I got a question about high end 1911's vs low end

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  • gonzo

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    I've personally never owned or even fired a high end 1911. I'm referring to kimbers and such. I personally own the standard Taurus model and the lowest model rock island 1911. On both of these pistols the only modifications I've made to these were I changed the grips to ones made of bone(cause it looks awesome) and I put the punisher style flash suppressor. With either of these I can hit a 12" target first try @ 25yds, or I can hit a dime @ 15yds first try. To end my rant;I ask, what do the high end 1911's have that mine dont. Other than a trigger job and possibly being slightly lighter in weight. Please educate me.

    This is my rock island by the way.
     

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    Hossfly72

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    The "honor" of saying, "I paid $5,000 for this 1911. Do I shoot it? Oh no! I don't want to ruin it."

    That's about all I can figure.. I never understood High End guns. My American Classic Commander style 1911 never had a hiccup and worked perfectly. And I wasn't afraid to carry it or fire it. Traded it to a buddy who carries it every day still.
     

    Gravity3694

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    Basically, manufacturing and parts quality. Hand fitting and forged parts are pricey. You can get by with CNC and MIM but for people concerned about quality and aesthetics it comes with a price.
     

    merkinman

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    We should just say it is a matter of confidence. I only use MMC sights on my weapons(pistols) quality is more important than quantity IMHO! It's like women some like them skinny and some like the voluptuosness of a big ole grip.
     

    Dan1612

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    This is my Wilson Combat Protector Lightweight. What it has is the ability to shoot very very small groups accurately over and over again, and the ability to function 100% of the time, every time (which is much more important). I carry this gun on a regular basis and trust it 100%. This is no safe queen. It also has the best warranty of any product from any market sector that I've ever owned. The fact that it looks fantastic is just gravy. It has a bit of wear, but I think it gives it character, and is nothing that a $300 trip to Berryville can't fix. BTW, it travels in leather and has NEVER seen Kydex. Most of this awesomeness though, stems from the fact that it was fitted together by craftsmen, the way the design was intended to be produced. They didn't have CNC or MIM 100 years ago. Fire away! Lol.
    e8y2y2y2.jpg
     
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    TURTLE

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    The "honor" of saying, "I paid $5,000 for this 1911. Do I shoot it? Oh no! I don't want to ruin it."

    That's about all I can figure.. I never understood High End guns. My American Classic Commander style 1911 never had a hiccup and worked perfectly. And I wasn't afraid to carry it or fire it. Traded it to a buddy who carries it every day still.

    I feel the same way about super high priced weapons. I know some are worth a lot because they are rare or do things others can't . But when it comes to 1911's, I've seen some very nice Taurus's , and others under the $600 range used of course but in LNIB condition and have bought a few. Kimber's on the other hand are actually the lower end of the over priced 1911's, and I have had more malfunctions with them then any other manufacturer. I don't care when people say " Well you only need to shoot this round or that or it will jam or otherwise FTF" Well all I have to say to that is My Taurus will eat anything I put in it with NO issues what so ever. With the grips I put on it and sights it even looks better. Like I sad though, Kimber is just a wanna be rip off. I looked at some other companies 1911's that were far North of $4000. IMO , that gun better do everything from loading itself to hitting it's mark 100% of the time every shot , and then clean itself and go back to the vault on it's own. Rifles IMO have the same kind of market , The one ,I feel is the same one that makes a person think they have to drive a Benz or Lexus with less the 10 miles on it to look important. While I on the other hand was like that when I was younger to a point , I am no longer. I guess it comes with age and wisdom and not giving a Shit what other people think of you or feeling the need to prove to the world " Look at me, I can afford this or that" . Right now I could afford to drive whatever I want and live where ever I want. I CHOOSE to live where I do without mortgage, I CHOOSE to drive a 10 year old paid off Suburban to tow the boat, and a 97 Crown Vic Interceptor with 125K on it. Because they are paid for is not a reason to go get another payment just for looks to others. I finished paying my 6 year old boat off last year and maintain it as I do my vehicles and until it no longer can do what I need it to, it will not be replaced either. Wow! This kinda turned into a rant about poser's. Sorry.
     

    TraderDan

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    My father once told me "If you never try out the high price one that you can't afford, the one you can afford will do just as well!" or something like that, I never listened that well to learn that, but it does hold true.
     

    Fear21

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    I've only seen Wilsons and one Nighthawk, but there's no doubt in my mind - the quality of parts and fit / finish is superb and unquestionably better.

    The issue is, it's really not "spend $3200 more minimum" better. For $800 or less you can get a Springfield Range Officer. That's an extremely nice gun for 1/5 of the price. Bump it up a few more Benjamins and you can get the high end Springers like the TRP - or, if you're really wanting something special with a name on it, you can snag a brand new Les Baer for under $2000. On the flip side, roughly $680 gets you a Ruger 1911, which is arguably the top dog for price vs. quality in 1911s. Toss in Kimber (lot of "horror stories" on Kimbers but I've owned several and have had zero issues whatsoever with any of them), RIA, Taurus (I'm still not convinced on these but a lot of forum goers have them and swear by them so they must be doing something right) and a few others - I just can't justify spending $4000 on a pistol. If I'm dropping that kind of money it's going to be on something like a G43, or something I build myself. As JJ says, just my .02.
     
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    Welldoya

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    I always figured that most decent brands can shoot better than I can.
    If I had a Les Baer, Wilson or Nighthawk, I would be afraid to shoot it. Might lessen the value.
    Some of my most useful (and fun) guns are beaters.
    BUT, I also think it depends on your income. If I was making $500,000 a year and ran out of stuff to spend it on, I would buy one.
    On the other hand, if I was making $40,000 and didn't have a lot of disposable income, I wouldn't.
     
