High(er) End 1911's

[10x25mm]

I do own a BUL 1911 Government in 9mm. It is a solid shooter. My only gripe is the trigger - it's too light (if that is possible) for me, and I get a lot of inadvertent double-taps. The gentleman I bought it from used it in competition. It's nice to know that some of you consider this a near equivalent to some of the other 1911's I'm dreaming about. I would still consider a Dan Wesson, Les Baer, or Nighthawk.

For those of you considering a BUL, maybe we can meet at a local range when we get some nicer weather.

Is it possible that the previous owner performed / had performed a dubious trigger job?

[pscipio03]

I have a fairly large 1911 collection. Everything from the low end Tisa to a number of custom built Chambers. I dumped all my Wilson Combat 1911s except the EDC X9 (have all 3 sizes) for various reason. Mostly I just didn't like them as much as my Nighthawks or Guncrafters and personally just don't like Bill Wilson himself. Every time him and Hackathorn do their little show, it just reminds me of the two grumpy old guys from the Muppets. I digress.
A BUL 1911 isn't really high end for what you're getting and would not recommend it. Will it shoot? Yeah, but for the same price I'd pick up a SA. If my money is going towards a 1911, for some reason I just want it to be an American company and I personally think the SA's shoot better.
BUL does, however, make a decent double stack (better known as a 2011), though they have some that are outlandishly designed with spikes and weird pseudo steampunk looks. I'd put BUL squarely in a sweet spot between a Para and a Staccato as far as quality goes and the price is pretty decent.
That said, if you have the funding to afford it and you are patient, I'd go to Nighthawk and have them build out one that you want with all the whiz bangs and whistles that tickle your fancy. Either a 1911 or 2011- both will be heirlooms for you. Well, unless you fall down that 1911 rabbit hole and keep searching for the perfect pew-pew and find yourself buying more and doing some horse trading.
Also, one fair warning and I've learned this through trial and error, not all 1911's, regardless of who build them, are as reliable as the 45ACP. Here's my personal opinion of most reliable to least reliable. Magazine choice will always make an impact on reliability for 1911 platforms, so let's assume you didn't go cheap and buy crap mags. So, most reliable to least:
1. 1911 in 45 ACP
2. 2011 in 9mm
3. 1911 in 9mm
4. 2011 in 45 ACP
Use that however you will.

[joepistol]

I've commented on how I felt toward my Bul Armory Cmdr. sized 9mm 1911 in other threads, calling it one of the best out-of-the-box 1911's you can buy, at a bargain price. Owning Colts, Dan Wessons, Springfields, a Para Ordinance and bunch of other lesser brands of 1911's, I believe it to be at least equal to the level of quality of any of those brands mentioned. If I didn't already own so many great 1911's in other calibers & sizes, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another Bul Armory 1911 0r 2011 to add to my collection.

[HKmanlp1]

If you have your heart set on a Wilson Combat,Nighthawk, Ed Brown Etc. A Bul 1911 is not gonna compare. Nor is any assembly line built 1911. I personally have an affinity towards Wilson Combat pistols, owning 6 of them. And I really enjoy the Hackathorn and Bill Wilson episodes. But I am definitely old school in nature. Those 2 have forgotten more about 1911's and training then I will ever remember.
Either you have the money to play, or the patience to save up for one. Or you don't. It's just that simple. We live in a cheap, quick, easy, "just as good as" society. But no production 1911 is gonna make you as happy as a personally ordered custom/semi custom 1911. And who the hell would want a 1911 made in Isreal.

[dirtmcgirt76239]

If you have your heart set on a Wilson Combat,Nighthawk, Ed Brown Etc. A Bul 1911 is not gonna compare. Nor is any assembly line built 1911. I personally have an affinity towards Wilson Combat pistols, owning 6 of them. And I really enjoy the Hackathorn and Bill Wilson episodes. But I am definitely old school in nature. Those 2 have forgotten more about 1911's and training then I will ever remember.
Either you have the money to play, or the patience to save up for one. Or you don't. It's just that simple. We live in a cheap, quick, easy, "just as good as" society. But no production 1911 is gonna make you as happy as a personally ordered custom/semi custom 1911. And who the hell would want a 1911 made in Isreal.

I don't watch every Wilson video but I like Wilson and his guests. I do not even have a 1911, closest I have is a p938.

I would definitely consider one of the less fancy wilsons, les baer, nighthawk, ed brown, I'm going to use it and maybe carry it so I do not want a 6k gun on my hip.

I agree even with out ever handling a bul, you just know it can't be the same, we all live in the same world, there is no world you can make it the same for $950-1150.

[mi650]

Handle and look closely at for instance a nighthawk, Wilson or less Baer and cycle the slide, jiggle the slide and run your fingers all over the pistol.

