Choosing a 1911

Choosing a 1911

Please note, I am no longer selling firearms and I haven’t bought a 1911 for myself for a number of years. Quality control can vary considerably in a single manufacturer as time goes on and, as the 1911 is a proven design, QC is probably the single biggest factor in choosing a 1911. As an example, Colt was a premier 1911 manufacturer but there was a considerable period of time where I cringed whenever a customer insisted on a Colt as their quality control was so poor. It’s my understanding that Colt has tightened up their QC and are back to producing a good pistol- but that could change again.

Another huge consideration is price-point. If you spend enough money, you can get a quality 1911 however, it’s possible to spend less and get equal quality with a little shopping around. Some of the pricier brands are trading on name recognition and not quality.

Don’t worry too much about configuration. Get the frame and slide size you want and then you can have any of the smaller parts changed out to fit your needs/wants. Just remember to figure any customization into the cost. It may be more cost effective to get a slightly more expensive model that will require less customization. Bear in mind that many replacement parts will require fitting and, unless you really know what you’re doing, the services of a gunsmith to keep your weapon safe and reliable.

One of the benefits of the Internet is the plethora of product reviews available from end users. One of the problems is the sheer quantity of reviews and the variability of the sources. It can be difficult to sift through the sand for the diamonds but it’s still an excellent source of data. The thing to do is try to read a review and look for facts while ignoring opinion. I personally prefer negative reviews so that I can try to judge potential problems. Someone who’s never had a problem with their pistol may either be lucky or just not shot it enough although it’s still a valid data point. In negative reviews I try to determine whether the problem was user induced and how frequently it occurs with multiple users. I’m also interested in how the manufacturers handle problems- how’s their customer service.

I do not get overly concerned if I have problems with a new firearm; in fact I expect it. Many times, a good cleaning, a proper lubing, and a brief break-in period will cure new gun problems. If it’s anything more serious, well that’s what warranties are for. I’ve found that any of the major manufacturers will bend over backwards to make sure a pistol doesn’t get sent back a second time so I don’t get too worried unless it needs a second trip back to the factory.

In my opinion, all current 1911s are overpriced. You can get a Glock or XD for less money than most 1911s and mechanically they’re better pistols. But, my everyday carry gun is a 1911 so I have no problem with them and, if that’s what you want, go for it.

I don’t have experience with all the 1911 brands, especially the custom makers, so I’ll only mention the ones I have experience with or that other hard-use owners I trust have experienced.

Springfield Armory

Springfield is sort of my go-to brand. Both my current 1911s are Springfields. I think that at any given price point, the Springfield gives you good quality for the money. I also prefer the series 70 mechanism that Springfield uses. I lightly modified a Mil-Spec model for my primary carry gun simply because it was closest to the format I wanted. Their Loaded model is a good choice with most of the bells and whistles that people want. Springfield customer service is excellent.



Taurus

Taurus makes probably the least expensive 1911 I can recommend. Taurus quality is good and their warranty is outstanding. I own a Taurus 24/7 and I bought two Taurus revolvers for my dad. I’ve sold a lot of Taurus firearms and find them to be an excellent value. I don’t care for the firing pin safety as it adds unnecessary complexity to the mechanism but several manufacturers, including Colt, have something similar so it’s not a big deal. Taurus only offers full-sized 1911s but they do make a couple of models with the aluminum frame to save weight. I would absolutely replace the ambidextrous thumb safety (on any brand) as their construction makes them prone to breakage and the Taurus safety seems especially so. If I wanted to keep the ambi safety, I’d replace it with a Wilson or Ed Brown.



Smith and Wesson

Smith and Wesson is making excellent 1911s right now. I like the external extractor as it’s more durable and reliable and requires less tuning (like none) than the original.

Kimber

Kimber offers a lot of different models. I think their Raptor is particularly attractive. I do not recommend any 1911 with a barrel shorter than 4” (Commander length). The short barrels require a stiffer recoil spring and, because of the swinging link, the barrel comes down at a sharper angle than the longer models both of which compromise reliability. Not to mention a shorter barrel reduces velocity and sight radius while increasing muzzle blast. Avoid any Kimber with the external extractor; they did a poor engineering job on their version. Kimbers are a bit pricey for their quality as they’re trading on the name. Kimbers also tend to have breakage problems but their customer service is good. The Kimbers I’ve handled had a lot of sharp edges and would require a good de-horning.

Ed Brown

Expensive but very high quality.

Les Baer

Ditto.

Wilson

High quality but Wilson builds target guns. Their pistols are awfully tight for a fighting pistol. I also don’t care for the Group-Gripper in anything but a target gun and would swap it out immediately.

Colt

Like Kimber, they feel stamping “Colt” on a firearm increases the price. Their quality control has supposedly improved recently which would make them a solid piece but their customer service makes me nervous.

Rock Island

Avoid. Poor quality control and customer service. Some bad metallurgy.



Auto-Ordnance

Ditto.

Federal Ordnance

I don’t know if they’re even still in business. Pure crap. I felt bad for the guy who bought mine but I told him what the deal was.

Ruger

I love many of the Ruger designs and own lots of Rugers but their quality control sucks. The last three Ruger single actions I’ve purchased have all had moderate problems that I fixed myself. They haven’t had a new design in more than 20 years that didn’t require at least two factory recalls. Ruger had the absolute worst customer service of any major brand for many years. I understand they’ve improved recently but they’d have to as they sure couldn’t get any worse. I’ve got some real Ruger customer service horror stories both as a consumer and a retailer, albeit from several years ago. I will still buy the older Ruger designs but I figure on having to work on them myself. I don’t have any experience with their 1911.