View Poll Results: Help me spend ~$1100 on a 1911!

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  • New Dan Wesson Vigil 9mm factory blem

    29 44.62%
  • Used TRP Operator

    15 23.08%
  • New Range Officer Operator 9mm

    5 7.69%
  • New Range Officer Operator .45

    6 9.23%
  • New Ronin

    0 0%
  • Mods here are shit

    6 9.23%
  • Posters here are shit

    4 6.15%
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Thread: Help me spend ~$1100 on a 1911!

  1. #1
    Ready! Fire! Aim! awp_101's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
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    DFW

    Help me spend ~$1100 on a 1911!

    OK, I've got some pennies rolled and it's time to have some fun. I'm ready to get my first "nice" (looks and build quality) 1911 and the budget is a pretty hard cap of $1100 including shipping. Primary use will be as a fun gun. Ringing steel and punching paper for fun at the range, competition or carry roles are very much a secondary consideration. I'm not a 1911 newbie, I'm more of a hobby grade amateur. I do have some experience shooting them for fun, and I put together a couple from Rock Island kits so I have an idea of some of the quirks and what's generally going on under the hood (so to speak) but I am by no means an armorer or even dedicated enthusiast.

    Over the weekend I started looking around at what's out there and came up with a list of preferences and a couple of must haves.

    Must haves:
    Beavertail from the factory - I don't get paid to deal with hammer bite, I don't want to deal with fitting one and right now I don't feel like paying someone else to fit one
    Dovetailed front and rear sights - I can't see GI sights very well and I don't want to pay to have a slide milled
    9 or .45 - I stock both so I'm good with either. My hands and wrists might prefer 9 but I'm not opposed to light target loads and a spring change if I feel like shooting a bunch of .45
    Government or Commander length, no Officer, CCO, etc. If a compelling case can be made for the 4" Champion length SA uses, I'm willing to listen
    Steel frame if it's a .45 regardless of barrel length

    Outside of those things, I'm pretty open on my preferences. A rail would be nice but it's not a deal maker or breaker. I can take or leave an ambi safety, same for magwells. Blued is my preference but could be swayed to a stainless or 2 tone for the right price and feature set. I'd prefer factory new but I'm not opposed to buying used if it's a better value.

    Here's what I've found so far that I think meets what I'm looking for in one form or another:

    Dan Wesson Vigil 9mm - I've run across some factory blems in Gov and Commander lengths for right at $1100. These seem like a strong value
    Springfield TRP Operator - I've found a handful of used/LNIB .45 TRPs from $900-1100
    Springfield Range Officer Operator - I'm finding these new and used, 9 and .45 from $850 (new 9mm) to just under $100 (used .45 with additional quality mags, etc)
    Springfield Ronin - I'm seeing these for under $800 for the 9mm. I'm not wild about the 2 tone look and I haven't looked very hard for reviews but they appear to be similar to the Range Officer line. I think...
    Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits - Mark Twain

    Tact is the knack of making a point without making an enemy / Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?

  2. #2
    Site Supporter OlongJohnson's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    "carbine-infested rural (and suburban) areas"
    As-new CZ 1911-A1s are going for about that on GB these days. Didn't see them for a long time, but the market situation has brought them out of safes. Likely people who aren't as excited as they thought they'd be to have a nice chunk of change sitting in the safe not being shot and cashing out when they can unexpectedly come out ahead.
    .
    -----------------------------------------
    Not another dime.

  3. #3
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Georgia
    A TRP would be a good choice.

    My Colt Rail Gun 45 is a very good pistol and new ones are in that price range.

  4. #4
    At your price point I would hands down buy a Colt Wiley Clapp Commander. For a few dollars more the Vickers Springfield gun, though it is only .45 right now. Next best would be one of the CZ's.
    -All views expressed are those of the author and do not reflect those of the author's employer-

  5. #5
    Site Supporter farscott's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Dunedin, FL, USA
    My recommendation is to take your time and shop for "pre-owned" deals; it is what I do. There are some great pistols out there that sold new for more than $1500 that can be found for under $1000 if you are patient. At least until the great scare of 2020. Waiting will bring demand back to earth and deals can then be found. If you can stretch to $1500, then pistols from Springfield Armory's Custom Shop (SACS) are in reach, but there are great deals around the $1100 mark. My personal favorites are the STI single-stack pistols, especially Spartan (should sell for less than $700), Trojan (about $1000), and Lawman (best deal I found was $850). All three were available in 9x19, all are out of production, and all are still covered by STI/Staccato's lifetime warranty. DW and S&W's 1911s are also a good deal on the used market.

    This Dan Wesson may be of interest for $1150 shipped (I bet it can be had for $1100 shipped) as it sold new for closer to $2000. It is a lot more pistol than any standard SA pistol. It even has a rail. https://www.1911addicts.com/threads/...-price.101669/

  6. #6
    Member JHC's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    North Georgia
    If it were me it would be a used TRP (non Operator model since I'd prefer the standard GI bushing set up)

    or one not in your list, the SA LB Operator which even new would be around your price point. Mine was just a few years back. https://www.springfield-armory.com/1...5-acp-handgun/

    A big advantage to those for me is they come with the magwell standard. I rate that higher than checkered front straps. But a TRP would have them both.
    “Remember, being healthy is basically just dying as slowly as possible,” Ricky Gervais

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    SE Texas
    I voted for the Dan Wesson. While not the exact model and caliber I would chose, I would go Dan Wesson. You just can't beat the quality you get for the price with a DW.

  8. #8
    THE THIRST MUTILATOR Nephrology's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    West
    Dan Wesson.

    Also, mods here are shit.

  9. #9
    Site Supporter Bigghoss's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Anna Kendrick's fantasies
    Why do I have to choose between mods being shit and posters being shit?

    I got a used example of a SA RO Operator 9mm that I'm not disappointed in. With a budget of $1100 I might aim a little higher though.
    Quote Originally Posted by MattyD380 View Post
    Because buying cool, interesting guns I don't need isn't a decision... it's a lifestyle...

  10. #10
    That Dan Wesson Specialist farscott mentioned is a smoking deal. My Specialist is an amazing pistol.

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