Who makes a top quality made in USA 1911 these days?

[Dddrees]

So a company famous for "bargain bin" AR-15's now think they can make a $2,000 1911? That is laughable at best considering the already well established competition in that particular market segment. That and after what they pulled with Springfield that Rock River can take a long walk off a short cliff.

There are few examples of other manufactures that do the same with regard to other such products. Seiko comes to mind. Although you might think they only mass produce fairly cheap quartz watches in actuality that's not the case. They also make some very nice mechanical watches that are fairly expensive. In fact they are known for making some very good quality movements which after all is what a mechanical watch is all about in the first place.

I get what your saying and in fact this may also have something to do with why The Grand Seiko line isn't very well known let alone not well represented in the States. Sometimes when a company makes mass produced products you have a hard time believing they are also capable of making some of the better quality products money can buy.

 

[BE Mike]

There are few examples of other manufactures that do the same with regard to other such products. Seiko comes to mind. Although you might think they only mass produce fairly cheap quartz watches in actuality that's not the case. They also make some very nice mechanical watches that are fairly expensive. In fact they are known for making some very good quality movements which after all is what a mechanical watch is all about in the first place.

I get what your saying and in fact this may also have something to do with why The Grand Seiko line isn't very well known let alone not well represented in the States. Sometimes when a company makes mass produced products you have a hard time believing they are also capable of making some of the better quality products money can buy.

Are you saying that to assume, makes an a$$ out of "u" and "me"?

 

[BE Mike]

In conversation with a couple of other old dogs I have been reminded that I shot one of these years ago.
Recollections put it on par with a Kimber of the Era.

The politics are recent.

With all due respect, I think your memory might be faulty.

 

[Dddrees]

Are you saying that to assume, makes an a$$ out of "u" and "me"?

No I'm not. There are other examples of companies which not only make what some would consider are fairly inexpensive items, yet on the other hand these same companies are rather capable of making very expensive and really good quality merchandise just as well.

In fact assumptions are probably one of the major reasons The Grand Seiko line isn't being sold in larger numbers in the States.

That and the fact they are Japanese and not Swiss.

 

[churchmouse]

With all due respect, I think your memory might be faulty.

I am speaking of when Kimber actually made a decent 1911.

 

[BE Mike]

Having compared the likes of Clark Custom (Before Jim Sr. passed), Tony Kidd, Les Baer and a few others, I have to say that the Rock River 1911's are nearly equal to or in some cases superior to them. Now some of the old time pistolsmiths, like Mike Curtis and John Giles were in the stratosphere when it comes to quality. Like I said, though, I don't own a Rock River 1911 (I do own a couple of Clark custom 1911's ,built on Colts, and a Springfield Armory Trophy Match), but if I ever again am in the market for a top quality, reliable and accurate 1911, Rock River will be up for consideration. BTW, the SA Trophy Match is a nice gun, but out-of-the-box, it has nowhere near the accuracy or trigger pull or quality of internal parts of a RR, etc.

 

[churchmouse]

Having compared the likes of Clark Custom (Before Jim Sr. passed), Tony Kidd, Les Baer and a few others, I have to say that the Rock River 1911's are nearly equal to or in some cases superior to them. Now some of the old time pistolsmiths, like Mike Curtis and John Giles were in the stratosphere when it comes to quality. Like I said, though, I don't own a Rock River 1911 (I do own a couple of Clark custom 1911's ,built on Colts, and a Springfield Armory Trophy Match), but if I ever again am in the market for a top quality, reliable and accurate 1911, Rock River will be up for consideration. BTW, the SA Trophy Match is a nice gun, but out-of-the-box, it has nowhere near the accuracy or trigger pull or quality of internal parts of a RR, etc.

I still use Clark barrels and components. I have seen a few of SR's pieces and they are to die for. The way he accomplished things is impressive.
Like I said, it was a long long time ago when I was holding the RR so yes, time might have taken it's toll.

 

[BE Mike]

I still use Clark barrels and components. I have seen a few of SR's pieces and they are to die for. The way he accomplished things is impressive.
Like I said, it was a long long time ago when I was holding the RR so yes, time might have taken it's toll.

The really sad thing is that so many of the superior pistolsmiths couldn't pay their bills in recent times, so they had to take government jobs, i.e. Mike Curtis and Larry Leutenegger. The new crop of shooters really don't seem to appreciate the craftsmanship and many can't really ring out the accuracy that these custom pistols can deliver. Most cannot tell the difference between a plastic pistol that can shoot a 4" group at 25 yards and a custom pistol that can group 1" at 50 yards. I'm really not knocking the plastic pistols, they have a purpose and serve the needs of most, but the craftsmanship that goes into a custom pistol is really something to behold. Like you said, some of the inventions and ways that the custom pistolsmiths came up with solutions are very interesting. Back in the real old days, many of the pistolsmiths would exchange information and use one another's ideas. Well, this old geezer needs to stop reminiscing.

 

[halfmileharry]

The really sad thing is that so many of the superior pistolsmiths couldn't pay their bills in recent times, so they had to take government jobs, i.e. Mike Curtis and Larry Leutenegger. The new crop of shooters really don't seem to appreciate the craftsmanship and many can't really ring out the accuracy that these custom pistols can deliver. Most cannot tell the difference between a plastic pistol that can shoot a 4" group at 25 yards and a custom pistol that can group 1" at 50 yards. I'm really not knocking the plastic pistols, they have a purpose and serve the needs of most, but the craftsmanship that goes into a custom pistol is really something to behold. Like you said, some of the inventions and ways that the custom pistolsmiths came up with solutions are very interesting. Back in the real old days, many of the pistolsmiths would exchange information and use one another's ideas. Well, this old geezer needs to stop reminiscing.

