Bare bones 1911A1?

Question

I want to get a basic 1911A1. I want it with wood grips and blued metal. I don't care about target barrels or match triggers or any of that stupid stuff. I am not a good enough shot to care that I get a 3 inch group at 50 yards instead of a 2 inch group. I just want the very basic one, no bells and whistles... just like one a GI would have carried. The only difference i would consider is caliber... do they come in .40 S&W without costing a lot more. .45ACP and .40 S&W are the only two rounds I would want one in. How does .40 compare to .45 in price? How much should I pay for the gun I want and who makes them well? Thanks in advance.

The 3" and 2" group thing was a figure of speech. I love guns but I am not steady enough to shoot worth a darn... I hit all over a silhouette target at 15 feet with a .22 pistol.

Answer 1

I would offer 2 suggestions. First the Springfield Armory GI series--you can even get it with a parkerized finished. The MSRP is $600 but you might be able to find one for as little as $450. The other is the Colt WW I Replica, it is more expensive at $990 and based on what seems to be limited availability you may not be able to do much better than the MSRP. Try Gunbroker.com and Gunsamerica.com to see what you can do. Both these guns come in .45 ACP only (I think), and somehow it just seems right for a basic 1911 to be in .45. Around here, .45 is cheaper than .40 anyway.

Answer 2

Since no one seems to have covered your .40 v .45 question, I'll take a stab at it, since everything else seems to have been taken care of.

As far as amunition cost, the .40 will be cheaper than .45. Example: 100rnds of Winchester white box(WWB) from walmart:
.40=$21
.45=$26

I would shoot both though before making your decision, because the recoil is much different between them. While the .45 kicks harder, it is more of a push straight back at you, and the .40 is more of a sharp upward snap. Some people can actually handle a .45 easier than the .40 recoil wise.

Size wise, if you have smaller hands, a .40 is more likely to have a smaller frame, and usually you get a few more rounds of .40 than you do .45 in a magazine (not sure if either of these applies to GI type 1911s though.)

Answer 3

Rock Island, Springfield, check out Taurus; some real nice ones. Forget the .40 and go with .45acp; the 40 is just an attempt to reinvent the wheel. Many people who tried it went bac to 45; price on ammo is a lot more reasonable. There are many manufacturers of 45 ammo and you can catch a sale or two; not to mention the lots of surplus 45 ammo that crop up.

Answer 4

Rock Island or Armscorp, both the same company, both have basic 1911's for around 350 bucks, I've seen people start with a basic Rock island and add a bit here and there till they have a pistol worthy of sitting next to a Wilson or Kimber.And will shoot just as good, if not better in some cases than the more expensive, tricked out counterpart.

Answer 5

Check out Thompson, they make a neat G I model. Springfield Armory is a good choice, I would also encourage you to look at the Taurus 1911s. They come with some of the bells and whistles, but you cant beat the price and you can also get it in 40. for around 550?

Answer 6

Rock Island this a nice milspec 1911 great price
Springfield makes a nice one too...
As for a 1911 in 40 S&W you are looking at prices from $800-$1400
STI
KIMBER
and Custom made....
Stay with milspec 1911 price is around $400

Answer 7

Springfield makes a 1911 GI .45 that sounds like what you are looking for. It has military grips, hammer, even a lanyard loop.

Answer 8

For under $350 you can get a quality Rock Island .45!

I love mine. Do some research. You won't find a lot of bad stuff about them and a lot of great reviews for them. Here's a link.

Miketyson26

Answer 9

If you can fire 3 inch groups at 50 yards with ANY .45 ............ then you're one HELL of a good shot.