I’ve bought many different semi custom and a few SA and DW customs. Most of those have been sold off. If I’m spending big $$$ on a full custom build then I want it on a colt.
For lower end guns I’m not opposed to a WC or an ACW. They offer a lot of bang for the buck.

 

Wilson is lower end??

 

It has felt like it in more recent years. The component quality and QC has been degrading IMO. I too consider them to be in the entry level custom market unless you are buying a supergrade or presentation model. But, if you are going to pay those prices, there are many other better options in the same price range. Wilson wouldnt be my first choice.

 

The addiction is real. All my 1911s are Colts and the other brands have zero appeal to me… I’ll find myself skipping over the various other brands in the used display case at the LGS in search of Colts that may have come in since my last visit. Inexplainable, and have no experience nor bias against the other brands.
My one exception is an addiction to ACWs.

 

Colts and ACWs. A man of excellent taste.😊

 

I always thought most Colt collectors are purists in the sense that they favor factory original Colts over any customization that's not performed by Colt. At least that was the impression I got from browsing the Colt forums from time to time.

 

@TheCarpenter described by thoughts exactly down to my carbureted old trucks. Not taking anything away from other brands at all. Colt just has a the heritage that calls me. Love my NH, Kandros, Evolution, Alchemy, Novak, and Custom Shop Colts. Foolishly sold a Wilson built Colt which I would love to buy back someday. Not a purist at all. Most have been "enhanced" in some form or another. Had other brands that just don't seem to hold fondness with me.

 

I didn’t have many 1911s but what I had were all Colts…outside of an AMT Long Slide which was a piece of junk and I sold it off. Most of what I owned were revolvers but now I’m addicted to building 1911s…on my 22nd build now. While I’ve used several brand frames the slides and other parts are essentially whatever was available at the time at a good price.

I have found that using genuine Colt parts…primarily slides and barrels…the pistols go together much easier with greater consistency and with less filing and fitting required.

 

Colt uber alles.
If you are building customs on anything other than series 70 (or earlier) government models, you are wrong. The end.

 

Ive had and have many Colt 1911's,both with custom work and bone stock.I enjoy all my 1911's but really like
my "somewhat standard" Colts.Most get a few upgrades in the trigger dept.
My only challenge with my Older Colts is i cant see iron sights very well.Many of my higher end guns ive gone to dot sights.Ive been playing around with EGW dot sight mounts,ive had a few of my 1911's milled for dot sights but it gets expensive.So far ive tried 2 EGW mounts and they work great on Colt/Springfield Novak cut slides.
I still gravitate to Colt 1911's regardless.Still my favorite.

 

If it's not a Colt, it's a copy...

 

I’m in the same boat! I have a theory as to why this is. To me the 1911 is a semiautomatic cowboy gun, and any proper cowboy gun ought to be a Colt.

 

C-O-L-T ?

Guilty as charged Your Honor.

I certainly appreciate ACW, WC, NH, Brown, etc and drool occasionally over Cabot, Yost, and the other true custom works, but the Pony is always a draw for me. Other than some foolish experimenting with other brands in my youth my 1911s have by far been Colts.

Partly because of the brand history and partly due to market demand seriously reducing risk of value loss over time.

And speaking of time...

 

Gorgeous hardware there...

 

Nowadays it's mainly just colts but that's after adding a wilson baer NH and Ed Brown to collection

 

I collect factory stock Colts, but I don’t see a custom Colt as just a Colt. To me, it’s more like a repair or correction done by a gunsmith. It’s the difference between a Mustang off the lot and a NASCAR Mustang—they may share a name, but they are not the same thing.

If you love Colts, that’s great. If you love a custom 1911 that started life as a Colt, that’s great too. But let’s be clear—they are different. The truth is, companies like Wilson, Nighthawk, Ed Brown, and others exist because people wanted more than what Colt was offering, and their custom 1911s are the result of that demand.

 

I don’t currently own any Colt products. I am interested in a model 1903 hammerless or 1908 hammerless.

 

I am interested in a model 1903 hammerless or 1908 hammerless.

As well you should be. 🙂

Model M's are the shiznit.

(L to R: 1917 and 1924)

Both still run like scalded cats, even with their original magazines.

Hope you're able to scratch the itch sooner rather than later. No soothing balm required.

 

I love and hate Colt. I have dozens, in many forms.

I appreciate Colt's history, legacy and contribution to the development and prior innovation of firearms.

I also understand and take into account their limitations, historical mismanagement, many bankruptcies, blunders, stagnation, refusal to innovate and general tom-foolery as a corporation.

That being said, just going with Colt, or (insert) brand specific anything, is significantly limiting your scope, exposure and overall experience.

 

Love my Colts, they've got got old school soul that no one else can replicate. They remind me of when I was a kid and no one had to say Colt or 1911 or Government Model, they just said .45 and everyone knew what they were talking about.

Out of my 2 dozen or so 1911s, I have 2 Baers, a Brown-Baer, a MEUSOC tribute Springfield, and a Para that my dad owned. All the rest are Colts and only one of them is original, but I've been kicking some ideas around for that one. 😁

 

Series 70 Colt = Peak Pony.

