What to buy ?

[Jlord1169]

I'm new to the forum and been shooting for a few years now and I'm really starting to get into it. I've shot paper targets and bowling pins. Latley if been shooting the plates at the local gun club, shooting speed fire (trying) I've been using a kimber covert ultra II 45 ( my carry piece ) and a beretta 92 fs 9 mm. The kimber is fun but it has the 3" barrel and I don't want to build it up because it's my carry piece. I would like to purchase an STI or full size Kimber that I can build up or buy something that has some modifications . I would like to spend around $800.00. Is that possible? I would like to get some imput to see if I'm heading down the right path. Thanks

[GrumpyOne]

In what caliber? 45? 9mm? $800 might get you a STI Spartan, will get you a SA Mil Spec. What division are you planning on shooting in? I would assume SS division, as you mentioned 45 ACP's. In SS, most are running 40 S&W now, so....

[mgood]

The kimber is fun but it has the 3" barrel and I don't want to build it up because it's my carry piece.

+1 to all that. I have a 3" Kimber. It's fun and I have shot it in competition. But to be competitive in Singlestack Division, you (and I) really need a 5" 1911.

Look at the STI Spartan. You can get it and a magwell for well under your $800 budget. Maybe with money left over for a different front sight of your choice or a trigger job (but probably not both, unless you find a real good bargain).

EDIT: Also, I think your Kimber has the Lasergrips. They're only legel in Open Division, not really where you want to play with a 3" singlestack. A local Match Director may allow it in Singlestack Division if you just turn them off. I wouldn't try that at a major match though and would switch to regular grips before showing up.

Edited October 19, 2010 by mgood

[Jlord1169]

I would be shooting in the SS Div. I was thinking 45 cap. Would you recommend 40 S&W in the SS Div? I found a guy in town selling a brand new in the box S&W 1911 45 acp asking $ 750.00. He bought it over a year ago and it just sat in his safe. I haven't heard good or bad about the piece. I want to buy sooner than later but I don't want to make a bad investment.

[GrumpyOne]

IMO, look elsewhere for a 45.

[Jlord1169]

Ok thanks, no more need to be said. LOL

[G-ManBart]

I would be shooting in the SS Div. I was thinking 45 cap. Would you recommend 40 S&W in the SS Div? I found a guy in town selling a brand new in the box S&W 1911 45 acp asking $ 750.00. He bought it over a year ago and it just sat in his safe. I haven't heard good or bad about the piece. I want to buy sooner than later but I don't want to make a bad investment.

The Smith 1911s actually have a pretty decent reputation from what I've heard, but without knowing exactly which version, it's hard to say whether that price is reasonable.

I'd still probably get an STI Spartan and have a trigger job done on it, add a magwell, etc. Street retail for a stock Spartan is around $650, so you could stick within your budget. If you consider going that direction, look at forum dealers like Brazos, Dawson, or Shooters Connection (no particular order)...they all support our sport and will give you great customer service. R,

Edit to add: not to argue with Sarge, but there are probably still more folks using .45 in SS than anything else. Yes, a lot of folks are using .40, but if you're already set up for .45, there isn't any real reason to change. I like the feel of the .40, and I already load the same ammo for my Limited rig, so it was an easy decision...it also saves a few bucks as the bullets are cheaper.

Edited October 19, 2010 by G-ManBart

[Sarge]

not to argue with Sarge

Oh Jeez, now I'm being mistaken for Grumpy!

[mgood]

I'm far less experienced at this than these other guys, so my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

I agree with Bart about the .45 being more popular. It is the traditional caliber for a 1911. (Yes, I know the history and that it's not the original caliber.) I think most of the people shooting .40 in Singlestack are doing so because they shoot other divisions where .40 has a real advantage and they're already set up for reloading .40. It's probably a tiny bit cheaper to reload the .40 also. On the other side, you may, or may not, have to spend a little more time experimenting with different brand magazines and/or sending it back and forth to the gunsmith to get the .40 to run properly. 1911's can sometimes be a little finicky when new. The .45 may show slightly less of this tendency than other calibers in the 1911 platform - depending on who you ask.

Some will say they like the feel of the .40 better. I understand that lighter and faster feels different from slower and heavier, even if they make the same power factor. I still wonder if a 200 grain .40 caliber bullet at 875 feet per second would feel any different than a 200 grain .45 caliber bullet at 875 feet per second from similar pistols (numbers just hypothetical examples for same weight and same velocity with only the bullet diameter being different).

.40 S&W and .45 ACP are both GREAT pistol calibers. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about which one is better. Just pick one and go.

[Jlord1169]

I'll keep checking around thanks for the imput. This is a great forum!!

[GrumpyOne]

not to argue with Sarge

Oh Jeez, now I'm being mistaken for Grumpy!

It's ok, Sarge. I forgive you!

