ok guys ive been usin a g17 for 12 years now and though

ive never had a problem with it...20,000 plus rounds is my guess give or take a few

ive always wanted a 1911.

help me pick a resonable 1911

how durable are they and do they need more tlc than my glock did?

which got really only got basic cleaning..

it cant be a 2000usd monster i dont have the funds

i am lookin in the 600.00 to 700.00 range"could i get night sights in this range?

i like kimber and rember they where selling reasonable pistols in the begining..
are they still?

thanks in advance

Your bankroll is a crapshoot.

Kimber & SA both offer cantidates that will accommodate your budget. They each churn out a pile of weapons made from good forgings.... but the pile has its share of lemons. Too many people want the best 1911 for the cheapest price (supply & demand) and the supply side answer is to crank out as many as possible. Their QC cannot keep up with their output, so along with attractive, functional pistols goes garbage. In some cases it's as easy as having the pistol returned, but in other cases it is a back & forth nightmare.

The sad state of affairs in our country is that we cannot churn out a quality 1911 for a competitive price. Norincos for example  could do what we no longer can: make a $400-500 USGI that is 100%. I have a REAL USGI and I have felt the springfield WWII and the two are TOTALLY different animals.

If you want a budget banger, get a used norinco. If you want a "real" 1911 you have to pony up and spend over 1,000. Otherwise you have these cantidates that make decent guns, only they mighn not have got it right on the first try and/or they cut corners with MIM parts.

Yeah, I would go for a Kimber.

May be closer to $800.00 out the door though.


Travis

I use a Kimber CDP II Ultra for carry and a TLE RL II for play......I love kimbers, they have been reliable and well made, accurate pistols. I have had colts and springfields but will stick with my Kimbers.

But

I was also looking at the Smith 1911. It is a scandium or titaniam unit and it comes with the very nice features. I saw one in the EE pistols for Right around that price ..

I have a thing for colt. If you hunt hard you can usually find a colt 1991A1 older model on auction arms or gunbroker for 400-500 in great shape.  Add 100-125 to install night sights and you are in the ball park. Just an opinion on night sights- you are better off getting a surefire flashlight than night sights- unless you are law enforcement  where there is a place for night sights as a civilian the first rule of self defense is ID the target -if it is dark enough to need night sights you have not sufficiently ID'd the target. when you light up a target with a flashlight the night sights become useless.

Cap'n, while you make a good point on identifying the target, I disagree on the usefullnes of night sights. I can think of lots of scenarios where a civilian might need to fire on a subject that was not currently lit up with a flashlight (including potentially after ID ing them with the light). Fact is, flashlights and night sights are both great tools, and each has their use. (I know, it's arfcom... get both!)

As to choosing a 1911 in your price range, there are quite a few good options. Among the best may be a used Colt 70 series (or a new 80 series) or a Springfield Armory Mil SPec (which would leave a few dollars for sights or other customization).

As another thought, I bet you could come up with just a tad more money. I bought my SA PX9109L for just a little over $700. It comes with trituium night sights, extended ambi safety, a beavertail GS, a carry bevel treatmnt and a nice parkerized finish. Here's a pic (sorry about the SAA clone in the pic, had the shot lying around from another post).

You should be able to find a NIB Springfield "Loaded" for under $700 +tax and incidentals.  The Springfield  just gives you a lot of 1911 value for your dollar, in my opinion. I don't think any other make matches the bang for the buck at that price point.

Could you get a lemon? Sure you can, but you can say that about ANY purchase you make. FWIW, I have heard really good stories about Springfield Armory customer service. So far in six SA pistols I have not had to call them for any service. (I think the chance of you getting a lemon from SA is pretty slim.)

Besides it's a good looking gun.

Quoted: I have a thing for colt. If you hunt hard you can usually find a colt 1991A1 older model on auction arms or gunbroker for 400-500 in great shape.  Add 100-125 to install night sights and you are in the ball park. Just an opinion on night sights- you are better off getting a surefire flashlight than night sights- unless you are law enforcement  where there is a place for night sights as a civilian the first rule of self defense is ID the target -if it is dark enough to need night sights you have not sufficiently ID'd the target. when you light up a target with a flashlight the night sights become useless.

ACTUALLY I USE THEM WITH THE FLASH LIGHT "opps sorry"

my eyes aint so good no more lol and with the nsights i pick them up better

Quoted: You should be able to find a NIB Springfield "Loaded" for under $700 +tax and incidentals.  The Springfield  just gives you a lot of 1911 value for your dollar, in my opinion. I don't think any other make matches the bang for the buck at that price point. Could you get a lemon? Sure you can, but you can say that about ANY purchase you make. FWIW, I have heard really good stories about Springfield Armory customer service. So far in six SA pistols I have not had to call them for any service. (I think the chance of you getting a lemon from SA is pretty slim.) Besides it's a good looking gun. home.comcast.net/~paradox_g/sal03.jpg

it very nice lookin pistol

Quoted: You should be able to find a NIB Springfield "Loaded" for under $700 +tax and incidentals.  The Springfield  just gives you a lot of 1911 value for your dollar, in my opinion. I don't think any other make matches the bang for the buck at that price point. Could you get a lemon? Sure you can, but you can say that about ANY purchase you make. FWIW, I have heard really good stories about Springfield Armory customer service. So far in six SA pistols I have not had to call them for any service. (I think the chance of you getting a lemon from SA is pretty slim.) Besides it's a good looking gun. home.comcast.net/~paradox_g/sal03.jpg

If I had the $$$ to throw around I would add a Springfield Armory to my 1911 collection. The thing is I wouldn't be shocked if it didn't run right out of the box, and I believe it has a MIM count that needs replacing. That said, I know they use quality steel, and I have talked to some friendly representatives there. Springfields are also the common "backbone" for an unbelievable aftermarket custom gun. It just irks me that so many of these companies: Kimber, Colt, SA, OMFG- PARA often leave the consumer as the last line of QC in order to keep up with their bottom lines. But yes, when SA gets it right, they surely get it right (and that does happen more often than not).

Yeah, that's a pretty piece all right.