I am a DW convert. Do I think a higher priced gun is better? Not sure. The triggers on both of mine are fantastic. Like as good as the trigger job I paid for my 80’s era Colt that I thought was fantastic at the time. The stock sight DW uses are great. Only gun manufacturer that I routinely never even consider swapping sights. Minor and very tasteful rollmarking. I might end up with a couple more. They define sweet spot to me.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by captain127:
I look at it this way:
Is a $800 pistol twice as good as a $400 pistol- almost certainly!
Is a $1600 pistol 2x as good as an 800- probably
Is a 2400 pistol 50% better than the 1600- maybe
Is the $4000 almost twice as good as the 2400 not likely
As price goes up increments of improvement or refinement get smaller.
For example ( I know these prices are dated) at one time a run of the mill les Baer was around $1800 while the Wilson combat was around 3 grand, or a little over 50% more expensive, but I don’t think the Wilson was or is 50% better than a Baer[/QUOTE

I agree...it's a sliding scale.

It's not a dollar amound that defines the point of diminishing returns.

Rather, if you are seeing merit in an ambidextrous slide release you've gone over the edge.

quote:

Originally posted by longjohn:

Dan Wesson are in the sweet spot. Just my opinion.

I concur

I don't know. I have a Sig Stainless Super Target with the only modification, if you can call it that, is a STI Recoil Master Guide Rod. You can smoothly rack the slide with your thumb and forefinger. The trigger is about 4lbs. Nice sights. I have mentioned before a Bullseye shooter, better than me, compared it to his Les Baer. It cost $1350 and it is a damn good looking gun.

Now will it last as long as a more expensive gun? Is it more reliable? Only time will tell. But my Sig P226 has over 25,000 rounds with never a failure of any kind.

While I think everyone should own a classic Model 1911 variant, I wouldn't spend more than $1,000 on one. I have a Springfield Armory 1911, that was worked over by Novaks. I have about $900 into it.

IMHO it's contingent on the shooter and purpose. A bad shooter might not see a difference between a cheap 1911 and a higher end 1911. A competition 1911 can cost more then a perfectly serviceable defensive 1911. Sorry if thats too vague.

Generally, I don't think there is any answer to the question beyond the obvious.

"Diminishing returns". First, you have to define what "returns" are expected in the first place to determine when/whether they begin to diminish. Personally, I think reliability is the only issue that can't be compromised.

There are probably more poor shooters (people) out there than poor 1911's. For standard defensive distances, even a WW II surplus 1911 rattletrap would suffice. I've heard 9-10" groups at 25 yards for those pistols to be the norm. That translates to about 3" groups at 7 yards. Not pretty by modern standards, but it will get the job done.

Over 20 years ago, a guy in our defensive shooting group brought a surplus Argentine 1911 clone to shoot. Had a tiny half-moon front sight about as thick as your thumbnail, along with a lousy trigger. At 7 yards he was producing 1 1/2 inch groups.

Having said the above, I'd agree with the $1,200 price point suggested by other posters. While I love the Wilson Pro I've owned for 15 years, the old Colt 1911's I have will do the same job for me.

The point of diminishing returns is personal. It depends on your shooting ability and your income level. I have some Colt Custom shop 1911s, Springfield Armory TRP Operators, and a Dan Wesson Valor. Mine are all five-inch government models. Nine are .45 ACP and three are 10mm. For me the cutoff is around $2500.

^^^^^^^^^^^^
Lima, I'd agree with your statement about it being personal, both ability and income level. Years back when I was first bitten by the 1911 bug, I sold off just about all my pistols with the exception of a few and started off with the Les Baer 1911 Thunder Ranch commander. I was further enticed by how much I enjoyed the 1911. It stimulated curiosity about having a semi-custom personally built to my spec features and tastes. Both functionally and aesthetically. I had a Nighthawk custom built and found I really enjoyed the custom features I ordered like chainlink front/rear strap treatments as well as my choice of front fiber optic and serrated blacked out adj rear sights as well as the serrations top and rear. Also features like the recessed cut out slide release and flush cut and crowned barrel as well as my choice of slide material treatment and 2-tone combo choice. Budget wise it may not have been the wisest move but having the $$ from the sale of my other handguns help offset the costs.

From there the 1911 addiction was strong. I went on to have custom built spec-wise Ed Browns as well as the pinnacle of my addiction having my Wilson Classic Supergrade built, it's a thing to shoot as well as it's build, just a fine 1911 all round.

As far as the point of diminishing returns, that was out the window when I started having them built and customized to my tastes. I would plan my build and work the overtime which was more than plentiful at my power company job and make my purchases. It might not have been the most rational choices $$ wise but I got caught up much like a classic car builder or other higher $$ hobbies. I had the access to $$, took care of my 401k and savings first, and spent the $$ on a couple of great custom, semi-custom 1911's.

Functionally, certainly way more practical to just purchase many other kinds and brands of pistols to include revolvers, and enjoy and shoot them. Which I did btw, and still have my p228 as well as my hold out revolver. I've no regrets and enjoyed the pistols. Sold off most of those as I haven't shot in almost 10yrs but still managed to keep the Nighthawk and Wilson, they're special and a reminder to me of a lot of good memories and shooting experiences, nostalgia I guess.

Many 1911 manufactures build great pistols, and at manageable prices points that don't need to break the bank, I just have been blessed to have to income from hard work and put the $$ into my fleeting addiction and hobby.

From what I've seen in the gun world, 1911s are as much about its subjective intangibles than just things more measurable like performance and accuracy. The craft, artistry, history...even sheer emotion surrounding the design; putting some sort of apex point on that can be difficult if not impossible. One person's excess is just a starting place for another. As LimaCharlie previously points out, it's going to vary from person to person.

For me, who's not really a 1911 guy, if I had to objectively define a monetary tipping point it would be around $550, about what we were selling the Metro Arms American Classic II for. Hardly an American (it's Filipino), but with my skill set I shot the bloody thing incredibly well, as good as I did the DW Valor, Colt M45-A1 or Ed Brown Kobra. For a 1911 under a grand, its fit and finish is surprisingly satisfying for the likes of me. No, I won't confuse it with something Bill Wilson cobbles together, but the difference in cost will pay for A LOT of 45 ball. So if I had to put that 'diminishing return' label someplace, that's where it would land for me.