[big_gun_man]

I am wanting to buy a base gun to eventually have sent off to a gunsmith and have custom built.

There is a used Stainless Colt 1991A1 at my local shop with box at my local shop marked $599 which I have been looking at for the past couple weeks. I have also been considering the new Ruger SR1911 which is not at my local shop but if I wait till they get one, I know I get get a good deal on it.

Is there any downside to the 1991A1 vs a Colt 1911 and which one would make a better build gun out of the Ruger and the Colt. I would love to customize an original series 70 Colt but dont want to spend that kinda of money on a gun that is gonna be stripped anyway.

Thanks in advance for any advise and any pics of your custom 1991A1s would be great.

 

[Jason D]

I would imagine the M1991 is a series 80 gun, but can have those extra part removed with little effort.

I am sure the Ruger will be a great gun, but I doubt any big named Smith will touch it.
That is because of the cast lower. The Colt on the other hand is forged and you shouldn't have any trouble getting someone to work on it.





If it isn't a Colt, it's only a copy.
...or so the old adage goes.




In reality would would be better served with a Springfield of some sort. A GI or Milspec to be exact. They are both forged upper and lower, and are of a series 70 type.

 

[AA#5]

I'd first find out what you'd be spending to have the custom work done, then compare the total cost of the gun and gunsmithing to a new Wilson pistol which has already been professionally customized by people who have been doing that for many years & have already established a reputation for quality.

 

[Three-Five-Seven]

What game do you compete in ???

 

[up1911fan]

If your looking for a base gun i'd go with the Colt or a Springer GI.

 

[samuse]

I don't think either one of those would be really exceptional guns to build.

Stainless just isn't as good as carbon steel for 1911s.

Series 80 is ok but nobody really wants it and it'll eventually get on your nerves.

If you're gonna blow the money on the custom work, spend an extra few hundred on the base gun and make it something you really like.

 

[Frog1]

If you can buy a Colt for $599.00 why would you wait or even ask the question. It is already worth more than the Ruger. If you are going to tinker or adjust anyway, those 4 little letters are worth more on a 1911 than most.

 

[big_gun_man]

If it were a series 70 I wouldn't but I am not very familar with the series 80 or the 1991 vs the 1911.

If you can buy a Colt for $599.00 why would you wait or even ask the question. It is already worth more than the Ruger. If you are going to tinker or adjust anyway, those 4 little letters are worth more on a 1911 than most.

 

[brisk21]

Yeah Id go find a Springfield Mil-spec or GI for the same price as that colt.

 

[bac1023]

If your looking for a base gun i'd go with the Colt or a Springer GI.

:agree:

However, the Ruger is a great enhanced 1911 for a bargain price (if you can find one, that is).

 

[fnfalman]

That Colt is worth around $500. You can buy a brand new Government Model for $750 or so.

 

[MrMurphy]

Not even a question, get the Colt.

I prefer Series 70 but nothing wrong with the 80s for most uses.

 

[big_gun_man]

I believe Im gonna go with the Colt, I talked with the shop today and they said they would sell me the Colt for $550 OTD.

Anything else I should know about the 1991A1 vs the 1911 before I take the plunge.

 

[bac1023]

Anything else I should know about the 1991A1 vs the 1911 before I take the plunge.

They're all A1s.

 

[fnfalman]

I believe Im gonna go with the Colt, I talked with the shop today and they said they would sell me the Colt for $550 OTD.

Anything else I should know about the 1991A1 vs the 1911 before I take the plunge.

The M1991A1 came out as the cheaper version of the standard Colt. It had a plastic mainspring housing (alas, some of the fancier Colts nowadays also sport those plastic parts:steamed. Also a lot of machining marks in the interior and also sports a Parkerized finish instead of a nice blued finish or stainless steel.

Nowadays Colt called its Series 80 "M1991A1", but the actual M1991A1 has "M1991A1" stamped on the slide.

 

[big_gun_man]

This is exactley what the one I'm looking at looks like but it says stainless under where it says M1991A1 and on the opposite side of the slide it has Series 80 stamped in the slide.

The M1991A1 came out as the cheaper version of the standard Colt. It had a plastic mainspring housing (alas, some of the fancier Colts nowadays also sport those plastic parts:steamed. Also a lot of machining marks in the interior and also sports a Parkerized finish instead of a nice blued finish or stainless steel.

Nowadays Colt called its Series 80 "M1991A1", but the actual M1991A1 has "M1991A1" stamped on the slide.

 

[fnfalman]

This is exactley what the one I'm looking at looks like but it says stainless under where it says M1991A1 and on the opposite side of the slide it has Series 80 stamped in the slide.

Interesting. I don't recall a stainless steel M1911A1 model, but then I was never a big Colt auto fan. Series 80 is what the M1991A1 was/is as was the MkIV and other Government Models. Colt stopped making the Series 70 after the Series 80 came out and but recently producing Series 70 again.

If it's mechanically fine, then $550 isn't bad for a stainless steel model. I can't remember but I think that Compact of mine (Officer's ACP by any other name) was purchased used for either $475 or $500 a few months back. It was practically brand new.

Here's the other side of my pistol.

 

[jrs93accord]

This is a 1991A1 I picked up a couple years ago. The previous owner had all the work done. It is one sweet shooting pony.

This is my little 1991A1 Compact.

 

[Feanor]

I am wanting to buy a base gun to eventually have sent off to a gunsmith and have custom built.

There is a used Stainless Colt 1991A1 at my local shop with box at my local shop marked $599 which I have been looking at for the past couple weeks. I have also been considering the new Ruger SR1911 which is not at my local shop but if I wait till they get one, I know I get get a good deal on it.

Is there any downside to the 1991A1 vs a Colt 1911 and which one would make a better build gun out of the Ruger and the Colt. I would love to customize an original series 70 Colt but dont want to spend that kinda of money on a gun that is gonna be stripped anyway.

Thanks in advance for any advise and any pics of your custom 1991A1s would be great.

Colt is the only possible choice in this match-up, christ the Ruger is as cheap as they come, frame is a casting, internals are all MIM, further Ruger as a company has what can only be honestly described as a checkered approach to QC with one massive recall after another.

You need to understand that Colt is a living legend, Colt pistols will hold value far far beyond anything that a Ruger can deliver! If you're serious about having custom work done on a 1911 keep this in mind, high end gunsmiths, those familiar to most 1911 fans don't work on just any 1911 you send them, they work only on good base units, such as Colt, Springfield, maybe Kimber and just a few other's, if even those.

To me this is an absolute no-brainer, Ruger's pistol has yet to even see widespread release, snap up that $599.00 Colt and forget the Ruger for at least a couple of years.