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    dirtysouth

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    I feel the same way about super high priced weapons. I know some are worth a lot because they are rare or do things others can't . But when it comes to 1911's, I've seen some very nice Taurus's , and others under the $600 range used of course but in LNIB condition and have bought a few. Kimber's on the other hand are actually the lower end of the over priced 1911's, and I have had more malfunctions with them then any other manufacturer. I don't care when people say " Well you only need to shoot this round or that or it will jam or otherwise FTF" Well all I have to say to that is My Taurus will eat anything I put in it with NO issues what so ever. With the grips I put on it and sights it even looks better. Like I sad though, Kimber is just a wanna be rip off. I looked at some other companies 1911's that were far North of $4000. IMO , that gun better do everything from loading itself to hitting it's mark 100% of the time every shot , and then clean itself and go back to the vault on it's own. Rifles IMO have the same kind of market , The one ,I feel is the same one that makes a person think they have to drive a Benz or Lexus with less the 10 miles on it to look important. While I on the other hand was like that when I was younger to a point , I am no longer. I guess it comes with age and wisdom and not giving a Shit what other people think of you or feeling the need to prove to the world " Look at me, I can afford this or that" . Right now I could afford to drive whatever I want and live where ever I want. I CHOOSE to live where I do without mortgage, I CHOOSE to drive a 10 year old paid off Suburban to tow the boat, and a 97 Crown Vic Interceptor with 125K on it. Because they are paid for is not a reason to go get another payment just for looks to others. I finished paying my 6 year old boat off last year and maintain it as I do my vehicles and until it no longer can do what I need it to, it will not be replaced either. Wow! This kinda turned into a rant about poser's. Sorry.

    LOL. Guess I'm a poser... I like upper end things. Not Kimbers, but vehicles :)
     

    Dan1612

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    With 1911's, you get what you pay for. I say buy, carry, shoot and take care of the best 1911 you can afford. If that makes you a poser, so be it.

    Just my 0.01 cent. :)
     
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    gonzo

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    Wow, I just got home from work and didn't expect that much input. Thanks guys your awesome. As for myself, I do pretty decent financially, but by no means am I rich. I'm of a similar mind turtle. I have an 02 s10 and a 00 envoy, both paid off. I have all the means to go out and buy a new fancy ride, but what for; my trucks run great. I love 1911's and had considered looking into buying a pricier one, but if I'm only paying for aesthetics then maybe not. Although I will say dan1612's is sexy as hell. I think i always find my self in this same position regardless of what firearm platform im currently looking to purchase. I'll take it all into consideration. Thanks again guys.
     

    Seanpcola

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    Dan's a poser too. Yup...

    You're both elitist snobs.:boxing:



    J/k

    Frankly I think "buy what you can afford and love it". The only reason I don't own a 1911 right now is I want a nice one but need to spend funds elsewhere. I do love that one of Dan's. :yo:
     

    gendoc

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    well the old say'n...."you get what you pay for" ain't really justice about your question....

    I've seen and handled many low and medium models that actually would do better than the "high" end ones
    for other than "combat situations"..........i'm sure others will bitch about my
    opinion but, really......oh-well:becky:
     

    donr101395

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    With 1911's, you get what you pay for. I say buy, carry, shoot and take care of the best 1911 you can afford. If that makes you a poser, so be it.

    Just my 0.01 cent. :)


    That really is some good advice.

    I carried an Auto Ordnance Government model for a long time(1989-2000) because I could afford it and despite it's reputation it was reliable and accurate. Through the years I've upgraded as my financial situation improved. A custom 1991 Commander, a stock Combat Commander, then a LW Operator, Range Officer and TRP Operator. I'm just finishing ringing out the Range Officer for carry. It's a good solid 1911 and even with the addition of an Ed Brown ambi-safety, change to Harrison sights and VZ grip panels I'm into it for less than $1000.
     

    TURTLE

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    well the old say'n...."you get what you pay for" ain't really justice about your question....

    I've seen and handled many low and medium models that actually would do better than the "high" end ones
    for other than "combat situations"..........i'm sure others will bitch about my
    opinion but, really......oh-well:becky:


    The "Other then combat situations " Is the thing I wonder about. The last time I went to Oakridge they guy in the lane next to me was shooting a 1911 that I can't remember the brand of but he said he paid $ 4350 for it with all mods he did to it. I HAD MY Taurus pt1911 with me. So I asked if he wanted to do a reliability test between the two. He of course said yes. He only had the range ammo they sell in brass. I had everything from tulammo to the same he had. I gave him a box of everything I had to be fair. I had ZERO FTF or any issues at all. He had 7, Count em 7 FTF through out the 200 rounds we shoot. So I guess my question is . What about a " Combat situation " would make that better?
     

    helo_hunter

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    I do not have a 'true' (More than $1500) high end handgun. I do have two Kimbers (bought used) and a Ruger SR1911. Personally, I prefer the SR1911 but I still like the Kimbers. The feel, fit, finish, felt recoil, sights, and accuracy of all three is very good. Better than my Rock Island 1911 (which is good). All go bang when the trigger is squeezed. My belief is that you buy the best you can afford and enjoy. Always a newer, more pimped out, more expensive model out there to drool over but understand you get to come home to what you can afford.
     
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    Emcm2

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    Wow awesome topic glad to read so many different inputs on the 1911 subject
     
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