Posted: 6/11/2008 12:10:29 AM EDT
| What is the cheapest CCW-reliable 1911? |
isnt this the same question :www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=5&f=49&t=59616 FWIW: ANY CCW gun should BE RELIABLE (as in 100%) and imo, a price cant really be put on that as long as the gun runs, i dont care if its "cheapest", but that said, i'd look to the better known brands for a better chance of it running reliably |
| MY floor is a lower end Springer or a used Colt for a full size or commander size weapon. Going shorter than that, I insisted on a semi custom only, and that's what I went with. Many people have been happy with their Taurus and RIA, etc. 1911s, but I would not be comfortable going with any of those for more than recreational use. Besides, a used Colt upgraded with moderinzed bells and whistles is a "contemporary classic" (assuming you didn't adulterate a collectable). A RIA, etc heavily modified for CCW is simple overinvestment. This is MY floor. YMMV. |
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The 1911 is an EXPENSIVE design to build correctly. Hence "Cheap" 1911's are built to a price point not a quality standard. The least expensive 1911 I'd consider for carry is a Springfield Loaded, preferably one with a NM serial number prefix. The Springfield MC operator and TRP are better choices IMHO. The gun needs to be run at least 500 rounds to insure reliability. A minimum of 100 rounds of carry ammunition should be part of that 500 
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Look at the troubleshhoting section of the handgun forum and see which handguns are listed the most. Most are 1911s. The majority of those are "cheap". The 1911s are somewhat high maintanence and what I consider a more "high end user" carry gun. If you have to have a 1911 for CCW, the you must ask how much is your life worth? I will occasionally treat a carry gun like a lawnmower, so I don't carry a 1911. I love them for their place in history, and for their craftsmanship. To eliminate the headaches associated with creating reliable 1911s requires skilled craftsmen, and their work costs money. There are however, many modern designs that will do the same job as the 1911 for less money and fewer headaches. If you love the 1911. It is probably not because of the brutal simplicity, and low maintenance reliability in a mass produced version out of the box. When you get into CCW sizes things get even more shakey. Comander size is as small as I'd go. The .45 round can be deliverd by other platforms as well, if it is the cartridge that you are impressed with. Modern ammo has done a bit to level the playing field though with good defensive rounds if you aren't restricted to carrying FMJ rounds. When it is all said and done a handgun is a handgun, and handguns don't hit as hard as rifles, but they are more practical to carry. So we compromise. While this all sounds negative, I'm not saying that there aren't reliable 1911s that are suited for defensive purposes. Just that "cheap", "self-defense", and "1911" don't go together that well, and the market has many other good options for someone on a budget. I expect the flames to begin at any moment  .
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I would expect crickets instead. There's little to nothing you said that most 1911 afficianados would disagree with. During 3/4 of the Twentieth-Century, hand labor was cheap, and the 1911 was built to a standard by ONE parent manufacturer (and a few wartime contractors who built strictly to spec). They were the cheap, reliable, service standard of their day... that day lasting more than half a century. Today, modern manufacturing favors other cost-effective measures and skilled labor is no longer one of them. As such, you can have a 1911 built in a way that 1911s were not originally intended to be made (for better or worse) or you can have one with CQ and fitting meted out by skilled eyes and hands for a cost. Thus, as you so aptly put it... of "cheap, self-defense, and 1911s" one is usually best served picking two of the three. |
Like I said "what you consider CCW-reliable". It's your life and it's your pistol that you are carrying to protect it. 
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Honestly? RIA. Take it out, shoot a few hundred rounds through it getting comfortable, buy some good mags and don't look back. Most 1911 accessorizing and doodads come from the American idea that you have to buy a ton of sh*t to do anything. You don't. And the 1911 isn't near as fragile as some would say. There's a reason why the 1911 performed so well in insane conditions in WW2 with standard GI sights and a crappy trigger. |