Any 1911 aficionados here?

[Jigstick]

Looking to purchase my first 1911 pistol. For the past few years I’ve had my eye on a Springfield TRP. Handled one today at the LGS…as well as a Dan Wesson Valor.

Is there anything else I should be looking at in the $2200 price range? Definitely want full size with front slide serrations.

 

[trob]

Looking for 9 or 45? Any particular reason you don’t want a double stack?

from what I’ve noticed:
9 will hold it’s value better than 45
double stack will hold it’s value better than single

if you want 45 or single stack, I’d buy used and take the sting of depreciation out of the equation

for that kind of money, I would definitely not be buying a Springfield. Go to gunbroker and type in nighthawk, Les Baer, Wilson combat, etc with a $2500 max….you’ll be way ahead

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1035763407

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1036250663

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1034889546

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1035931036

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1035723027

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1027477329

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1030615048

 

[padom]

I have a Springfield full size milspec completely rebuilt that is awesome. Trigger us unreal and the Nighthawk fitted barrel and bushing is stupid accurate.

I just picked up a brand new trade in TRP for $1000 and it's extremely accurate and very nice. Couldn't be happier with it. I couldn't pass up the deal at that price, looks like it was never fired

 

[Skeptic1]

Dan Wesson is much mo betta than Sprungfield.

 

[Maurygold]

If you want to primarily shoot the gun. Go 2011 and get a used staccato “P”. If you want to carry it then the dan Wesson > Springfield

 

[skyrep]

Take a look at the Military Armament Corp. JSOC 1911. It performed beyond my expectations

 

[wvfarrier]

Dan Wesson all day, all the way. Far superior to Springfield. You can sometimes find used mildly used Les Baers on 1911addicts in that price range

 

[diggler1833]

1. Used Les Baer
2. Dan Wesson
3. Springfield TRP

I own a Baer and a DW. Have shot but never purchased the TRP. The TRP is a good pistol...it just isn't the pistol that a DW is, and definitely not a broken-in Baer.

 

[padom]

Dan Wesson all day, all the way. Far superior to Springfield. You can sometimes find used mildly used Les Baers on 1911addicts in that price range

I have both, I don't find anything "far superior" on my Dan Wesson (CZ) vs my TRP. Both are great pistols, Wesson is double the cost.

 

[remaction]

PM sent

 

[pmclaine]

Get a boring ass, run of the mill Colt

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Get a boring ass, run of the mill Colt

View attachment 8351802

That looks familiar…. You refinish it to make it all purty?

PS. Is that surefire tan? Or just a trick of the light

 

[pmclaine]

That looks familiar…. You refinish it to make it all purty?

PS. Is that surefire tan? Or just a trick of the light

Yeah I bead blasted it and hit it with krylon. Dremeled the feed ramp. Probably add a magwell and a compensator.

Threw the box and some useless paper that came with it away.

Surefire is tan, because “fashion” happens.

Here is another one to use as a build project a rotary and a carbide cutter can make these awesome.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1028514757

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Yeah I bead blasted it and hit it with krylon. Dremeled the feed ramp. Probably add a magwell and a compensator.

Threw the box and some useless paper that came with it away.

Surefire is tan, because “fashion” happens.

Here is another one to use as a build project a rotary and a carbide cutter can make these awesome.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1028514757

Dayum!!!! Glad I kept my box, paper thingie and didn't dremel the feed ramp much.

Awesome! Much better than my 401K!

Cheers,

Sirhr

 

[sirhrmechanic]

In case anyone is wondering what pmclaine and I are prattling on about...

So... I need one like I need a hole in the head... But... opinions?

So a handful of these have come on the market... these are USMC Recon/Special Ops 1911's. They are USMC marked. M45A1 Colt's. $1350. I can't imagine that these aren't a good investment. U.S. stamped. NM barrels. CQBP spec. Carried by USMC Spec. ops. in Afghanistan. This has...

www.snipershide.com

BTW, they shoot great!

Sirhr

 

[RGS88]

Anything but Kimber.

+1 on the Dan Wesson being better than Springfield.

But as others have said, if you're looking for a fun shooter in the 9mm variation, 2011s are popular and very good shooters. I carry a Staccato P with a red dot and it's far and away my favorite gun I've owned.

 

[C130]

Check out Stacatto though it might be a little above the price you want. I have a couple of them and like them a lot. They are double stack, they call them 2011’s. As in most guns, one leads to others. I have a couple of Atlas also but they get very expensive.

 

[cas6969]

Any 1911 aficionados here?

