What type of 1911 do you think I should get?

[JetGirl]

Define "entry" in a dollar amount.

Ballpark (ish)...

Under $550 = Rock Island, ATI
$550-$800 = Regent, Remington, Para, Auto Ordnance,
$800-$1300 = Springfield, Kimber, Colt, Sig Sauer
$1300 - ^ = Wilson, Ed Brown, Les Baer ...

Of course there are MANY more in all price ranges, but these are a few of the most commonly referred to brands.

Your real concern should be the features that make it COMFORTABLE to your hand.
3"? 4"? 5"?
Flat mainspring housing or arched?
Stock beaver tail or swept?
Memory bump on grip safety or flat?
Short trigger or full?
Etc.

Happy shopping.

 

[mh006t]

I would say you should get a Kimber. I've wanted a 1911 for some time and that's the one I would get. They make quality weapons.

 

[AllenM]

A Springfield Range Officer

 

[88E30M50]

Rock Island are great guns for a budget 1911. They will let you get your feet wet in the 1911 world without breaking the bank. The also come in a lot of different sized and calibers, so you should be able to find exactly what you like.

I used Springfield is a bit more, but is also worth looking at. My first handgun was a used full size Springfield 1911. It has been a great gun and has seen thousands of rounds through it.

 

[88E30M50]

Define "entry" in a dollar amount.

Ballpark (ish)...

Under $550 = Rock Island, ATI
$550-$800 = Regent, Remington, Para, Auto Ordnance,
$800-$1300 = Springfield, Kimber, Colt, Sig Sauer
$1300 - ^ = Wilson, Ed Brown, Les Baer ...

Of course there are MANY more in all price ranges, but these are a few of the most commonly referred to brands.

Your real concern should be the features that make it COMFORTABLE to your hand.
3"? 4"? 5"?
Flat mainspring housing or arched?
Stock beaver tail or swept?
Memory bump on grip safety or flat?
Short trigger or full?
Etc.

Happy shopping.

JG, Add Springfield to the $550-$800 category. I picked up a brand new Springfield 1911 for around $615 this spring to give my nephew when he graduated SF training at Ft. Bragg. They can be found new in that price range.

 

[Jeremiah]

10-8 Performance: The Kimber Warrior

 

[xM3RC1L3SS1x]

I'm biased.... I lovely Taurus pt1911. Great gun for the price IMO

 

[Miketodd]

Can't go wrong with the Sig custom shop. There are tons to choose from.

 

[davedolli]

The Taurus PT 1911 is a good one. I have one in stainless, and gets the most range time of all my 1911s. I have never had a problem with it, but it is not my carry pistol.

Dave

 

[88GT]

Depends on your budget. If you want in around 450 - 500 I say Rock Island but if you can spend north of $700.00 then I agree with the previous posts.
You get what you pay for

Usually, I agree. But I'm 0-fer on my last 2 Kimbers. One problem gun is acceptable. Two is not. I can no longer recommend them without reservations.

 

[Rugerno1]

What 1911

I think the remington R1 is pretty nice

 

[jd4320t]

I think the Sig P220 is the perfect 1911

 

[pokersamurai]

I think the Sig P220 is the perfect 1911

And the H&K USP .45 is the perfect Sig P220.

 

[jd4320t]

And the H&K USP .45 is the perfect Sig P220.

I run away from HK's because I'm scared I'll like them. Someday.....

 

[pokersamurai]

I run away from HK's because I'm scared I'll like them. Someday.....

Wise man. I got hooked on HK's when I was young, now I can barley function without getting my HK shooting fix every few weeks.

 

[David]

I have decided on a Rock Island for my first. Have read good reviews on them for the cost.

Spend a few extra $ and go for the RI tactical, the upgrades (sights, hammer, grip safety) are worth it. I have 1911s from Rock Island, Para, Kimber, Colt, and Dan Wesson. The only one that I would not buy again is the Para, and while the RI is not a Dan Wesson, I do think that it is worth considerably more than I paid for it.

Good choice for an entry level gun, RIs are about the best bargain out there in 1911s. Hope you can afford the addiction!

 

[downzero]

RIA Tactical is good at its price point.

If you have a little more, look at the STI Spartan. It is basically an RIA tactical with nicer cocking serrations, american-made trigger components, and an adjustable rear sight.

STI and Springfield are probably the only non-custom 1911s I would consider. There are $1500-2000 1911s in the semi-custom category that are nice, but if I wanted to spend that kind of coin, I'd either start with a Spartan and trick it out, or I would go full custom. I think the value gets pretty thin at $1500, but is excellent in the $600-1000 range.

 

[2tonic]

Downzero, check out a Dan Wesson Valor V-Bob. $1400, full of Ed Brown parts and hand fitted to the same degree (yes, I own several of each, so I can make that comparison) , all the bells and whistles you could REALLY want, and the letters MIM aren't in their alphabet!

 

[downzero]

Downzero, check out a Dan Wesson Valor V-Bob. $1400, full of Ed Brown parts and hand fitted to the same degree (yes, I own several of each, so I can make that comparison) , all the bells and whistles you could REALLY want, and the letters MIM aren't in their alphabet!

MIM is not a concern anywhere but on the internet. The truck you drove to work this morning probably has MIM connecting rods.

$1400 for a factory made gun is probably out of the price range I'd consider if I were in the 1911 market, but I do a lot of my own gunsmithing and I can add the "extras" myself.

I don't have anything against any particular brand, but once you get north of $1k, you might as well just buy a full custom gun.

 

[2tonic]

MIM parts are engineered to meet a minimum spec, whether it's strength, longevity, cost-per-unit,etc. When it comes to betting my life on the functioning of a metal part THIS ONE TIME I'll take good old tool steel, thank you.
Broken hammers, hammer struts, and slide stops are real, not imagined, and could prove very costly,IYKWIM.

The Dan Wessons are hand fitted just like the much more expensive Wilson, Ed Brown, and Les Baer models, which come from factories as well. Surely you don't think "hand made" means they whittled a forging down with files and chisels?
DW's are made in the USA, compare very favorably with guns costing $1000~$1500 more, and don't force the tacticool flavor of the month on the user in the form of ambidextrous safeties, full-length guide rods, over-the-top milling of cocking notches on the slide, and other foolishness that people think they want, but don't REALLY want. So, it's more about being a proper fighting 1911 from the start, than "adding" any extras.

Certainly you are entitled to your opinion, but I think a DW in your hand may go a long way towards changing your mind. The leap from "north of $1000" to the $3000+ pricetag of most custom pistols is a large one, and the DW's fill the bill at less than half the price. Just sayin'.