M&P 9 first gun, second gun 1911...???

[a_keith13]

Just got back from another good day at the range. I have put around 800 rounds through my M&P 9 and love every minute of it. The only issue I have had was one misfire out of the winchester white box ammo. I have shot remington, blazer brass and speer lawman with zero issues. For my first handgun, I am extremely happy with the M&P pistol.

I am shooting about 2 inches low and 1 inch left consistantly at 10 yards. I am assuming it is my bad technique, and not the gun... I am no marksman.

On the last trip to the range, my buddy and I rented a Wilson 1911. It was a lot of fun to shoot. I think my next gun will be in the 1911 style. What would you recommend? Kimber, S&W, Sig...??? I dont want to get too high up there in cost, maybe $1200.

For a newbie, I think I am addicted.

 

[Just Shoot]

I went through your same situation about a year ago and went with the s&w 1911 9pro and like it a lot. It is a little higher than your price range but to me well worth it. Good luck in your decision.

 

[jackge]

On the last trip to the range, my buddy and I rented a Wilson 1911. It was a lot of fun to shoot. I think my next gun will be in the 1911 style. What would you recommend? Kimber, S&W, Sig...??? I dont want to get too high up there in cost, maybe $1200.

For a newbie, I think I am addicted.

You, my friend, are on the precipice leading to what could become a very costly addiction. I remember being in your position & I took the step into the world of 1911's, what a blast!!!
At the time I owned a Walther PPK/S & a Glock 19 but when I pulled the trigger on a Dan Wesson VBOB I knew I had gone to the big gun party in the sky.
As of today I've sold off a few 1911's but still have a Kimber Ultra CDP w/CT laser grips that I use for CC & I still have the VBOB.
If I had it to do all over again though I would do it differently by starting out with a lower cost, full size 1911. Think of it as a starter gun that you can use to learn the do's & dont's of 1911's. Check out Springfield Armory & Rock Island Armory for a good deal.
When you're ready to move up in the 1911 world make resale value one of your checklist items before buying.

 

[Janie117]

Love my SW full size 1911.

 

[TRUST8383]

$1200 budget? Go look for a Springfield TRP. Promise you'll like it. =)

They are tack drivers! Lil video clip of my TRP.

http://youtu.be/3Oj-ZACBSmk

 

[Dohmein]

Low n left could be flinching or you could be jerking the trigger a tad. As for the 1911 I personally like the S&W especially the E series but there are so many good 1911's out there.. Good luck, surely you will get some good opinions here. Welcome aboard BTW

 

[swrdply400mrelay]

Springfield Loaded is a pretty good compromise between the high and low ends. Love mine!

 

[a_keith13]

Thanks for the info, I will check out the Springfield guns.

That VBOB looks really nice, the grip is awesome.

 

[Danno_man]

STI, Trojan, Ranger, Guardian.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[baccusboy]

In all honesty, if you just want to shoot some rounds off with a decent plinker 1911, go with an American Classic II. Those guns are highly underrated. Very solid build (a gunsmith I know feels they are better-built inside than top local makers that cost near $1,000), and cheap. Taurus also makes a well-respected 1911 for the price (one of the guns that Taurus-haters often make an exception for).

Another one you can try is a Rock Island Tactical.

Once you decide what you like/don't like in a 1911, you can sell it off for not much of a loss, and get something better.

 

[Danno_man]

Btw, low/left is most likely you finger placement on the trigger. Move you finger in more towards the first knuckle.

Sent from my ADR6425LVW using Tapatalk 2

 

[jaykellogg]

I have three 1911's and I can recommend the Rock Island 2011 (rail gun). I have one I use for a range gun. I paid $620 for it (otd) and I installed a Videki Trigger and had a 3# trigger job done. I also installed nicer (rosewood) grips and stainless grip screws. I have a bit over $700 in it and it shoots like a dream. On the 1911 forum, the RIA guys are mostly all very satisfied. This gun came standard with Tritium night sights. Kimber is the best selling 1911, but I hear a lot of complaints. Kimber has a 1 year guarantee and RIA has a lifetime guarantee. I also own a Kimber Ultra CDP II and I love it. I cannot recommend Taurus or Para Ordinance due to (reportedly) lousy customer service. Understand, the 1911 is a 101 year old design. If you decide to carry it for defense, I would first try and get a minimum of 500 rounds through it with zero issues.

 

[clcdawg]

If you can find one the Ruger SR1911 is a good deal as long as it is priced right. I paid $699 for mine. I also hear good things from the Remington R1 if you want to spend a good bit less than $1000.

 

[PC Geek Shooter]

At the once yearly mfg gun shooter show I came across the S&W 1911 Pro Series 9mm and loved it. I think that was two years ago and was impressed with it, it was very accurate. There was a used one on here IIRC for $900 w-SH just weeks ago. I did do a search for the 9mm one last week for SAG on an auction site, I swear it started at $875 or so, which I know was a very good deal. As far as I know the S&W 1911 9mm only comes in a Pro series, if that's the case then that was a very good deal.

I also have read good things on the Rock Island ones, really good bang for the buck. I'd also stay away from Kimber also from what I've read over the years. If possible try to buy an American one if you can, if the price doesn't make sense for the resale value as someone mentioned then look elsewhere. My friend bought a new SA 1911 .45 around the $900 range and it is really nice I think.

You didn't say if it's going to be 9mm or .45, but I've heard 9mm 1911's can be more finicky. If you want more rounds then look at the 2011's from STI or similar. Maybe it'd be worth it to save more to get one, only you can decide that. You really need to handle a double stack 2011 though before you buy, just in case you were thinking of getting one over the internet.

 

[Skeptic 9c]

I recommend a good .22LR Pistol and a lot of practice and coaching.
Or a conversion unit for your base gun if available.

Geoff
Who notes practice, practice and more practice is still a good idea.

 

[Geo9547]

I have only been shooting since Oct last year. I love the 1911's. Here is how it went for me:
I got my first 1911, the S&W 45 ACP Series E, $800 otd. Love the stainless steel finish. Feels great and shoots much better than I do. However I quickly found how expensive it is to shoot.
My next 1911 was a RIA 1911 9mm Tactical parkerized, $400 otd. Shot really nice, solid and much less expensive to shoot than the 45. After a couple of months became disenchanted with the finish compared to the S&W.
Traded the RAI for a Taurus 1911 9mm, stainless steel, $629 otd not including trade. $260 out of pocket. Have about 800-900 rounds of CCI Blazer through it with no problems.
Finally, after shooting my son's, I got a Sig Sauer 1911 .22, $369 otd. It is a full size 1911 and only about 3oz lighter than the 9 or 45. Have in excess of 1,000 CCI Blazer LRN through it with a few FTFeed's and no FTFire. Talk about cheap to practice shooting a 1911 at $3.40/100!!

But make no mistake about it, my first love is the S&W 1911.