Then pick up a Taurus and whatever other sub $1500 pistol and do the same thing. Believe me I never would have believed the difference until I held a nighthawk.

Furthermore you have to get into a $1500+ pistol to not get mim parts. Dan Wesson is about the lowest price you can go to avoid those.

It's really all about fit, finish, consistent accuracy over time and at distance and being less picky/finicky because all the tuning has been done by the factory.

I own a Dan Wesson in 9mm, a couple of Colts, a Les Baer, Springfield Professional and another custom made pistol. I've also owned a sig 1911. The pistol didn't have any problems with me, but the quality just wasn't there. It went bye bye in a trade.

That's my take, but I decided several years ago that I only wanted the best.

Pretty much nailed it. I'm a fan of Wilson Combat, and while I've lusted after a few others, when it comes time to put the $$$ down it has always gone to Wilson.

I've had several cheap/cheapish 1911s over the years and never had any real problems with them. Only thing that I recall was an RIA that would FTF. About 60 seconds with a buffing wheel on a Dremel fixed that. But none of them come close to the fit/finish/feel of my Wilsons.

[joepistol]

..." . And who the hell would want a 1911 made in Isreal. "
and " I agree even with out ever handling a bul, you just know it can't be the same"

both these statements tell me all I need to know about the opinions of these posters... nothing like an opinion based on what someone knows, (w/o any experience)

I also was not comparing a Bul Armory 1911 to a custom-built 1911...this is why my post read an " out-of-the-box 1911"
(i.e. a production built 1911) for those with difficulty with reading comprehension .

[dirtmcgirt76239]

..." . And who the hell would want a 1911 made in Isreal. "
and " I agree even with out ever handling a bul, you just know it can't be the same"

both these statements tell me all I need to know about the opinions of these posters... nothing like an opinion based on what someone knows, (w/o any experience)

I also was not comparing a Bul Armory 1911 to a custom-built 1911...this is why my post read an " out-of-the-box 1911"
(i.e. a production built 1911) for those with difficulty with reading comprehension .

you should quote people directly, then if you say they are wrong explain how they are wrong.

Theres nothing special going on in israel, and I am a big fan of IWI stuff, bul products and have considered buying a Cherokee a number of times. I am very pro Israel so its nothing against Israel.

Now here's the hard part. You dug your heels in, now you get to share what Bul is doing, and what they know that no one else knows. Have fun with that.

My response was to HK man not you. You are the one with the reading comprehension problems.

Now answer with in the context of his statement and mine. I was very specific in the words I choose.

That or admit you were wrong and you are the one that doesn't have even average level comprehension.

[HKmanlp1]

..." . And who the hell would want a 1911 made in Isreal. "
and " I agr ever handling a bul, you just know it can't be the same"

both these statements tell me all I need to know about the opinions of these posters... nothing like an opinion based on what someone knows, (w/o any experience)

I also was not comparing a Bul Armory 1911 to a custom-built 1911...this is why my post read an " out-of-the-box 1911"
(i.e. a production built 1911) for those with difficulty with reading comprehension .

I stand by my statement. I was smart enough not to get the Bul 1911. And I didn't need to shoot it. I merely picked it up. Sorry it's harder for you LOL. Bottom line is it's your money. You wanna buy quality it will always pay off. You wanna buy crap.........good luck. And not a fan of Israel at all. Will leave it at that.

[Aveguy311]

Maaaan, 1911 brand discussions sure bring out the feelz. Having owned many cheaper models, and now many higher end models later in life, my experiences in both arenas have been mostly positive. Of note, however, the worst two 1911s (both .45s in this instance and both purchased brand new by yours truly) I’ve owned over the years were a Springfield MC Operator (poor QC mostly) and a Wilson CQB (unreliable except for certain ammo brands, mostly light strikes) I got rid of them both and was really surprised that I had so many reliability issues with the Wilson. When I called Wilson about the issues it was going to be up to 6 months once I sent it in (2010-ish) before I could expect it back. Since I was also shooting a very reliable and and accurate Les Baer TRS at the time I didn’t think twice just to sell the thing. So it seems this “better because I spent more” logic doesn’t always hold water. That has been my experience, anyways.

It’s probably good to consider that the folks who actually put themselves in very real danger, with very little recourse except to fight (our GIs), fought with clapped out, rebuilt, and in God-only-knows what condition 1911s. This, of course, to great success in every US theater of war across the globe for ~75 years. I’ve handled many US milsurp 1911s in my years buying/selling at the LGS and the preponderance of the ones I’ve handled rattled like a pocket full of change.

IMO, YMMV, etc.

-Aveguy