3 Fantastic, Affordable First 1911 Pistols

1. All good choices. The magnum research 1911 is somewhat new but I’ve heard nothing but good things about them. I’d add the Ruger 1911s, they’re a bit higher up there in price but they are a fantastic choice as well.

   • I just picked up a used Ruger SR-1911 and I will back you on your comment 100% That is a nice shooting pistol. I know TTAG gives it some knocks in their review, but my experience has been great.

     • Agreed the SR1911 is a great choice for a 1911 that won’t break the bank.

   • I have shot the Israeli made Magnum Research pistol in SS.

     Perfect 3.5lb trigger and extremely well fit.

     Accurate too.

   • I was surprised by the Remington R1 1911s to me it’s the only handgun they didn’t screw up. My only gripe about them is the the rear sight dovetail is proprietary so if you want to add aftermarket sights somewhere down the line you have to get a gunsmith to mill the rear dovetail.

   • I ran across a colt government 80 series I only paid 400.00 for it only been fired maybe 50 times or so. I love this pistol it’s my 1st 1911.

     • $400 for a good condition Colt is a steal.

2. I got a Citadel which I believe is a Rock Island off-shoot. It is reliable as hell. It’s finish is a little rough but for what I paid for it I’m not complaining. My Kimber on the other hand looks much nicer and the finish is outstanding but is unreliable with cheap ammo.

3. PARA USA EXPERT. Mine was $299 on a Black Friday sale at Sportsmans Warehouse a few years back. Can still be found on Gun Broker down to $450.

   • +1 on the PARA. I got mine on the same sale. Only thing I really want to do is fit a Wilson combat trigger in it.

   • I would have to agree with you on Para. I got a (I forget the name) with a gov. frame and a commander slide. Accuracy is decent and the only reliability issues I had where with some of my reloads.

   • I’ve heard people throw shade on Para over the years.

4. I have picked up a couple of Rock Islands in 10mm for about $600 and have owned a ATI Sub Compact 1911 all great guns and shoot them quite often , I have a Colt Delta Elite full rail I paid $1,100, it stays at home, I have heard there are some Kimber this year around $500 or $600

5. +1 for Rock Island. Try one in .22TCM for a cheap thrill. Faster than an FN FiveSeven.

6. All three look nice, and I’d gladly buy any one of them if (1) they were allowed on CA’s “safe roster” permission list and (2) we didn’t have to register like many other states don’t require.

   • The masters in Sacramento do allow the armscor .45s, and the .38 supers.. I have one of each flavor.. (Gov, officer, com..), but you can’t get the 9 gi.. armscor changed a bit of paint on it, so it is no longer grandfathered into the soon to be banned list..

   • Something that makes me sick to my stomach, whenever I think of it… in fact, it’s just unacceptably wrong:

     Were one to reside in California, and then exercise their Constitutionally-protected guaranteed civil rights… say, doing something absurdly harmless, ordinary, and mundane, like having “an unapproved” gun not “from the list,” or failing to register a firearm… these false “crimes” that are literally of no consequence in most other states, they might actually cause one to lose one’s civil rights throughout the remainder of America, for a lifetime. Never mind even residing in California… but supposing one simply visited or passed through California, then ran afoul of the obnoxious unConstitutional laws there– one could lose their 2A civil rights forever, including within free states for which there was not even anything resembling any crime committed. This is just unreal, and utterly infuriating.

     Living in Arizona, and having family in California (in the Bay Area, no less…), I constantly always have to mind my behavior and make grave choices as to what decisions ultimately may defend life in the short or long term… or California might just rob me of the right to make such decisions altogether. California wants it both ways (as usual): it wants to be separate from the US and make its own unConstitutional laws without regard to the Bill of Rights, but yet be a part of the US by holding violators of these unAmerican laws to account throughout the nation as an equal upholder of the law. It stinks, rotten to the core.