A couple people could have saved a lot of typing by just answering honestly, saying "no".

 

[oldrifleman]

I have Wilson’s, Dan Wessons and Colts. If getting a great first it would be Dan Wesson. I love my Valor and commander round butt, but my Heritage is smoother and almost magical.

 

[C130]

I have Wilson’s, Dan Wessons and Colts. If getting a great first it would be Dan Wesson. I love my Valor and commander round butt, but my Heritage is smoother and almost magical.View attachment 8351969

How do you like your Wilson’s? I have shot quite a few of them and want to buy one but haven’t yet. I bought a couple of Stacatto’s and two Atlas pistols and after those I had to take a break on pistols for a little bit.

After shooting 1911’s it’s hard to shoot anything else, at least that’s my opinion. I carry an Sig P229 Legion most of the time because I gave my son the Staccato I carried. My Atlas Nyx is larger and hard to conceal in the summer clothing but it’s my favorite carry gun.

 

[oldrifleman]

When I carry it is one of my Wilson’s. They are flawless in their dependability and accuracy. My favorites are either my Stealth, or one of my CQBs.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

I have DWs and a SA Loaded. I'm a big DW fanboi. But they were all 2x+ the price of the SA Loaded. I've been out of the 1911 world for awhile now but I'd recommend a DW to anyone looking for a 1911. I had a Ed Brown a few weeks before I sold it. It was very similar to by DWs. Or probably more accurately, my DWs were very similar to the Ed Brown. I think in the $2000 price range, it's gonna be hard to beat a DW unless you find a deal on something used. I'd still probably buy the DW based on personal experience. All my DWs have functioned perfectly and the fit and finish and materials are very good. The DW hard coat finish was the best in industry when I was researching. That might have changed in the last decade but It's still very good.

Valor w/VZ FDE grips and ECO in OEM.

Guardian I sold to another member here a few years ago.

Valor w/ some GatorBack VZ grips.

In gator hide holster.

Ed Brown I sold.

SA Loaded. My first 1911

Valor w/ oem grips.

 

[ForgeValley]

In that price range I'm going to jump on the Les Baer bandwagon... It is a lot of pistol for the money. I perused gb briefly and damn near bought this one myself.

Les BAER 1911 GUNSITE PISTOL Jeff Cooper Gun Site 45 ACP FS Full Size Colt - Semi Auto Pistols at GunBroker.com : 1036068200

Buy Les BAER 1911 GUNSITE PISTOL Jeff Cooper Gun Site 45 ACP FS Full Size Colt : GunBroker is the largest seller of Semi Auto Pistols Pistols Guns & Firearms All: 1036068200

www.gunbroker.com

Or this one I just saw.

Thread 'WTS-Les Baer 1911 45 ACP' https://www.snipershide.com/shooting/threads/wts-les-baer-1911-45-acp.7205974/

Damn that is nice!!

 

[FWoo45]

I've been down this rabbit hole relatively deep. From a cheapo sig "1911" to $10k full custom Colts. The best bang for your buck, and well within your price range, to leave exactly as is, is a used Baer. If there is any chance that you might want it tweaked a bit, just buy a Colt. I love Springers (and Baers and DWs) as base guns, but they don't hold their value like a Colt.

 

[Chickentoast]

Another Les Baer here, but if I wanted something more modern, I'd look at a Platypus 4 or 5" or a Wilson SFX 3.25 if looking to carry.

 

[91Eunozs]

For $2K, I’d recommend something Wilson Combat(ish) that‘s been well cared for, but used. You may be able to find a Nighthawk with a lot of rounds for around $2K.

I’ve have everything from cheap Colts, to STIs, to my Nighthawk, and my dream gun, a Cabot, sitting in the safe right now, but TBH, the one I’d tell someone to get if they were on a budget is a new Sig 1911. MIM guts, but for about $1K it’s a hell of a shooter.

I bought one for my son a few years ago; found one with a really tight slide to frame fit and spent the first weekend lapping in the slide to the frame. Replaced a lot of the guts with Wilson Combat parts, and added a set of grips:

I’d do one of Nighthawk’s drop-in triggers now though, and may put one in one of my Colts now that I'm thinking about it. Add a really nice barrel, and you’ll be right at your $2K mark, but have a gun you’re not afraid to actually use. And if you do it right, it’ll shoot as well as or better than a gun costing twice as much.

…my best shooting gun, well of the ones that I actually shoot regularly anyway, is still my Nighthawk; almost certainly gonna cost quite a bit more than your $2K budget though:

…and for inspiration:

 

[DocRDS]

Bul Armory Double Stack. You're Welcome.

