[Bobula]

Major noob question, what's so great about Wilson? I was in a gun store the other day, drooling, waiting my 30 days to buy another new pistol, when i say the $2,100 price tag!

 

[bassplayrr]

What's so great about any high end 1911? Or any high end pistol for that matter? It's hard to say. With the Wilson your mostly paying for fit and finish. Every Wilson I've ever handled has had a fairly light and buttery smooth trigger, great slide to frame fit, and a wonderful slide to bushing to bbl fit as well. The gaps between all moving parts are usually a little tighter than your 1911 in general. You're also paying a bit of a premium for the name alone, as Wilson has become pretty prestegious in the 1911 world. Me, I'd prefer a Springfield done up by their in-house custome shop. But I'm a SA fan boy like that.

-Chris

 

[Adler]

Mostly a name deal alot like La Baer. Personally for what most of us are going to use a 1911 for I wouldnt pay over 1k for a combat 1911. Personally I would only want one for my Vintage gun collection. Although I have been playing around with the idea of building one for shites and giggles.

 

[bassplayrr]

Mostly a name deal alot like La Baer. Personally for what most of us are going to use a 1911 for I wouldnt pay over 1k for a combat 1911. Personally I would only want one for my Vintage gun collection. Although I have been playing around with the idea of building one for shites and giggles.

I agree. For less than $200 I retrofitted my SA 1911A1 with most of the Wilson internals (Trigger, Sear, Hammer, Grip Safety, Guide Rod, Springs, Bushing). My gun may not be as pretty as a true Wilson, but its trigger is as light and crisp, it is 99% as accurate, and about 1/2-2/3 the cost.
-Chris

 

[Bobula]

I found a really nice SA 1911A1 for $400, never shot, i like it but it's a little too big for me.

 

[Janq]

Agreed with everyone else, leave the Wilson to the baby boomer suckas to blow their pension check on and store them in their super oontz custom installed gun safes they got on discount from Costco.

I wouldn't spend anythign more than the cost of a SigArms 'GSR' (which I own and got at deep discount NIB), Kimber 'Warrior',or a Springfield 'TRP'.
Even then I would not at all pay MSRP for anyone of the three as it's just not necessary with deals all over the place new, NIB and very lightly used 95%+ quality.
Having a Wilson, Les Baer or Nighthawk on your hip for CCW and/or punching holes in paper at the range is not somuch dumb but likely a huge waste of money that otherwise could be spent toward ammo and range fees.

SW1911SC or PD at $800 street NIB is IMHO the best value factory blaster in 1911.
No tuning, smithing or parts replacement & upgrading required.
Just load and shoot very accurately and for darn near ever.
I wish I had reason enough to buy one myself.

- Janq

 

[Adler]

I found a really nice SA 1911A1 for $400, never shot, i like it but it's a little too big for me.

Try a Hi Power pistol. They tend to balance better than a 1911 for most shooters and can be had for very reasonable prices. Its John Browning's other great pistol and is the 1911 of Europe really. Highly customizable and very accurate. You can get an Argentine FM for 300 bucks new or the newer and I do emphasize newer Charles Daly Hi Powers are good since they started buying American made ones.

 

[bassplayrr]

I started with a SA 1911-A1 mil-spec (not GI) in stainless for just under $600, and like a said, added about $200 or so in upgrades. For about $800 I have a gun that shoots in the 90th percentile of 1911's out there. If you like tinkering and doing your own work, this is the way I reccoment you go. If you want to just buy a pistol as-is, and have it be a areliable bad ass out of the box, my vote would go to a SA Loaded Full Size. I think they go for around $700 or so. If you can find one with a serial# that starts off with NM, all the better as those are fitted right here in the US and usually have slightly better parts (like a one piece stainless bbl) and a slightly better fit and finish. They will shoot 90%+ as good as my modded mil-spec and have nice little features like a snug fitting grip safety and ambi thumb safeties.

-Chris

 

[Bobula]

I found a really nice SA 1911A1 for $400, never shot, i like it but it's a little too big for me.

Try a Hi Power pistol. They tend to balance better than a 1911 for most shooters and can be had for very reasonable prices. Its John Browning's other great pistol and is the 1911 of Europe really. Highly customizable and very accurate. You can get an Argentine FM for 300 bucks new or the newer and I do emphasize newer Charles Daly Hi Powers are good since they started buying American made ones.

I really really like the browning hi power, but i find they get to hot to fast, everyone i've fired on a combay course gets hot and starts jamming.

 

[Adler]

Thats odd its never happened with any of them I shot. Were they Browning/FN or a copy? The argentine ones I shot were not as nicely finished but actually did just as well in the accuracy dept with not a single jam.

 

[Bobula]

It was a browning, but it was a range renter, so probably beat to shit. My local range hates me cause i demend they clean it before I use any of them anymore.

 

[Adler]

Probably a Frankenstein Hi Power with a bunch of donor organs inside. I just fidn teh gun balances better than a 1911 would, especially in 9mm. Im pondering around with building a Hi Power target gun.


Novak Hi Powers were/are the shit man. The FBI used them for years as their Tactical Response Pistols.