     None of this is revelatory, no… but, this situation should not be so. If one runs afoul of California laws concerning firearms that are of absolutely zero consequence to most other states, there really should be no consequence in those states, the rest of America. Such “violations” should be isolated state tickets or misdemeanors, at worst. California should get what it begs for and be treated like a foreign nation with regard to firearm laws.

     That’s not reality, though. So, perhaps we need to stop telling Californians to “move” and so forth, and work to strike down these useless laws by hook or by crook… by the courts, and by doing everything we can to normalize and increase firearm ownership and use in California. Sooner rather than later, more test cases should be found to drag through the courts to strike draconian laws down…. National reciprocity would have done wonders for this problem… and here’s hoping His Honor Roger Benitez continues to do his duty, as well as DJT continuing to swap out these 9th Circuit yahoos for more “appealing” justices. Sanctuary revolt mayhem would also be a sight about time to sorely see.

     Rant over… but, grrrr ya know, California…. Be safe. Merry Christmas! … Mort (actual/AZ)

     • There’s no law against owning handguns that are not on the roster. You just can’t buy them from an FFL. You can still buy them from a private seller who has brought one from out of state or from an LEO but expect to pay more than retail. My cousin bought a Gen 4 Glock 19 a few years ago from a LEO but he had to pay $700 for it. An immediate family member like a parent out of state can also gift one to you if you go through an FFL. So you can get them but you’re going to have to pay more on the grey market or jump through some gun gift loopholes.

7. Last time I checked, Gun broker had >1,000 various 1911s for sale. Many from well known brands in the $400 to $600 range. Is this a viable alternative for those seeking to add a 1911 at a reasonable price?

8. Never had any issues with my Metro American Classic 2, been shooting it for a few years now. Lost count of how many rds I’ve fed it. $500 out the door if I remember correctly, made in the Philippines of course but hell, it works. Pretty damn good to.

   • +1 for Metro. Eyes closed I couldn’t tell the difference between their GI model and a SA Range Officer. No slide rattle, the wood grips are a little oddly colored. Worth a look.

9. No thanks SA,Kimber or Ruger beats that junk.

10. Springfields basic 1911s are pretty cheap right now if you look. Ruger is great. I’ve even had a few Taurus that are nice but also had one that was not so hot… hit or miss. Citadel and American Classic are lower cost and I’ve had good luck with them too.

    • I was curious about the Taurus. It beats the price of all of the above except the Rock, but the Taurus is the only one with front strap checkering. Ruger doesn’t even off that unless you go up to the custom line.

      • I have/have had 5 Taurus 1911s. One is still unfired but mechanically it is fine. Three of the four shot/shoot well. The fifth had a weird interference problem between the grip safety and the frame. It went back to Taurus for repair and came back half fixed. Sent it back and they ended up sending me a new one (one of the ones that work fine). Even though that ONE was a lemon they were very fast in turn around and took care of my problem. I’d still buy one but ONLY if I could physically inspect it first. On a note, One I have, a stainless 9mm, runs like a top with a great trigger out of the box. Very nice of the ones I’ve fired.

11. SW1911. S&W doesn’t make the plain-Jane version I have anymore. It’s all black, but under the black is stainless steel. It has a Schwartz firing pin safety (operated by the grip safety) and an external extractor. Accurate, easy to shoot, and it operates flawlessly. $920.00 plus sales tax out the door in 2010.

    • In this group, that is an upmarket gun. We are talking basic, get your foot in the door guns, and the point is that for around $500 you can get a mechanically reliable 1911 in .45 ACP.

12. I have 4 RIA 1911s all excellent guns. 3 which I carry and all 4 Id let my life depend on.
    Best 1911s for the money out there.
    Ive had top line 1911s. Ditched then all for the RIA guns.

    • Jay,

      I keep hearing good things about Rock Island Armory 1911s.

      I might start looking for one in .38 Super.

