[Freedom101]

What are the pros/cons of a Les Baer and Ed Brown 1911? Which is more reliable?......more hand fitted or more consistant build quality???

Any info is appreciated.

[Quack]

Ed Brown is a nicer overall package.
If you are looking for a hard use gun, then the Baer.

I prefer the Springfield Custom Shop guns over either of them.

[Ruggles]

Quack gives good advice. I prefer m Brown over the Baer I had. I sold the Baer after I got the Brown as I felt the Brown was a better gun IMO. I prefer Wilson over both I think, hard to say whihc I would buy next a Brown or Wilson. Really can not go wrong with any of the guns mentioned so far IMO.

P.S. Stay away from flat triggers on 1911, they are for guys mostly trying to compensate for lack of "something" physically

[GJ1981]

I won't say which is "best" overall since it's subjective.

Baer

Pros - Kart barrel, usually cheaper in price, can be ordered with 20 LPI checkering. There quite a few high round Baer's floating around, they seem to hold up pretty well.

Cons - Fewer options, lousy sights (IMO)


Brown -

Pros - More options, nicer bluing

Cons - Will cost a little more than a Baer. I've seen quite a few Kobra Karry's with tight extractors. If you want to count it.

[bac1023]

Browns are more refined for sure.

Baers are tighter, generally speaking. I tend to prefer the way Baers shoot for me, at least.

Both are great 1911s.

[R0CKETMAN]

Easy, for the money, aka ROI, Baer. Why you ask? Just as good or better than a Brown for quite a bit less.

[Officer's Match]

Compared to a Les Baer, Ed Brown's aren't hand fit. That is not necessarily bad - Brown's are pretty much home made from CAD design to final assembly. But if a hard fit and hand fit is what you want, a Baer is much more in line than a Brown.

[HAIL CAESAR]

Originally Posted by GJ1981

I won't say which is "best" overall since it's subjective.

Baer

Pros - Kart barrel, usually cheaper in price, can be ordered with 20 LPI checkering. There quite a few high round Baer's floating around, they seem to hold up pretty well.

Cons - Fewer options, lousy sights (IMO)


Brown -

Pros - More options, nicer bluing

Cons - Will cost a little more than a Baer. I've seen quite a few Kobra Karry's with tight extractors. If you want to count it.

Good post.

It is really like this;

Do you like vanilla or chocolate ice cream? Both are great but different, depending on your tastes.

[quantico]

I think both are well made accurate high end 1911's. I think the ed brown looks better and has a higher attention to detail. I think the baer is more suited to rough use as a duty gun. The baer starts out very tight. The brown feels extremely smooth and moves easily.

[glock2740]

[AZ Husker]

I've had both. The Brown is much more refined and smoother. The Baer was a bear when new it was so tight. I'm amazed it even fed ammo. It did loosen up with use, and probably lapped itself into a perfect fit. A friend wanted a higher end gun, so I sold him the Baer. We never bonded like I did with the Brown. Resale value is much better with the Browns.

[PlasticGuy]

Originally Posted by bac1023

Browns are more refined for sure.

Baers are tighter, generally speaking. I tend to prefer the way Baers shoot for me, at least.

Both are great 1911s.

I've got two Baers and one Brown, and I agree with this completely.

While my Brown is smoother and a little better finished, my Baers shoot better for me. I would buy another Baer in a second. While my Brown is not for sale, I don't think I will ever feel a bond with it like I do both of my Baers. Of course, it's all subjective. The very next post might be a guy saying the exact opposite.

[MD357]

I prefer Baers, but honestly, either will be reliable, accurate and last longer than 95% of people care to shoot it.

[DAT85]

I have 4 Baers and 1 Brown so I guess I am little biased in this but I will admit that the level of finish(bluing anyway) is better on the Brown products.As far as accuracy,I shoot the Baers a little better than the Brown.

Customer service wise,Brown eats Baers lunch.

I had a slide flattened and serrated a trigger job sights replaced and the pistol re-blued and back in my hands in 1 week from Ed Brown.

Regards,
DAT85

[TSAX]

[samuse]

What makes some people think that a Baer would be better suited to "hard use" than a Brown?

[bac1023]

Originally Posted by HAIL CAESAR

It is really like this;

Do you like vanilla or chocolate ice cream? Both are great but different, depending on your tastes.