[Jlord1169]

Mgood, My Kimber does have the crimson trace grips and they are alot of fun. Very accurate for a 3" barrel.

[mgood]

I've added Crimson Trace Lasergrips to my Kimber Ultra CDP II. (I bought it before Kimber offered them on the Ultra CDP.)

I take them off to shoot SS in matches. One MD where I normally shoot has said he'd allow it as long as I turned them off and no one saw a red dot, lol. I think to be perfectly legal, they have to be removed. (Although I've been meaning to email DNROI about whether just turning them off would be ok. I think I already know the answer.)

I'm working on getting a full-size 1911 to shoot SS for next year anyway. Won't be an issue then. Finishing out this season shooting Production, so I'm not using it for competition at the moment.

[G-ManBart]

not to argue with Sarge

Oh Jeez, now I'm being mistaken for Grumpy!

Sorry about that...I was talking and typing at the same time. Hey, don't feel too bad, Flex called me "Gart" yesterday

[G-ManBart]

I'm far less experienced at this than these other guys, so my opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.

I agree with Bart about the .45 being more popular. It is the traditional caliber for a 1911. (Yes, I know the history and that it's not the original caliber.) I think most of the people shooting .40 in Singlestack are doing so because they shoot other divisions where .40 has a real advantage and they're already set up for reloading .40. It's probably a tiny bit cheaper to reload the .40 also. On the other side, you may, or may not, have to spend a little more time experimenting with different brand magazines and/or sending it back and forth to the gunsmith to get the .40 to run properly. 1911's can sometimes be a little finicky when new. The .45 may show slightly less of this tendency than other calibers in the 1911 platform - depending on who you ask.

Some will say they like the feel of the .40 better. I understand that lighter and faster feels different from slower and heavier, even if they make the same power factor. I still wonder if a 200 grain .40 caliber bullet at 875 feet per second would feel any different than a 200 grain .45 caliber bullet at 875 feet per second from similar pistols (numbers just hypothetical examples for same weight and same velocity with only the bullet diameter being different).

.40 S&W and .45 ACP are both GREAT pistol calibers. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about which one is better. Just pick one and go.

I have a both .40 and .45 SS guns and, for some reason, the .40 just seems easier to control. Some folks think it's a torque issue...but I'm not sure. I'd say that if you loaded both to the same PF with a 200gr bullet they'd be hard to tell apart, but the .40 should be a touch snappier because it's at a higher pressure, and that means the gases are giving more of a jet effect when they leave the muzzle. Still, I'd bet it's pretty darned insignificant.

I've had a really top level gunsmith tell me that .38 Super/SC is the easiest to get to run perfectly in a 1911, but that .45acp is barely a whisker behind it. .40 can take some work. Mine will run factory OAL ammo with any reasonable magazine now, but I attribute a lot of that to the feed ramp profile of the AET barrel. With the stock barrel I had to play around with OAL and mags until I found a combo that was 100% from slide lock (was fine any other time). R,

[mgood]

Thanks for your perspective on that.

I read a lot more than I post on here and I've read A LOT of your posts. If I just click on something and I'm just scrolling through it to see if something catches my eye, I almost always stop and read what you have to say because you make a lot of danged sense.

Edited October 19, 2010 by mgood

[Jlord1169]

Mgood, I went the tactical route, something different.

[Jlord1169]

I'll try that again.

[mgood]

I'll try that again.

Yeah, I like those. The Covert series are really cool pistols. I sold a few, including an Ultra like yours, when I was working in a gun store. I tell ya, it was really hard to take a paycheck home when you spent all day handling the goodies. It was always "I need one of those," and "I'd like to have one of these," and "How much do I need to put down on this to put it on layaway? Can you just take it out of my check?"

[Jlord1169]

I saw a few Springfield Armory 45 acp 5" barrel that fall in to my price range any input ?

[G-ManBart]

I saw a few Springfield Armory 45 acp 5" barrel that fall in to my price range any input ?

You can't really go wrong with a Springer. You may wind up spending more to get it set up the way you want it, but you might not. One of the big reasons that many folks like the Spartan for SS is that it's got a lot of the popular features already done. With Springfield you have to spend more to get to that kind of setup, i.e. for $650 or so, you're looking at a very basic 1911 from Springfield. That's not a bad thing, just sort of how the $ works out. R,

[Jlord1169]

Thanks G

[1911jerry]

With most 1911's, you have the option of shooting single stack, or add a few 10 rounds mags and shoot L-10. You would disadvantaged to shoot limited.

This gives you another card to shoot for with the same gun and ammo.

I would recommend a 5 inch 1911, lots of parts available to upgrade if you desired to do so.

Jerry

[Avezorak]

Im a huge fan of Springfields. Thats what my SS gun is. I have changed a few things but because I wanted to, not needed to. The Spartan would be my 2nd choice. Check with Bobby at Freedom Gunworks here in the vendors area, he can probably fix you up with either...