Best 1911 in 9mm?

[C Squared]

Admittedly, I'm a wheelgun guy first and foremost. First gun ever was a 629 S&W .44. Learned to shoot and learned to reload with it. This was 30 years ago. Since then I've shot and owned a number of different pistols and rifles including several 1911 style pistols.

Fast forward to now. My EDC is a 3" 66 or a S&W Shield. My blown up up back dictates long days I will be carrying the shield. I no longer own the 629, Lupus and getting old aren't conducive to shooting heavy magnum pistols. My favorite gun these days is my Browning Buckmark.

My wife has also become more active in shooting. She generally shoots better then me. My CZ is her favorite.

Been missing a 1911 style pistol. It's a classic platform that fits good in the hand, balances well, looks good, and usually GREAT triggers.

As a working class dude, cost of ammo comes into play. As a beat up broken old man recoil comes into play. So a 1911 in 9mm seems like the better way to go for me. Every flavor imaginable in .45 has popped up the last 3 weeks I've been looking. 9mm, not so much. My wife likes the size and weight of the Springfield Armory LW RO (officer frame, 4" barrel), personally I would prefer a full size. Ideally I would love something with a checkered or grooved front strap, Novak style sights, and I'm really not a fan of classic "commanders". Full frame with the shorter barrel just never felt right or balanced right for me. I would also prefer something black, blue, parked. Not a fan of SS on a 1911.

 

[rickflst]

I am looking at a fullsize 9mm 1911 myself. So far I am thinking a Colt 70 Competition. I have looked at the Springfield RO too. Both guns look and feel great. I will pull the trigger beginning of Feb and right now I am leaning to a Colt. Unfortunately I live in MA and what we can buy is really restricted. I am sure if I lived in a free state I would be looking at others. I currently own a RIA in 45ACP GI model I love that gun. Reliable and way more accurate than I am. Look around ans check them out in the gun stores.

 

[Breakaway500]

I've been looking for my first 1911,,actually my second. I had an oldie but sold it years ago. My local gun shop has a bunch of 1911s, as he is a 1911 guy. The one that I keep handling over and over is a Springfield Armory Range Officer in 9mm.(full size,not the compact) The slide feels like it is on ball bearings and the trigger breaks crisp at 4lbs. Very nice sights and seems well made. Out the door under $800..so priced well. Made in the USA. Next time in it may just leave with me...

 

[rd97]

I have had three that were very good shooters STI Trojan,Springfield RO, and Rock Island Armory. Shot the RIA several years in IDPA with no hiccups or modifications. Actually had two of them and both were flawless. The Trojan is pricey but is still going strong. The Ruger was a 4" and very light and easy to carry. None of these 1911's had any issues. I still have the RO Compact 9mm and love it.

 

[joeintexas]

If money is at all an issue look into the Rock Island Armory 1911. Certainly not the fit and finish of a more expensive 9mm but most surely a fine shooter. I have owned several 1911 45s over the years but this is my first 9mm in that platform. It is easier on the old hands. Good luck with your choice.

 

[824tsv]

Colt Competition Model 9mm

I've posted this many times. I now have over 3K rounds through this pistol. It's still my favourite, still tight, still very accurate. There is nothing not to like about it. Listed at Bud's for $822 for blued, $912 for stainless.

 

[trashy]

I've posted this many times. I now have over 3K rounds through this pistol. It's still my favourite, still tight, still very accurate. There is nothing not to like about it. Listed at Bud's for $822 for blued, $912 for stainless.

Thanks 824tsv for the info as I was about to answer the OP with the suggestion of the Colt Competition also. I'm in the market for a 9mm 1911 and am looking at the Competition and possibly the GCNM in 9 to go with my GCNM in 45.

Z Squared, I've heard only good things about the Colt Competition, may be what your looking for. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Collo Rosso]

There's lots of good 1911's on the market now. I think you'd be hard pressed to find a bad one. Even the cheapest Rock Island's are great shooters.
I bought a Springfield R.O. (full sized, parkerized) in 9mm for IDPA matches. Added a Dawson F.O. front sight, Ed Brown MSH with magwell and a little trigger work. It's my favorite 1911! Just a great shooter. For the front strap I added a Talon grip strip. Works great, much cheaper than having the frame checkered and they seem to last forever.

 

[Wee Hooker]

I've currently got a 5" , 9mm, 1911 from S&W ( Pro), Rock Island (Ultra), Sig (Match Elite) and Springfield Armory (Range Officer). My opinion based on ownership of these pistols?
For the $600 is price tag, it's hard to find fault with the Rock Island Ultra. It has all the bells and whistles and runs reliably. It can be a bit mag sensitive though.
From there, I'd put the SA and Sig as neck and neck favorites. Fit and finish are outstanding on mine. Both run flawlessly. I'd be hard pressed to choose between them. Both are favorites at the range.

Lastly, the S&W Po series is very nicely done but to be honest, leaves me luke warm for some reason. Personally, I can't justify the cost delta over the others based on fit,finish or performance.

IMHO, as long as you buy recent production in any of the major brands, you'll be satisfied. CNC production methods today make it hard to find a bad one.
hth
ps. We sell the Colt flavored 9mm 1911's at the shop I help out at. I've handled them often but have so far resist the "need" for another.

