1911's at that level and price point are like swiss watches, hours of fitting and finish for a custom heirloom. To each his own....budget.

I can build an AR with a lower decked out with all the latest ambi features, billet bad assery. Best possible barrel and billet upper, bolt group with the latest coatings and a fine trigger for less than 3k. It is unlikely the custom job will do anything that my lego build can't do. 3K+ 1911's are heirloom builds, 3K+ AR's are just some spendy Lego parts.

quote:

Originally posted by Hamden106:
Look
http://cabotgun.com/pricing-or...911-pistols/pricing/

I'm at the lower end of the scale, Vintage Classic. It's a beauty !

...it is just what you prefer, need, or want.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:

quote:

Originally posted by Hamden106:
Look
http://cabotgun.com/pricing-or...911-pistols/pricing/

I'm at the lower end of the scale, Vintage Classic. It's a beauty !

I have 3 custom bullseye 1911 made up by Toyota on Baer frame and slide. Each will Ransom Rest at 50yds 1.5" or less. I went D with one with a high of 291/300. Each one is plain looking, no frills on the outside. But inside they are fantastic.

1911 porn
http://www.migunslingers.com/

Every time somebody starts some dialog about a +$2k 1911, I go to my safe, reach in the way back, pull out my 1911, and let them shoot it. Its an old, beat up, Rock Island Armory full sized GI edition 1911 I bought for $250 some time back. It rattles, has crappy GI sights, and is nothing to look at. It is however, one of the best shooting pistols I own. The well worn in trigger is simply a joy to squeeze. It will consume anything 45acp, and at 20 yards and in, will tear the center from any target you opt to shoot at.

You can have your high end designer handguns. I'll stick with my estate sale beater that everyone who shoots it wants to buy.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
no one has a wonderful story of how they purchased a Les Baer
and it fed 15 types and brands of ammo , and never failed,

or how they did measurements after 6500 rounds and there was no appreciable difference .

or nothing has ever had to be shipped back for repair?

I have 2 les baer's. One never gets shot and cost my dad almost 4k. Its a show peice.

My custom carry for 1500 got used as an edc for about 5 years in rotation with a 228. That gun gets 250 rounds through it every range session, which is about 8 times a year now, but used to be closer to 18 times a year. It easily has thousands of rounds through it of all different carry and range ammo. Never a misfeed or failure. It's still as tight as when I bought it and I still can't shoot good enough to make use of its guaranteed accuracy.

I don't want to sound like a baer fan boy. I appreciate the gun and it is one of my favorites, but I do like my ed brown more, as well as a few of my other non 1911 style handguns. My experience might not be the rule but it definitely is not the exception when it comes to the performance and reliability of the les baers. Are there people who had a negative experience, surely there are after so many years and so many guns made and sold. I do believe for every person with a complaint there would be hundreds with praise for the gun. You don't get to sell a gun for that price if its not worth it.

I came to my method many years ago.

Is the increased cost equal to the increase in performance?

For example, lets say I buy ammunition for a 9mm pistol for defensive purposes. It costs $1.00 per round and I get 2" groups at 50' offhand, it penetrates 12" of ballistic gelatin at 15' and expands from .355 to .400 (.045 increase in diameter).

My buddy rails on about his new whizbang ammunition. Costs $2.00 a round. Since it is double the cost, will it perform 100% better?

1" groups at 50'? 18" of penetration (limited due to greater expansion) while expanding to .450 caliber?

I doubt it.

If the performance level does not match the increase in price, I cannot justify the purchase.

The best part in this discussion is that we live in America, and we have choices.

I paid $2500 for my Les Baer wadcutter w/UltraMatch red dot optic for Precision Pistol competition (Bulleye).

Worth it to me, which is all that matters.

Warhorse,

Thank you for making the point I left out.

Competition is the great example here. There are measurable gains from increased cost of equipment that can and do make a difference in competition. For competitors, it most certainly is understandable.