I live just a few miles from Dillon, and I got a 550B with complete quick-change tool heads for .40, .44, and , .45. I get all the .40 brass I can handle from work, but I am still in the process of squirreling away .44's and .45's from the range. Soon I hope to be assembling some .45's!

Stevie is right, auctions always seem to get the bidder's blood up and the prices along with it.

I worked in a pawn store as a young 'un fresh outta the Marines, and boy did I find great deals in there!

Cruise the local pawn stores, it takes time and effort but man can you score big!

A) Get to know the owners/workers at the local pawns, if you become a serious customer, they will call you when the good stuff shows up. I have found that pawn store owners rarely keep the good stuff for themselves; a successful pawn shop owner treats all goods as commodities.

B) You can haggle!

Even if you find a clapped out 1911, if you are handy with files and such you can refit a new barrel, bushings, trigger. Turn a cheap clapped out parts mule into a project pistol-fun!

One last tip: You have to really know a 1911 well and be able to do good function checks. Most pawn store workers know less than the knumb-skulls behind the gun store counters.... Make your offer accordingly (which is how you score a cheap project mule!)