1911 Question

[SylverCANADA]

Greetings,


Just wanted to get some feedback on 1911s, and pointers on what to look our for with minimal bias.

So my situation is this, I have never owned a 1911, and would really like to add one to my collection. Nor have I ever owned a SA only, or 45 ACP firearm, just to add.

Purpose of pistol will be mainly target shooting, with possibility of casual competition in classic division of IPSC.

What I am looking for in this is a thin, aggressive grip with target sights that have a thin, red fiber optic front post.

I have tried a few things, and kind of know what fits me, ironically its around $2000. Now before spending this kind of money, perhaps I'm looking to get talked out of it, I just want to know where the value lies.

-What are some of the differences between $1000-$1500-$2000-$2000+ 1911s?
-Is the added cost reflected in the firearms performance from your experience when it comes to this platform?
-People talk about the use of MIM parts in 1911s to the negative, how big of a deal is this, or is this simple bias?
-If you were looking at using this to casually compete in IPSC what price point would you be looking at?
- Does anyone have any recommendations or experience that they would like to share with their 1911 experience?

Just want to say thank you for all the comments.

[3blade]

1) quality of materials and components, level of finish/metal work
2) definitely. Consider that the entire system must be timed right to run without failure, and the failure of a sidearm is rather significant, both real life and competition. The details matter.
3) pretty big deal as these parts wear fast, especially under the stress of rapid fire. The 1911 is easy to work on, but it's frustrating to have a gun fail and lose time/money fixing it
4) competition isn't forgiving, and it's difficult to improve with substandard equipment. Depends how important it is to you.
5) Springfield loaded stainless. Had to replace the slide stop and do a trigger job, and had to run it pretty wet. Sold it, didn't have time. Shot many others, but user preference is a significant factor. I'd look hard at wilson

Not sure if target sights are going to serve you well in IPSC. Regardless, I wouldn't choose a model based on this as sights can be swapped easily. Look for a full length guide rod, ambi safety, beveled mag well, good trigger - this is by far most important. Try it with snap caps before you buy.

[Skytop B]

I shot a Sig 1911 in 45 first couple years, they can be had used for around 1000 and are very reliable. Adjustable Bowmar target sights are preferable over Novak fixed. A front fiber optic sight is an absolute must. I have since moved to an STI in .40 but you will need a few mods to make the .40 feed 100% reliably. Read up on the Classic division rules, your gun has to fit in a box with a magazine inserted to be compliant.

The Sigs come with Novak sights but will fit the IPSC box as long as you don't have too long of base pads on your mags.

Oh, there is no such thing as casual competition in IPSC, once you shoot a couple matches you will be hooked!

Make sure whatever 1911 you buy it does not have slide lightening cuts, cocking serrations are allowed. They are not permitted in classic division. They will bump you into Standard division where you will be shooting against guys with 10 round capacity instead of 8 which is a huge disadvantage.

[M70]

To add to Skytop B, most IPSC Classic shooters are shooting 40's as a compromise between price and major scoring. I wouldn't shoot 40 SW if you don't reload. From my experience, 40 SW need to be loaded longer than what is available from factory offerings to be reliable.

45 ACP is a pretty forgiving round to reload but it gets expensive.

I really like the 1911 platform but it helps if you are willing to tinker. Because there are so many manufacturers for pistols, parts and mags, you have to be patient to find the right combination. Not all parts and mags will work with the pistol that you have.

[jdf96ca]

hey guys im new to the site just curios if some one can help me through the steps of posting my add

[SylverCANADA]

Thank you for the advice.

I did look up the rules to IPSC, so have some insight (not a lot). First step for me is getting through the black badge course.

I was deliberating between the Springfield TRP operator vs Sig Sauer 1911 Max. However, they are quite pricy and not widely available. Did get my hands on the Max and it fits perfectly, didn't get a chance to handle a TRP yet. However, I think I might go with a Sig 1911 Super Target as the price is a little more "reasonable" and I use that loosely.

What do you guys think? Would that be a good place to start?

Secondly, also going with this purchase for nostalgic purposes and hence why looking to go with the 45 instead of 40S&W. Probably a bit of a handicap when it comes to competition.

[Skytop B]

Originally Posted by SylverCANADA

Thank you for the advice.

I did look up the rules to IPSC, so have some insight (not a lot). First step for me is getting through the black badge course.

I was deliberating between the Springfield TRP operator vs Sig Sauer 1911 Max. However, they are quite pricy and not widely available. Did get my hands on the Max and it fits perfectly, didn't get a chance to handle a TRP yet. However, I think I might go with a Sig 1911 Super Target as the price is a little more "reasonable" and I use that loosely.

What do you guys think? Would that be a good place to start?

Secondly, also going with this purchase for nostalgic purposes and hence why looking to go with the 45 instead of 40S&W. Probably a bit of a handicap when it comes to competition.

Excellent choice, the Max Michel model would be very good, you won't need to upgrade anything on it after you get a few matches under your belt. Where are you taking your BB? I have an extra Classic rig I want to sell. 2 piece Double alpha belt, double alpha holster with ben stoeger drop mount and 5 single stack mag pouches, all mounted on the belt. I would let it go for $250. Get yourself 5-6 Tripp Research Cobra mags. I have quite a few 45 mags I could let go as well.

[SylverCANADA]

Originally Posted by Skytop B

Excellent choice, the Max Michel model would be very good, you won't need to upgrade anything on it after you get a few matches under your belt. Where are you taking your BB? I have an extra Classic rig I want to sell. 2 piece Double alpha belt, double alpha holster with ben stoeger drop mount and 5 single stack mag pouches, all mounted on the belt. I would let it go for $250. Get yourself 5-6 Tripp Research Cobra mags. I have quite a few 45 mags I could let go as well.

Still looking at when the courses are scheduled. It seems like my summers schedule keeps getting busier, so the hobby stuff keeps being pushed back more and more. I know this is something that I would like to pursue, and it is a way for a person to stay active, unfortunately its not one of my priorities right now.

Honestly, if I was going to take the BB course sometime soon I would probably buy that equipment off you, but like I said at this time just taking things step by step.

So how long have you been competing/participating in IPSC? Any additional advice?