cheep 1911's

[mikepow]

Just for general info on the cheeper 1911 I have a Charles Daly full size which is one of the nicest hand guns I own cost me under $400 .I just got a llama mini max 45( a carry size 1911) for $233 over the internet gun is well made and very tight. Triger is a little hard but not that bad.Even if I have to have a triger job done its still a great bye.
Just to put in a word for us who can't aford the kimbers + such.
 Mike

[Tommyt]

Just for general info on the cheeper 1911

 I  just got a Rock Island 45 and I love it
So far it has performed flawless and as far as I am concerned it a keeper

[191145]

TommyT; Tell us more about the R.I.; fit and finish, overall appearance, feeding, firing, extraction, ejection, ammo, etc. Thanks

[191145]

One thing I just found out about the Rock Island 1911A1 is that the grip screws and bushings are not the standard thread. They are threaded 8-32. This will only be a problem if you try to use different grip screws for some reason. As far as I can determine, this is the only area on the gun where parts are non-mil spec. I don't know about the threads for the bushing/frame interface, but you could possibly get into trouble there, too, if you tried to put in some short bushings that come with thin grips. I found a site for a guy that already makes stainless steel and black oxide hex-key grip screws for the gun. http://www.zipgraver.com/GRIPS.htm
I'm probably going to buy two .45s this month; a Rock Island and an EAA Witness 'Combat' DA/SA (by Tanfoglio). I looked at the CZ97B, too, and also the Auto Ordnance 1911A1. The only thing about the Auto Ordnance was the slanted slide serrations and the hokie 'Property Of U.S. Army' stamp. The Rock Island, with a set of G.I. plastic grips, is pretty much the real thing, except for the chromed barrel.

[RON KONTOWSKY]

Not to knock these less expensive 1911 style pistol, but I have seen these guns come in for reliabiltity work ,trigger, extractor, ejector, feed ramp,

care should be taken because these parts are not of the highest quality, and only surface hardened.

RON KONTOWSKY

[191145]

Thanks, Ron - that's good to know. You wouldn't want to 'break' the case-hardened surface by filing on the part. I probably won't shoot a case of ammo in mine over the next 20 years, so longevity isn't a problem. As long as it loads, fires, extracts and ejects, there will also be no gunsmithing done to it. All reviews I have seen on the Rock Island say it does just that with acceptable accuracy. The heaviest use this gun will ever get will be the first day when I break it in with 200 rounds.

[bigbore]

Who makes the model 1911 that has a serial number on the right side but no manufacturers name on the slide. I was told that it is cheap but who made it?

[jh45gun]

The Ballester Molina is a great buy for the money and if you get one with a so so barrel a colt one will fit right in and military surplus new Colt barrels can be had for a song. Jim

[191145]

Well, I did a turnaround on this deal - I sat at the gun show all weekend helping at a table and using this opportunity to really check out some 1911A1s - Rock Island, Auto Ordnance, the Colt repro and Springfield. One guy had the real thing, an absolutely pristine WWII Colt  for $1395. During all this, it gradually dawned on me that what I really wanted was not a Parkerized gun at all, but a pre-Series 70 commercial Government Model. Sure enough, there was one in the house - a 1953 in really nice shape - and the guy needed to move it out. I just finished a detail strip, cleaning and oiling on it, and it's first-rate and all-original, with about 85% Royal Blue and the original magazine. Bore is mint. I believe this gun had never been cleaned - it was that dirty. Before shaking on the deal, I took it to a well-respected former armorer who specializes in Garands and all pre-black gun U.S. weapons, and he pronounced it a 'good one'. Now for the bottom line - would you believe $600? The book on it goes to $1250 for VG, and this one would make that easily except for the grips - they're okay, but I've never seen any quite like them - they're like smooth grips with 'silver' Colt medallions, but they have a pressed-in wood grain pattern. They've been on the gun for a long time and could be original, but I put on a nice set of checkered, double-diamond grips of some kind of exotic wood that really looks great on it. I'll hang on to the old ones just in case they're for real. If the guy selling it had just done what I did to it, he could have gotten a lot more for it.
So, in case anyone else is still looking at the lower-priced 1911A1s, here's what I felt about them - they all looked okay. The R.I. finish was kind of hit and miss and the slide was not that tight. The Auto Ord. would have been my choice under $500 even though the slide serrations were slanted instead of straight up. The Springfields may be the best quality, but since the A.O. is now made by Kahr, that remains to be seen. Under $1000 you would have to take the Colt WWII repro (if you wanted a new gun. You can get a real WWII one for that). If you want a polish blued 1911A1, both A.O. and R.I. make one, and they look good, too.
One thing, though - when I asked the armorer about the imported 1911A1s, he highly recommended staying away from them. I have heard this from enough different sources that I'm starting to believe them. Time will tell.

[191145]

Here's a pic of the Government Model. Copy the address to your browser and enter. Not too bad, eh?
http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/pubimage.asp?id_=1734426

[191145]

Hey, it took the link hot, so forget about copying, just click. Here's another.
http://image1ex.villagephotos.com/pubimage.asp?id_=1734574

[jh45gun]

Looks good congrats on your find it always makes you feel warm inside when you know you make a really good deal Jim