1911's - Sig Emperor Scorpion vs S&W E-Series

[Elwin]

I’ve seen a SIG 1911 direct milled for a Holosun K optic -but I don’t know if they converted the gun to series 70 or it was simply possible because of the small footprint.

Based on my research and then experience sending a Kimber II-series off for a K-footprint mill job, it can be done but it requires ditching whatever drop safety you have (whether its S80, Swartz, or SW's Swartz-ish thing from earlier guns).

[EzGoingKev]

Thanks for the replies.

I had picked those two models based on a couple of things. Pricing is definitely one of the factors.

I had read the S&W E-Series 1911's were great guns at a good price. Guns you can shoot and not have to tinker with them or spend $5k on them.

I recently saw an Emperor Scorpion at a gun store and thought it looked cool. I googled it and did not come up with a lot of info. I did not see anything bad though.

I am not a 1911 guy so I did not know the firing pin safety type made a difference.

[bofe954]

My understanding was that the Sig's slide made it not fit holsters well. If you care about holsters, you should investigate.

[Up1911Fan]

Is neither an option?

[Trooper224]

Personally, I stear clear of any 1911 with an external extractor.

[Joe in PNG]

If you're generally wanting to dip a toe into the 1911 world, a Girsan would probably be the best bet. According to the dedicated thread here, they appear to work fairly well right out of the box with not a lot of fiddling needed.

Going for the Sig or Smif would be akin to ordering a hamburger at the local Chinese place.

[TOTS]

Personally, I stear clear of any 1911 with an external extractor.

If you're generally wanting to dip a toe into the 1911 world, a Girsan would probably be the best bet. According to the dedicated thread here, they appear to work fairly well right out of the box with not a lot of fiddling needed.

Going for the Sig or Smif would be akin to ordering a hamburger at the local Chinese place.

I understand what both of you are saying but the S&W, especially the E series has a very good reputation. Especially for an external extractor 1911. For that matter, the SIGs seemed to have cracked the code on external ones as well. Both manufacturers have a better reliability rep than Kimber and other brands. Just throwing it out there.

That said, above, I advised “neither” and went different directions on all my 1911 purchases, so….

[Trooper224]

I understand what both of you are saying but the S&W, especially the E series has a very good reputation. Especially for an external extractor 1911. For that matter, the SIGs seemed to have cracked the code on external ones as well. Both manufacturers have a better reliability rep than Kimber and other brands. Just throwing it out there.

That said, above, I advised “neither” and went different directions on all my 1911 purchases, so….

I wouldn't call that awe inspiring.

[EzGoingKev]

If I wanted to shift gears and get a 1911 in 10mm that came with an optics cut from the factory what would you guys recommend?

[LockedBreech]

I have a Smith E-Series. Just the basic non-rail model. For what I paid, it was an absolute steal. It has been perfectly reliable and I like it a lot.

That being said, as has been articulated by others, if you want an optics 1911 buy one that's like that from the factory. I didn't know Dan Wesson had options, and those are great. Lots of great factory-milled options these days where you also get an intact warranty. That's not going to be cheap, but bluntly, I don't think you can get a good 1911 with a good optic and not be at least a bit spendy.

Regarding your "gear shift" about 10mm 1911s, I think I've read from a few guys and gals on here that know a lot more about 1911s than I do that there really isn't a great 10mm 1911 out there right now and you're better served with a G20 Gen 5 or M&P 10mm 4.6" - I could be wrong.