"Best" 45 ACP maker?

About all you can do here is choose the most popular. Best is a subjective term. Go over to the 1911 forum and check out how many people are on each individual sub forum. Kimber, Colt and Springfield get the most hits. Colt has a slow repair turn around but they build a good product. Springfield has excellent, fast, service. Kimber, I don't know what they have but people like them.

Good place to start, anyway.

Polymer? They're all the same. Cheap thrills.

Thanks for your service and good luck. It's deep.
 
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Waywatcher said:
.45 ACP literally means Automatic Colt Pistol. Technically it refers to the 1911 pattern Colt. It's actually a misnomer to apply the ACP term to the cartridge--that is properly referred to as .45 Auto according to SAAMI and CIP.
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If "45 ACP" is a gun, and not a cartridge, then it would only refer to an "Automatic COLT Pistol", and and Springfield, Kimber, Baer, SIG, Ruger, RIA, et al, are not "45 ACP", since they are NOT Colts.

45 ACP is a cartridge. Just as 32 ACP, 308 Winchester, 38 Smith and Wesson, and 327 Federal are cartridges.
 
Alpo said:
If "45 ACP" is a gun, and not a cartridge, then it would only refer to an "Automatic COLT Pistol", and and Springfield, Kimber, Baer, SIG, Ruger, RIA, et al, are not "45 ACP", since they are NOT Colts.
Click to expand...

They are chambered in .45 Auto. As is the Colt. The barrel hood on a Colt shows this, SAAMI shows this, CIP shows this, and reloading manuals show this. :) It's a popular and prevalent misconception.
 
The description of cartridges changes over time and .45 Auto is sometimes called .45 ACP.

I have a book "Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers" written in 1935 by then Major Julian S. Hatcher, Ordinance Department, U. S. Army. He referred to the cartridge as ".45 Automatic Colt". He also referred to the pistol as "Colt Automatic Pistol, Government Model". The Army referred to the pistol as "Model of 1911". This is what is stamped on the original Army Pistols. Over the years, the pistols have been stamped differently such as "M1911A1".

Some people use different names for the .45 Colt which is sometime referred incorrectly as the .45 Long Colt.

Also see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.45_ACP
 
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Waywatcher said:
In your wiki link, did you notice what the official designation of the cartridge, according to CIP and SAAMI, was? ;)
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I did. My point was that different folks use different designations.

I updated my quote with a link to S&W and they use .45 ACP.

Also from the Wiki:
"The cartridge/pistol combination was quite successful but not satisfactory for U.S. military purposes. Over the next few years a series of improved designs were offered, culminating in the adoption in 1911 of the "Cal. .45 Automatic Pistol Ball Cartridge, Model of 1911", a 1.273 in (32.3 mm) long round with a bullet weight of 230 grains."
 
Glock Misconfusion

Glock does not mention competing brands on their guns, like the rest of the world.
.357 Auto rather than .357 SIG
.380 Auto instead of .380 ACP
.40 instead of .40 S&W
.45 Auto instead of .45 ACP
9X19 instead of 9mm Luger

The exception is their proprietary cartridge, the .45 GAP.

Talk about a stuffy firm? Great product, backward public relations.
No free advertising for the competition.
 
Just as we pay a higher cost doesn't mean it's the best.

I purchased a new '04 Auto-Ordnance Army WW-2 copy right out of the box it functioned the way a dependable 1911 should and it's manufactured in Wooster,Mass.

I was torn at the same time between the Springfield Armory GI Mil-Spec as it was called so a few days later I purchased it. At home I noticed its manufactured in Brazil. It has a key start too. Again this one functioned right out of the box flawlessly.

I'm impressed with both 1911's functioning right out of the box. The new A-O has a investment casted 4140 steel frame and the new SA is a forged frame and slide. I have 500+ rounds through the new A0 with no noticeable signs of frame rail wear yet. The new AO was $389 and the new SA was $424 in '04.

