# Caleb Giddings' 1911 Ratings List



## VAMarine (Dec 25, 2008)

A good, quick read over some popular 1911s.

My experiences mirror pretty much everything he says in the piece. If your'e shopping for a new 1911 it's worth taking the 10 minutes or so to read.



> Our 1911 rating system here at Gun Nuts has a considerable amount of data fed into it from shooting competition and taking classes over the years. Thanks to that, I can actually compile a fairly comprehensive list of 1911s and the order in which we generally recommend them to our readers. But instead of providing a group of tiers, I'm instead going to list major 1911 brands in no particular order with our combined observations and recommendations for them. If I miss a manufacturing that you're wondering about, let me know in the comments.


* 1911 ratings list *


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## Vintage Racer (May 27, 2011)

Very interesting and well done.


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

Cool info.I guess we've been right all along on the Kimber deal,that's funny.


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## docrocket1967 (Apr 21, 2013)

I read exactly what I wanted to hear so I am glad. Got my eyes set on a 1911 for me and the girlfriend and the info on that made me feel more at ease before the big purchase.


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## neorebel (Dec 25, 2013)

Yep....that's about how I would list them...except Ruger 1911's are excellent and so are Dan Wessons. I would buy either over Les Baer, Wilson or the other high end pricey guns.


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## HK Dan (Dec 22, 2010)

Oh just buy a G21 or a USP45. If you're spending 2 grand on a 1911, buy a Mark 23 instead.


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## just for fun (Dec 31, 2006)

neorebel said:


> Yep....that's about how I would list them...except Ruger 1911's are excellent and so are Dan Wessons. I would buy either over Les Baer, Wilson or the other high end pricey guns.


So Pa Wilson has stepped down and Boy Wilson (the knife maker) is running the show. You don't say!


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## 1911crazy (Jul 16, 2015)

There is forged steel frames and slides, investment casting and the slides are machined from bar stock. With casting they use a good grade of steel like 4140. Some new 1911's didn't make the list like the new auto-ordnance 1911a1. Are you going to grade the cheaper bare bones 1911's too. Tisas, Girsan, ect.?


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## Spike12 (Dec 10, 2008)

I agree with them..

First: Full length guide rods: Why? 

Secondly: After the first $1000; Why?

Third: S&W Series E: that's all I own at this point -- they run perfect

Fourth: Kimber: Perfect or trash.


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## Craigh (Jul 29, 2016)

Well, the article is a bit old now and there are new players in the yard. It seems like everyone wants to build a 1911 series pistol. I've owned more of this than any other handgun, probably 25 or so over the years. Today, I still have a couple from years ago, a Colt Gold Cup and a Springfield from their custom shop, both being Bullseye guns. I also have a somewhat new Remington R1 enhanced model, and I want to tell you, as far as Remington letting us down lately, they didn't with the R1. It is one solid 1911a and has been completely reliable, eating everything from ancient 35 year old lead flatnose reloads to dixie cup hollow points to any ball ammo. It's been 100% flawless through 500 rounds of break-in and now another over 1000 rounds passed that. I've run it fast and slow and from clean to filthy; still no issues ever. I've run it with old mil-spec mags and brand new Wilson Combat Vickers Tactical. Just no problems and as much as I love my Colt's and Springfield's, I just can't say that about any of them. No 1911a has ever been so flawless in the first 1500 rounds and given what I've put this one through. 

The only negative I can say about it is the trigger pull is not as good as the two current other 1911's in my stable. It's very good, just not as good. I guess that's understandable in that those other two are custom guns. In fact, I'd not intended it when I bought it, but I'll probably send this R1 sometime this year to Bill Wilson's company to do a trigger job and some other things like stipple the front strap and replace the trigger with one without holes if they carry that. Maybe replace any MIM parts (I don't know what's in there) while they're about it as long as reliability remains as it is.


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## Tom Marshall (Oct 7, 2019)

Craigh said:


> Well, the article is a bit old now and there are new players in the yard. It seems like everyone wants to build a 1911 series pistol. I've owned more of this than any other handgun, probably 25 or so over the years. Today, I still have a couple from years ago, a Colt Gold Cup and a Springfield from their custom shop, both being Bullseye guns. I also have a somewhat new Remington R1 enhanced model, and I want to tell you, as far as Remington letting us down lately, they didn't with the R1. It is one solid 1911a and has been completely reliable, eating everything from ancient 35 year old lead flatnose reloads to dixie cup hollow points to any ball ammo. It's been 100% flawless through 500 rounds of break-in and now another over 1000 rounds passed that. I've run it fast and slow and from clean to filthy; still no issues ever. I've run it with old mil-spec mags and brand new Wilson Combat Vickers Tactical. Just no problems and as much as I love my Colt's and Springfield's, I just can't say that about any of them. No 1911a has ever been so flawless in the first 1500 rounds and given what I've put this one through.
> 
> The only negative I can say about it is the trigger pull is not as good as the two current other 1911's in my stable. It's very good, just not as good. I guess that's understandable in that those other two are custom guns. In fact, I'd not intended it when I bought it, but I'll probably send this R1 sometime this year to Bill Wilson's company to do a trigger job and some other things like stipple the front strap and replace the trigger with one without holes if they carry that. Maybe replace any MIM parts (I don't know what's in there) while they're about it as long as reliability remains as it is.


Hello, I concur with your thoughts re the Remington R1. The first one I shot regularly for 2-3 years. Likely more than 5000 trouble free rounds. Not a single issue. I just recently Bought an R1 "Enhanced". In satin finish stainless. Many upgrades from the first one. Adjustable rear sight, very nice trigger, 8 round mags vs 7 round. And more. Very pleased. Tom Marshall, Georgia


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## Stephen Bachiler (Oct 21, 2020)

VAMarine said:


> A good, quick read over some popular 1911s.
> 
> My experiences mirror pretty much everything he says in the piece. If your'e shopping for a new 1911 it's worth taking the 10 minutes or so to read.
> 
> * 1911 ratings list *


I have a new Remington R1. It is great! The magazines it came.with stink...replaced those with WC 8 rounders and the gun never has a hiccup. Pleasure to shoot


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