I am not a 1911 guy but have gotten a hankering for one. I do not want to drop thousands on one.
I am looking at the Sig Emperor Scorpion Full and the S&W E-Series Tactical.
Both of these have the rail to mount a light. Neither of these is cut for an optic so I would have to send the slide out.
Is one of these a much better choice than the other?
Last edited by EzGoingKev; 11-26-2023 at 02:45 PM.
If you want an optic cut 1911 take a look at Dan Wesson which now offers factory cut 1911 options.Originally Posted by EzGoingKev
Neither are my choices of brands for entering into the 1911 world; they just don’t have a ton of support. Although I think both would make you happy if you like the style, I think the S&W would offer the best chance at a reliable and long term 1911 experience. If you are drawn to those models because of the prices, there are also a couple others you should consider.
Please don't get offended, but neither of those are great options.
Both Springfield and Dan Wesson have optic ready options if that's what your after and both make better 1911's. Look for a Springfield PX9110ML18-RMR. They're out there and usually about $1400 with an RMR Type 2 mounted.
The S&W E-Series aren't terrible if you can get one cheap, but milling it for optic is going to void the excellent factory warranty, which would be half the reason to buy that particular pistol.
Sig uses a Series 80 style firing pin safety, so it might not be possible to cut the slide for an optic mount. Recent production S&W 1911s don't have a FPS.
Also note that the Sig slide has a different profile (top is squared rather than rounded) so it wont fit a standard 1911 holster. They do make a version with the rounded top but it is pretty uncommon.
Dan Wesson has several bob-tail models is you prefer to not go with the standard backstrap.
If you're just wanting to dabble maybe look at Tisas guns. Something like a Raider or a Carry might fit your needs. Lots of good user feedback in the ongoing Tisas 1911 thread.
It looks like the only Tisas cut for an optic is the Night Stalker.
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Based solely on Joe Chambers 1911 University "Mathmatical Reviews," if I was looking to dip my toe in the 1911 world, I'd go Rock Island Armory or Tisas, then Dan Wesson at the next price point.
David S.
The Springfield you linked is a great gun, so if course SA seems to have discontinued them..
I haven’t seen a new one for sale in a couple years.
If I were to guess SA is moving away from the Trijicon (RMR Footprint only) mount to a single stack with the same Agency plate system as their double stacks.
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.
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