Now I purchased a Chinese norinco 1911a1 for $300 used. The barrel bushing was loose in the slide more so than the barrel. This was going to be my first project 1911, hands on built by me. I purchased a usgi surplus 1911 barrel from sportsmansguide for $59, a national match IAI barrel bushing from CDNN, a two piece full length guide rod kit from sportsmanguide for $9 on clearance and the IAI full wrap around rubber grips from cdnn. I did all the barrel and bushing fitting. She now at 25yards shoot a clusters with clover leads at 25 yards hand held. No matter who shoots it. It's that good. In using Russian wolf 45acp ball ammo in it so far.
I wanted to see how good could a low budget 1911 build could be using bargain basement parts.
 
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If u want high end, u need to look at custom builds. Mark Morris makes some of the finest customs money can buy. That is if ur willing to spend $7k.

Mine is several years old and today u couldn't touch anything he makes similar to mine for near the price I paid. Actually the price I paid years ago would almost be considered as giving it away.

U could also look at a Valtro which were made from 98-2004 by custom maker John Jardine. If u can find one someone us willing to get rid of. U could put ur bottom dollar at the $5k range.
 
My first 1911 45 ACP was a Springfield Armory Mil-Spec. I have shot the heck out of it. It is a solid hand gun, accurate shoots to point of aim. it shoots everything it's feed. it cost $380 9 years ago. I liked the Mil-spec so much I bought a Springfield Armory 1911 Loaded for $450. This gun was tighter, stiffer better fit I have shot this gun bunch also and it is still tight. it shoots all rounds without a hick-up. I am not a person with a lot of money to spend on firearms so I research to fine the best gun in my price range. Both of the above guns sell for twice what I paid. The gun I like to most is the MIL-spec.
 
Road Rat said:
The "best" 1911 in 45 ACP?

Have you checked out the total list??


A.J. Savage (US gov't contract slides only)
American Classic
American Tactical
A&R Sales
AMT
Armi Dallera Custom (ADC)
Armscor
Astra
ATI
Australian Precision Arms
Auto Ordnance
Briley
Brolin Arms
Cabot
Caspian (slides and frames only)
Charles Daly
Christensen Arms
Cimarron
Citadel
CO Arms
Colt (commercial and US/foreign gov't contract)
Chiappa (.22LR 1911 copy)
Crown City
Cylinder & Slide
Dan Wesson
Detonics
Devel
Dlask Arms
D&L Sports
Double Star
Ed Brown
EMF
Essex (slides and frames only)
Federal Ordnance
Falcon
Firestorm
Freedom Arms
Fusion
Gemini Custom
Griffon Combat
GSG (.22LR 1911 copy)
Guncrafter Industries
Gunsite
Hero Guns
High Standard
Imbel
Imperial Defense
Infinity
Interstate Arms (Regent)
Irwindale Arms Industries (IAI)
Israeli Arms Industries (also called IAI)
Ithaca (new business located in Sandusky, OH)
Ithaca (old NY-based company, US gov't contract only)
Iver Johnson
Karl Lippard
Kimber
Kongsberg (M/1914 pistol manufactured in Norway under Colt license)
LAR
Les Baer
Llama
Lone Star
Magnum Research (Bul)
Maximus Custom
Metro Arms
Mitchell
MP Express
Nighthawk
Norinco
North American Arms Co. Ltd.
Nowlin
Para Ordnance
Pistol Dynamics
Olympic Arms
Omega Defense
Peter Stahl
Randall
Ranger
Reeder Custom
Regent
Remington Arms (current business)
Remington Rand (US gov't contract only)
Remington-UMC (US gov't contract only)
Rock Island Armory
Rock River Arms
Ruger
Safari Arms
S.A.M
Sarco
Sig Sauer
Singer (US gov't contract only)
Sistema (aka D.G.F.M.-F.M.A.P.) (M1927 pistol manufactured in Argentina under Colt license)
Smith & Wesson
South Fork Arms/Perkins Custom
Springfield Armory (former military arsenal in MA, made 1911s from 1914-1917 under US gov't contract)
Springfield Armory (commercial business established in 1974, not associated with above)
STI
SVI
Tanfoglio
Taurus
Taylor & Co.
TİSAŞ
Turnbull Mfg.
Unertl
Union Switch & Signal (US gov't contract only)
Uselton Arms
USFA
Walther/Umarex (.22LR 1911 copy)
Wilson Combat
Vega (frames only)
Valtro
Victory Arms
Volkman
_________
Click to expand...


