I have something to throw in the mix here, but I am sure that those more knowledgeable than I will clock in with some good advice also. Here are my questions? What is the gun for? Carry or target shooting or both or what? How much do you shoot? How good of a shot are you? What do you think you are going to change out?
Here is why I ask those questions - If the gun is for carry then you will probably want a dehorn package performed on it. Will you change out the grip safety? The thumb safety? The recoil spring system? The sights? If you are going to change these thigns out then I would get the mil-spec version to save yourself a few bucks. iIf you are not going to change these things then I would say spend the extra money to get a decent beavertail grip safety and good thumb safety already on the gun. Are you a really good shot or average or bad? If you are really good and you can appreciate the difference a match grade barrel offers to you then I would get the milspec version. But here is the rub: If you are going to end up wanting all the good stuff on it you are going to spend over a grand for a dressed up and very cool factory gun. Nothing wrong with that by the way. But if you are going to end up spending 1500-2000 bucks then I say just leap into it and get a really good gun from the get go, then you won't have to wait several times while it is being doctored up. Plus if something goes wrong then wilsoncombat or Dane or whoever will fix it up for you. If you get an alphabet soup mix parts gun then you are kind of on your own when it doesn't live up to your expectations. Almost every single time I have bought a gun I have loved it, and almost every single time about a month later when I came into a few hundred more bucks I have wished that I would have waited and ordered a better gun. Quality is addictive. 1911's are really cool guns, but they are cool enough that you are going to want to make the most of it. I say use the money you are thinking of spending on a factory gun and find a really good smith that you like and respect and put down a down-payment for a serious roscoe. Will it suck to wait and be rolling pocket change to get it? Yes, it surely will. I am doing that now. But when it is all over none of thta is going to matter. You are going to be able to tell yourself, "No, I don't drive a mercedes; No, I don't wear a rolex, No, I don't own an Armani suit; BUT - this gun is the best damn gun in the world. It is as good as it can be. For me, that is the answer, to wait and get something really, truly exceptional. Will it make me a better shooter? No, probably not, but it will instill in me a sense of confidence and pride in the gear. It's going to be a really good friend of mine - I'm going to take care of it and it is going to take care of me. Okay, maybe I should switch to decaf, but ponder it over a bit anyway. Whatever you decide I hope it serves you well. Let us know.
Good shooting.
Jake Salyards
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A bad attitude or unsettled mind will destroy focus, guaranteeing failure regardless of training and preparation.
- Mark F. Twight, "Extreme Alpinism"
<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Jake Salyards on 2001-10-16 23:38 ]</font>