I have had a Star PD (25 oz.)for many years.

I have wanted to buy a 5 inch barrel 1911 for a long time.

Which one of these 3 pistols would you buy and why?

Auto Ordnance 1911A1 (39 oz.)
Ruger SR1911 (39 oz.)

Smith & Wesson 4506-1 (41.6 oz.)
Smith & Wesson 4506-2
Smith & Wesson 4506-3

What are the differences in these 3 versions of the S&W 4506?

What were the 20 design changes made between the 4506 and 4506-1.

What other 1911 would you recommend considering and why?

If I were to buy a 1911 today, I'd get a Remington. They're reasonably priced and Remington is a well established company.

Some of the others are made in the Phillippines and their quality control isn't that great.

The 45xx series is not really a 1911. No big deal, unless you decide to shoot in competition.

Well the S&W are not 1911. However all things being equal I'd go with the 4506-1 (I just picked the -1) over a 1911. They don't require tinkering or tuning. The 4506 is made only by S&W and no one else. The 1911 is made by just about every one with different quality parts and different dimensions. Essentially it's their interpretation of the original 1911.

If I were to go with a 1911 that is not a $2k gun it would be Springfield, Colt, Dan Wesson. Excellent quality for a good price

The three S&Ws you list are not Model 1911s. I do have a stock S&W M1911 and this is a fine pistol and feeds everything I give it including semi-wadcutters.

M 1911s are all over the ballpark price wise. It depends on your anticipated needs. I would not hesitate to use my 1911 for SD purposes even though there are flavors out there many times more expensive and theoretically better.

I have the Ruger Commander and love it. The Commander model seems to fit me a tad bit better than the Govt Model.

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Frosty
S&WCA # 2816

The S&W 4563 & 4566 are similar in size to the Commander.

I shot expert with the Model 1911A when I was in the US Army. I was on the Oklahoma Governor's Twenty (top twenty law enforcement pistol shooters) many years ago.

I haven't shot a pistol at shooting range in a very long time.

Tell me about the Model 1911 competitions.

Coon-finger a Springfield MC Operator. Almost every thing I'd want on one right out of the box.

My first choice for a 1911 is a Colt.

If I couldn't get a Colt, I'd save my money until I could afford one.

There are lots of knockoff 1911's, and most work well but often have features I dislike such as plastic parts, full length guide rods and external extractors.

Of the knockoff's, I think the old Noronco is probably the best for the money. Although Clinton ended their import, used ones are often available at very reasonable prices.

Just my opinion, of course.

I have one Ruger Commander and two Remington 1911s.

All three have good accuracy potential. You just have to find the right load. All have excellent sights.

Ruger customer service is the best in the world if you have problems. The Rugers are well built and well thought out.

The Remingtons are well made and currently found very cheap.

I would pass on the Auto Ordnance 1911A1. I have the GI version and like it and its accuracy but it has the standard GI sights which challenge my old eyes. But..****ger and Remington will be "combat" ready out of the box and will have good customer service.

I know nothing about the S&Ws.

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Have guns...will shoot'em.

It depends on your needs/wants and budget. Nothing against the S & W 4500 series guns but if you are familiar with and prefer the 1911 pattern gun you should stick with one of those. Of the two you list I would go for the Ruger, but others include:

The S & W version, the Springfield Range Officer (adjustable sight), the current Colt GM, and a bunch of others.

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

I have a new #1 contender.

You can't go wrong with one of the many Springfield Armory 1911's. You can get anything from a basic pistol, like the MilSpec to a custom pistol and just about anything in between. Many folks like the Range Officer for the value.

SA have forged frames and they back them up. Colt hasn't impressed me in many years. I wouldn't buy anything Remington right now. I'm a Kahr fan, but I wouldn't buy an Auto Ordnance anything.

I never shot my 1911 in competition but remember a friend telling me several years ago that (at that time) S&W 45's could not be shot in 1911 competitions. This was before they started making 1911's.
I had a Norinco 1911 and it worked well for me. My friend, a retired LEO, told me Norinco had a problem with their heat treating process. But, like I mentioned above, mine worked just fine.

I'm curious. Why not?

Other than just wanting one, do you have any specific purpose in mind for the pistol?

Keep in mind that a full size 5-inch 1911 is a big gun, and if you get all steel, it's fairly heavy when fully loaded, and definitely isn't the easiest pistol to carry concealed.

Having said that, my personal choice isn't among those you listed.

My primary full size 1911 is a Colt Series 70 Mark IV in stainless steel. No fancy sights. No pretty doodads. Oh, and absolutely no rail.

The Colt is the granddaddy of all the wannabe clones. That's a fact that no one can deny. It's said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and all the lookalikes spring from the original design. Each and every one of them from the cheapest to the most expensive carries some of the DNA from the original. The design is timeless. It's dependable, accurate, extremely sturdy, and the Colt 1911 is probably the finest, if not the finest, combat pistol ever made.

I'm a fan of the Ruger SR1911. I have one and it shot like a champ out of the box. After a few thousand rounds, I decided to make small upgrades (got rid of all the black parts) and smoothed out the trigger. It is one of my favorites at this point.

