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Most reliable 1911 ( Full Size) under or around 1200 Bucks

JimmyMac

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I'd like some feedback from members with personal experience with 1911s. Mainly full size guns under or maybe around 1200 bucks. In other words-no Wilson Combat or Ed Brown kind of stuff. I love 1911s but as much as I hate to admit it every once in a while they jam. I still love them but I like to have a screw driver and a pair of pliers to pry out stuck casings. I did find a trick that helps. I have an old ammo can with "US 45 CAL BALL" printed on the side. As long as my 1911s see me take ammo out of that happy. They will fire .410 shells If they come out of that can. Seriously though, I want to buy a new 1911 and I want one that will eat anything you put in it. I've heard some good things about Smith and Wesson E-Series. I bought a Springfield EMP4 9mm a few months ago and it is pure magic, but its not a 45 and its not Govt. size. Any feedback? Buy the way if anyone has a Springfield V-16 45 Super Longslide I'm looking for one.
 
The E-series are great and well under your budget. Save up a $100 extra bucks and wait for a used Dan wesson to pop up. You won't regret that.
Best bang for your buck under 1k is a Springfield Range Officer though
 
Plenty of opinions and viable options for what you are looking for. Personally...I think the best value on a non high end 1911 is the Ruger SR1911. Series 70 plus several components not usually found in that price range.
 
My Kimber Custom II has been 100% reliable with all types of FMJ and JHP ammo. I had a Mil-Spec Springfield that was also 100% reliable. I think both can be had for 5-600 (SA) or 6-700(Kimber). That's been my personal experience.
 
Never had a hiccup with my full size ruger SR1911. Had problems with my colts and Springfields. Took a lot of work but I made the ruger a full polished gun, removed the lawyer label on the frame and the markings on the left side of the receiver. It's a 500-600 gun to so you could buy plenty of extras for it to suit your taste. Everyone I know that owns a Sig says they are 100% as well as long as you are ok with the non traditional look. Only other 1911's that always worked 100% were surprisingly the cheap rock island armory ones, had a good bit of them and never a hiccup.
 
It took way more time than I would like to admit to get it from matte bead blast to this, but I love my baby, just want a damscus hammer and trigger and some heavily barked stag grips for it.

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as for reliability , well the weapon is only one part of that story!
the Ammunition may very well be as important or more so than the brand of the weapon.
and of course the shooter plays their part as well in reliable function.
owning some 14-15 1911's I am not sure any have ever not had a malfunction?
different weapons like/dislike different power, projectile, types and so much is finding out what they do like.
I will say while not a 1911 my CZ 97BD has to my knowledge never failed to function and its north of 3000 rounds now.
actually my 1911s don't get near as much since I got this beast.
 
There are a lot of manufacturers that make reliable 1911s so you dont have to spend $1200 to get a good one. A lot of the reliability in the 1911 has to do with magazines. Make sure you using good mags like Wilson, Tripp, or Chip McCormick.

I think inherently 1911s aren't going to be as reliable as other modern battle pistols due to the tighter tolerances. This is why they are inherently more accurate though.

For $1200 I would save up a couple hundred dollars more and get a Dan Wesson which is deemed to be some of the best, if not the best, production 1911s on the market. If you are stuck at
that budget I think something like the Springfield Operator on Colt Gold Cup.
 
Based on prior experience there is only one truly reliable 1911 in your price range, and it happens to be whatever 1911 the responding party currently owns. Just out of curiosity which ones are the unreliable ones? Easy, all the others the responding party once owned prior to buying the current one.

As always, YMMV.
 
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