 

[Farmer17]

I was thinking about the same gun for myself and ran into a Browning High Power with five magazines for $450. I love the Browning and shoot it better than any gun I own but I also love my Rock Island Commander .45acp. It just seems like the 1911 and .45 go together like bacon and eggs.

 

[tndrfttom]

I have several 1911 Government Models (all .45 Colts) but when I thought I needed a 9mm Government Model I went with the Rock Island also. Its been flawless with the exception of the factory magazine wouldn't always hold the slide open on the last shot. With the money I saved on the Rock Island I was able to buy a bunch of good after-market 9mm magazines. I'm sure there are a lot of great high-end Government Model 9mm pistols out there but this one has served me well.

 

[Kurusu]

Depends of the intended use.

For paper punching only this one serves me better than most.

 

[epj]

My vote is the STI Trojan. I even have a spare one that’s about to get listed in the classified section as soon as I get some pictures of it.

 

[bengal fan]

I realize this one only fills your request list as being a 9mm, but this Dan Wesson PM9 is the most accurate 9mm I’ve ever shot. I also agree with others the Trojans are fantastic guns too.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BE Mike]

I have some Colts and Springfield Armory 1911's. Mine are in .45 ACP. I think if I were going to pull the trigger on a 1911 today, I'd get one with the external extractor, like those from S&W and Sig.

 

[scooter123]

For the Price, Features, and Accuracy I don't think you will find anything better than the Ruger SR1911 in 9mm. BTW, I am a bit biased because I have 3 of the SR1911 in 45 ACP and one in 9mm. All 4 feature a trigger that breaks right at 4.5 with just a tiny bit of sear creep that won't be noticed unless you specifically test for it. Price if you shop around is typically between 675 and 725 dollars. I paid 699 for my 9mm.

As for accuracy, it's a handgun and I shoot it like I would shoot a handgun for Defense. This means I am typically in the 4-5 inch group size range at 10 yards with a .28 second split time. If I really concentrate and try to shoot as precisely as possible I can usually get groups in the 2 or smaller inch range at 15 yards but I find that style of shooting exceedingly BORING. Basically it is accurate enough for any real world use for a handgun.

Function. With Wilson Combat 10 round magazines I have not had one single failure and at this point I've probably put well over 2000 rounds down range. With the Ruger magazines provided with the pistol it's a Jam-O-Matic. The Ruger magazine features feed lips about 0.05 inch shorter than those on the Wilson Combat and the result is HUGE problems with Double Feeds. So, use load the Ruger magazines with some snap caps and stock up on Wilson Combat magazines for actual live fire. I know, Wilson Combat magazines aren't cheap, however I can state with certainty they are worth every single dollar you pay for them.

Recoil. Granted my 9mm reloads are a bit on the mild side but shooting a 9mm in a 1911 almost feels like shooting a 22. Muzzle flip is minimal and for me a 1911 falls back onto target almost automatically. So it's the perfect pistol for practicing double taps and target transition shooting. The slide on the 9mm is also very lightly sprung so it's no effort at all to cycle and a simply thumb and forefinger pinch doesn't cause me any pain at all in my arthritic thumbs.

As for the grip, no the front strap isn't checkered. Frankly I have NEVER understood why some many consider a checkered front strap so essential on a 1911. However the grip size for my hand size is absolute perfection so I've never found them difficult to control. Perhaps those with larger or smaller hands actually need checkered front straps.

One thing I do NOT like at all is serrated triggers so on my handguns any one that featured a serrated trigger had that trigger replaced or the serrations polished down to produced flats about 1/32 inch wide. Good news with the Ruger SR1911 is they all are a "series 70" design so removing the trigger is very simple. If fact fully detail stripping a "series 70" is so simple that with a bit of practice a full detail strip to loose parts and back to a fully assembled pistol can be done in under 15 minutes without any rushing. Hats off to John Browning for a wonderful design.

 

[bobbyd]

I have four...Metro Arms, Springfield Range Officer, S&W Pro and new Ruger Target. (As well as a few Browning High Powers.)
The one that I use the most is the RangeOfficer. Great blend of price and performance and very accurate!

 

[Kiwi cop]

My favourite pistol right now is my Kimber Stainless II 9mm. It came with a good trigger in the box and the sights were well regulated, just needing some minor adjustments. I believe there is a fixed sight variant too.

It is certainly a bit more “controllable” than my Springfield Armoury .45 especially in double taps. It is accurate enough that I can hit a 10” steel disk at 50 meters 2 out of 3 shots, so long as I do my part

In looking for a backup pistol to it for competition use I have seriously considered the 9mm version of my Norinco Ranger 1911. They are what I would call “clunky” with oversized internal parts in need of a good polish. In fact I was surprised when I noticed the depth of the banner hooks at well over .020 when the Kimber’s were almost right on that depth. Sights are a bit basic and not Novak’s but reasonable never the less.

As for front strap gripability, a small piece of skateboard tape works just as well as checkering.

 

[C Squared]

So today I found a Springfield LW Compact model used for a very nice price. Came with 4 mags, holster dbl mag pouch etc. No idiot mark and CRISP trigger. Just got back from the range and very happy. 200rds. Ni hiccups, all mags functioned perfectly, and once I got used to the sights and the trigger maintained consistent 5 shot groups under 2" at 10 yards. Almost went for a SIG, but checked two more stores and found this.