Love those Valors, ahhhh if wishes were only a few bucks less, lol.

I agree Pete. It's my baby.

Are there any highly recommended 1911s out there around 700-800 stock that are also worth customizing a little (triggers, safety, internals, etc)?

From what I've heard the Rock Island Armory 1911s are very good and run $400+ depending on the one you get.

My bro scored a Dan Wesson 1911 for like $850. That thing is :-) I'm not too sure what you would change on it but it's a hell of a 1911 stock.

Nice:-)

Springfield Armory also has a few 1911s in that range, but I REALLY want their SOCOM rifle

You can get a good 1911 for that price range. I would recommend you make sure you have dovetail front and rear sights as that is the most common item people like to change, other than grips of course. If you do not get dovetail sights, you'll have to machine the slide to replace the sights (not cheap). If you do get dovetail sights, you can change the sights yourself with a simple allen wrench.

Lowered and flared ejection port, external extractor, beavertail grip safety, skelotonized trigger/hammer, front serrations on the slide, chambered round indicator, a Swartz firing-pin block (deactivated by the grip safety rather than by the trigger like in the 80s series Colts), extended mag-release and extended slide-release are other very commonly sought after "upgrades" you don't get on many of the entry-level 1911s. Some are drop-in replacements you can make after the fact, but many of these require machining the frame or slide so they are something you might want to get the first go-round.

Start looking into manufacterer's tolerances and you also begin to see glaring differences in the brands. I did a ton of research before buying my 1911. I narrowed it down to two brands and I am thrilled with my purchase 8+ years later.

That said, I was not in the market for a handmade 1911. They can exceed the tight tolerances of a well CNC machined pistol, but you will pay for it. Also, many of the manufacterers of 1911s today were not available in 2002. S&W being one of the bigger ones.

I got down to either a Springfield or a Kimber. Still similar today, Springfield offers an entry model called the "Mil-Spec" that has some of the features I wanted (listed above) but not all. In fact it lacks some of the ones that require machining to add later. You could get all of those features if you stepped up to a Springfield "Loaded" model, but it was a $200-$300 jump. Kimber's base model called the "Custom" has all of the features listed above and it is usually about $100-$200 more than the Springfield "Mil-Spec". Kimber also runs a little tighter tolerances than Springfield, and they machine their slide and frame out of a single forging. Those two are then serialized so they remain together until final assembly. They are the only 1911 manufacturer I am aware of that does that. Both are great pistols that will last a lifetime, but I'm happy with my decision.

BTW, check out http://www.gunsamerica.com for good prices. They are often cheaper when bought out of state. You don't have to pay sales tax, but you do have to kick in shipping and FFL transfer fees. 8 years ago I paid about $100 less than retail for my pistol, $20 shipping and $10 FFL fee. So I saved $70 off the top, plus I saved 6% sales tax on a $650 purchase (another $39). Total savings for me was about $119. I got my Kimber Custom (in stainless steel) for $680 total. Hard to do that now given price increases, but GA saved me some money. They even have an FFL finder and list their fees.


Good luck.

And so I remember my father's revolver..

Kimber straight from the box has a few in the $800-$1400 range....no upgrades needed:-)

I've shot a few Kimbers and I love em'. If you can find one (even if it's used) for under $1000 then I'd consider it.:-)

This is the exact model I have, only a number of years newer.

Kimber Custom II in Stainless (5 inch)

http://www.gunsamerica.com/975536640...I_5_45_ACP.htm

$815 + $22 shipping + whatever local FFL will charge you for transfer (usually $15-30).


And a smaller 3-inch model, a CDP, which is the line I like the best.
http://www.gunsamerica.com/975536640...I_5_45_ACP.htm

It has an aggressive melted look with all the normal upgrades found on a Kimber plus an aluminum alloy frame (cuts 15 oz off the weight), night sights, ambi thumb safety, bushingless barrel, and more. It is listed at $1100 with free shipping + your local FFL fee.

unless you want the new ones to work...

Picked up a walther p22 for my wife to shoot this past Friday. Took her to the range Saturday morning and all the lanes were filled and they had a line waiting.... :-)

Yeah, thumbs up buddy!!!:-)

Thanks.

They are as reliable as glock.

I had the chance last week to pick one up for 367.00. No funds to splurge.:-)

Right now I own a Glock 22 .40 S&W, and a Ruger LCP .380

My new carry piece. jk

c1991 IMI Desert Eagle MK VII in .44 magnum.

Image

I have absolutely no logical reason for owning this.

awesomeness can be its own reason

and more affordable to shoot than the .50:-)