[Decepticon]

Hi, I am new to this site and a new fan of 1911 pistols. many of my friends are young like me and carry glocks, sigs, beretta's, ect. they say 1911's are for older people. I disagree I have always admired single action .45's. I own a Glock 23 but want a .45 bad! I just saved up enough money to buy one. I got my eyes on the 1991A1. here at my dealer it costs $545.00 Can I use it for self defense applications right out of the box? I am a left handed shooter so I have to get the ambi-safety. should I get the beavertail safety grip? I want to get a new trigger also. Man this is getting expensive! I already have wilson combat mags for it. cant wait to shoot it. Reliability is my main concern. looked at the Springfields but they are really pricy. anyways I have always heare colt is the finest 1911 made period. thanks for the advice in advance.

 

[sousana]

Decepticon, for that kind of money I would look at the Springfield Armory "loaded" series. For that price you can pick-up a parkerized or blued model and it has all the aftermarket gunsmithing touches you would need. Lowered and flared ejection port, bbl throated and polished, 2pc guide rod, beavertail grip safety. http://www.springfieldarmory.com check them out.
Colt's are good, but eventually everyone sends "mil-spec" guns in for the extra's that are provided on S/A guns.

 

[shane45-1911]

Originally posted by sousana:
Colt's are good, but eventually everyone sends "mil-spec" guns in for the extra's that are provided on S/A guns.

Well, Colts ARE good. The newer 1991A1's are some of the best quality pieces Colt has put out in a while. And, NO - everyone does not send these guns in for the extra's. Most 1991A1's run fine right out of the box (after the mandatory break-in, which is true of any gun).

Sousana, I'm not picking on you, but if you take a look in the Springfield forum, you'll see a lot of unhappy (and as many that are happy) people with their "loaded" models.

 

[Simian]

Not everyone sends their "Mil-Spec" guns in to have extras added. I had a couple of Kimbers with the extras and got rid of them to get back to a basic piece. The 1991 is an excellent pistol and I would not hesitate to recommend one. I have one strapped to me right now and I carry it pretty much every day. Excellent firearm. Springfield and Kimber also make some good product, but they ain't Colt. I say go for it!

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Simian

NRA Life Member

 

[RUSSEL213]

i would recomend the colt 1991A1 over the springfield any day. springfield is a fine weapon, but the colt's basic 91A1 has been more realible in my experience, and the experience of several shops i have talked to.

i have two 91A1's and they have not been sent off, my duty one has night sights on it, thats the only thing a smith has done.

for a combat weapon, the 91A1 wins hands down, (this is MY opinion, from my experience). don't be fooled into thinking all the extra gadets on the gun make it better, get the ambi saftey and shoot the heck out of a real good gun, the colt

russel the cop

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CHANCE FAVORS THE PREPARED MIND....

 

[TangoRomeo]

I'd go with the Colt. My six month old 1991A1 is accurate, very well fitted, and goes boom each time I press the trigger. That's exactly what I need in a general use handgun.-TR

 

[Peak]

I bought a 1911A1 several months ago and I'm happy with it. It is certainly accurate enough for protection and has been reliable. Colts are quality weapons as are, in my opinion, Springfields, Kimbers, and several other 1911 manufacturers that I have experience with. As far as all the extras for protection purposes I don't see the need unless you have the extra bucks and want to spend the money. Mine has worked fine with Colt supplied mags., but don't disagree with your choice on Wilson. I also own a bunch of them.

 

[sousana]

Hey Shane,

I've looked at S/A forum, I'm in their somewhere, I own 3 of their full size "loaded" models one in each finish and all had to go back because the rear sights flew off after 2-5 magazines. But I have to say that they did excellent warranty work, they replaced the sights on all 3 with night sights and sent back each gun with 2 8rnd NM magazines all within a week. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not picking on Colt, I own 14 Colt 1911-1911A1's, 3 Pythons, 2 Boa's, 1 King Cobra .357 and 1 in .44 and several AR15's and a few single actions. It's been my experience in my gun club, which numbers over 400 members that 90-95% of them who've purchased the 1991's have had work done to them so that they come out like S/A "loaded" models. I'm not against stock models as I have many, it's just these days just about everyone has to have a loaded model. I have a 10 year old S/A Mil-Spec that shoots as good as my Wilson CQB. I've been carrying and shooting the 1911 for 30 years, I started out with just a plain old WWII 1911 DCM gun and I still have her and she shoots GREAT, she'll retire when her frame cracks and not before.

