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Springfield 1911 A1 Value?

65K views 34 replies 14 participants last post by  bartwatkins 
#1 ·
I bought a never shot 1911 A1 for $250. I know I got a good deal but I was wondering what they sell for. I don't usually see them in shops around here. It has a 5" barrel and parkerized finish. I bought it a couple of years ago and have fired about 400 rounds through it with no problem. I don't want to sell, I am just interested in an approximate value. Thanks in advance for any info.
 
#5 ·
I will disagree that the Springfield 1911s are horrible in quality.

If I had a choice between Kimber 1911s , Smith and Wesson 1911s, Kahr 1911s, SIG 1911s, or Springfield 1911s, I will go with Springfield the whole way.

I will also say that a lemon pistol is possible with ANY manufacturer. QA is not prefect in the least.

If you do have reports that say the quality has gone to sh*t on the Springfield 1911s, please share it, because I am no expert and I am willing to learn (especially when it comes to possible future purchases).
 
#6 ·
I will disagree that the Springfield 1911s are horrible in quality.

If I had a choice between Kimber 1911s , Smith and Wesson 1911s, Kahr 1911s, SIG 1911s, or Springfield 1911s, I will go with Springfield the whole way.

I will also say that a lemon pistol is possible with ANY manufacturer. QA is not prefect in the least.

If you do have reports that say the quality has gone to sh*t on the Springfield 1911s, please share it, because I am no expert and I am willing to learn (especially when it comes to possible future purchases).
I'd take the Kimber, Sig and Smith, in that order. At least they're made on this continent, with 2 of them being made in this country.
 
#8 ·
If you do have reports that say the quality has gone to sh*t on the Springfield 1911s, please share it, because I am no expert and I am willing to learn (especially when it comes to possible future purchases).
Currently, I would have to say not really. Previously, in 2006 to be EXACT, Springfield shipped out several tens ( possible hundreds ) of 1911 pistols WITHOUT Firing Pins. :eek:

It was later traced to a "flaw" in the assembly line. How that happens, *shrug*, beats the hell out of me but they now TEST FIRE their weapons. :D

I think Kimber makes a better bang for the buuck 1911 currently, but Springfield took their lumps in bad Q/A - learned their lessons and have made great strides to reclaim their name.

I would not have a problem is a family member brought home a CURRENT Springfield 1911 for their personal protection.

JD
 
#9 ·
Currently, I would have to say not really. Previously, in 2006 to be EXACT, Springfield shipped out several tens ( possible hundreds ) of 1911 pistols WITHOUT Firing Pins. :eek:

It was later traced to a "flaw" in the assembly line. How that happens, *shrug*, beats the hell out of me but they now TEST FIRE their weapons. :D

I think Kimber makes a better bang for the buuck 1911 currently, but Springfield took their lumps in bad Q/A - learned their lessons and have made great strides to reclaim their name.

I would not have a problem is a family member brought home a CURRENT Springfield 1911 for their personal protection.

JD
My entry model Compact was a bad assed little piece for the $700 I paid for it.
 
#11 ·
I did not mean to start a war of words here. I love the gun and won't sell it but like I said, I have not had one problem with it. I just wanted to know the value. I carry an XD 40 sub and am now a Springfield guy. If I could conceal my 1911 better I would carry it and trust it to protect my son. That to me is the ultimate compliment. I also think mine is an early manufacture, it is stamped nm1435. Am I right?
 
#13 ·
My entry model Compact was a bad assed little piece for the $700 I paid for it.
It still had the forged steel frame and slide, as well as the 1.25" at 25 yard accuracy guarantee. The SN was KC16825. I bought it early in '01.

It definitely was a Kimber MFG and not a Kimber of Oregon piece.



Come on JD, you have to have seen this picture before. :D
I have seen it plenty of times Brother, but I had to clarify that we were talking Kimber and not Springfield. Kimber has had their ups and downs, but have righted their ship long ago - Springfield recently had troubles, but have made efforts to make amends with the gun buying public. :p

JD
 
#14 ·
Yes, yes...we've all seen this picture and how you sold it for eleven dollars at a flea market to some guy named Watto who wanted to trade his pod racer for it claiming it was the fastest ever built, but you opted for the cash...yes, we all know the story by now...
 
#17 ·
^^ LMAO - Ineff, the inner workings of your mind really must be a dark and twisted ride...:p

JD
Sometimes I wake up from a deep sleep thinking, "That was messed up."

