I agree this would be a good place to start.How about a Springfield Range Officer. They can be found stickered new in the $700 range. (At least they could this past week end at a gun show in Atlanta).
While I have not yet shot mine, it apears to be an excellent made gun and has most of the bells and whistles you could want. If it shoots half as good as it looks I'll be happy. Fit and finish were excellent. Trigger break was right at 4.5 lbs with no pre or overtravel - it breaks clean.
Rob
$2500 1911's?
- Thread starter GaryO732
- Start date
Bullseye 2620
Member
Here's my $0.02. . .
It all depends what you want or need the pistol to do.
If you are shooting bullseye where 50-yard accuracy is critical to winning matches and where you need a pistol that will put 10 consecutive shots into a 2-inch circle at that distance, then you need a hand-built gun. To my knowledge, there are no production 1911s in .45 ACP that can do that. Actually, the best bullseye gunsmiths will build you a gun that will put 40 consecutive shots into a 2-inch circle at 50 yards.
It starts with the barrel. If the barrel won't hold a one-inch group at 50 yards, it is virtually impossible to build an entire pistol around that barrel that will hold 2 inches at that distance.
So, a good bullseye gunsmith will test a bunch of Bar-Sto or Kart barrels with a lot of ammo that produces known accuracy in a barrel fixture. The one(s) that will shoot an inch or less (10 shots) are then selected for the build. The others are either returned to the manufacturer or set aside for less demanding applications.
In the old days, improving the frame to slide fit was a function of peening the rails and squeezing the slide. But these days, the best guns are built from scratch using oversized Caspian frames and slides. These are machined for zero play, and the previously selected barrel fitted.
There's a lot more. The best bullseye gunsmiths touch every single part going into the gun, and often smooth, polish, fit, etc., every one of them, including the grip screws.
I could go on, but you get the picture: it takes a lot of experience, knowledge, and time to build a pistol that can do this, and do it every time, with reliable function. That's why the gun costs $2,000 or more.
Now, most people don't need that level of accuracy, and spending that kind of money if you don't is your business, but I wouldn't do it -- I'd spend the money on something else.
I've had bullseye 1911s built on Springfield and Colt assemblies, and they are both good. But nothing can, IMHO, beat a bullseye .45 built on a Caspian frame and slide by David Sams. Super accurate and reliable, and built so carefully that the gun will probably never shoot loose.
It has always amazed me, actually -- S&W produces a .22 and a .38 that can shoot this well (Models 41 and 52), but no one, it seems, have ever built a .45 that shoots this well as it comes from the factory.
Bullseye
It all depends what you want or need the pistol to do.
If you are shooting bullseye where 50-yard accuracy is critical to winning matches and where you need a pistol that will put 10 consecutive shots into a 2-inch circle at that distance, then you need a hand-built gun. To my knowledge, there are no production 1911s in .45 ACP that can do that. Actually, the best bullseye gunsmiths will build you a gun that will put 40 consecutive shots into a 2-inch circle at 50 yards.
It starts with the barrel. If the barrel won't hold a one-inch group at 50 yards, it is virtually impossible to build an entire pistol around that barrel that will hold 2 inches at that distance.
So, a good bullseye gunsmith will test a bunch of Bar-Sto or Kart barrels with a lot of ammo that produces known accuracy in a barrel fixture. The one(s) that will shoot an inch or less (10 shots) are then selected for the build. The others are either returned to the manufacturer or set aside for less demanding applications.
In the old days, improving the frame to slide fit was a function of peening the rails and squeezing the slide. But these days, the best guns are built from scratch using oversized Caspian frames and slides. These are machined for zero play, and the previously selected barrel fitted.
There's a lot more. The best bullseye gunsmiths touch every single part going into the gun, and often smooth, polish, fit, etc., every one of them, including the grip screws.
I could go on, but you get the picture: it takes a lot of experience, knowledge, and time to build a pistol that can do this, and do it every time, with reliable function. That's why the gun costs $2,000 or more.
Now, most people don't need that level of accuracy, and spending that kind of money if you don't is your business, but I wouldn't do it -- I'd spend the money on something else.
I've had bullseye 1911s built on Springfield and Colt assemblies, and they are both good. But nothing can, IMHO, beat a bullseye .45 built on a Caspian frame and slide by David Sams. Super accurate and reliable, and built so carefully that the gun will probably never shoot loose.
It has always amazed me, actually -- S&W produces a .22 and a .38 that can shoot this well (Models 41 and 52), but no one, it seems, have ever built a .45 that shoots this well as it comes from the factory.
Bullseye
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Factory quality is great these days, and most of the 1911s now come with what you need. The S&W 1911 and the current Colt 1991 are just fine as they come. I mention those as I think they are also the best investment in terms of being able to shoot and still get your money back later. If you want a pistol with a custom feel, but not the custom price, get the Colt Gunsite Pistol. These are new, available for a very reasonable price, and Colt makes a batch each year only for the Pro Shop at Gunsite, which is the only place to buy a new one. They had both blue and stainless in stock before Christmas. You can buy two for the price of one of the Ed Brown Special Forces pistols.
In my opinion, stay with 5 inch barrel, stay AWAY from full length guide rods and use Wilson 47D or McCormick Power Mags and you should be fine. With the stainless S&W, you would have to replace the full length guide rod with the standard two piece type. Good parts are available from Brownells or Midway and the parts are drop-in.
Get half a dozen mags, a few cases of 230 grain ball ammo, a couple of good holsters and you will be set for a long time.
Wee Hooker
Member
Just picked up a Sig 1911 Target on a whim to add to the stable. Under $1000 and VERY tight. Nothing special to look at but it might be the finest fit /smoothest action 1911 I've ever layed hands on. My gunsmith/dealer was impressed as well. Trigger is SWEET too. Worth looking at if your 1911 shopping on a medium budget.
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Don't look down your nose at a RIA (Rock Island Armory) built in the Philippines and marketed by Armscore. It's an all steel gun. I've had a compact model, Officers model size, for several years. I did add a beavertail grip safety and Millet sights, but that is all. It will shoot nearly as food as my Series 70 Gold Cup which has a Kart match barrel installed. I originally paid $300 for the RIA, and have maybe another $75 in parts in it. It has never failed to operate.
I have a Smith 1911 Target that I paid $750 for it brand new 5 years ago. Last spring I sent it back to smith to have the barrel crown cleaned up, breach ledge removed and the sights adjusted (It was shooting way high). Then while it was there I had the Performance Center do an action job on it too. They only charged me $96 and no shipping since it was sent for warranty work. They did a great job! Couldn't be happier, the gun shoots great. So with current prices with the gun and action job you would have about $1150 in a new Smith & Wesson 108284? I don't think thats bad. But I bought a Les Baer Concept III this summer and that 1911 is just awesome! $1800 and worth every penny!
