You might look at RIA or Tisas. Standard military model. They come in 9mm or .45acp. I have a RIA 1911 MS in .45, ( Commander size) , 4.25 in barrel. The original 1911 had 5 in barrels. Either model will shoot well. If you’re not used to GI sights, they take some practice to get used to. Good luck. 👍😎

 

I

I have 2 of the under-$500 M1911's. One is a Girsan and the other is a Tisas. I like the Tisas the best. It is very accurate and looks to be a quality product. The Girsan has proprietary dovetail sight cuts and the Dawson front sight required quite a bit of fitting and was expensive for what you get. The Tisas was pretty much right on the money right out of the box. So, that's my vote, for what it counts.

 

R-I-A

 

I have one of these that I'm very fond of modifying:

Tisas 1911 A1 Service 45 ACP 5' 2 8rd Mags Black 10100518 (19.99 Shipping)

<p>- Upgraded version of the WWII Classic<br /> - .45ACP<br /> - Hammer Forged Slide and 5" Barrel<br /> - Hammer Forged Full-Size Frame<br /> - Black Cerakote Finish<br /> - Flared and Lowered Ejection Port<br /> - Flat Mainspring Housing<br /> - Low Profile GI Style A1 Combat Sights<br /> -...

www.familyfirearms.com

You could do worse

 

^^^^ I am not a big fan of the 1911 A1 service clones, I like the upgraded 1911 45 cal firearms much better, but if you are looking for the basic Tisas this is a great buy.

 

If you can up your budget less than a hundy, Springfield Mil-Spec, if not then Tisas

 

Up your budget and get the Ruger aluminum:

Ruger SR1911 Lightweight 45 ACP, 5" Barrel, Aluminum Frame, Two-Tone Finish, 8rd

Ruger SR1911 Lightweight 45 ACP, 5" Barrel, Aluminum Frame, Two-Tone Finish, 8rd. Ruger 6792. Introducing the new lightweight Ruger SR1911 in .45 Auto. Model 6792 gives you the feel and accuracy of a full-sized SR1911, but its aluminum frame makes the pistol nearly a 1/2 pound lighter (7.9 oz) th...

www.impactguns.com

 

From your listed points. Tisas. Then probably RIA. I was recently looking for a compact 1911. I was on the hunt for a RIA but ended up buying a Kimber. Literally the only reason I bought the Kimber over the RIA was because I couldn't find the RIA I wanted and a local shop gave me a crazy deal on the Kimber. Which turned out to be cheaper than the RIA...

I should probably note that I'm a die hard Colt fan too. But the Tisas we have is fantastic! We also have another one on the way...

Edit: Look at Rural King and Dunham's. They seem to have sales going on weekly.

Jon.

 

Tisas or RIA. Just stay away from GI sights because they are awful. I'm sure some will disagree but if you want the most possible reliability go with a ramped 9mm. With 147gr ammo it won't be as pushy as a .45 but it still feels "right".

 

For under $500 you can't go wrong with a Tisas.

 

This. Specifically a Duty or Carry model, depending on whether you want a 5" full size or 4 1/4" Commander model.

I just got a 9mm Carry from Family Firearms for $450 shipped, plus a $15 transfer fee at my LGS. It's a really nice gun. Nicer than my Colt CCO actually.

 

Tissas is for you, I have a GI version and its the whip, for under 500.

 

Another Tisas recommendation:

"Carry" which is the shorter 4.25" barrel.

"Duty" which is the 5" barrel.

 

At a $500 hard price cap I don't think you can do any better than a Tisas. An A1 Service Special would be an amazing first 1911, and you would have a few bucks left over for ammo. It's a classic 1911 A1 design with better sights, forged frame and slide, steel internals, and you can find them on sale for as low as 320-350 bucks.

Plus they make a great upgrade base for later! I was so happy with mine and it performed so well that I made it my first major build.

Mine before:

Mine after:

 

Colt Series 70 is the best value. Keep saving. You won’t regret owning a Colt in 20 years, but that cheap 1911 will get sold off first and you won’t care.

Better yet, put that $500 into PulseChain (crypto), and wait at least 12-18 months. The mad gains will get you a Nighthawk, Wilson or Alchemy while maintaining a large bag for future gains.

