In the sea of 1911s
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I think it's pretty safe to say that "any" brand 1911 would shoot just well as that '81-'83 Colt ya got there - provided they had as much custom work done on them, as the one pictured. That is certainly "not" a box stock Colt pictured there.
No, it's not box-stock. It has a GI hard slide and was rebuilt to shoot knotholes at 50 yds in a bullseye match, without malfunctions. Point being, Kimber ain't seen on the line at Perry. Nor is RIA, Taurus, Remington, etc. No one wants to work on them that builds guns to tight tolerances. Colt is the preferred frame that'll gauge within specs, frame to frame, with Caspian also being an excellent base gun. Not so with most of the copies. That says something. As far as box-stock (except for the grips), this new Colt Wiley Clapp below will shoot into just over 4" from a machine rest at 50 yds. The group pictured was shot at 25 yds, from a sandbagged rest.
I've shot a bunch of 1911s that aren't Colt made, including Springfield, Taurus, RIA, Remington, Caspian and SIG. Most have cast frames that don't lend themselves to close tolerances and accuracy work. And most won't hold a sub-2" group at 25 yards. But I've had a very few that did.
Like I said, everything else is just a copy. Some are better than others. My opinion only, based on almost 30 years with the Army Marksmanship Unit.
Bob
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I've found that STI quality control is very good. Need to visit the factory up the road for a tour and pick up a loaner.
Bob
Anyone that has been around for any length of time will remember that most of the Colts made back in the late 70's, 80's, and up until a few years ago were not very good. In fact Kimber came into existence because people were looking for better 1911s. Kimber almost put Colt out of business.
Now, when I say not very good, they were mil-spec. They would work just fine, but they weren't the tack drivers the growing number of competition shooters wanted. Colt became immersed in government rifle contracts and let the quality of their 1911s slip. I own several 80s and 90s Colts that produce 4" to 5" groups at 10 yards.
A few years ago Colt admitted to their lapse in quality control and went back to their older, more precise, more expensive methods of production. The result is many of the Colts made today are superior to older models.
A Colt will always be collectible. Just the name Colt brings back memories of the wild west and days of glory.
You will never hear someone reminisce of the STI's or Kimber's of yester years.
A Colt is a Colt. Good or bad people want a Colt or a Springfield because of their heritage.
Now, when I say not very good, they were mil-spec. They would work just fine, but they weren't the tack drivers the growing number of competition shooters wanted. Colt became immersed in government rifle contracts and let the quality of their 1911s slip. I own several 80s and 90s Colts that produce 4" to 5" groups at 10 yards.
A few years ago Colt admitted to their lapse in quality control and went back to their older, more precise, more expensive methods of production. The result is many of the Colts made today are superior to older models.
A Colt will always be collectible. Just the name Colt brings back memories of the wild west and days of glory.
You will never hear someone reminisce of the STI's or Kimber's of yester years.
A Colt is a Colt. Good or bad people want a Colt or a Springfield because of their heritage.
They better do it right though. They could sell Pythons at a super premium price, but they'd have to be as good as the old ones and I'm not holding my breath. Lots of labor hours in those semi-production guns.
You say you want a Colt 1911, and you talk about your Dad carried one for decades. I assume this means you might be looking for a 1911 carry pistol. If I am correct, and you want only a carry pistol, the best choice is a Colt Wiley Clapp lightweight Commander. Second choice, the stock Colt lightweight commander.
You don’t say what the primary use for the 1911 will be; target shooting, plinking, personal defense (carry), home defense (non-carry). Example for target shooting it would be a set up Gold Cup, but for daily carry it would be set up light a weight Commander with Crimson Trace laser grips. Very big difference here both in weight and price.
Ole Cowboy
TGT Addict
Which model did dad carry, maybe that model? Certainly the ones pic above are GREAT choices...I carry my dads, mfg 1919, issued to him in '34.
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