For a new 1911a1 whats the options you would want???

[1911crazy]

So if your browsing for a new 1911a1 45acp what would be the options you would want from the factory.

My pick would be;
1 The higher blade front sight.
2. Chromed lined bore
3. Beveled port

What would you look for?

What really comes with a loaded 1911a1???

[Mikey]

Good square front and rear sights, beveled or relieved ejection port, throated barrel and polished ramp, 100% reliability (ammo dependent of course), 3 lb trigger (extra crispy and adjustable for let-off, thank you), properly fitted barrel, flat mainspring housing, beavertailed grip safety, smooth rounded trigger face, relieved at the juncture of the trigger housing and grip, in 45 acp, and maybe a picture of SharonAnne decopaged on the top of the slide.....................  Howzat for options.........

[williamlayton]

OMG--now you have opened Pandora's box.
What you have suggested are good beginning starts.
1: Good trigger with good parts that allow smooth take-up and pull.
2: Good ignition system with good parts.
3: Good extraction system with good parts.
4: Good parts that make the gun one with your hand---arched MS or flat MS, type of grip safety that allows you the comfort of fireing without altering your grip or concentration, good beavertail, good mag release, good thumb safety, good slide release.
5: Well fitted parts that make all of these components work easily and smoothly.
Blessings

[ButlerFord45]

Most of the good stuff has already been mentioned but one that seems to be taken for granted is dovetail cuts for the sights instead of being staked.

[mrussel]

Dovetails are my biggest requirement.

[Bob Riebe]

That it is a .45 ACP, although a ACP .45, or .45 Auto Colt Pistol would be OK.

[drdougrx]

+1 to all the above along with an aluminum frame (sorry...I like the weight of the LW commander).

[Lloyd Smale]

wouldnt much care as long as it reliable. Ive seen so called loaded guns that would jam all the time and old loose basic guns that just ran and ran. Reliability has to come first then accuracy then in a distant third all the gimics and eye candy. One thing i do do to all of my 1911s is toss the flat spring housings though. The old curved ones just fit my hand better and for me keep a more consistant grip on the gun. Dont get all caught up in the match barrel and bushing and full lenght guide rod thing as it may make a gun shoot better it also makes the gun tighter and more apt to screw up. Now that been said i have a few 1911s set up like that that run just fine but ive also dumped a few that didnt. Id also stear clear of the real basic guns. Some of them may be good but most use the old GI sights and they just dont cut it for any kind of precise shooting. Ive got a buddy of mine that shoots ppc with an old colt goverment. Its sloppier then **** and rattles like an old pickup. But it goes bang every time and shoots well enough that he usually takes home a trophy. He has facier 1911s but when he shoots any form of competition he grabs that old colt. Kind of comical watching him beat the pants off of the wiz kids with there tricked out comp guns.

[drdougrx]

Lloyd....that's so true....don't you hate it when that "skill" thingy comes into play?

[NickSS]

I have owned a bunch of 1911s over the eyars and have three right now.  Two are tricked out with some of the more modern stuff but one is GI.  The one that I wish I had not sold was a real beater WWII vintage Remington Rand that had seen a lot of use.  It was loose and rattled but went bang every time I pulled the trigger.  My current GI look alike is made by Auto Ordinance (Kar) and is nice and tight like a new GI should be.  It has the small sights, small ejection port and had the arched mainspring housing.  I put a flat one on it and tweaked the trigger pull.  The barrel was already throwted and the ramp polished as it came from the factory.  This gun shoots as good as my Kimber that cost me over $300 more but the kimber has more bells and whistles.

[williamlayton]

The age old rattle or tight question---see Baer for a picture of TIGHT.
This, as usal IMO, but combat weapons function better loose. Tolerances wich accept dirt and grime and still function.
Tight guns are often described as more accurate. This is, IMO, not always the truth.
Now, a gun which locks up tightly, has a good barrel will be accurate in most cases.
My old beater of a Norinco was loose as a model "T" and after being worked on was/is still loose but locks up more tightly.
I think, in the urban enviroment we live in, a weapon can be as tight as a Baer, and still function flawlessly.
That is because we tend too keep them clean enough and don't get the as dirty/expose them to dirt as much.
Now shooting a lot will get them dirty enough to not function properly and they should be cleaned after a long range session---this is opposed to just running a mag full of ammo down range---though most of us folks will clean them, even after this little use.
Now, a word of caution here. This same rule applies too revolvers also.
I tend too like a little loosness--because I clean a weapon very little between range usesand they do collect a little dirt and lint while being carried or bumping around in a consol.
Blessings

[1911crazy]

I have owned a bunch of 1911s over the eyars and have three right now.  Two are tricked out with some of the more modern stuff but one is GI.  The one that I wish I had not sold was a real beater WWII vintage Remington Rand that had seen a lot of use.  It was loose and rattled but went bang every time I pulled the trigger.  My current GI look alike is made by Auto Ordinance (Kar) and is nice and tight like a new GI should be.  It has the small sights, small ejection port and had the arched mainspring housing.  I put a flat one on it and tweaked the trigger pull.  The barrel was already throwted and the ramp polished as it came from the factory.  This gun shoots as good as my Kimber that cost me over $300 more but the kimber has more bells and whistles.

My New Auto-Ordnance Army WW2 copy 1911a1 has been flawless too right out of the box.  I been hearing rumors that there harder to find now because there selling faster than they can manufacture them.  The only difference between my new AO and my norinco is the AO is tighter because its new but they shoot and cycle the same, flawless.
I seen a used Colt today model O4091U and i believe its a stainless slide with an alumimum frame but i'm not sure if there good or not?  It had all the bells and whistles too for just $550.