The sub $300 1911, experience?

[Wambli Ska]

It's comparable to time pieces IMO.
Part of me has always wanted a Rolex. There's a jeweler in Birmingham that sells them.
If the itch was severe enough that I HAD to scratch it, I could drive straight there, hand them cash and have a Rolex on my wrist before I go to bed tomorrow. No bank or credit required

Why don't I? I keep looking at the $50 Timex solar, that's been on my wrist for over 10 years, and it still tells me time.
Is a Rolex going to tell me the time any better? NOPE
Is it going to look MUCH better doing it? HELL YES!!

So far, the practical/cheapskate side of me keeps reminding me that a watch's purpose is to let me know what time it is, and I'm an "every day wear" sort of person. With the stuff I do, even something as overbuilt as my preferred Submariner is going to be looking ROUGH in a few years

Totally understand it. I’m more of an “I want” is sufficient in most cases but I do get. I bought a Rolex Submariner when I was in my 20s and it’s still on my wrist today. In my business you get judged by everything from your hair to your shoes, including your suits, watches etc. Is it shallow? Oh hell yeah. But it’s the world I’ve lived in for decades sooooo… it all worked out. And there’s no reason not to enjoy a Rolex AND a Timex. So I can satisfy the practical in me and the “cheapskate” that tries to rear its ugly head once in a while. Except I prefer Casios

[GrapeApe]

Different circles = different requirements

edited to add:
My main requirement: Does it do the job I need it too do?
Same reason why I'm still driving an 18 year old Tacoma. It's still doing everything I need it too, and has never failed to get me where I wanted to go, AND BACK HOME.
When it no longer fills the bill, I'll go write the check for one that will

[CPJ 2.0]

The answer to your question is, no one has the experience you asked about in regards to the budget 1911s.

[Wambli Ska]

Apparently not here… but some folks at least have nice things to say about them. A friend in another board has over 1,000 rounds through his with zero issues. I’ll take that.

[Diver43]

I have had a budget 1911 clone since I was a E-4 in the Army. Yup many years ago it was all I could afford.
A Llama 1911B or something like that. It is a commander sized gun. Chambered in 9mm, it doesn't like hollow points much, but with fmj, I don't think it has ever failed to fire or had a hick-cup. My late father always loved a 1911 .45acp, but once he turned 80 it was a bit much for him. Last time he shot a gun it was that cheap Llama and it never failed. Several thousand rounds have gone through it, always goes bang with ball ammo.

[Japhy]

Grape I’m with you on every point you make

[Bigslug]

I respect your opinion but you've also made in incredibly clear that you believe that everything in the world can be fixed with a rattly WW II 1911 and a 30-06, and I get that, BUT you also sound a whole lot like Zorba with his anti-tech nonsense and not well veiled (Hey I made a funny ) statements that imply or actually state that anyone that is not completely happy with a 1980s flip phone is some sort of cult gullible zombie. I think you're smarter than that.

All I'm trying to illustrate is that there's a bit of the Jurassic Park mindset attached to the modern 1911 market: Because the 1911 CAN be turned into a highly sophisticated pseudo-sniper rifle that you can carry in a hip holster, there's been a lot of thinking that it NEEDS to be - not just to shoot straight, but to simply work - both of which I think you understand are BS. As I said in my opening post, it doesn't have to be a light saber.

The original gun that prompted the Army to say "We'll take it!" went 6,000 rounds malfunction-free without breaking anything - - while they were still trying to figure out the final blueprint. We've got a century plus more experience building them now. Are you perhaps taking more of a chance of getting a Monday-Morning / Friday-Afternoon build, or internals from the bottom of the "second choice" bin on one of the $300 specials? Maybe, but the base design IS overkill; it IS easy to work on; and they have warranties for a reason.

Honestly, I've sent more "Porches" back to their factories than I have "Corollas". And that's pretty easy to understand. One one hand you take the GI mechanical drawings, which made perfectly functional weapons of war at times of national duress AND YOU DON"T MESS WITH THEM. On the other hand you've got a bunch of NASCAR builders fiddling to either go faster than the other guy, or at least create the perception among the customer base that they can. There's some merit to striving for that upper right hand corner of the performance envelope, but it's also worth remembering that's where your postage sometimes gets cancelled.

So yeah. . .base models. No cup holders. No sat nav. No pinstripes. If you don't miss those things, they're good tools.

And yeah, Zorba. I miss him. He gets it.

[CPJ 2.0]

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[GrapeApe]

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[Wambli Ska]

Hey with WW III around the corner it’s time to dust off the two times World Champ!!!