Very Important!!
If the frame is stamped "West Hurley New York" avoid it (made by Numrich Gun Parts). If the frame is stamped "Worcester MA" i've heard they are good pistols (made by Kahr Arms). I have personal experiance with a Numrich M1911 that was pitiful.
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This, times however many hundreds of dollars you intend to spend.
My only AO was a West Hurley, NY pistol, bought it in the late 1980's. It was the least expensive 1911 available at the time and all the gun magazine writers raved about its high quality, reliability, and accuracy. They either received a hand built example or they fudged their reports. Mine was unreliable, inaccurate, horrible trigger and made of some surplus parts plus a whole lot of cast steel parts, including the slide. Even the barrel was odd, with 7 lands and grooves and the exterior surface had an odd, cast steel looking surface. I turned it into my experimental/learning 1911.
Those made today in Worechester, MA are made by Kahr Arms. They still use a cast steel receiver, and there is nothing wrong with that, but Karh uses billet machined slides, which are durable and far, far better than the cast steel slides on the West Hurley AO pistols.
If you are serious about an AO 1911, avoid the West Hurley pistols like the plague.