Friends don't let friends buy Staccato or Kimber.

1991A1 Colt Master Race. 25+ Years of people telling my my pistol is shit only for it to run like a raped ape. I may have modded it.

Protip: Magazines make the gun. Don't skimp on 1911 (Single Stack) Mags. Except Double Stack ones. STUPID Pricey. I'll take my RIA Paras tyvm.

 

[Potsy]

I’ve got one of the external extractor Kimber that everyone hates on. Eclipse Target II. It shoots like it has eyes, but hurls brass all over. Replaced/tuned all I can on it. Guess I’ll always have it, just because it’s so stupid accurate.

Then I’ve got a DW Specialist that is a better pistol than the Kimber in every respect, but I just cannot make it shoot as well. I’ll keep playing with loads.

Wish I would have been born a Glock guy, then my expectations wouldn’t be quite so high……

 

[91Eunozs]

Bul Armory Double Stack. You're Welcome.

Friends don't let friends buy Staccato or Kimber.

1991A1 Colt Master Race. 25+ Years of people telling my my pistol is shit only for it to run like a raped ape. I may have modded it.

Protip: Magazines make the gun. Don't skimp on 1911 (Single Stack) Mags. Except Double Stack ones. STUPID Pricey. I'll take my RIA Paras tyvm.

+1 on the mags; especially for a single stack. I’ve had great luck with WC and of course Nighthawk mags; think MTM makes Nighthawks, but honestly don’t recall.

 

[91Eunozs]

ide be warry of the nighthawk drop in trigger...i was messing with one and it felt...just okay.

and it had issues where it wouldnt always drop if it was pressed really slowly for some reason.

Thanks! Good to know…

 

[kthomas]

I don't think I qualify as an "aficionado", as I only have one 1911. But what I do have is a DW Valor, and hands down it's my favorite handgun.

When I was in the market for a 1911 I did a bunch of research, and at the time the DW checked a lot of boxes for quality while being in my price range.

 

[oldrifleman]

I don't think I qualify as an "aficionado", as I only have one 1911. But what I do have is a DW Valor, and hands down it's my favorite handgun.

When I was in the market for a 1911 I did a bunch of research, and at the time the DW checked a lot of boxes for quality while being in my price range.

Good choice!

 

[mrmarklin]

I’m not a particular aficionado, but I own a Colt Gold Cup Series 70, a SIG Granite in .45, a Springfield Loaded in 9mm, and a Staccato XC 2011.
Of all of them, I won’t sell the Colt for a loss. It has quadrupled in price from what I paid for it.

I really like German guns. HK, Walther, SIG.

 

[A.sosa]

 

[Downzero]

Looking for 9 or 45? Any particular reason you don’t want a double stack?

from what I’ve noticed:
9 will hold it’s value better than 45
double stack will hold it’s value better than single

if you want 45 or single stack, I’d buy used and take the sting of depreciation out of the equation

for that kind of money, I would definitely not be buying a Springfield. Go to gunbroker and type in nighthawk, Les Baer, Wilson combat, etc with a $2500 max….you’ll be way ahead

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1035763407

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1036250663

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1034889546

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1035931036

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1035723027

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1027477329

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1030615048

I disagree with basically every claim in this post.

A 2011 is not a 1911 so single stack versus double stack does not enter the consideration unless he's shopping for one.

9mm 1911s are finicky. They are not for most people. They are for people willing to handload and to experiment with magazines. When they run, they're great, but they are never a good choice for self defense because the action is .100" too long for the cartridge.

Most of the brands you mention are fine, with one exception: Les Baer. They are jammomatic pieces of junk.

Springfield makes high end models but at that price point there should be more options. If he already has a TRP, he may need more budget to improve upon what he has, though.

I have a safe full of 1911s. If I was the OP I'd have a gunsmith build me a a gun; a TRP is as nice as any of the semi customs and you will have to spend real money to get exactly what you want to improve upon it.

 

[Thump_rrr]

The very first gun I ever bought was a Springfield Armory Stainless Loaded.
The only thing I did to it was to install an S&A magwell and a 3lb trigger job.
In the last 14 years I have put 10's of thousands of rounds down the pipe without a single hiccup.
I have since bought a second hand Les Baer Premiere II with the 1-1/2" guarantee,
Although I haven't put more than 1,000 rounds through the Les Baer I can also recommend that one.

 

[Thump_rrr]

I disagree with basically every claim in this post.

A 2011 is not a 1911 so single stack versus double stack does not enter the consideration unless he's shopping for one.

