Best places to look at/buy 1911 in Maryland

[Bountied]

First of all, if you want an "American history" 1911, you should just buy a WWII 1911 or maybe one of the CMP 1911s. New production 1911s are purely commercial products.

My experience with 1911s is that none of them run the way I want out of the box, and I wind up swapping springs, parts, etc. to make them work like I need them to. That's been true for $2000 1911s as much as $500 1911s. Personal opinion, but at the ~$1000 price point, BUL's 1911s are kinda hard to beat unless you have very specific requirements like an optics cut and/or accessory rail.

My dad has a USGI 1911 that I will inherit. It's a nice shooter. It's parkerized. I'll have to get more specifics.

 

[Mdgunguy]

Maryland Elite Firearms. They are an industry partner here and are a dealer for a number of higher end 1911 brands. Got my Dan Wesson Valor there and they were a pleasure to deal with.

Also, id take a Tisas over most Kimbers anyday. Kimber doesn’t belong in that lineup you mentioned. Springfield puts out a decent 1911 for the money across a wide range of price points, although Dan Wesson is hard to beat at the ~1800-2k price point.

I've been a dealer for 43 years, (in PA, VA, FL, and now in MD)....and 1911's have always been a favorite of a majority of my customers, and I usually have about 20 or so in stock all the time, even as a small dealer now. I've also been a Kimber Master Dealer since the company's inception, day 1! Kimber, like ALL the other mass-produced 1911 companies are good...ALL OF THEM. I was also one of the first Nighthawk dealers...and so on...However, a lot of people condemn a particular brand for no reason what-so-ever, other than they had an issue and tend to immediate blast the particular company that manufactured their gun. Sometimes it's their own ignorance that creates a malfunction problem. And yes, sometimes it's the gun. I've carried most major brands, and sold all the others. I've had an issue with a Nighthawk and a Colt. It happens; and both were addressed and fixed. I've probably sold 500 Kimbers. We sent two back with problems. I've sold Brown Precision, and sold about 40 of them....six went back! The only advice I can give is learn the gun. Jams are usually the ammo, not the gun. Change brands, and most problems go away. Recoil springs also dictate the efficiency of the gun. Investigate what weight spring is better for your ammo: hollow point, ball, or wadcutters.... I can go on and on. But just file this thought: guns are mechanical devices...they break or malfunction. Clean 'em, store them properly, and use decent ammo. And enjoy them...when someone tells you a particuar brand is crap....it's probably just another Ford versus Chevy argument.....

 

[Mdgunguy]

I've been a dealer for 43 years, (in PA, VA, FL, and now in MD)....and 1911's have always been a favorite of a majority of my customers, and I usually have about 20 or so in stock all the time, even as a small dealer now. I've also been a Kimber Master Dealer since the company's inception, day 1! Kimber, like ALL the other mass-produced 1911 companies are good...ALL OF THEM. I was also one of the first Nighthawk dealers...and so on...However, a lot of people condemn a particular brand for no reason what-so-ever, other than they had an issue and tend to immediate blast the particular company that manufactured their gun. Sometimes it's their own ignorance that creates a malfunction problem. And yes, sometimes it's the gun. I've carried most major brands, and sold all the others. I've had an issue with a Nighthawk and a Colt. It happens; and both were addressed and fixed. I've probably sold 500 Kimbers. We sent two back with problems. I've sold Brown Precision, and sold about 40 of them....six went back! The only advice I can give is learn the gun. Jams are usually the ammo, not the gun. Change brands, and most problems go away. Recoil springs also dictate the efficiency of the gun. Investigate what weight spring is better for your ammo: hollow point, ball, or wadcutters.... I can go on and on. But just file this thought: guns are mechanical devices...they break or malfunction. Clean 'em, store them properly, and use decent ammo. And enjoy them...when someone tells you a particuar brand is crap....it's probably just another Ford versus Chevy argument.....

 

[Pale Ryder]

If you head to the beach this year, Larry’s Trading Post in West Ocean City have several to choose from. SA, Colt, Kimber, Dan Wesson, etc.

 

[Bountied]

If you head to the beach this year, Larry’s Trading Post in West Ocean City have several to choose from. SA, Colt, Kimber, Dan Wesson, etc.

I've bought some stuff from them. He also has a great collection of shotguns too. If that's ur thing.

 

[Parry]

These used colt, kimber, and sig 1911’s are all at Atlantic for comparison. The photo is from this afternoon. I’m interested in a Les Baer, but these could easily scratch that itch.

 

[Bountied]

My dad has a Colt 1911A1 but the serial number on the frame seems to be made by Remington. Could it be surplus that was assembled from parts? Serial number is 7 digits which places it at 1943 from Remington Rand?

 

[lazarus]

2a usually does and they are also a Dan Wesson dealer. Last time I was in there they had some second hand DW’s also. They had a variety of other 1911’s as well, although I can’t recall the brands.

I was in there Tuesday and they had at least a dozen 1911s of various brands. I wasn't looking that close at them though.