 

Colt Series 70 is the best value. Keep saving. You won’t regret owning a Colt in 20 years, but that cheap 1911 will get sold off first.

I disagree. Cheap doesn't mean poorly made. Inexpensive is a better work IMO.

Colt quality for a plain jane $850-900 Competition model is no guarantee of build quality. MIM internals, questionable trigger feel, needs the same type of fine tuning my $400 Tisas did. And yes I have a blued Colt Competition.

Sorry if that sounded rude. Not meant to be. Have you had a Tisas? If so I'd be interested in hearing your experience with it via PM, don't want to hijack the thread.

 

Like others have said
Go with a Tisas or RIA

 

Tisas

 

Buy American made.



Save up until you can do so.

 

I have two Tisas now. A Duty .45 and a carry 9mm. Both have good sights and are well built. Both have been utterly dependable so far. They are good guns and have a good price too. But they are not cheaply made. Second choice for me would be a RIA. They are also good guns at a fair price. These will give you quality at an affordable price (within your budget). My more expensive 1911’s don’t function any better.

 

Times have really changed in the last 30-40 years when it comes to entry-level 1911s. When I bought my first 1911 in 1990 I was in a similar boat as the OP, I was on a very tight budget and couldn't afford a Colt. So instead I bought an Auto Ordnance, which was a similar price difference as a Tisas is to a Colt today. Unfortunately that pistol was a total piece of garbage and a waste of precious money I should've saved towards a Colt instead. Back then there wren't many other options either. If not the Auto Ordnance then an AMT, or a Federal Ordnance. Springfield Armory was out there but it wasn't much cheaper than a Colt.

Fast forwarding to today, even the cheapest 1911s on the market (RIA and Tisas) are light years better than the cast garbage I had to put up with back in 1990. If I were in the same situation today as I was back then I'd pick up a Tisas (likely their US Army model) and probably have zero regrets. But at the same time, then as well as now if you told me to choose between a Colt and a Tisas and said I could have it free of charge I'd take the Colt.

 

Agree 100%. This is a great time for new 1911 enthusiasts.

Buy a higher priced dream gun with a fancy logo on the side later when you have the money. But in the mean time you can pound some rounds out of these budget guns with no regrets.

 

the RIA's I've held and tried in gunshops felt good in the hand, looked well made for the price point. They do appreciate 1911s there and tend to do them right. I've considered time and again trying to find one of their CCOs since their now one of the few people making one for under a grand. They're commanders are on Buds for about 425, granted the grips are atrocious but that leaves you about 75 bucks to find a pair you like with. The Tisas get a good review as well. Like dsk said, its a lot different than it was years ago when you bought one expecting to have to make it work. Now the majority of the ones you see work out of the box.

 

I second the Tisas Service Special.

 

I have had no trouble from any Tisas so far.

 

Sounds like the OP is getting good advice. I don't have a vote either way, but if I were in the market today at that price point, I'd look very strongly at a Tisas based on this thread.

 

TISAS is what the CMP chose to sell as reproductions of their unobtanium 1911's. Seen, played with and shot, seem GTG.

 

Back in the mid 1980s I bought a Colt Series 80. It was a nightmare. Even after three trips back to the mothership it was unreliable. It went to a Forever Home and I pretty much crossed the 1911 platform off. About a decade or so later I bought a semi-custom Dan Wesson Pointman Patriot.

It was the Little Girl with a Little Curl.

There was a little girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very very good
But when she was bad
She was horrid

It too went to a Forever Home and it was about two decades before I bought my first Tisas.

The Tisas 1911s, and there are four of them living here now, are everything the Colt and the Dan Wesson aspired to but failed to achieve and restored my faith in the 1911 as a platform.

 

Tisas.

 

Will suggest a Tisas too. With a baby on the way $$$ is Very important even if you have insurance. $500 will allow you to buy the pistol and enough ammo to give you hands on experience so you can know if you like 1911s or not. Once you know you can decide to step up to a more expensive 1911. Spending more $$$$ on many does not mean you will get a better product, plain hard truth.

 

I like my RIA. Have owned it about 7 years now.