1911 Rookie - which one?

[lucky4034]

I like the fact theyre 100% usa made, or so ive read. Yet to lay hands on one though.

Watch Kentucky gun company (online store)... they seem to get shipments in in periodically.

 

[pack-indy]

I posted this in another thread and I'll leave it here as well. Bac has the most extensive private 1911 collections I have seen. Buyer's guide for all you 1911 addicts...

 

[BE Mike]

Of the brands you mention, only Colt and Springfield Armory have a forged frame. I'm not saying that the cast frames of the others are bad. Kimbers are stainless. Stainless is a little softer than carbon steel. I think that Springfield Armory makes the best 1911 for the money. The Range Officer (if you can find one) has a lot going for it. If you reload or plan on shooting competitively, adjustable sights are really nice.

 

[headleyj]

I like most of what ive read about the sa's. Dont care for the front slide serrations though and they like to put them on the full size models it looks like. I'll hit their website again and see if i can navigate through it....its a chore on a phone.

I like what ive read about the rugers too.

 

[BE Mike]

You might like the MilSpec or GI models. They don't have the front serrations in the slide.

 

[headleyj]

So whats the big deal with a firing pin safety and internal/ external extractor? I have no idea what either of these mean/ are...im assuming the extractor extracts the empty round though

 

[kawtech87]

So whats the big deal with a firing pin safety and internal/ external extractor? I have no idea what either of these mean/ are...im assuming the extractor extracts the empty round though

That would be a good assumtion.

I cant really tell you much about how the firing pin safety works.

External Extractors are not "traditional" but they work (arguably) just as well as internal ones. Some will say that external extractors cause more problems but I really cant speak for or against them. I do know external extractors are typically easier to remove and replace should they brake and need to be serviced.

Have you considered a Sig Sauer 1911? Im a Sig guy and try to convert as many as possible.

They are not traditional looking but are very good quality 1911s for the money. They do have a traditional line too that for the hardcore 1911 fans.

 

[headleyj]

That would be a good assumtion.

I cant really tell you much about how the firing pin safety works.

External Extractors are not "traditional" but they work (arguably) just as well as internal ones. Some will say that external extractors cause more problems but I really cant speak for or against them. I do know external extractors are typically easier to remove and replace should they brake and need to be serviced.

Have you considered a Sig Sauer 1911? Im a Sig guy and try to convert as many as possible.

They are not traditional looking but are very good quality 1911s for the money. They do have a traditional line too that for the hardcore 1911 fans.

Yeah i have actually, problem is getting my hands on one before i decide. I almost bought one sight unseen but pretty sure it was stolen.

 

[rockhopper46038]

The firing pin safety system (assuming you are speaking of a Series 80 Colt) is a collection of small parts which work together to block the firing pin from moving forward unless the trigger has been depressed. I'm working off an iPhone here, so I'd encourage you to do a little Google-fu to see the parts, but the operating principle (greatly simplified), is a small piston in a vertical tunnel in the slide which is engaging a notch in the Series 80 firing pin, preventing the pin from moving forward. When the trigger is depressed, a small lever pushes the piston up into the slide, clearing the notch in the pin and allowing the hammer to drive the pin into the primer. It was implemented in response to a concern that a 1911 pistol dropped precisely on its muzzle could fire due to inertial movement of the firing pin. There are other methods out there, from the Schwartz system used by Kimber, to replacing the standard firing pin with a low inertia titanium pin, but they are all intended to address that perceived problem, whether necessary or not. Many people believe the Series 80 system (and the other proposed solutions) merely complicate the mechanism, and remove them. Some people believe the 1911 trigger on a Series 80 can never be as good as that on a 1911 without the extra parts, but although theoretically this may be true, a good smith makes the differences indiscernable. As I said, this explanation of the Series 80 system is greatly simplified, but hopefully has given you an idea.

 

[MilitaryArms]

Check out the Range Officer too. It's a nicely configured Springfield 1911 that lacks front serrations. It's one of their nicer models that's priced right.

 

[headleyj]

Thanks for the 80s lesson, i appreciate it!

Wrt the sa RO, ive looked at it and have read some mixed reviews on it, but thats just a couple reviews and their expertise was clearly well above mine so id probably never know any different i think the issue is gonna be getting my hands on some to feel. Friday im heading to bradis first thing to meet some ingo staff, nab some ammo and look arou.d in the shop. I'll prolly head to pss too.

 

[cundiff5535]

Hey brother, let me first say I am a huge 1911 guy (check out my 2 1911 posts with about 12 guns in the gallery... I think you will enjoy it)

Secondly, I have a love for Kimber like no other... I own 9 of them (I think) along with many, many others, Colt, SA, Taurus, STI, SVI... ****, I can go on and on but, I am getting off topic.

I would highly advise saving a few more months or however long its going to take to gather up $200.00 and buy a Kimber (dones't matter which one).

I can tell you that with 100% certainty that if you are patient and just look around you will find a great deal on a 5" 1911 in the forums. Its going to take work of registering in those forums but, you will get yourself a bad ass handgun for a nice price (use River of Guns). People are hurting for cash and are willing to sell even there most prized firearms for a very fair price.