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

My dad has a Colt 1911A1 but the serial number on the frame seems to be made by Remington. Could it be surplus that was assembled from parts? Serial number is 7 digits which places it at 1943 from Remington Rand?
View attachment 461573 View attachment 461574

Could possibly be surplus but even more likely it's an arsenal rebuilt pistol. The arsenals made no attempts to match parts. Once rebuilt...if it worked it went back into the system. A generic arsenal mixmaster.

 

[Bountied]

Could possibly be surplus but even more likely it's an arsenal rebuilt pistol. The arsenals made no attempts to match parts. Once rebuilt...if it worked it went back into the system. A generic arsenal mixmaster.

So would that take away from the value? My dad got it from a buddy in Wisconsin. Not sure if it saw action or what.

 

[TheOriginalMexicanBob]

It won't bring as much as an all correct and non-mismatched gun but condition means as much or more. There's probably no way of knowing its history at this point short of some documentation from past owners.

An arsenal rebuilt 1911A1 mixmaster is still a correct 1911A1 as the military didn't care about matched parts. Collectors have made for the differences in values.

 

[BurkeM]

My dad has a Colt 1911A1 but the serial number on the frame seems to be made by Remington. Could it be surplus that was assembled from parts? Serial number is 7 digits which places it at 1943 from Remington Rand?

Mixmaster. Soldiers and armories made absolutely no effort to reassemble pistols after cleaning or repair with the 'original' slide, springs, barrels, etc.

Value depends on the emotions of the purchaser. It is a historical snapshot of a moment in time.

 

[Mdgunguy]

Here's some more of our 1911's in stock...... We're a small shop in Centreville....... with 43-years of experience.....

 

[Bisleyfan44]

My dad has a Colt 1911A1 but the serial number on the frame seems to be made by Remington. Could it be surplus that was assembled from parts? Serial number is 7 digits which places it at 1943 from Remington Rand?
View attachment 461573 View attachment 461574

As indicated, it is a mix of parts. Totally normal for armored to mix parts to get guns back out.

In my eyes, this is a beautiful gun and would be proud to have one like this in my collection. You'll inherit an amazing treasured piece of history. Be sure to get as much of this gun's story from your dad as you can.

 

[Bountied]

As indicated, it is a mix of parts. Totally normal for armored to mix parts to get guns back out.

In my eyes, this is a beautiful gun and would be proud to have one like this in my collection. You'll inherit an amazing treasured piece of history. Be sure to get as much of this gun's story from your dad as you can.

He told me he bought it from a friend out west. That's about it. I was just confused that the frame indicates it's a Remington but the slide has Colt on it. I'll keep digging I'm sure there is more to the story. My dad's texts are very brief.

 

[trickg]

I went through the itch to get a new 1911 a few years back, and I'll kind of relate what I went through to get what I ended up with.

Initially, I was all about the Springfield Range Officer's model - I figured that would be a great way to go and a great bang for the buck.

The more reading I did, the more I started to look into other features that I thought would be nice to have:

⦁ checkered front strap
⦁ beavertail backstrap
⦁ ambidextrous safety
⦁ adjustable rear sight (not necessary, but something I thought I wanted)
⦁ magwell
⦁ tritium night sights
⦁ Skeletonized/lightweight trigger and hammer
⦁ accessory rail
⦁ stainless steel - I'd never owned a stainless pistol
⦁ match grade barrel

Clearly, the Springfield RO model doesn't have many of those features, so I set about looking for pistols that did, which led to some other pistols, and additional questions, such as how man lines per inch I wanted for checkering.

I had a progression of pistols I'd landed on while I was saving money, and at each point, I thought, well, if I spend a few dollars more, I can get x, y and z, etc. I looked at Springfield, Remington, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, Colt...

Ultimately I decided on the Dan Wesson Valor. It had just about everything I wanted on a single pistol, no MIM parts (I can't see a line for the slide release on either of the DW pistols I currently own.) and a combination of aesthetics and features that I really liked. The sights aren't adjustable, but I was willing to live with that for everything else I got, plus at the time I could order directly from CZ USA and get a pretty deep military discount that put that pistol in the same price class as anything else.

I have not been displeased with this pistol at all. It has run like a champ from day 1 - it eats any and all ammo I've ever tried with it, and it's more accurate than I am. It may not be a Wilson, Nighthawk, Ed Brown, Les Baer, etc, but it's still an heirloom quality gun that will stand the test of time and will be enjoyed by my kids' kids, God willing that we still have the right to own them in the years after I'm gone.

So, this is my long-winded post to say that buying a pistol like a nice 1911 isn't something to take lightly. Really decide what you want, and find the gun with the features that has the most of that from a maker that has a solid reputation for quality. Don't settle because that's what your LGS happens to have the in store - be willing to wait to get exactly what you want. You won't regret it.