      • I have two, both double stacks. A .45 auto and the 22TCM/9MM combo. The TCM is great, accuracy with either barrel is good, point of impact changes maybe an inch at seven yards between the barrels. The 9MM setup eats everything I have fed it reliably and the 22TCM is a little more expensive but is sweet, little or no real recoil and accurate with the sound and fireball of a magnum.

        The TCM has roughly the same power as a 9MM and the bullet leaves the barrel a bit north of 2,000 fps. It will put a smile on your face every time you pull the trigger.

        • Randy Jones,

          Now you have me seriously thinking about .22 TCM instead of .38 Super.

          I like the idea of a handgun cartridge that can launch a bullet (of any caliber and weight) at 2000 feet-per-second. What I didn’t like about the other option (FN 5.7x28mm) was that the cartridge is too long and makes a handgun grip somewhat awkward to grasp. It looks like .22 TCM has a shorter overall length which should make a handgun grip comfortable to grasp.

          And, in terms of self-defense, .22 caliber bullets have ended the lives of many attackers (and, unfortunately, many victims). I wonder what the added velocity means in terms of “stopping power”?

          I also just realized that this would make a nice zombie-apocalypse “combo” setup where I could pair a handgun with a rifle and use the same ammunition for both.

        • US: RIA also makes a bolt action rifle chambered in .22TCM. It comes with a 5rd mag but it will accept the pistol’s double-stack mags.

          And, yeah, the 22TCM is a hoot to shoot. Great for newbies, too, as a step between 22LR and a bigger centerfire caliber.

        • No One of Consequence,

          I found said Rock Island Armory bolt-action rifle chambered in .22 TCM for sale locally for $350 (new in box). Talk about tempting!

          The only problem: new Rock Island Armory 1911 combination pistols (interchangeable .22 TCM and 9mm Luger) are selling for around $650 new.

          That means the combination of pistol and rifle chambered in .22 TCM is just over $1000 when I add in sales tax.

      • Like anything else. RIA can be a hit or miss thing. They make more 1911s then anyone. I have 2 Officers size in 9mm and in 45acp. My main carry guns. A Commander sized in 10mm. And the full sized GI as shown. All have been trouble free for 1000 of rounds. Ive given up 2 Kimbers and a S&W 1911 for these 4 guns. I like them better then any other 1911s Ive owned.
        Take a chance. Get a Tactical model in the size and caliber of your choice. You wont be disappointed for the $$$ spent.

    • Awesome!
      I’ve been considering a RIA and have been wondering if anyone who has one would depend their life on its reliability.
      This might just push me over the edge.

      • I have a RIA MS Tact ll .45acp 1911Novac sights been edc for about three years. Run 4 mags of what ever is cheapest at the time, once or twice a month. I paid $649.95 at local pawn, shop brand new in the case. Right after I took delivery I ran 500 rounds of test ammo, cheap stuff, high dollar self-defense loads, homemade wad cutters, it ran it all, no bleches, farts, or failures. That set me up for a very embarrassing situation that could have turned deadly. At the time I carried Israeli style, hammer down, empty pipe. I use a belly band rig with suspenders under my black T-shirt. Georgia is hotter than frogleggs in a number ten iron skillet. I sweat buckets. I was lazy. I didn’t clean the .45 or fire it for about two months. Carried it peacefully and blissfully every day. Went to a friends private range, we were going to burn some powder. He started by drawing his 9mm, whatever, blam, blam, empties a mag dead center mass about 25 yards away. Now I got something to shoot for. I whip up my shirt, drag the RIA out I’m in my crouched combat firing position. I grab the slide and try to rack it, won’t move, now it between my knees and it still won’t budge. Drop the mag and swear on my mother’s grave the chamber is empty. My friend holds the grips, I use both hands on the slide it won’t move a mm. Next stop work bench in his garage, wood blocks in the vise RIA all cozy between the jaws, gets deluged with WD-40, clps, and some PB Blaster. Then comes a two point five pound rubber hammer and some fifty hard whacks. Finally it breaks free.
        Field stripped it cleaned and polished everything, back in front of the target with me head down I rack and fire my four mags, not a blip. It gets wiped down and racked every nite, now. I really like the weapon, there’s one other thing. This particular model has a bull barrel, you almost need a paper clip to field strip/reassemble easily. It can be done without one, but carrying one is not a big deal. Btw I carry loaded, locked, cocked now.

