help w/ used AO 1911a1

[joshh]

i am considering buying a used AO 1911a1 from a guy who claims less than 1k rounds through it and in good condition. i emailed him for pics to determine wear best as possible before i make an offer. he is asking $375 or best offer. is that a reasonable price for one and what should i look for? i have fired and worked on (springs & cleaning) a 1911 before but have yet to buy myself one. thanks for the help

[Bawanna]

That doesn't seem to be too bad a price if it's any kind of decent at all. Everything on it is replaceable and parts are readily available. At most you might need a recoil spring but doubtful even that at 1000 rounds give or take.

It would be a great platform to start with and upgrade as you see fit or leave as is if it meets your needs.

The picture will be a help in the decision factor. Check Bud's for the price on a brand new one for comparison.

AO is under the Kahr umbrella and alive and well so if you do need help, parts etc, it's not far away.

[joshh]

thanks bawanna. i have always wanted a 1911 and what appeals to me about the AO is that it looks like a real military issue pistol, which is what i would really love to have but cant find one in my budget. should i expect the same quality as the kahr pistols or is the ao lower end 1911? i just heard back from the guy and he says he has someone coming to look at it but will call me if it doesnt work out so i may have already missed out. the cheapest i have found around here (MA) for a new one is $479 which isnt bad

[gb6491]

...The picture will be a help in the decision factor....
+1. If it's an old West Hurley gun, it might require some tweaking to operate correctly; post Kahr ownership guns would be preferable in my book.
Regards,
Greg

[CJB]

Ditto....the old AO stuff is ruff

[joshh]

thanks guys. maybe ill hold off and buy a new one. like i said, i am a 1911 newb. it blows my mind that they range from $400-$2000 depending on brand, features, etc. is AO good? they seem low priced compared to ruger, colt, s&w. is that because of features? i dont want a showpiece but something more like what was standard issue, ugly .45!

[Bawanna]

You can get a new AO, or a MRI 1911G, both would be good relatively inexpensive 1911's. Rock Islands have many good reports also.
There's just a ton of choices right now, many in the 700 or less range for very good quality 1911's that will run with the higher priced versions all day long.
Remington, the Ruger SR1911, Sig, S&W.
Just about everybody but Kel Tec makes a 1911 and I expect they'll come out with one very soon. It'll no doubt be a POS to fall in with the rest of the line.

I can't believe I said that, I know I'm going down for that one.

[joshh]

i looked at some sigs, s&w's and the ruger, but they all were to "modern" feeling. what i like about the 1911 is the history of it and just want it as a (hate to say it) toy... the AO appeals to me as it looks most like the wwII issue. i just dont want a p.o.s. if kahr guys say the AO's are good to go, i'll buy one.
agree on the keltecs but i guess they do have a following...

[Bawanna]

There are several mil spec 1911's. Colt, Springfield, AO, Remington, Rock Island, just tons of options I know I'm probably missing 10 more easy.

[jocko]

You can get a new AO, or a MRI 1911G, both would be good relatively inexpensive 1911's. Rock Islands have many good reports also.
There's just a ton of choices right now, many in the 700 or less range for very good quality 1911's that will run with the higher priced versions all day long.
Remington, the Ruger SR1911, Sig, S&W.
Just about everybody but Kel Tec makes a 1911 and I expect they'll come out with one very soon. It'll no doubt be a POS to fall in with the rest of the line.

I can't believe I said that, I know I'm going down for that one.

I can believe u said that, u jsut call um how u see um:blah: when I see LEO DEPTSW carrying the PF9 kel tek, then I will change my attitude to--maybe:blah:

[xtriggerman]

George Numrich wanted to sell the most inexpensive 1911A1 in the country made from the thousands of WWII mil surp parts he had on hand. The first guns came into being late summer 1981. They were built on Essex frames and slides with alot of Colt internals for the first 2 years of production. Thats when they ran out of Colt barrels that were stamped Colt 45ACP over the chamber. At the time Numrich was selling a cast 1911 barrel that was an atrosity. They had little ramp area below the chamber, the sprue was over the chamber and consequently the recoil lugs would be ground too far down to get rid of the sprue (casting pore in mark). Management refused to correct the casting die. Newly cast disconectors were barely in spec to engauge the sear and needed a extra tight bend in the sear spring to stay under the sears. Some sears were out of spec leading to poor safety fit cause the stamping machine at the sear vender was cracked. Luckily "most" of those 5000 sears were sent back to be "re-formed"? The triggers that had sharp edges with the over travel screws were Taiwanese that needed grinding to fit the tracks. The newly cast wide spur triggers were actualy pretty good. Slide stop pins were cast a bit under sized. The extractors were simplifyed castings made in Brewster NY. They were fair but not as good as the forged originals. In 83 the AO 1911A1 wholesaled for $279.00. Managment was hell bent on capturing & holding the bottom end of the "US made" market at that time. After 83, I assume nothing got better since George & Ira's marketing stratagy was not about to change any time soon. So, ya, if you can pick up an old West Hurley NY AO cheap enough to swing some new parts, it might be worth it. Essex (island pond VT) is as good a cast platform as any out there today.