The Rexer agrees ….

 

Colt for me also.

Bill Wilson himself in his early days on a DVD I was watching ( this was probably pre YouTube) where him and Ken Hackathorn were talking about the different 1911 brands said he would choose a Colt and used the analogy that if someone placed 2 similar pistols on a table, one being a Colt and the other a SA or whatever brand and told you to take one for FREE which one would you honestly take?

I think this was before he really built his own pistols I think and was a more a custom shop.

 

I’ve bought many different semi custom and a few SA and DW customs. Most of those have been sold off. If I’m spending big $$$ on a full custom build then I want it on a colt.
For lower end guns I’m not opposed to a WC or an ACW. They offer a lot of bang for the buck.

Wilson builds a nice semi custom gun. But when you get into a full house build by one of the greats expect to pay 2-4 times what a nice Wilson costs.

Really interesting take.

Actually a bit funny and frankly a little pompous calling Wilson and ACW “lower end”. To me, the semi customs from Wilson, Cabot, ACW, Nighthawk, Guncrafter, Baer, Brown, etc, etc is where it’s at when it comes to the 1911 platform.

In my opinion, spending well into the five figures for a 1911 with a Colt serial number is absurd, regardless who is customizing it.

If I’m spending that kind of money on a handgun, it will be super rare, super high end pistol, like these Korths and Kori’s. They routinely bring $30-$50K each (and rising) whenever they change hands.

 

Not trying to be pompous. There are different levels of custom 1911s. Not a knock on Wilson, NHC or any other semi custom. They are wonderful guns. I’ve owned many. To take an old crooked Colt and turn it into a modern masterpiece is a whole other thing.
And I guess its just a personal preference on the amount one is willing to spend.

 

Not trying to be pompous. There are different levels of custom 1911s. Not a knock on Wilson, NHC or any other semi custom. They are wonderful guns. I’ve owned many. To take an old crooked Colt and turn it into a modern masterpiece is a whole other thing.
And I guess its just a personal preference on the amount one is willing to spend.

All good. I understand and agree.

I’m fortunate enough at this point to have a 7-figure handgun collection, but still can’t imagine calling Wilson and ACW low end. Thanks for clarifying your statement.

 

I was a diehard Colt man until I fell down the semi custom rabbit hole. I won’t sell my Colts, but I can’t recall the last time I took one to the range.

 

Certainly no comparison there

 

In my opinion, spending well into the five figures for a 1911 with a Colt serial number is absurd, regardless who is customizing it.

If I’m spending that kind of money on a handgun, it will be super rare, super high end pistol, like these Korths and Kori’s. They routinely bring $30-$50K each (and rising) whenever they change hands.


[/QUOTE]

With all due respect to your super high end collection, personally, none of those pistols light my fire like a full house Colt built by one of the top 5 1911 smiths.

 

With all due respect to your super high end collection, personally, none of those pistols light my fire like a full house Colt built by one of the top 5 1911 smiths.

To each their own. I’ll take super rare handbuilt German pistols from solid blocks of billet steel over customized Colts any day. If they did it for me, I’d own a dozen of them. I probably have a quarter million in high end 1911’s and 2011’s. Nothing with a Colt serial number.

Let’s see, a customized Colt or another Infinity. To me, it’s a no brainer. I’ll take the latter.

I know people like custom builds. They just aren’t for me. I’ve got a very fine Liebenberg full custom build, but that didn’t start as a base gun.

 

Well, that escalated quickly. LoL!

For you watch guys: This reads like a humble, r/seiko subreddit post, that crossed over in to Rolex territory>>>>>>>>>>>>> in to a Patek Philipe/Audemars Piguet/Vacheron Constantin dick measuring contest, in like a nano second.

 

Preciesly! I myself will stick with my Colt Yost builds, absurd or not.

 

@TheCarpenter ….still kicking myself for not picking up that Wilson/Colt from you when I had the chance!!!

 

A custom build without Colt Rollmarks just doesn't hit the same. It's like a kit car vs a restored muscle car. A mustang, a Camaro, a Chevelle, look as they should. There might be plenty of cool looking body kits for miata's and you can shove a 5.3 in there.. but it doesn't hit in the same way. Colt and high end full house custom 1911 go hand in hand. Given Colt's quality in the past decades, unfortunately you're simply paying for a serial number and roll mark - for that aesthetic. Silly as that is. But lets face it, we're shooting 1911's for a reason, just like owning/driving a classic car isn't the fastest way around the track.

 

Yeah. NGL…despite all of Colt’s Shenanigans, I do have a bit of an emotional attachment to Colt when it comes to base guns and I currently have a Colt Limited Edition at NHC right now for a classic, full house build.

Next, I’d like to have one of greats “chop up” one of my MK IV Series 70s (the quintessential Colt chassis IMHO), or a Colt WWI Repro for another in the near future. Wondering with whom, though. As Yost and Burton and Garthwaite are out of the question, anymore.

ETA: @TheCarpenter
Is that a Yost, BTW?