Damn nerds...
The correct term is "geek", sir. Geek. If you can't get that straight, I'm not coming over to fix your computer, and I'll be asking for my Babylon 5 collection back.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Cite your sources please.
I own a Springfield 1911 automatic jamming machine. Charles Darwin, in "The Origin of Species 2 - Hot Australian Spring Break Chicks" was examining a piece of platypus dung and wrote, "Sometime in the late 20th to early 21st century, a company will manufacture a pistol that jams often. I expect it will be quite similar to this dung I hold in my hand. Does anyone have a towel?"
 
#21 ·
Well,if you could use a hand drill with a polishing wheel and some rubbing compound on the ramp,maybe you could have a very reliable firearm.
Every mfg of every type of product has problems-it's from lazy *** people that expect Rolls Royce quality at a Yugo price mentallity. No one wants to do anything on their own anymore,and then *****es when the product they buy doesn't perform like a handmade,fit/finished work of art from a skill master craftsman.
If your Springfield jams,spend some time or money to fix it,or buy a Ed Brown,Wilson,or other $2000+ 1911 and then you won't have that problem.

Sorry about the rant,but I get tired of people saying that this & that are pieces of crap when they expect perfection for a discount price and don't just get off their butts and solve the problem on their own.
 
#22 ·
Seeing as how the original question was what do people think of or what is the value of a Springfield 1911 A1, it struck me that the opinion of someone who actually owns one might be relevant. Then, another person asked me the basis of my opinion.

However, I am well and truly rebuked by a Texas Hillbilly. I never would have thought of the idea of spending more money or learning gunsmithing in the hope it would fix the problem. Thank you for straightening me out. Say "hi" to your wife / sister / aunt for me. :D
 
#23 ·
Ha Ha Ha, I guess I touched a sore spot with you 741512th. It wasn't anything against you personally. I have a Springfield 1911 and it is a very well built and shooting handgun. I own/have owned several brands of 1911's and unless you pay for quality,you don't get all the bells and whistles that go into making a great 1911 pistol.
It's just every time someone wants to know opinions about a certain brand/type of gun,there is always someone that says they are a POS,just because the one they had didn't work the way they thought it should.
I've got several 22lr rifles and pistols that will jam and stovepipe bulk ammo all day long,so when I shoot them it's only the expensive match ammo,do I say that the gun is a POS-no,but the cheap ammo that won't shoot out of them is.
Sorry I got you all ruffled. THB
P.S.-Your geography is a little off with the Wife/Sister/Aunt thing,that only happens in Arkansas and Missouri.
 
#24 ·
Perhaps it was the description of being "Lazy assed" and "*****ing" about my inflated expectations. I know, I know . . . I just should have dropped everything and learned gunsmithing. I'm so damn lazy. Feel free to start the "Help 741512th Get His Crappy Gun Fixed Because He Is Too Lazy To Learn Gunsmithing" fund.

In my opinion, ANY gun you have to take to a gunsmith right out of the box to make it work right is a piece of platypus dung. I don't care if it is the $500 dollar version or the $2000 version. Would you recommend any other product on earth that requires repair on the first day in order to make it work as advertised?

There must have been a couple of people who bought a Dodge Aries K for whom it worked like a charm. They are the K Car Groupies and they meet in a very small room. It doesn't mean the car model as a whole wasn't a piece of crap. Even a blind pig finds an acorn now and again.

The simple fact remains that in my personal experience, 100% of the Springfield 1911 A1 that I have owned and fired have been disappointing. That was the question he asked. If four other people say they like them, then the outside observer might conclude that 80% of the customers are satisfied. I was not in a position to give the originator of the thread your opinion of the SA 1911. I could only give him mine.
 
#25 · (Edited)
My SA GI.45 has been very reliable ever since I sent it in for warranty work. Springfield paid shipping both ways and did about 300 bucks worth of work at no cost. It is every bit as good a gun as my Colt MKIV Series 70 Govt. Model. I saw one of the SA GI .45's at my local dealer for $615.00. I paid $508.00 for mine a year and a half ago. Yes it is true that mine wouldn't feed the last round in any magazine I tried. That's what the warranty work was all about. Ever since though, it has digested everything I have thrown at it. And just so you all know, my Colt misfeeds and stovepipes on occasion, but I have never owned an automatic pistol in ANY caliber that didn't misfeed or jam now and then. NO semiautomatic gun can ever be 100% reliable because there are too many variables in ammunition. Anyone who says they have never had a malfunction in a semiautomatic weapon is lying. Period.
 
#26 ·
The Springfield 1911 is an automatic jamming machine and a piece of platypus dung. Word is on this forum that there are many fine 1911s out there. Avoid at all costs. Cheap is as cheap does.
Recently purchased a Springfield 1911 milspec model and have had no problems with it in the first 200 rounds. Ill try to remember to repost when I have more rounds through it.

As to the original question, in my area the base model, GI I think, is around 500 new.
 
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