Which 1911?

[50wt]

series 70 in steel with a nice, long bath in some hot salt to harden things up a bit.

 

[bostonelli]

C2 2011 made the ma rooster so that’s another option

 

[50wt]

The C2 was an option before the roster and why mention a compact when the op is looking for a 5" barrel ?

 

[allen-1]

Here's what's sure to be an unpopular suggestion.

I have three Kimber 1911's, a matched set in .45 and a stainless Target-II in 9mm. If you're thinking at all of 9mm, that Target-II is a very nice handling gun.

Edited to add pic i just took

 

[LuvDog]

I just shot a very nice kimber when I took a friend to the range. His dad passed away and handed it down to him. So it was from a time when kimber made very nice guns. I also shot another friend’s kimber from the 80’s and it was great too.

I just don’t think modern ones are the same

 

[wcorey]

IWI Sorry.
Magnum Research makes some really nice 1911's and great bang for the buck, come in 10mm too...

 

[drgrant]

Why’s that? Have a couple of S&W 1911s that function just fine without any upgrades needed. One in 9mm that I use for pin shoots with 1000s of rounds through it. To each their own but see no issue with S&W firearms

Probably because their QC has been very questionable in the past, and that type of institutional reluctance sticks around for a long time, even if most of them produced today are fine.

 

[Keeper]

Colt completion 70 series or S&W E Series?

This would be my first 1911, either would be a 5” barrel chambered in 45.

This would be mostly a range gun, maybe carried occasionally while scouting.

I asked myself this question and bought a Bul. I think it's great. YMMV.

 

[Lsgun1]

In reality I think either you choose will be fine. I have an E Series smith and Wesson with roughly 3k rounds fired and no failures of any kind. I also have an original colt series 70, a colt competition and a Springfield TRP full rail...all work just fine.

 

[DetectNES]

I just got a Bul 1911 gov't for $900 out the door. Accurate (bull barrel) and light trigger. Very nice for the price point.

 

[drgrant]

In reality I think either you choose will be fine. I have an E Series smith and Wesson with roughly 3k rounds fired and no failures of any kind. I also have an original colt series 70, a colt competition and a Springfield TRP full rail...all work just fine.

My dad has an E-Series and it's actually a nice gun except for the fact that the safety fell off the gun within the first few hundred rounds but I took it to a good gunsmith who got it fitted properly.

 

[jaypap]

I've had good luck with Smith 1911's. Compact to full size.

 

[greencobra]

i've had an e series for several years. bought it on impulse at 4seasons. it's as good as any 1911 i own in the price range. i'm very lucky with smiths, i got another super nice trigger on this gun. not finicky either on what it eats. it likes my 180 gr. target loads which is good, i got tons loaded. for never been tweaked with, it shoots some super groups when i do my part. yeah, a competitive pistol for the price point. i generally don't listen to people, i buy what i want.

 

[Gerbs54]

Had not really considered Springfield before this thread but a lot of people seem to like them. Ended up with an A1 Loaded in stainless. Got it to the range already and I’m really happy with the purchase.

New Acquisitions February 2024

 

[Rockrivr1]

Visited my local gun store and they have a Colt Series 70 1911 in very good shape on consignment for $700. Gave it a serious look and had to force myself to leave it behind. Need another 1911 like a hole in the head.

 

[LuvDog]

Since you passed on the series 70. Can you share more details?

 

[Gerbs54]

Since you passed on the series 70. Can you share more details?

This is my first 1911 so I probably have no clue what I am talking about but, it wasn't the 70 series that steered me away from the colt. It was the reports of bad QC and non-existent customer service. I would still love to find an older Colt, maybe a delta elite in 10mm...

I had not considered Springfield before asking around here. Rumor was they are an Anit-2A shill company. After looking into it, I think they messed up a little and then apologized. Enough people seem to like them. My BIL has a milspec and I liked it, so I started looking into them a bit more.

The SA is closers to the original design than the S&W. It has a titanium firing pin to improve drop safety with no firing pin block and no external extractor.

After looking into the SA line up I was between the garrison and the A1 loaded. My LGS had a blued garrison & a stainless loaded. I was in favor of the stainless and besides the finish the loaded gets you a full length guide rod and ambi-safety for less than $150 more.

So far I have shot one box of cheap ammo through it and I am very happy.