Looking for advice on 1911's with rail

[clarion44]

Our motto is... go big or go home...



Pay once, cry once. Great CS and just a badass gun.

[jb7304]

Save some more money and get the Colt Rail Gun. My brother has one and it is a nice shooting pistol.

[Valorius]

Originally Posted by maxxram

Hello,
I am looking for some 1911 advice. This will be my first 1911 pistol and i would like for it to have the rail for attachments. I have so far looked at the ATI FX 45 Thunderbolt and the Taurus 1911B-1. They are both in the $700 dollar range.
Anyone know any pros or cons to either of these specific models?

Would there be any other low cost 1911's that would com with the rail system?
Since this is going to be my first 1911 id like to keep it cheap but at the same time not buy a piece of junk.
Thanks for any advice you can give.

You can have a rail added to any 1911 for a nominal fee.

Brownell's sells both steel and alloy 1911 rails. They cost about $30. Installation requires drilling and tapping 3 screws, and should not cost more than $75-100 tops.

[XD45]

Originally Posted by clarion44

Our motto is... go big or go home...



Pay once, cry once. Great CS and just a badass gun.

^^ this

[SCBaldr]

I've had my Sig Sauer Stainless 5" 1911 for quite a while now, I've used it as a duty gun, beaten it up and gotten it filthy, its still scary accurate and functioning normally. I'd go with stainless because its easier to clean. Its well worth the extra $200 you'll spend to get the Sig.
http://grabagun.com/sig-1911r-45acp-...fns-blkwd.html

Or for the Cheaper Nitron which only overshoots your budget by about $100 plus transfer...
http://grabagun.com/sig-1911r-45acp-...-fns-rswd.html

Smith and Wesson makes an excellent rail gun in the new "E" series in the same price range to compete with the Sig. Based on everything that I have heard about it, the Sig 1911 and the New S&W E series are very closely matched. One is every bit as good as the other. So take your pick. I didn't include the Springfield offering as it was already mentioned in previous posts. I think there is more value in the Smith and the Sig than the Springfield.

[bman1187]

Ruger 1911 if your range is $700 or under if your going cheaper I would buy a Rock Island Arms GREAT customer service and a good gun I would avoid Taurus like the palgue JMO as for ATI I don't know

[clarion44]

Rock Island is supposedly coming out with a railed 1911. So you may want to wait and see what comes out. I posted a video here a few weeks ago.

[red dog]

i have the taurus and liked it so much bought another one. if rock island is coming out with a rail gun hold off your purchase until you can check it out i have a old rock island with no rail commander size that i would carry anywhere it's that reliable, rattles like a can of marbles but man does it shoot. by the way got it when they first came out and paid 250 new, can't do that anymore. godd luck shooting and have fun shopping, lots of good choices out there.

[clarion44]

Found a pic and the video.

http://www.americanhandgunner.com/rock-island-armory/

[ChamberedRound]

I've owned a Springfield LW Operator for a few years now, and I love it:

http://forum.pafoa.org/pistols-41/48...-operator.html (New Purchase: Springfield 1911 LW Operator)



As you might be able to see from the pic, mine is a little different than the ones pictured in the previous posts. Springfield doesn't stock the full length rail Operator anymore; you can still get one but they have to be ordered through the Custom Shop (which is big $$$).

In either case, make sure you're definitely going to use the rail if you get it. One of the problems with railed 1911s in general is that they are the minority, and have a different shape than a standard 1911. As such, a lot of standard stocking items for the 1911, like holsters, won't fit a railed 1911 because the mold is different.

With that said, I love my LW Operator. The alloy frame cuts down on the weight and makes it easier to carry. The recoil motion rotation than straight back because of the frame being lighter than the slide, but it's not any different than shooting a polymer-framed gun, and it still has heft that makes it feel solid. And of course, there's nothing like a 1911 trigger break.

Hope it helps!