Another option is any of the sig 1911. Any one is a good value for the money.

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God, country, family.

The 1911 has a natural point of aim and all that weight helps reduce felt recoil.

It is really hard to go wrong with just about any name brand of 1911, it is really just a matter of features (weight, sights, etc.) and how much you want to pay. I like Kimbers, but that's just me. If price is an issue, the Rock Island Armory pistols have proven themselves as a lot of bang for the buck.

I too would stay away from Auto Ordnance 1911's. In the past, they were always known as being problematic, though that may have changed. Several people have questioned Remington 1911's, as Remington QC has slipped in recent years, though just about everything I have heard about their 1911's is positive.

Here is a link with lots of info, and some guns to drool over..

https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/...1-addicts.511/

Larry

You are 100% correct. A Colt is your best bet.

I have two Colt 1991A1 "GI"-type pistols in .45 ACP. Both are "matte black" and both function flawlessly. One has a stainless Wilson Combat barrel, the other one is stock. You can find 1991A1s for sale at reasonable prices on the internet or at gun shows.

Mine look like this one:

http://picturearchive.gunauction.com...thumbnail0.jpg



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STI makes some very good 1911's

I have a STI Edge and it has been a pleasure to shoot.
They are kind of pricey in the $2000 dollar range.



I also have a Remington R1 Enhanced. It's a solid 1911 at a pretty good price. $800-$900 dollar range.



Another really good 1911 is the Springfield Armory TRP.

It's a very nice 1911 for around $1500-$2000.
Here is my Springfield 1911 TRP Operator Full Rail.

I think the Colt 1991A1 Series 80 is out.

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

Why? It's easy to remove the firing-pin safety.




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That's very true, and I agree. I was just mentioning a few things like size, weight, and concealibility that some people (not me) might consider to be negative factors.

The only drawback of the Colt 1911 for me is the fact that I can't afford to buy every one of 'em I want.

Shouldn't be hard to do. I've never seen one at an LGS or a show. I've asked at LGSs if they ever stock them or order them. They just shake their heads no. It's almost a roll-their-eyes kind of thing, like how could I be so stupid as to even ask. Matter of fact, the only place I've even seen one is on the Internet. Right now, I wouldn't touch one, especially if it came out of the Para shop.

But now I hear that Kahr Arms has redesigned them (whatever that means) and quality may be better. So who knows.

The only thing I like about them is that they look authentically G.I.

I'd have to go with one of the 4506's. I love those 3rd gen S&W's.

I think I may be biased in my recommendation

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I've bought most of them because the price was right at the time, and there was money in my pocket. My choices would be:

#1 S&W target match stainless steel with adjustable sights, Mine is an early production model.

#2 Rock Island (Phillipines) target match with adjustable sights.

#3 Remington R1 with fixed sights

There are 3 Colt Gold Cups (2 series 70, 1 series 80 stainless), 3 Para Ordnance (all double stack), Colt gov model, 2 custom match built target guns, Springfield series 70 so I suffer from variety and diversity. There is nothing special about a Colt 1911 compared to other manufacturers other than the horse stamp.

I owned 1 S&W non-1911 45 acp semi and sold it after owning for about 7 months, -- glad to see it go to a new home .

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S&WHF 366

When I decided to buy a 1911, one of my requirements was it had to be Made in the USA! When I did my research (and I did A LOT of research), I finally decided on the Ruger SR1911 FS 5" (no commander version at the time).

I cannot say enough good things about this 1911! Accurate right out of the box. I have not had ANY issues with feed/function/reliability. It shoots anything I run through it - 185 & 200 gr. Lead SWC, 200 gr. Lead RNFP, 230 Gr. Lead RN, 230 gr. plated & jacketed FMJ. Factory ball from every manufacturer. It doesn't seem to make any difference, everything shoots accurately through this pistol!

Prices have been coming down on these as of lately. I paid $680 + 7% tax. I have seen them as low as $630 for either model. All I'm waiting for is Ruger to offer it in 9mm!

Like Fishinfool, I like the Kimber. I have a Pro Carry 2 that I have had for 4 or 5 years. Never a misfeed, failure to eject, or failure to return to battery (maybe I got the good one...). It is Commander sized, with an alloy frame and stainless steel slide. I replaced the main spring housing with an SS arched housing because the flat housings are not comfortable to me, and I removed the Schwartz safety. It came with Meprolite night sights, and I am quite happy with it. Previously, I have had a Springfield GI, which got stolen, a Charles Daily - can't beat the price; I was offered much more for it than I had paid for it so sayonara, and a Colt Combat Commander, which my wife commandeered. Seems like 1911's are a family affair.

Springfield or Sig Sauer . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

The quality of products out of Colt in the last few years has been absolutely outstanding. The biggest problem is in finding a new one, but the distributors seem to have them now in both blue and stainless.

I think you will not go wrong buying a Colt 1911. You will likely always get your money back. The Ruger SR1911 is nice, as is the S&W 1911.

