Sidearms & Scatterguns How much would you pay for a custom 1911?

[Birddog6424]

Not my place to step in here, buy yourself a few 12-1600 guns, kimbers, springfields, etc.. then run the gauntlet on ammo, from the most expensive to the cheapest and see what feeds in them. Then buy a Wilson Combat, Les Baer, or Ed Brown, do the same thing. 30 minutes into these tests it will become apparent. Now let's talk outright accuracy.

Been there, done that, mostly. At least from a reliability and accuracy standpoint. I didn't try cheap ammo though. Why buy nice guns and shoot cheap ammo. I don't own any won't buy any, and never have any intention of ever having to use any. Life's too short to shoot cheap ammo.

I have three 1911's for < $1500 that have no discernible difference in accuracy and reliability to my Wilson CQB that I paid $3200 for. I also have a $3400 fully custom 6" 2011 in 9mm for 3 Gun. Same gig. Hella accurate and reliable, but so are my other 1911's.

My Kimber Pro Carry that is my concealed carry has never malfunctioned in it's life. Not one single round. Including my SD ammo ammo testing.

Sure, I love the Wilson, it's my go to for USPSA Single Stack, but I understand what it is and what it isn't.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

What would yall say are the best 1911/2011 barrels as far as accuracy? Kart? Bar Sto? Schuemann? KKM?
From everything Ive seen.. a lot of the top shooters prefer well-fitted Karts... but what say yall? Pretty sure Kart is about the only one using cut rifling... broach-cut rifling that is, not single point cut rifling like we see from the likes of Brux, Krieger, etc... but I could be wrong and theres possibly other pistol barrel makers out there using broach cut rifling?? AFAIK most are button rifled besides them.

 

[davere]

Pretty much any of the top level barrels should be good to go. I can't recall seeing many Kart barrels on USPSA ranges any time recently, but I do know they used to be pretty popular back in the single-stack 1911 days of the game. I seem to recall them being popular with the Bullseye crowd, too, but that might be erroneous.

I've had a couple of BarSto barrels, now, and they've been fantastic (.38 Super 2011 based raceguns, capable of shooting 1" at 50y all day long with good ammo). I have a BarSto made Apex Tactical barrel in my M&P, as well - it was a semi-drop-in barrel, and so is not match grade fit. It still holds sub-2" at 25y with anything I feed it. For the purpose of any of those pistols, the barrels in them are more than adequate. So, I'd probably default to BarSto, personally - but I've shot Schuemann barrels in the past with good results, and I know several folks running KKMs who are also having good results.

Don't forget about Nowlin, either - they use ECM to cut their rifling, so a different process, but it seems to be very effective for handgun barrels... at least, in their case. They have a solid reputation.

It's probably obvious - but the quality of fitment on a 1911 barrel can have a pretty detrimental effect on accuracy and/or reliability. So, pick the right gunsmith to do the work, for sure.

 

[MosesTheTank]

What would yall say are the best 1911/2011 barrels as far as accuracy? Kart? Bar Sto? Schuemann? KKM?
From everything Ive seen.. a lot of the top shooters prefer well-fitted Karts... but what say yall? Pretty sure Kart is about the only one using cut rifling... broach-cut rifling that is, not single point cut rifling like we see from the likes of Brux, Krieger, etc... but I could be wrong and theres possibly other pistol barrel makers out there using broach cut rifling?? AFAIK most are button rifled besides them.

Alzheimers Yote, KKM, Kart, Infinity... it like talking about Bartlein vs Brux, vs Rock Creek, etc... My Akai has a KKM and is approaching 20k rounds since I took receipt of it in Jan and it shoots 1" groups at 50 yards all day long. It's all about who is doing the fitting. I know you're near Atlanta so if you want to take mine for a spin hit me up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQr7VObXlPM

 

[Pusher591]

Never paid more then $1500 and that was for a TRP Operator. I never will pay anymore except for the new Wilson EDC X9. I will have one.

 

[surgeon260]

No way I would pay that for a 1911. My Springfield Pro cost me around $2200, and it is a hell of a nice gun. Can't imagine paying any more than that for a pistol.

 

[MakeSawdust]

I've had a similar experience with a Dan Wesson Valor as above. Racking the slide is very smooth and the accuracy and reliability is there. With a load plucked from the manual it will shoot around 3" at 50 yards, and I am a poor handgun shooter. I have just recently started worrying about loading accurate ammo for my handguns and haven't messed with anything in .45 yet. I am pretty anxious to see what kind of accuracy I can get with a better load. I paid $1500. I also had a Kimber Pro Carry that I was very unimpressed with and have since sold. It seems you can get a pretty nice 1911 in the $1500-$2000 range. If I were planning on using one as a duty or carry gun I would be willing to spend more for piece of mind that it is reliable, but, as was stated previously, there are better carry guns available for a lot less money. I currently carry an M&P. I paid less than $500 and I have never had a malfunction. It did have pretty bad accuracy issues when new, but that was fixed by having the local welding shop TIG the barrel hood and refitting it to the slide. It is now a 1.5 to 2 inch gun at 25 yards. Good enough for a carry gun.