Originally posted by shane45-1911:
Well, Colts ARE good. The newer 1991A1's are some of the best quality pieces Colt has put out in a while. And, NO - everyone does not send these guns in for the extra's. Most 1991A1's run fine right out of the box (after the mandatory break-in, which is true of any gun).

Sousana, I'm not picking on you, but if you take a look in the Springfield forum, you'll see a lot of unhappy (and as many that are happy) people with their "loaded" models.

[This message has been edited by sousana (edited 09-04-2001).]

 

[helmet]

All five of my various 1911's are Colts, not because I dislike other brands, I just haven't gotten around to buying any others. I can say they are all great out of the box, and while I had one 1991A1 customized some years ago, I can say I still prefer my 1911's 'mil-spec,' as-is, out-of-the-box, sharp edges, hammer bite and all. A beavertail grip safety is worthwhile to prevent hammer bite, and there are drop-in designs that don't require modifying the frame. If you're looking not to spend a lot on aftermarket work, I would go with one of those.

 

[ScottsGT]

Go get a XSE Govt. model. It's stainless though. But it has lots of nice options and mine has been flawless out of the box with the exception of the colt magazine. They're going locally for about $750. Might check out Gunbroker.com or some other auction sites and have it shipped to a FFL dealer. When I was younger I too wanted a Colt. had my eye on a stainless Gold Cup with the flat top slide, Bomar sights. I let the gun shop talk me into a Sig 229. I finally sold the Sig and bought my XSE. The 229 was a VERY good gun. No break in period, out of the box perfection. But it was not the Colt I wanted. I still wish I could have that Gold Cup though. Learn from my mistake. Go with your gut instinct.

 

[dex]

Keep it simple. There is just something warm and fuzzy about keeping your mil-spec in original as possible condition. They are awesome right out of the box in most cases. I only put night sites on mine and that was it and even that was a stretch.

[This message has been edited by dex (edited 09-05-2001).]

 

[RickB]

Not everyone likes to extensively modify their gun, and those who do, don't necessarily like Springfield's choice in modifications. My M1991A1 has new sights, upgraded internals, and an ambi, but it looks pretty much like JMB and God intended. $545 is a decent price. They can be found on the 'net for $450, but by the time you pay shipping, FFL, etc., it'll be close. I prefer to actually see the gun before I buy, anyway.

 

[JoeMc]

I would pick the colt everytime. Go with the 1991A1 and shoot it. As time goes on you can always add exactly what you want. Parts are available up the whazoo. The main reason people put a beavertail on is to get their grip closer to the bore of the gun so they can get back on target faster and spread the recoil over a larger area. If you find the extended thumb safey is better than you can add it latter.Same thing with mag wells,triggers,sights,finishes,engraving,barrels,etc. Take it slow and enjoy the gun,part of the fun of a 1911 is customizing it to your own taste,Bon Appitite.

 

[VaughnT]

I'm gonna agree with Joe. Owning both a Springfield and Colt, I would go with a stock Colt.

This isn't to say that SA doesn't make a fine piece, it's just not what everyone wants. You get some custom touches, but they aren't YOUR custom touches. You get tritium sights, but maybe not the ones you like.... If you're in my shoes, you find that though you paid for the extras, you don't like them and want to replace them with another brand/style.

More importantly, you are not experienced with the 1911 and its variations yet. By choosing the stock Colt and shooting if for awhile, you can develop a sense for what you REALLY need as opposed to what you think you need or just would like to have.

Maybe you'll get lucky and the "Loaded" SA will be just the ticket. More likely, when you've gained some experience, you'll get the bug and want to send if off to a smith to change 80% of the weapon.

To reiterate, I would advise the purchase of the Colt. I would also advise you browse the internet sites like gunsamerica.com to find the best deal. You might be surprised at just how cheap you can get a good weapon.

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When reason fails...

 

[Guest]

I would pick the Colt. I did buy a 2001SA loaded and ran into problems. I am very glad that SA will fix it for their customers but Canadian owners like myself face a lot of hassle and redtape shipping the gun across the border. I also remember my early days of purchasing guns in the 1990's when the gun came working reliably with properly adjusted sights out of the box. Improved service is nice but it is a response to more faulty products reaching the customer.