13. My dad bought a Regent R100 model 1911 pistol (made in Turkey) for $350 new. It is great except for two small defects. First defect: it would often fail to go completely into battery. So Regent replaced it. The replacement runs like a top, although it is harder to shoot accurately since the front sight fell off after a dozen rounds. (That is defect number 2.)

    • I have one of those and it has been flawless. Better fit & finish compared to the RIAs I own.

14. Warning, 1911s are addictive. I’ve never had a bad range session with 1911s The tougg choice is choosing which one. The Rock Island 1911 is a good cheap entry point.

    Do you need a Sig 1911, but that is one path this fetish will travel.

15. I really dig my SR1911… full size fun, accurate, and dare I say… pretty.

16. The turn off in this article is “entry level”. The difference between hitting a bull in the bull at 25 yards with an R1 or a Wilson Combat is about $2K and expert marksmanship. I don’t need a Wilson Combat to hit the bull. I can also hit the bull with the other 3 guns and ammo I bought with the $2K.

    • The whole “entry level” thing means they plan to sell you something else later until you’ve bought one of everything in the store.

    • I think the point is that not that these are low end guns, but that you can buy one of these pistols and still have a reliable and reasonably accurate firearm. A lot of us cannot afford to join the game at over $1000, and certainly not in Wilson Combat territory.

17. SR1911 10mm. It works, it’s easy to shoot, and it might not be a .41 Magnum, but it’s less of a mousegun than other semi auto pistolas.

18. Didn’t CZ make a CZ branded 1911? Does anybody own one and is it desirable?

    • Dan Wesson is CZ’s in-house 1911 brand. They’re solid.

      • Funny, I didn’t ask about Dan Wesson 1911’s. I asked about CZ.1911’s. Made by and sold under the CZ name.

        • They did but it was a short run. I can’t remember the exact number (there is a write up about it in the CZ book that came out a few years ago) but I believe it was only around 1000 pistols.

19. I like the 1911. I have a upper end firearm and several lower/mid range guns. I have two Rock Islands, the tried and true 45 in a double stack A2 and the 22TCM/9MM in a double stack A2. I paid less than $500 new for each of them and would stack them up against a $1,000 Kimber any day of the week. The Kimber may be a little prettier but for reliability they are every bit as good. And the 22TCM spits out a fireball like nobody’s business and will hold 2″ groups at 10 yards. All I did was switched the grip out.

    There is a big difference between a cheap gun and an inexpensive gun. The Rock Islands’ and Taurus’ I have had excellent luck with right out of the box.

20. Just out of curiosity, how good were the CZ 1911’s? I know they stopped making them a few years back, but not much about their “niche” as it were (entry-level, mid-range, etc.)

21. Great models, all three of them, however, I’ve never seen a failed 1911 regardless of who makes it. Although I’ve heard that even the high end 1911 failed primarily because of the type of ammo used and magazines, all were failed to feed. I have a cheap 1911, made in the Philippines, was the cheapest you can get (about $350 new). It never failed on me after 850 rounds. So, why the expensive 1911?

    • I’ve never had a bad 1911 and neither has anyone I personally know, they’ve all been as reliable as an autopistol can be. But years ago when Colt was the only game in town, Colt’s quality control was frequently abysmal. That, and the worn out ones that the military bought during WW2 then used for 40 years, probably accounts for most of the problems and the bad reputation.

    • Agreed. I have seen plenty of bad 1911 magazines, never actually seen a a bad gun.

