Please Help Me Choose a 1911.

[emilianoksa]

If I needed it for skirmishing,  I would go for a TM.

But I only want it for occasional plinking and display. And so I would like it in metal. A TM with a metal kit would be far too  expensive for my needs..

So that more or less leaves  WE vs KJW. A lot of people say the latter is better made and TM compatible. However I happen to think that some WE pistols are better than the KJW versions eg. the Glock, Sig P226 and M9 A1.

KJW pistols have that glossy look I don't like and their mags have a reputation for leaking. WE have a matt finish and their mags are more reliable. They are not TM clones but WE parts are widely available and cheap. I like the MEU but the KJW has rails which I don't want, while the WE doesn't.

The real steel 1911 takes seven bullets so, if I only load 10 bbs in a gas mag, fire and top up, I would still be getting mor shots than the real thing. That being the case would the WE be a reasonable choice, or does KJW still win out?

I know WE's 1911s and hi capas have a dreadful reputation, but people still buy them. Have there been any improvements in quality control over the years Somebody on another forum wrote about the WE 1911 version 2, but I have no idea if this is a thing. I know they have a version two Beretta (the M9A1 which actually  is a TM clone) but I had never heard of an improved 1911. 

 

[Tackle]

I've owned two kjw's, hi-capa & g19, both are excellent, whereas I've owned one WE hi-capa, pos paperweight that's not even worth selling because I'd feel guilty passing that crap on to a fellow airsofter

 

[BigStew]

WE 1911s are garbage and only sort of TM compatible. Kjw are also only sort of compatible. For all metal you have KWA but hard to find in the UK (fire support might have a few in stock) or kwc CO2 range. KWA have reasonable parts support. Don't know about kwc parts availablity but the 1911 I owned had a nice finished and decent shooter with a nice kick.

 

[emilianoksa]

Thanks for the replies.

I know WE hi capas are crap. I acknowledged that in my post. So are their Browning, Luger, M&P, 1911 etc. But their Glocks and Sigs are not. In fact they are arguably superior to the KJW ones - partly, I am told , because they were not originally produced by WE but by some outfit in Hong Kong. It is true though that KJW hi capas are the best all metal alternatives to TM, and their Sigs and Berettas have a decent reputation,  but their Glocks are not generally considered better than the WE ones..

As I mentioned, I know WE 1911s have a rotten reputation. I know that in terms of mag capacity all 1911s are crap. But if you read my post again you will see that all I want is a gun that will fire 10 shots from a mag fill. Both WE and KJW will probably do that. With WE the problem is said to be parts failure in short order. With KJW the problem is their crappy magazines. Which gives me a choice between a gun that soon might cease to function and a magazine which soon might cease to function.

The KWC runs on CO2 which is not a power source I like, or appropriate for somebody who wants to blast out 10 bbs occasionally.

I am beginning to the think that the plastic TM might be the best choice after all. If I wanted it for skirmishing it would have been no contest, but I was looking for something that would double as a display piece, and plastic guns rarely look like the real steel.

 

[Panzerzwerg]

I do own a WE 1911A1 V3. It looks and feels very good and shots surprisingly well, not overly accurate but that's more than likely due to me being a noob. 

If all you want it to is blast 10bbs in an emergency case, it will do that just fine. 

 

[heroshark]

TM springer

 

[Mad-Al]

Have you looked at the army 1911s?

Full metal and mostly marui compatible, better than the WE and possibly the cheapest gbb 1911 out there.

The r28 kimber is on my shortlist.

The co2 would be my choice for skirmishing as the gas capacity in a 1911 is aweful but for plinking the gbbs are just fine.

 

[Wolfie]

My son has bought me a Army Armament R45a1 1911 compact. It's all metal. Double stacked mag (18 shots) and so far, I'm really impressed with it. Very snappy, small enough to be squirrelled away and a great little fun gun.View attachment 75140