From: bercov@bevsun.bev.lbl.gov (John Bercovitz)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: .45 caliber handguns
Date: 19 Nov 92 15:06:42 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, California

In article <1992Nov17.023032.19198@igor.tamri.com> donb@igor.tamri.com 
(Don Baldwin) writes:

#However, I have a couple hangups about the gun that may be baseless or may
#be factors that will influence my final decision.  One of those hangups is
#that, if I buy the 1911, I seem to have two choices:  either save my
#allowance and spend the extra cash on a Gold Cup OR get the low end model
#and spend approximately the same amount of money having it customized (to
#handle non-FMJ loads and in the interest of accuracy).  (How do the
#Colt 1911 variants (e.g., Combat Commander) stack up in this regard?)

In my experience, the current Gold Cups aren't significantly more accurate
than the current Colt gov't models.  With a Gold Cup, you get a good finish,
an adequate trigger, and adequate sights as well as... (ack, disnomia strikes
again) well let's call it a grooved sighting plane.  Is it a rib?  This is
ridiculous!  The GC is certainly a lot better base to start from IMHO and 
I've built up quite a few.  For those who throw away everything but the serial
number and then add back all after market parts, the Gold Cup isn't very
sensible.  

#Last weekend, I visited Trader's gun shop in San Leandro (CA) and I thought
#I saw a better alternative.  They had a Springfield Armory clone going
#for $700, the salesguy promised target gun level accuracy...however, when
#I slid the empty magazine in and tried to work the slide release, it
#didn't work; we had to pop the magazine out a little, release the slide
#and then slide the magazine back in.  Is that a Springfield Armory quirk,
#a 1911 Colt/clone quirk or a quirk of that particular gun?  If it's a
#Colt/clone quirk, that would tend to rule out my getting a 1911 COlt/clone.

Nah, it shouldn't do that.  It sounds like it's a little rough inside.
What you were trying to do was to lower the slide by pushing down on the
slide stop when an empty magazine was in place.  So you were trying to
push down on the magazine follower at the same time.  This shouldn't
be hard to do.  As far as the sleazeguy promising target level accuracy,
I guess it depends on what you mean by target level.

#Anyway, after all that rambling, here is the question I would like to
#ask:
#    Is it possible for me to get an accurate 1911 Colt/clone for less
#    than the price of a Gold Cup (about $800) and STILL have it be a
#    versatile combat handgun?

I don't think so.  Others may be able to find something for you.

#If the answer is NO, I will have to consider my next two choices (Sig P220
#or Glock 21 (both excellent guns but I LIKE the Colt) more seriously OR save
#a long time and get the Gold Cup.

The GC won't solve the problem.  To be honest, it shoots about a 3" or 4"
5-shot group at 25 yards before it's accurized.  Most of the other
manufacturers do a little worse.  Not that that matters if you're going
to have it built up.  One advantage of Colt guns is that they're generally
better finished.  But you sure get to pay a lot for the aesthetics.

Springfield sells some very good guns for 2K$ or thereabouts.  You could
go for something like that.  Or you could by a GC or Gov't model and
have it accurized for maybe $700 additional.  I guess the question you
have to ask yourself is, "How long am I going to be satisfied with 4"
groups at 25 yards?"

John Bercovitz     (JHBercovitz@lbl.gov)