    • My first was a 4″ Kimber Pro Carry II, and after about 75 rounds it would fail (ever so slightly) to return to battery. I’d have to tap the back of the slide to get a shot off. I sent it back once, polished the ramp myself, no changes. Finally, after 1400 rounds or so, I bought a recoil spring direct from Wolff (this pistol is supposed to have Wolff springs from the factory but….). I have had no problems since. I have read that their short barreled (3″) 1911s are notoriously unreliable.

22. I am a big fan of auto-ordnance 1911 pistol’s as well!

    • Roger that on the Auto Ordnance 1911. Prolly one of the most true to form JMB’s 1911’s. And won’t break the bank, either.

23. How well do the “upgraded internals” cast frame 1911’s work?

    I’ve seen these RIA cast frames with complete Wilson Combat internal transplants (sear, disconnect, hammer, trigger, springs, firing pin).

    Seems like a mid level forged brand might be a better choice??

    • Much is made of “cast” vs “forgings” in guns. I think this issue is often over-done.

      There are quality forgings and quality castings. Just because something is forged doesn’t mean that it’s better than a casting – there are such things as poor quality forgings.

      Ruger has very good quality castings, for example (from their subsidiary, Pine Tree Castings, a world-class casting company). A while back, Norinco made 1911’s with forged frames… and they weren’t very good. Ruger’s revolvers, made with cast frames, handle heavier loads than S&W or Colts – look in the reloading books and you see a section of “for Ruger (insert model here) only” and you see

      RIA’s castings, if they have one issue, is that if you polish on their frames or slides to do a high-quality blueing job you often see little pinholes come up in the casting. But that was my experience about nine years ago; I haven’t polished up a RIA gun in some years now. I’ve never had an issue with RIA’s or slides. Sometimes they needed work to get them to cycle reliably.

      The nice thing about 1911’s is that you can get GI-spec parts for the innards once you have a frame & slide.

24. I bought a Rock Island armory 1911. Jam-0-matic. Nothing but problems, it would fail to extract on every mag. The dealer and Rock Island armory had nothing but excuses. they would not take it back. Sold it, got a Glock 35 and haven’t had an issue for years. R.I. warranty was worthless. F’em. Don’t believe the hype, R.I guns are junk.

25. I have several 1911’s, right now my favorite is a commander length Remington R1 doublestack. Absolutely love her. 15+1 of 45acp goodness.

26. What about a 100% all American, all parts/steel made in USA, everything made USA. From what I’ve gathered the only one that I’ve figured is the Ruger. Everyone else has parts and/or steel from Turkey to Brazil to the Philippines or China to include even Kimber to STI to Colt or DW. I can’t remember which one it was, they were all American made parts and assembly but turned out they were making it all from Chinese steel. Can anyone confirm that at least Ruger is 110% all-American? Or am I way off track and got a lot of bad info? It’s nothing against any of these weapons out there that aren’t 100%. I know there are some damn fine weapons from the inexpensive right up to the top top rated and expensive as hell but for me just in this one case it’s more of just a simple matter of principle.

    • I don’t know where Ruger sources their steel, but their guns are 100% made and assembled in the USA… although those with rosewood or cocobolo grips, those woods obviously come from south of the border. That reminds me, if you like grips made from rosewood and cocobolo, those two woods have been added to the international no trade list, so buy it before the supply of those woods dries up.

    • For Springfield, it depends on the model. When they first started selling 1911s, the guns were all made in Brazil. Over time, that changed. Some guns are made in Brazil (GI/Defender models), some are parts sourced in Brazil but American assembled, and some were all American parts and assembly for high end models. The more expensive the gun, the more likely it was American sourced parts and labor.

27. I’ve owned a Citadel and a Ruger. Neither 1 would hit the broad side of a barn. Entry level guns are typically just that and end up being what u sell to get what u really wanted in the first place. I have Springer’s and Les Baers now. Bought 2 Baers this year off GB for $1200 each. They are both excellent shooters. 1911’s are like anything else, u can spend a little or u can spend a lot but u usually get what u pay for.