I'm with you on your thinking. I miss the days of being ABLE to see good enough to make a good custom pistol do it's job.
I've been buying "box guns" since I had Vern Trester tune up a Colt GCNM for me. I picked it up on a Friday and the next day I picked up a $485 NIB Kimber. The Kimber out performed the Colt from day one for 1/3 the cost of the Colt. I've picked up a couple of Wilson, an STI I bought for my long time gf, and 2 more higher end 1911s.
I don't see or shoot well enough to justify spending the money on a very nice gun anymore. IF I do buy one it's pretty much to drool on and maybe stick a pic or two on here if I can get Photo Hosts to work.
A quality custom 1911 is a true work of art and should be appreciated as one.

 

[churchmouse]

The really sad thing is that so many of the superior pistolsmiths couldn't pay their bills in recent times, so they had to take government jobs, i.e. Mike Curtis and Larry Leutenegger. The new crop of shooters really don't seem to appreciate the craftsmanship and many can't really ring out the accuracy that these custom pistols can deliver. Most cannot tell the difference between a plastic pistol that can shoot a 4" group at 25 yards and a custom pistol that can group 1" at 50 yards. I'm really not knocking the plastic pistols, they have a purpose and serve the needs of most, but the craftsmanship that goes into a custom pistol is really something to behold. Like you said, some of the inventions and ways that the custom pistolsmiths came up with solutions are very interesting. Back in the real old days, many of the pistolsmiths would exchange information and use one another's ideas. Well, this old geezer needs to stop reminiscing.

No....keep it up. I love it.
I am a hands on guy that knows my limits.
I have good friends with the right equipment to do the tasks I can not. I have a lathe and a mill but there are so much better machines available so I tend to have the really talented people do those tasks for me. I have several custom builds that have ruined me for much of anything else including most of the brands listed in the thread. They are pure shooting sex if you can understand that. Much better than I am.

 

[bcd007]

Nothing I can find wrong with my Ruger SR1911. Series 70, well made, great sights.

 

[Trigger Time]

I am speaking of when Kimber actually made a decent 1911.

You'd have to be really old to ... uh oh, um never mind

 

[Trigger Time]

Dan Wesson is owned by CZ now I believe. I REALLY like the dan wessons ive held and shot. Also les baer and ed Brown's. If I got back into the 1911 game I wouldn't own anything except one of those three

 

[BE Mike]

Nothing I can find wrong with my Ruger SR1911. Series 70, well made, great sights.

Nothing wrong with a basic 1911. I'm not familiar with the Ruger, except to note that it has a cast frame and slide, rather than forged and the internals are MIM parts. The OP said that he already had basic 1911's, but was looking at getting a 1911 "tuned for accuracy". There is a big difference between basic 1911's and accurized ones and the higher price reflects the extra work, trigger job, tool steel internals, match barrel and bushing and forged slide and frames. Many years ago, I bought a brand new series 70 Colt Gold Cup National Match pistol. Although reliable, the trigger wasn't up to the hype of "Match" that Colt stamped on the slide. I had a trigger job done. Not only the substandard trigger pull, but the accuracy wasn't what a match pistol should have been. When my skill began to exceed the gun's accuracy, I ordered a Clark Custom accurized Colt 1911 from Jim Clark, Sr. I still have it. It lacks nothing and is so far above the quality of any factory pistol that says "Match" or "Trophy' on the slide, that there is no comparison. As I said in an earlier post, I have a Springfield Armory Trophy Match. After replacing the internals with Cylinder and Slide tool steel parts (read trigger job) and fitting a Wilson bushing to the barrel, it is a decent pistol, but still not up to the quality of the Clark Custom. I cannot speak for the quality of work at Clark Custom the last couple of decades. So yep, bare bones stock 1911's have their place, but the OP was asking about 1911's "tuned for accuracy".

 

[jmpupillo]

That's funny, I have the Springfield MC Operator - it's basically the loaded, except it has a rail. I can honestly do without it. The rail just adds extra weight, and I have no interest in putting a light on it.

I've heard the Springfield TRP is a pretty nice target handgun.

 

[BE Mike]

Dan Wesson is owned by CZ now I believe. I REALLY like the dan wessons ive held and shot. Also les baer and ed Brown's. If I got back into the 1911 game I wouldn't own anything except one of those three

After masticating upon your post, I came to the conclusion that you really need to broaden your horizons!

 

[Doublehelix]

Does Hi-Point or Kel-Tec make a 1911?

 

[BE Mike]

Does Hi-Point or Kel-Tec make a 1911?

If they do, then there is no more discussion, they would be the top picks.

 

[teddy12b]

Where do the S&W 1911's stack up? I had forgot they were making 1911's now.

 

[throttletony]

the S&W's are quite nice.
Not a "purist's" gun, since it has external extractor. But, the flipside is (or so they tell me) that extraction is more reliable, or at least on par with a well-tuned 1911. Sig 1911's are similar, but Sigs typically use a series 80 firing pin block. Again, this is not for the purists among us. I would prefer a S&W over a Sig, just to use a series 70 and avoid a series 80

The S&W's seem to shoot very well in noobs' and experts' hands, not sure why, but people shoot them well.
S&W Performace center 1911s often use a spherical bushing that can give really tight lock-up and (potentially) increased accuracy.
For the same money ($1400-1700), I might prefer a Dan Wesson, but I've heard VERY LITTLE gripes with the s&w 1911s. On an earlier thread, when I announced that I was getting a 1911, there was a lot of love for the S&W. Plus, most of them just look gogeous!