9mm 1911s are finicky. They are not for most people. They are for people willing to handload and to experiment with magazines. When they run, they're great, but they are never a good choice for self defense because the action is .100" too long for the cartridge.

Most of the brands you mention are fine, with one exception: Les Baer. They are jammomatic pieces of junk.

Springfield makes high end models but at that price point there should be more options. If he already has a TRP, he may need more budget to improve upon what he has, though.

I have a safe full of 1911s. If I was the OP I'd have a gunsmith build me a a gun; a TRP is as nice as any of the semi customs and you will have to spend real money to get exactly what you want to improve upon it.

Besides your Les Baer comment I agree with you 100%.
I bought mine second hand so I can't tell you what the original owner did.
Les Bear break in instructions are to not clean the pistol for the first 500 rounds.

 

[Chickentoast]

^Yes, Baer's are hand fit and super-tight, so that they will wear-in to being super smooth. I couldn't even rack my super-tac by hand at first - after 500 rounds she started to smooth out, and maybe 1000 in now and she's butter with zero play anywhere.

 

[Charmingmander]

I'm going to get hate for this...but imma say it anyways.

Tisas are the best value for money 1911 you can buy right now.

Forged frame and slide...more accurate than most people can shoot it...Some MIM internals, but then again so do colt and Springfield...and they run flawlessly.

I have a TISAS Raider that I just sent in for the voluntary recall for hammer follow. I didn't have an issue but if they say they want to check/fix them I'll let them. It's a damn nice gun.

The TISAS 1911s from what I understand aren't using any MIM parts now. Forged tool steel throughout. If they are using MIM for something it's probably a small part where it doesn't really matter like a plunger.

I had one of the early TISAS 1911 SKU's when they first hit the US market years ago and I was impressed with that gun back then too. I don't think I ever had a single failure with that one. They are a tremendous value.

 

[JR1200W3]

For $2200 I'd find a Les Baer Premier II on GunBroker. I've seen a lot of them go for roughly $2300-2400. There's currently a 10mm Premier II for $2250 that's calling my name. I would caveat that a LB is not the gun to buy and try to upgrade. Some of his parts aren't compatible with "standard" 1911 dimensions. Between a SF and a DW, I'd definitely do a DW. Ever see a Springfield custom shop or master class? They're $3+. And they don't look that much different. I take from that if SF made the pistol right it'd cost $3+, so the $1K stock models are definitely not the same quality. So that makes me wonder why loaded TRP operators cost $2K. Is it a bump in quality or are they capitalizing on the mystique of the TRP OPS?

 

[DocRDS]

A 2011 is not a 1911 so single stack versus double stack does not enter the consideration unless he's shopping for one.

9mm 1911s are finicky. They are not for most people. They are for people willing to handload and to experiment with magazines. When they run, they're great, but they are never a good choice for self defense because the action is .100" too long for the cartridge.

The future is NOW OLD MAN!

Despite my Staccato hate, they do seem to have perfected the double stack in 9 mm and back when they were cool called STI they had 9 mm 1911 (single stack) they ran very well.

Before the dark times. Before they became "Tacticool", rebranded, and jacked up their prices 50%.

 

[Downzero]

The future is NOW OLD MAN!

Despite my Staccato hate, they do seem to have perfected the double stack in 9 mm and back when they were cool called STI they had 9 mm 1911 (single stack) they ran very well.

Before the dark times. Before they became "Tacticool", rebranded, and jacked up their prices 50%.

I have put more rounds through my STI 9mm than most people have fired through all their guns combined on this website in a lifetime. Mine had to have the barrel replaced because it wasn't fit correctly. I then had to send it back again because the second barrel didn't fit very well either. The third one has run pretty well for the last 10 years. The gun is missing its finish for the second or third time now from so many holster presentations. STI was a great gun. Staccato has ruined the company; they don't even make 1911s anymore.

There are plenty of 2011-type 9mms out there. They would be fine in competition. I would not even consider carrying one on the street. The only 9mm 1911 I will carry is the Springfield EMP, which I think would be genius to make in a 5" and even a double stack; I'd buy all they'd make. The shorter action of the EMP really perfects the 9mm 1911.

 

[MikeMiller]

TRPs are very good pistols. I changed my TRP to Extreme Engineering tool steel, Wilson Bullet Proof Slide stop and extractor. Did a reliability tune and can’t beat it now I would do the same to any of the 1911 pistols mentioned if my life depended on it. I have carried a 1911 pistol for duty and off duty since 1981

The Staccato 2011 already has the better internals and should be good to go out of the box

 

[trob]

I disagree with basically every claim in this post.

you’d be wrong, but that’s ok too. You gave the OP your opinion, which is what he was looking for.