Yeah !! Aint it great. :)
 
I have had Colts and Kimbers and purchased a new American Classic GI model on this forum from Two-gun Jay for $375 and it is all I could ever want in a 1911. The machining is excellent, all the controls have that perfect "feel", it lookes great, it is perfectly reliable with all factory ammo, and it is extremely accurate. The trigger may be a 1/4 of a pound too heavy but it could be easily and cheaply tuned if desired. To me, paying more money for a 1911 is totally not needed unless you want one engraved or gold plated. I know there are guys that like the high dollar custom made stuff but when I hear about an extremely expensive 1911 that jams, it just makes me shake my head.
 
Depends on how you define 'high end'. IMO a lot of money is wasted on features like full length guide rods, ambi safeties, mag wells, beaver tails, etc. These do nothing for reliability or accuracy.

What is the intended purpose? Defense or target shooting? It is a waste of money to buy a pistol with a 1.5" at 50 yard accuracy guarantee, put fixed sights on it, and shoot it at 15 yards.

IMO opinion, the best high end bang for the buck is a DCM legal match gun from someone like Baer or Clark. Mine is from Rock River, but they got out of the game a few years back. Nice trigger and adjustable sights, accurate, reliable, no swartz or series-80 safety, and no silly (and expensive) bling.
 
Are you specifically looking for a 1911 style .45acp?

If not, I'd go for a Sig P220 variant.
There are many different choices of size and trigger style available. Or if you don't mind buying a first year production gun, look at a Sig P227. Early reviews are favorable and quite a few PD's are transitioning to them.
 
Springfield has taken the lead, for the money, the Range Officer is hard to beat .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Rule3 said:
Colt today are not the Colts of yore.
Click to expand...

This is true. Lots of folks are saying they're better.



Mine, recent production Series 70 Reissue, has had zero malfunctions of any kind. 600 rounds and counting. Feeds empty cases. Right out of the box, my very first shot hit the 2" bullseye I had placed at 20 yards.
 
This is true. Lots of folks are saying they're better.
Click to expand...

Colt has built some dogs. I think that went away about the time they started using CNC about 10-15 years ago. Anyone who thinks Colts are still building an inferior product either hasn't purchased one in a while or they got a zinger, which happens with almost every mass produced firearm occasionally. I have a Gold Cup built in 2012 and had several others built in the last 5 years. The only complaint I hear is repair and custom work takes too long but I wouldn't know about that first hand. All of mine have been exceptionally well built and never needed to go back for service or repair.
 
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Just as we pay a higher cost doesn't mean it's the best.
Click to expand...

That is the beauty of the design as you have discovered. It's possible to take a bunch of inexpensive parts and build a good shooter, or just buy an inexpensive one and have a good shooter after you tweak it a little. I'm not saying the high end guns aren't worth the money, they are. I would own a Wilson if I didn't have so many other shooting interests but good performance can be attained for very little money. A $600 Springfield with $400 worth of parts and work will shoot with $4000 Wilson. It just isn't fair in the general scheme of things. :o
 
Waywatcher said:
This is true. Lots of folks are saying they're better.



Mine, recent production Series 70 Reissue, has had zero malfunctions of any kind. 600 rounds and counting. Feeds empty cases. Right out of the box, my very first shot hit the 2" bullseye I had placed at 20 yards.
Click to expand...

The other "lots" say they are worse:D Colt has a NAME. They are no better than a lot of high end makers. Not saying they are bad by any means. I take my 6 year old Dan Wesson Pointman 7 over any Colt made today.;)

if I had the money a Less or an Ed would be fine.:D
 
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