series 80 equaled crapppy trigger are long gone.
My m45a1 (production not custom shop version) has a great trigger and is relentlessly reliable and accurate.
In the end after being with the 1911 for a time you will either pretty much love or hate it. If it turns out not to be your cup of tea, you will get a higher % of money back out of a Colt.
I attended Larry vickers 1911 course a few years ago, and while a promoter for Wilson combat, flatly stated if you want to buy a 1911 most likely to run out of the box you buy a Colt.

Perhaps you'll see some of my logic with this old post of mine?  It was about ARs but I guess it cold hold true with your question.  

Yes, M1911s were also produced by Remington and others.  But, just seeing a quick side view would have most anyone IDing the pistol as a "COLT."

Aloha, Mark

As usual, FPNI: Colt, and a new set of grips.
2nd choice would be the Ruger (or a Springfield Armory Loaded).
I would not gamble on the Remington at all.

I got a fusion.  I think I did good, price was too good to resist, barely more than the Rugers and Remington's and it feels 5x better.

For someone new to 1911s, I recommend Springfield Armory.  There are other quality options, but if you have an issue you just call them and they will send you a paid shipping label; they fix it and return it to you typically in 3 weeks or so.   They also have a variety of models to suit just about every preference.

This...you can get a new set of VZ grips if you hit one of there sales for like $60-65 to your door.

Almost 10% of the price of the gun for grips, you guys are crazy!  

It shoots amazing, better than any 1911 I've shot, very similar to a $2k+ Ed brown a friend has.  I would recommend a fusion Before anything up to the $1-1.5k range.

Add a little more $ and get a Colt Wiley clapp