Two examples are... I picked up a 5" Kimber Eclipse II 10mm for $700.00 out of Cali last week... its perfect and came with three sets of grips, 5 Kim Pro mags, and ammo. Probably worth 1400-1600 with everything I got

About two months ago I scooped up a Kimber Covert II 4" for $900.00 mint. I threw it on Gunbroker and got 1500.00 for it. The only reason I sold it was because I already have a 4" Covert II and a 5" Covert Custom II...

So what I am saying is don't rush into buying anything and save a little more... hell you may even find that Colt Gold Cup you want for the right price!

In saying this I know how it is with firearms and wanting it NOW!!

Additionally, I don't know what the craziness about NEW is as its only new until the first time you pull the trigger brother. I can tell you, if you were to look at any of my 1911's, You would 100% think they were new and they are not... as long as the owner took care of it, what does the newness matter?

Lastly, if you are going to buy new... I would recommend just buying one of the Kimber 5" guns. Out of Kimber, Colt, and SA 100 times out of 100 I have been happier with the Kimber out of the box. Trigger pull is spot on and they just feel best to me.... with my Colts and SA's I have always had to do something to them to get them to my liking... with my Kimbers (ALL OF THEM) its just been load and shoot my man.

Anyway, good luck in your buying experience and have fun with it!
Bc

 

[headleyj]

Another? .... whats the memory pad for and where is it. If i had to guess its on the grip safety to give a softer feel and avoid the metal clank- clank? ??? Just guessing tho

 

[kawtech87]

Yeah i have actually, problem is getting my hands on one before i decide. I almost bought one sight unseen but pretty sure it was stolen.

Right now Bradis in Camby off 67, has a pretty darn good selection of 1911s. And they are awesome people to deal with. Last time i was up there they had a couple of Sig 1911s a Colt (that came home with me, I think they got more now though) a Springfield loaded and a couple Kimbers all worth checking out.

Shooter521 here on INGO is the manager up there and he is a real stand up dude. PM him or check out Bradis' subforum here on INGO and see what they have.

I see youre in Bloomington, Im in Martinsville so your not to much farther away from them than me, and its worth the drive up there. Trust me.

 

[headleyj]

Cundiff, great advice, thank you! Im just a touch leary used mainly cause i dont know what to look for to determine if its been shot to hello and back, if its been reworked incorrectly, etc.

Edit - im not opposed to used at all, i just dont feel i have enough knowledge yet.

 

[headleyj]

Right now Bradis in Camby off 67, has a pretty darn good selection of 1911s. And they are awesome people to deal with. Last time i was up there they had a couple of Sig 1911s a Colt (that came home with me, I think they got more now though) a Springfield loaded and a couple Kimbers all worth checking out.

Shooter521 here on INGO is the manager up there and he is a real stand up dude. PM him or check out Bradis' subforum here on INGO and see what they have.

I see youre in Bloomington, Im in Martinsville so your not to much farther away from them than me, and its worth the drive up there. Trust me.

Ive been there plenty of times for ammo, misc mags and such, just never bought a firearm off them. I usually make my way directly over to the kimber case and proceed to drool

 

[rockhopper46038]

"Memory pad" is the jump on some grip safeties. Most of the manufacturers have their own version of it. The idea is kind of two-fold. The hump makes it easier to acheive a positive engagement of the grip safety because it is essentially giving you a "head start" of however high the hump is (think of how the grip safety pivots). I think it picked up the name "memory pad" because it also provides a tactile location on what otherwise would be a smooth curve to let you know that your hand is placed in the same spot in your grip each time you establish your grip - hence giving your grip "memory".

As for internal versus external extractors, I'm not had either type fail on me so I don't know which is more durable, but I know I keep a spare fitted and tuned extractor for my 1911s, each of which uses the internal design. They ate very easy to replace; easier than it appears an external one would be. But, as I say, I'm never had an external one on a SIG or an S&W or what have you break, and although I remove the internal extractor from my 1911s whenever I strip the slide for cleaning, I shamefacedly admit I've never removed an external extractor from any of my pistols.

Edit: Lots of typos, sorry bout that. iPhone keypad sucks.

 

[Patriot3]

I have to agree with Hoosier45, in that you should get the springfield range officer. I own one and would not trade it. The gun has some upgrades that make it very desirable, plus it comes with the accesories kit which you cant beat.

 

[gregkl]

Thanks for the 80s lesson, i appreciate it!

Wrt the sa RO, ive looked at it and have read some mixed reviews on it, but thats just a couple reviews and their expertise was clearly well above mine so id probably never know any different i think the issue is gonna be getting my hands on some to feel. Friday im heading to bradis first thing to meet some ingo staff, nab some ammo and look arou.d in the shop. I'll prolly head to pss too.

Just my opinion, but I suspect the RO is a fine gun for the money.I would have bought one instead of my Loaded if they offered it with a 4" barrel. My Loaded needs some personalization, but its a good starting point and I like to makes things "mine".

 

[BE Mike]

So whats the big deal with a firing pin safety and internal/ external extractor? I have no idea what either of these mean/ are...im assuming the extractor extracts the empty round though

I've never owned a 1911 with an external extractor, but I've owned several with the traditional one. I have had a couple of them break (after many thousands of rounds), but they are easy to replace, even though they usually need a little tweaking. The only other part that I've had break is the firing pin retainer. They tend to break in half straight across and through the hole. They are very easy to replace.