Looking to buy a 1911, need some input

[xx AG xx]

I am looking to get a 1911 and I am looking for input from everyone that has experience with this type of gun..

I have been looking at several different makers


1) Kimber

2) Dan Wesson ***

3) Para Ordnance

4) Colts

5) STI ***

There not in any particular order, but the one's with 3 stars I am really interested in, but I do want to hear about all of them

I know that some of the Para's say that they can be carried with out being "cocked & locked", what about the others.

There are other companies that I am looking at like RIA, S/A & others, the one's listed are the one's I have been researching about the most.

Let me hear from all the 1911 owners, I would to hear pro's/con's about this particular pistol style.

I am also looking to carry the pistol as well, so that would be another consideration...

xx AG xx

[Lycanthrope]

I'd trade my two #1's for another #5...and I think the #1's are better overall than recent Colts..........




Lycanyoufollowthat?thrope

[XD45]

I'd trade my two #1's for another #5...and I think the #1's are better overall than recent Colts..........




Lycanyoufollowthat?thrope

I've gotta agree I shot my 2nd STI on wed(1st was lycans) and they are awesome guns, have yet to get a 1911 because i want to make sure i get the right one for me, but its looking more and more like i'm gonna look for an STI

[NineseveN]

If you have the coin to play with for an STI, that's a GREAT choice. And with that (or a little more) coin, check Nighthawk Custom and Springfield Armory's Custom Shop (or just buy a Springfield Professional)...

[rich]

I have 3 1911's at this time a Para SSP a Kimber PRO CDP and a Smith with a Tactical Rail. All 3 pistols perform flawlessly and all 3 are accurate. I also had at one time a Colt officers model that was a collectors piece that I sold and constantly kick my self for selling and a Colt defender that did not impress me much that I sold to get the Kimber. The Para was the least expensive at about 575.00 or 600.00 if memory servers me. The best thing to do is go to your local gun store and check out as many as you can to see what suites you. Even though they are all 1911's they all feel slightly different.
The other thing is what you intend to use the pistol for. If you are looking for a carry piece then I would say look at the smith line of Scandium pistols as they are very lite, I am thinking of getting 1 in the future. If it's more for target and or home defense then I would stick with a full size all steel pistol.

[Average Baer]

First of all, never consider a 1911 without considering a Les Baer. They represent, by far, the best value in a 1911 today. They are built like tanks, run and run and run and their accuracy is the stuff of legend.
I steer clear of Kimber for several reasons, but mainly because of the stupid Schwartz safety, external extractors and an over abundance of MIM parts.
Para makes a fine 1911, but I would also steer clear of the LDA, since that takes away the best part of the 1911, which is the crisp and yummy, single action trigger. Don't get me wrong, the LDA is a fine trigger to be sure, but it ain't a 1911. Don't be put off by cocked and locked, as there is no safer mode of carry.
Assuming the gun IS for carry, take a look at the Dan Wesson commanders with the Ed Brown bobtail. I have a Nighthawk with the bobtail and having rather large hands, expected to hate it. The result could not be further from the case; I don't even notice it while shooting and the gun conceals a lot better.

Good luck in your decision process. Once you get the 1911 itch, the only way to scratch it is to get another... and another... and another...

[xx AG xx]

Well, this is what I'm looking for....


First it would be a carry pistol. Then it would double as a home defense pistol.

I am not too familiar with the function on these pistols. I did shoot a S&W 1911 the last time I was at the range and that thing was sweet (sweet trigger and very good groupings).

What is the difference between single action and double action.

I own a G19 and understand that it is a double action pistol.
What are the major differences between a double action and single action pistol?

Are there pro's & con's for having a SA over a DA, or vice versa?

I have some time before I can make my purchase, so that is why I am looking for info, opinions on some of the brands I listed.

As far as budget goes, I can probably due in between $1000-$1300.

The brands I listed all have some models that I like and that would fall into that price range.



