I've still haven't bought a 1911 only because I tend to wait to get exactly what I want. I'm sick of waiting and am considering something lower on the food chain to play with until I buy a Les Baer.
I'm finding some decent deals on gunbroker...like CHARLES DALY, Armscor, Llama, etc....
something like this?
Any brands, models to stay away from, regardless of the bargain?
Thanks!
depends on what you want to do - have a 1911 for the fuck of it, or have a nice shooting gun?
you can go with a middle of the road colt model, but spend the extra cash and get something decient - kimber, or Springfield for 800 - 1000
a place to shoot in torrence usually has real nice deals - i paid 1200 at tunners for my kimber - they had it there for 850
you an always trade the gun in when you have the extra cash for the les, or STI
steve - I can't find "a place to shoot", but did find a "Sharpshooter Indoor Range & Gun Shop" - is that what you meant?
To answer your question, I want a nice shooting gun, but it's going to be a while before I have extra $$ to throw down, so was considering a cheap .45 to play with in the mean time.
I refuse to trade my glock in, which would probably help out, just don't want to get rid of anymore guns, I always regret it later.
maybe it was sharp shooters -
it was in the 200's block IRC
so no suggestions on what to stay away from?
"Stay away from this stuff. Not necessarily bad weapons...but there are plenty better ones out there."
Yeah....I know there's plenty better ones, I just want to make sure I don't buy a complete piece of crap.
I'm ok with owning an average .45 AND a really nice one later, down the road.
I mean, I bought an SKS back in '90, and although it wasn't the AR, HK, or AK I wanted, it was still fun in the meantime, and very functional....I'm OK with having a SKS in the back of the safe with nicer ones out front.
Go to the 1911 forum, Charles Daly seems to have a good reputation. www.1911forum.com
I had a LLama, it was picky about ammo, I ran lots of rounds through it and didnt have a problem, jus couldnt runn hollowpoints through.
Check www.gunbroker.com for some deals, there is another auction and I dont know the address.
But go to the forum.
Ditto on the Springfield Mil-Specs or GI 45's. Lots of guys on the 1911 forums have been getting them and customizing them the way the want (replacing extractor, sear, disconnector, hammer, slide stop, installing Novaks, etc). With the GI 45, you may want to get the ejection port lowered and flared, but that's already done on the Mil-Spec. Also, it seems the Mil-Specs have loctited extractors and ejectors, but most of the GI 45's have pinned ones.
If I where you, I would just get a stock 1911 off the shelf, like a Colt MK IV or even a series 80 - with nothing done to it. If you had some extra cash, get a partial custom, like a "combat elite" or something.
Just worry about shooting it for a while. Once you have 600-800 rounds through it, you can start determining what you want done to it.
You can "build" as nice a custom gun as a Baer or something, just doing it over time. Now it may cost a bit more (or a lot) over the long run, but there is less initial expense. the Baer is a big purchase for anyone but a serious shooter.
get a gold cup, shoot it. Get it dehorned, tefloned, trigger job, maybe some checkering, sights. then build from there with what you need, and nothing you dont.
You'll save money, paying it all up front, but you dont need to. there are tons of good small time gunsmiths, the trick is finding one who may not be the best, but does not fuck your gun up.
I would be very careful about taking any advice from gun forums, including gun broker, 1911 forum, etc unless you can absolutely verify who is giving it. Everyone is a expert on the internet.
Everytime I visit the range I am shocked at the dip shits there, and hearing them give each other advice is comical.
ohh and obviously I could hook you up with a good deal, but you live in Cali, where they have the most fucked gun laws, its all but impossible.
I occasionally come accross some unreal deals, LOL, ask sreiter and his new national match.
yes, i can vouch for the fact that jack hooked me up with a amazing gun for 1/3 of the price at todays price. 1/2 the original price
it was still brand new (although manufactured in 98' - shoots like a dream - love the gun more then my kimber (its a nickel plated, national match mark IV gold cup)
well fuck, ezekiel! - I can buy pistols in CA, still!
Plus I'm still a legal resident of Missouri for those HK 91's that I'll probably never actually buy....
I had a Llama, and got to play with a Charles Daly, both are at worst crap, at best,semi-decent. I would carry neither for a defensive gun.
If you want a good shooting, cheap 1911, go out and buy a Springfield Milspec, around here (Indiana) you can buy a new one for under $400.
MSRP is $620.00, it should be easy to find for a decent price.
The beauty of this firearm is two-fold, One: it's damned good to begin with, it's what the military carried for a good 80 years. TWO: if you decide you want an uber nice 1911 with all the trimmings, bells whistles, lace and silicone breat implants made, you can have it built on this gun's frame, kind of like dropping a nice engine into some kind of hotrod body, You will NOT be able to do that with a LLama, a Charles Daly or any other inferior firearm, who in their right mind would take an unexploded Pinto and try to turn it into a race car?
"who in their right mind would take an unexploded Pinto and try to turn it into a race car? "
Someone alsways will.....
I had a Llama, I sold it for a springfield 1911, Love it.
Not a 1911, but if you want a cheap .45 check out the Ruger p-90. They're workhorses and you can always find them in good condition for around 250.
I got my sprinfield 1911 for I think 450. used, no problems with it ever except the rear sight used to slide out the dovetail when I first got it and the little allen screw was stripped. Put in a new one and it never gave me a minutes's trouble after that (except, well it's my fault, but I could never feild strip it without putting on the same scratch from the the slide stop over and over)
It was the only handgun in my life I was ever a decent shot with. I miss it like an old friend.
I've been looking at the Rock River arms mil=spec models. A big step up in quality from Llama, Daly, etc.
and they go for around $300.
Get a glock.