I'll absolutely own more Dan Wessons in the future because of how nice my first two are. I swapped the original grips with some VZ Operator II's. The only things missing on my DW Silverback were an ambidextrous safety, and a magwell, but I installed the Stan Chen magwell myself, and I'm trying to figure out what to get for an ambi-safety.

 

[Bountied]

I went through the itch to get a new 1911 a few years back, and I'll kind of relate what I went through to get what I ended up with.

Initially, I was all about the Springfield Range Officer's model - I figured that would be a great way to go and a great bang for the buck.

The more reading I did, the more I started to look into other features that I thought would be nice to have:

⦁ checkered front strap
⦁ beavertail backstrap
⦁ ambidextrous safety
⦁ adjustable rear sight (not necessary, but something I thought I wanted)
⦁ magwell
⦁ tritium night sights
⦁ Skeletonized/lightweight trigger and hammer
⦁ accessory rail
⦁ stainless steel - I'd never owned a stainless pistol
⦁ match grade barrel

Clearly, the Springfield RO model doesn't have many of those features, so I set about looking for pistols that did, which led to some other pistols, and additional questions, such as how man lines per inch I wanted for checkering.

I had a progression of pistols I'd landed on while I was saving money, and at each point, I thought, well, if I spend a few dollars more, I can get x, y and z, etc. I looked at Springfield, Remington, Sig Sauer, Smith & Wesson, Kimber, Colt...

Ultimately I decided on the Dan Wesson Valor. It had just about everything I wanted on a single pistol, no MIM parts (I can't see a line for the slide release on either of the DW pistols I currently own.) and a combination of aesthetics and features that I really liked. The sights aren't adjustable, but I was willing to live with that for everything else I got, plus at the time I could order directly from CZ USA and get a pretty deep military discount that put that pistol in the same price class as anything else.

I have not been displeased with this pistol at all. It has run like a champ from day 1 - it eats any and all ammo I've ever tried with it, and it's more accurate than I am. It may not be a Wilson, Nighthawk, Ed Brown, Les Baer, etc, but it's still an heirloom quality gun that will stand the test of time and will be enjoyed by my kids' kids, God willing that we still have the right to own them in the years after I'm gone.

So, this is my long-winded post to say that buying a pistol like a nice 1911 isn't something to take lightly. Really decide what you want, and find the gun with the features that has the most of that from a maker that has a solid reputation for quality. Don't settle because that's what your LGS happens to have the in store - be willing to wait to get exactly what you want. You won't regret it.

I'll absolutely own more Dan Wessons in the future because of how nice my first two are. I swapped the original grips with some VZ Operator II's. The only things missing on my DW Silverback were an ambidextrous safety, and a magwell, but I installed the Stan Chen magwell myself, and I'm trying to figure out what to get for an ambi-safety.

View attachment 462613 View attachment 462615

Where is the accessory rail? JK those are nice looking pistols. Personally I have no need for the ambi safety. I do like the magwell addition I did on mine, makes finding the hole a lot easier since there is no hair around it.

 

[trickg]

Where is the accessory rail? JK those are nice looking pistols. Personally I have no need for the ambi safety. I do like the magwell addition I did on mine, makes finding the hole a lot easier since there is no hair around it.

I went back and forth on the accessory rail - there's a part of me that believes that a rail doesn't belong on a 1911.

In the end it was a tossup between the Valor and the Specialist, and I went with the Valor - I picked the flat, skeletonized trigger over the solid trigger and rail of the Specialist.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I'm happy that you're happy ! ( Even if my list is different from your list )

My routine advice for prospective 1911 buyers is to Know what configuration and features are your preference, and acquire a pistol very close to that, instead of planning to imeadately change out parts

 

[trickg]

I'm happy that you're happy ! ( Even if my list is different from your list )

My routine advice for prospective 1911 buyers is to Know what configuration and features are your preference, and acquire a pistol very close to that, instead of planning to imeadately change out parts

Yep - my thoughts exactly. The only thing the Valor didn't have that I might have wanted was an adjustable rear sight, but that wasn't a deal breaker for me, and it had everything else:

It is stainless
It has a beavertail backstrap
It has a magwell (Stan Chen, as it turned out)
It has tritium sights (well the rear sight is a black "U" - the front sight is tritium)
It has 25 LPI checkering on the front strap
It has a skeletonized trigger and hammer
It has an ambidextrous safety
It has a match grade barrel

The Silverback wasn't something I planned on buying - I already had the Valor on order and was waiting for it when that popped up here in the Classifieds. I said to my wife, "dang, that's a great price on that pistol - if I didn't already have the Valor on order, I'd snag it."

She said, "well, your 50th birthday vacation got canned because of Covid - do you want it?"

Yes I did!

It was about as new as it could be for a used pistol - it had exactly one box of ammo fired through it before it went back into the prior owner's safe, and believe me, I've put a lot more ammo through it than a single box since I've had it!

Kicking the back to the OP, make a list of features you want, both functional and aesthetic, and buy the pistol that meets the criteria, or as many of them as you can find on a single pistol.