Ultimately, it depends on how much scratch you have and how you prioritize your wants. I personally couldn't spend that much on a 1911, but if you have the money and really want it, go for it. Life is short, so you might as well enjoy it.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

MosesTheTank thanks for the offer sir! I definitely wanna link up with ya when I got some free time and get a better transportation situation worked out!
For those of yall with the experience.. how does a nice Browning Hi Power compare to a good 9mm 1911/2011 for accuracy? It certainly seems that 1911/2011's have a bigger aftermarket for match/target components and 'smiths than the Hi Power..

 

[MosesTheTank]

MosesTheTank thanks for the offer sir! I definitely wanna link up with ya when I got some free time and get a better transportation situation worked out!
For those of yall with the experience.. how does a nice Browning Hi Power compare to a good 9mm 1911/2011 for accuracy? It certainly seems that 1911/2011's have a bigger aftermarket for match/target components and 'smiths than the Hi Power..

There is no issue with Hi Power accuracy, as long as the barrel and fit are good. They are among my favorite pistols, and is in some ways considered an improvement on the 1911. It's a great double stack 9mm. They are different guns. You need at least one 2011, a few 1911s (full size, commander..), and a Hi Power. That's a minimum, of course.

 

[spaniel]

People quoting custom rifle prices for an iron sighted pistol...I don't get it. I've got a $1100 Kimber and a $600 Rock Island, both shoot groups as small as I can shoot them and are reliable. Yes, I had to change out some parts on the Rock to get it the way I wanted it. Maybe $50. If I wanted a serious 1911 I'd just build it myself. If I can routinely build 1/3 MOA rifles with barrel nuts and bedding my own stocks I'm sure I can handle it where the accuracy requirements are much less important.

 

[Marine24]

I'm a fan of semi-custom/custom 1911s. It is like fine optics. Once you've experienced quality glass, it is hard to go back. Production 1911s, particularly Dan Wesson, have come a long way in frame to slide fit, trigger and barrel quality, so the difference between a semi-custom/custom and a production 1911 is not as significant as it once was. A Sig 1911 is another solid pistol despite the external extractor.

If I put my Volkmann Signature next to my Dan Wesson, the differences are apparent. Fitting of the parts, finish and basic build quality is better in my Volkmann. Is it any more reliable or accurate? Not really but to me it is worth the price difference between the two.

 

[Pfiddy]

I own 2 infinties and I don’t regret what they’ve cost me. They are beautiful and very functional. I don’t worry I won’t be able to get my money back out of them if I need to. It all depends on what you like. People here don’t bat an eye at dropping 5k on a custom rifle, what’s the difference?

 

[davere]

If I can routinely build 1/3 MOA rifles with barrel nuts and bedding my own stocks I'm sure I can handle it where the accuracy requirements are much less important.

I think most people who are fairly handy mechanically could build a serviceable 1911. There's a lot more to it to than bedding a stock or fitting a barrel using a barrel nut, though - and making one that shoots 2 MOA and is still mechanically reliable requires skill and knowledge of the platform that you generally don't get by watching YouTube videos, etc (and I'm including things like not shearing lugs due to timing or fit problems in the mechanical reliability category). But, as long as we're not talking about a compensated gun, a good chunk of what you're really paying for with a high end 1911 - besides the name - is the quality of metal finishing, and overall quality of fitment.

To really do it right, and build a tight gun that runs, and will do so accurately for a long, long time - and then doesn't have tool marks all over it, and all the lines are straight and clean, etc - that takes time, skill, and knowledge, plus access to a mill. And, you can bet, a whole lot of fucked up parts to get there.

 

[MTRecon]

$1700.00

I know someone in my area in the business and specified what I wanted with what parts and had it built to my specs.

Stainless Caspian slide and receiver, Kart barrel, flat trigger, Sti adjustable rear sight, front strap checkering and mag well.

Cut off the first inch of the slide and used it to build a comp and set the trigger at 1.5 pounds.

Shoots half inch c to c @ 25 yards from a rest.

 

[308pirate]

First of all, I do not like 1911s. AT ALL. So my personal answer is $0 for a custom 1911.

Second of all, there is no handgun (any handgun) that is worth $7500 to me.