 

[Aftermath]

I think the guy to ask is @308pirate. He's the official unofficial expert of all things 1911 on Snipershide. He should get you ironed right straight out in short order.

 

[Potsy]

I once read that 40% of all 1911 “problems” can be cured with the use of good ammo (I roll my own), and good magazines (just buy the 47D’s and be done). I’m inclined to agree.
When your economy 230’s are clocking 620fps and your magazines have been around since Guadalcanal, you’re not setting yourself up for success.

 

[LuckyDuck]

Talk about a hornet's nest being kicked up- the lore of the 1911 is certainly strong and everyone that's bought into the siren call no doubt has very strong opinions that are neither right nor wrong essentially but based off of their own experiences/preferences and I'm not trying to dismiss anyone else's opinions but I for one am a big fan of the 1911 pistols and your budget of $2,200 puts you smack dab in the middle of so many amazing products. You can get a very high quality 1911 at near half of your budget but would you be able to expand what you're looking for so we're not making assumptions?

As an example, I reckon that many of the knowledgeable folks here might change their opinions whether you were looking for a 5" (Government Model), 4/4.25" (Commander/quasi Commander Model) or even a 3.5/3" (Officer Model). Heck even the caliber you were looking for would likely factor in. For me at least- I'd have to know that to make a respectable recommendation. To illustrate my point- I saw some recommendations being made for Les Baer. No doubt they have a very high quality product but just like anyone else- they have their own quirks especially with their build mentality of being 'hard fit' which isn't right or wrong but just... different I'd say. Some folks love them for that and seek them out for that reason alone and others avoid them for the same reason. If you look at the 1911 forums, there's a lot of grief & praise mentioned about their sub 5" models not being able to 'slingshot'. Now I don't know if that's still the case but recently at least, that was due to Les Baer using nonproprietary frames (again, not saying that there's anything wrong with that but just something to know about Les Baer's pistols to be aware of) and as I understand it so something that would play into what I'd recommend. Still a very high quality product by all means but if you were looking for something smaller than a 5" Government model, it's just something to be aware of and to talk about with the manufacturer before making your purchase.

Again at your budget- if you make a purchase towards the top end- from my experience what you'll gain, or should expect to at least is a higher quality of frame to slide fit (as compared to the $1-1.5K offerings) as well as, if nothing else, a significant reduction of MIM parts. Not saying that MIM parts wouldn't answer the mail for your purposes but something to be aware of is all for what you're putting the extra money towards. At that price range, you should also see an undercut with the trigger guard and also front strap checkering choices. Some folks offer different variations of that but the standard offerings I'm aware of is 20 LPI (typically used by Springfield) 25 LPI (most everyone else at that price point) and 30 LPI (Typical of Les Baer if my memory is still intact). That will make a heck of a lot more of a difference than FCS in my experience but regardless, I hope that illustrates my point and you gained something from that.

So long story short and not to dismiss anyone else's opinion- did you have an idea of what caliber, barrel length (full sized could mean 5" or longer in 2024 I suppose), or purpose you were hoping to achieve with your upcoming 1911 purchase? Last thing I'll say for this post- I don't think you can go wrong with either the TRP or Valor but rather suggest that once you buy into the 1911 affliction, you'd notice the differences much more strongly- like while I like the TRP personally, I'm not a big fan of the 20 LPI and while I think Dan Wesson is the best deal in town for the price point I'm also not a fan of the changes they made to the current Valor line lately (despite being a HUGE fan of their previous Valor model) and despite being a fanboy there- to be honest, the current DW Valor model doesn't offer the FCS either per your post BUT if you're ok with a rail, their 'Specialist' model does offer that and I believe that their 'Pointman" models do as well.

-LD

 

[308pirate]

I think the guy to ask is @308pirate. He's the official unofficial expert of all things 1911 on Snipershide. He should get you ironed right straight out in short order.

I give a grand total of zero fucks about 1911s or 2011s

 

[308pirate]

Looking to purchase my first 1911 pistol.

Don't waste your money

 

[Elnino31]

Whatever you do, stay the F away from Kimbers.

Had a TRP for years and they are an excellent choiice for the money. New ones have a facelift; but seem to be the same. Down to a Nighthawk now.

Honestly; rarely shoot 1911’s which is why I got rid of the TRP. But it seems like it’s a gun enthusiast’s responsibility to own at least one 1911