Hey everyone, i'm currently shopping around for ideas for my first pistol. I was looking around at STI 1911's and liked what i saw in their lower class selections but have never heard any first hand info on them. any advice or personal experience will help. i'm not looking to spend over $1000 bucks but want something reliable and durable. i really liked the old baby eagles (the jerricho 941 models) but since they've been bought out i'm not sure where to find one and am having a tough time on the used market. i'm prettymuch set on a 1911, something full-size or compact and nothing special as far as features go however adjustable sights would be nice because i usualy do a bit of distance shooting when i go out with pistols. anyway, advice, experience with certain models or brands of any kind would be helpful and appreciated. just hit me up with your two cents. thanks.
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1911 Shopping
- Thread starter cqbseven
- Start date
Under $1000? Look at Springfield Armory. Skip Kimber. I don't know why you would be interested in STI unless you are looking for a double-stack gun. Skip ParaOrdnance. Skip the SIG GSR. The semi-custom makers (e.g., Wilson, Ed Brown, etc.) are quite good, but out of your price range.
thanks for the advice. i'm on deployment right now for another 7 months so i'll have some time to shop and trickle money into the savings for it. hopefully i'll have enough to buy something decent. i'm not trying to go cheap but nothing fits me quite like a 1911 and i've shot a lot of different pistols. if you think of anything else let me know.
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What about Rock Island Armory 1911's? For the price I know you're not going to get the same materials as some of the higher end models but it might do the job?
1911s are well known for not always being reliable out of the box. Buying a cheap one built in the Philippines seems to me to be contra-indicated. My view is that you should pay once to buy quality, or not buy at all.
www.1911r1.com - Remington's 1911 is out next month. It's an all steel, Series 80 pistol that's made in New York and full list is $699.
Different strokes for different folks, but I prefer Series 70 guns over Series 80.
I would go with the STI Spartan. Good sights, beavertail, and fire controls.
http://www.stiguns.com/guns/Spartan/Spartan.php
http://www.stiguns.com/guns/Spartan/Spartan.php
I realize the early ones had problems but I disagree on the later ones. They use good parts (no MIM) and are very well fitted though the external extractor and firing pin safety might not be to some people's tastes.
I plead guilty to that
![[wink]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/002.gif "Wink [wink]")
.Also, the slide profile is different, so the gun doesn't fit in some kydex 1911 holsters.
I plead guilty to that
Also, the slide profile is different, so the gun doesn't fit in some kydex 1911 holsters.
Yeah, the slide profile is, IMO, a mixed blessing. I actually think it looks good but holsters can be a problem.
Rob Boudrie
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Some questions to ask about any 1911-
1. Cast, machined or forged frame? (Don't settle for an answer "Yes") .
2. Is any of the work done outside the US (some of their guns are rebranded imports, but you have to ask it this way due to the trend for companies to do all but the final steps offshore, allowing them to claim the gun is "US made" when that may not really be the case).
3. Are there any case or MIM internal parts? (don't believe any "proprietary info" answer some companies will give you - it's very easy for their competitors to figure out). MIM may be "good enough", but is not as dense or durable as a machined parts. All of the arguments for MIM stress cost, and make arguments like "we have not seen failures" rather than "every bit as hard, dense and durable".
1. Cast, machined or forged frame? (Don't settle for an answer "Yes") .
2. Is any of the work done outside the US (some of their guns are rebranded imports, but you have to ask it this way due to the trend for companies to do all but the final steps offshore, allowing them to claim the gun is "US made" when that may not really be the case).
3. Are there any case or MIM internal parts? (don't believe any "proprietary info" answer some companies will give you - it's very easy for their competitors to figure out). MIM may be "good enough", but is not as dense or durable as a machined parts. All of the arguments for MIM stress cost, and make arguments like "we have not seen failures" rather than "every bit as hard, dense and durable".
You can't go wrong with a Smith (unless your a traditionalist and don't like the external extractor) or a Springfield. The Springfield by many is the best base pistol to start off with because you can build it up as (money and time) as you go along. You can't go wrong with either of those two and the customer service is excellent.
On the Remington, check out the last post here.....
http://gunrightsradio.com/forums2/index.php/topic,4123.0.html
http://gunrightsradio.com/forums2/index.php/topic,4123.0.html
Think i found the one. it's a bit more pricey than what i had originally wanted but has everything i'm looking for. Let me know if any of you have had any experience with something like this. It's a double-stacked Para PXT 1911 S14.45 Limited. i'll admit it's a bit flashy, but im willing to sacrifice in the looks department for all those features at that price. Let me know what you think.
I've had 3 Paras, including new P-14 Limiteds. Para's QC can be spotty, but it makes a good gun for the money and generally provides good customer service. It's also the only, or almost the only, double-stack 1911 you will find for less than about $2k.
I have an early P14-45. Easily the worst of any 1911 that I've owned. It gets failures to feed on occasion, usually near the end of the magazine. My magazines are all in good condition, bought new from PO, and I've tried replacing the springs and the followers.
After several thousand rounds, the hammer started following the slide down. That required at trip to the gunsmith to replace the hammer and sear. Also, the slide stop notch is now deformed, which will be a more difficult fix.
Perhaps PO quality control has gotten better, but I won't buy another.