28. The original 1911 was a copy of the luger. Both are pre-loaded striker fired pistols and like all such weapons including the rorbaugh they have very weak ignition systems. My testing proved this beyond all doubt. Its one of the reasons the U.S. Military chose the garand over the sharps because the 1873 navy has a full cock striker system.

    The pistol in the above article seems to lack the double action first shot capability and re-strike capability of the original 1911 and ditto for the luger. This makes this new model that has no double action pull unsafe to carry and handle.

    My original anus (as well as my reconstructed anus which was ever tighter) had a very tight chamber which was a concern for ammo that was up to speck such as using handloads. In other words even the slightest pressure ridge from a sized cases would jam my butt up tight. It did not like aluminum or steel case ammo because of this either. I seriously doubt the 1911 is built to the German made close tolerances so this pistol many not have the nambu problems of tolerance that are too tight.

    As one can see in the targets that were fired in this article the accuracy does not even come close to the very good accuracy of the jennings.

    I would have considered buying the original 1911 if I was on a budget but not this newer single action gun because it lacks the double action safety feature.

29. 1st pistol was a Springfield 1911 loaded in stainless. Great gun but I got a Tokarev and never looked back. Marschal grips worth the 4 month wait

30. “Affordable and Entry Level” leave a lot of room for interpretation and wide application. There’s no doubt that some folks buy a W/C @ 2.5K or more. However, If we say low dollar, reliable and LOADED with Features, there is only ONE: TAURUS 1911 (formerly PT1911).

    Only 1911I bought, sold then missed that gun and bought another one. Both ran/run flawlessly, right from the Box. No need to use itcas a baseline for an Erector Set project. READ the Standard Features list then check Street Price for a basic Blue 1911 is $450(+-).
    In general, 1911 pricing runs on a demand based rollercoster in a smaller slice of the market share. The $2K+ guns wont budge much but the under $1K and especially the $600 and under have considerable SALES.

    Before the haters jump on, just remember every large production line Mfr misses a lemon once in awhile. TAURUS has a Lifetime Warranty if you have an issue so you won’t be paying a gunsmith to fix yours while other guys are laying down bucks for basic reliability or to get the Stock Factory Features the Taurus 1911 came with. Lotta folks with Colt and Kimber problems, others too. You want a “Name” that meant something or a great 1911?

    Yes, there’s 1911 Snobs. I’ve had many approach my Alley at the Range to “What 1911” was grouping so small. Taurus, huh. Like they say you can lead a horse to water but……
    To each his/her own but results don’t lie and neither will your bank account. IMHO, YMMV

31. Citadel. It’s the higher end cousin of the Rock Island, also made in the RP.

    The finish and features are nicer.

    I have the 3 1/2″ 3.5CS model. It’s reliable, accurate and has the best out of the box trigger of any M1911 I’ve owned, including Colt and Springfield.

32. My ATI was only $400 new (I bought it slightly used for $300), but it wasn’t reliable until I polished the feed ramps and bought better mags to use in place of the crappy one it came with.

33. As a noob in the 1911 world, I decided to purchase a RIA FS Tac 1911 for $450. It comes with enough bells and whistles (Ambi extended safety, beaver tail, decent sights) to make me feel spoiled. The finish is lackluster and has already show signs of wear from holstering in a leather holster (nothing that cerakote couldn’t fix), but the firearm runs great. Ball ammo runs fine, hollow points had some hiccups in the beginning, but seems to run smooth moving forward. For what I paid for this handgun, I have no regrets and look forward to dumping more of my hard earned $$$ into more 1911s in the near future.

34. I have two Rock Islands and they are two of my most reliable guns. 9mm officers model is almost always in a holster on my belt. I think they would feed and shoot a hotdog if you could figure out the primer and powder.

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