At this point I want a weapon that I can use for self defense and train with and eventually get to the point where I am good enough to start competition shooting (at which point I can afford to move up to a competition style pistol).

[DaveM55]

Is this going to be a carry gun or competition.

I have two Colts, one for competition (although I don't compete anymore?) and the other for carry. They are both deadly accurate and 100% reliable. I've shot the other 1911's on your list and still remain a 100% COLT fan.

For carry I'd avoid a lot of the bells and whistles. Keep it simple for carry.

Carry


Competition

[NineseveN]

What is the difference between single action and double action.

I own a G19 and understand that it is a double action pistol.
What are the major differences between a double action and single action pistol?

Are there pro's & con's for having a SA over a DA, or vice versa?

Think if it this way (as generally applies to external hammer guns):

A Single Action gun is much like cocking the hammer back on a revolver. You get a very light and short trigger pull (i.e. 1911, FNP SAO etc...). On a Single Action revolver, you obviously have to manually cock the hammer, on a single action auto, the cycling of the slide cocks the hammer for you. The first shot is also in single action as chambering the first round manually cycles the slide. Most SA automatics have a manual safety.

A Double Action Only gun is much like a revolver without pre-cocking the hammer back. A longer, heavier pull is present (though generally not as long or heavy as a stock revolver). The cycling of the slide doesn't cock the hammer for you, pulling the trigger both cocks and then releases the hammer to fire, ergo Double Action.

A Double Action/Single Action is a sort of hybrid, in that it can function either way (a common Sig P series or Beretta 92 for instance). The first shot can be single action as chambering a round cocks the hammer, and each subsequent shot also automatically cocks the hammer. The DA part of it comes in as a feature where you can manually decock the hammer after chambering a round, thus making the first shot Double Action. On some guns, like the common Sig, there is no manual safety, so most people chamber a round and then decock the hammer for safety reasons, figuring that in the absence of a manual safety, a longer, heavier trigger pull that requires deliberate force to complete the firing motion is safer than a very short, light trigger that can be accidentally engaged in the absence of a manual safety. Some DA/SA guns, like the HK USP for example, can be had with BOTH a decocker AND a manual safety, effectively giving you the choice of carrying the gun in single action mode with a manual safety engaged, or in double action (by decocking the hammer after chambering a round) with the safety on or off according to your preferences.

To further compound issues, there are some guns that are striker-fired and have no external hammer (such as the Glock, Springfield Armory XD, Walther P99). These guns have trigger pulls that are generally lighter and shorter than a Double Action Only gun with a hammer (some exceptions apply, most notable the DAO Walther P99), but not as light, nor as short as an SAO gun (ala 1911). They generally have no manual safety (though the Glock and the XD have a minor form of a safety in the trigger and the XD has another safety on the backstrap area).

It might sound like one is safer than the other, but IMHO, that's not true. All firearms are safe until someone mishandles them. A Glock or XD that sits in a holster and is not misused WILL NEVER FIRE accidentally (barring a total mechanical failure), neither will a Sig, a 1911 or a USP. It really comes down to personal preference. I generally prefer SAO guns for their mostly superior triggers and I deal with the manual safety (flicking it off has become part of my normal drawing motion) while others prefer a gun where they cannot accidentally forget to disengage or miss hitting the manual safety in a life or death moment and being unable to fire the gun, so they choose a DAO or a DA/SA gun.


There are more technical explanations available that go into greater detail about the minutia of the actual mechanism, but I figured you were more interested in how a shooter perceives each type of trigger, not how an engineer does.

[DaveM55]

Come on out to the August PAFOA Group Shoot - Pitcairn Monroeville Sportsments Club - 8/12 at 9:00 (Pitcairn Monroeville Sportsmen's Club, Route 48, North Versailles): August 12th, 2007. There will be plenty of guns to try out there.

http://www.pafoa.org/forum/shoots-ra...12-9-00-a.html