I have an inexpensive Philippines manufactured 1911 which is surprisingly good. Got lucky because I've handled a few more that didn't impress me. My Springfield .45 Range Officer has been a wonderful pistol. Not one gun related jam and it is accurate, well fitted and well finished. S&W makes a darned fine 1911 too. The more modern external extractor design has a lot going for it. Sig uses the external extractor too.

The 4506 is a great pistol, however with its double action trigger, bushing-less barrel and magazine disconnect, it is hardly a 1911.

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Virtue,Liberty & Independence

Is the Star PD considered a 1911?

What do you want to do with the gun? I bought a Rock Island because they were inexpensive and got some good reviews. I wanted a gun I could take apart a play with the internals and if I screwed it up I wouldn't be out big bucks. I have had way more than $430 buck worth of fun with it and it shoots great and is very reliable.

Colt IV series 70. Function, reliabilty, fit, finish
done

My vote is the Ruger sr1911. Its all steel, based on the model 70 with no block and 100% made in America. Theyre going for at or under $650 now so you could upgrade all the parts and still be at $1k. My next choice would be a DW cbob. That would be my first choice, but theyre not as common these days and you can have the same work done to the Ruger for the price of a used one.

Lots of good responses here - there was another recent 1911 thread where i typed up a longish and detailed response, but for summary's sake

For a "budget/entry level" 1911 I don't think you can beat the Ruger or the S&W 108482. Both should be close in price, with the Ruger as low as $599 at times but normally around $650, and the S&W in the high 600/low 700's. I'd take either over a SA Range Officer (unless I could find a US serial) or Loaded. And I would choose the S&W over the Ruger, but that's personal preference.

Next, in the $1000-$1200 more or less range I would be looking at the S&W TA if I wanted a rail, or a PC model, the Springfield TRP, or the Wesson Heritage.

Nothing wrong with a Colt of course, I recently almost purchased a Combat Elite, but went with a S&W TA instead. Some with say Colt or nothing, but I'm not one of those guys. If dead set on getting a Colt, I would look at the 70 series as somebody already posted... again just my preference.

No.

The web site needs more letters.

I'm not sure why a simple answer to a simple question requires a dissertation, but I don't make the rules.

Is that enough?

If it isn't a U. S. military contract pistol then it's Colts here. Colt .45 automatics have given complete satisfaction for many years and are most gratifying to own. I recommend 'em.

In addition to this freshly minted one from 2014, a 1979 Gold Cup, 1947 Government Model, and 1918 Model of 1911 live here. A pre-1911 .45 Automatic in the form of a Colt Model 1905 sneaked into the group photo of .45 ACP guns taken a couple years back. The "off brand" 1911A1 pistol is a Remington Rand.

1. Springfield Armory Range Officer.
2. Ruger 1911R1
3. Colt Gold Cup

For the bucks, the RO is far and away the best bet for you $$.

To this I'd have to wholeheartedly agree. My son has had a Rock Island for 6 years now and it's a honey of a pistol. Decent trigger right out of the box and well-mannered.

A few following periods usually does the trick.

No ... ...

I started pistolsmithing (mainly just parts swapping) on 1911s in 1960. They were all surplus Colts at that time. Later when I started custom work on 1911s my mentor told me I would be money ahead to never work on anything that didn't have "Colt" on the side of it. I pretty much stuck to that until there was so much potential business in Springfields and Para Ordinance that I branched out. I even worked on Randalls and they were the biggest pain in the rear going. Now that I'm retired I just buy what is cheap and needs some TLC. I can vouch for the previously stated recommendation for the RIA handguns out of the Philippines. I think that they are every much a good as the Colt 70s and 80s that I spent so much time on and are probably a better handgun than the 90s. I have customized Kimbers and have watched them have quality problems which now seems to be a thing of the past. All mass produced products such as handguns can have "fit" problems because of "stacking of tolerances". The machining of a 1911 design is not simple and any of the currently produced versions can have a problem in 'fit'. My recommendation is to buy what you like; shoot it 250 to 300 shots with it being sort of light on lube; and take it to a good 1911 Pistolsmith for some TLC. I have never seen one that couldn't benefit from a tuning at that stage for the resulting in better accuracy and/or reliability. ........... Big Cholla

I have a 70 series Colt Gold Cup and it's a great shooter.

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John

Their quality isn't what it used to be. Also, why would you pay the same price or more for a Remington 1911 that has a cast frame?

a friend makes precision barrels for 1911s and has fitted every conceivable make of 1911 in his lifetime. He told me years ago to either buy a Colt or a Springfield, both of which have forged frames.

I have four Colt 1911s. The two that I shoot are a Series 70 Gold Cup and a Series 80 Combat Elite. They are fine pistols and I like them both as they are accurate and reliable. However, that being said, the .45 that I enjoy shooting the most is a S&W 4506 no dash with fixed sights. I prefer the DA of the 4506 and I like having a decocker. My accuracy is better with the Smith than with the Colts.

I guess I'll throw my hat in the ring on this one……the first 1911 I bought was a Kimber……nice gun, very accurate, never had any issues with it, also have a Sig……same as above……but my favorite is my Ed Brown……super nice fit and finish, more accurate than I can shoot……not a top of theline 1911, but not cheap either….a beautiful gun.

Semper Fi!