Well said, Al.

[bac1023]

Originally Posted by samuse

What makes some people think that a Baer would be better suited to "hard use" than a Brown?

I'm not sure that they are. However, they do have much more the feeling of a "working man's" 1911 than a Brown does.

That's just my opinion, of course.

[RMA]

I have 3 Baers and love them all! The Baer product shoots very well for me since day one. No Brown's but I would consider the Kobra Carry but would probably be farthest on my must have list at the moment.

[NDLAWRENCE]

Originally Posted by Ruggles

P.S. Stay away from flat triggers on 1911, they are for guys mostly trying to compensate for lack of "something" physically

[Officer's Match]

I have had a few of each, loved them all, and honestly preferred the Baers. I don't believe that Brown hard fit's the barrels like Baer does, and I like the hardness of the steel in Baer's slides and frames. Both are great though.

[Shipwreck-The-Sequel]

I personally do not WANT a 1911 built as tight as the Baer's I have seen. I really like my Brown. I can take everything apart without a bushing wrench, but the gun is very accurate and built well.

[bac1023]

Originally Posted by Shipwreck-The-Sequel

I personally do not WANT a 1911 built as tight as the Baer's I have seen. I really like my Brown. I can take everything apart without a bushing wrench, but the gun is very accurate and built well.

Come on, wrestling with a bushing wrench is part of the fun of high end 1911 ownership.

I actually need one for several of my 1911s, not just the Baers.

[gpo1956]

Originally Posted by bac1023

I'm not sure that they are. However, they do have much more the feeling of a "working man's" 1911 than a Brown does.

That's just my opinion, of course.

I'm sorry, but what, exactly, is a working man's gun and what makes Baer more so than the Brown? Other than personal preference and price, there is not a lot of difference between any of the semi-customs. Baers are normally tight, the others not so sight. Hard-fit is an old AMU term for a method of barrel fitting. It does not necessarily denote being tight and hard to manipulate. They mostly use different versions of the same parts to manufacture. I've never had a physical problem with any of them, although I do have personal preferences for certain parts, such as MSH's and grip and thumb safeties. Ed Brown can be a ***** to deal with, but then again, so can Les Baer. You'll probably never find yourself on the phone with Bill Wilson. Baer's are typically more accurate with a certain load than the Wilso's or Browns, but I've found that the Wilsons and Browns are generally more accurate with a lot of different loads than the Baers. Personally, I think the Baer is the best buy and most gun for the money, but on every one I've owned, I've spent additional money changing out parts to suit my personal tastes, so it pretty much becomes a wash for me. But I really would like to hear what makes the Les Baer a working man's gun.

[bac1023]

Originally Posted by gpo1956

I'm sorry, but what, exactly, is a working man's gun and what makes Baer more so than the Brown? Other than personal preference and price, there is not a lot of difference between any of the semi-customs. Baers are normally tight, the others not so sight. Hard-fit is an old AMU term for a method of barrel fitting. It does not necessarily denote being tight and hard to manipulate. They mostly use different versions of the same parts to manufacture. I've never had a physical problem with any of them, although I do have personal preferences for certain parts, such as MSH's and grip and thumb safeties. Ed Brown can be a ***** to deal with, but then again, so can Les Baer. You'll probably never find yourself on the phone with Bill Wilson. Baer's are typically more accurate with a certain load than the Wilso's or Browns, but I've found that the Wilsons and Browns are generally more accurate with a lot of different loads than the Baers. Personally, I think the Baer is the best buy and most gun for the money, but on every one I've owned, I've spent additional money changing out parts to suit my personal tastes, so it pretty much becomes a wash for me. But I really would like to hear what makes the Les Baer a working man's gun.

Its just an opinion. Its more a feeling than anything concrete.

It feels more "raw" and less refined. The checkering is uneven and clearly done by hand. The parts fitting and finish is different. The grips and even the grip screws just point to a gun that's built for shooting and hard use. That's not saying that Browns aren't as durable, but a Baer has more "personality", if you will. Its just the way I look at it.

I disagree that there isn't much difference when it comes to the semi-customs. I think there is quite a bit of difference. All are high quality, but they have their distinct differences. Otherwise, threads like this wouldn't have much purpose, would they?