want the beavertail grip safety....i want nice, easy to use sights....good trigger....and blued w/ wood grips. i'd like to be able to get it for under $1000 also.

The Paras really aren't blued, neither is the Remington. The Parakote finish is on the Paras is crap, get the Remington R1 Enhanced Model, if you want true "blued" go with the Colt XSE 01980XSE, the 2011 models will have a "100 years of service" roll mark and will be featuring an upswept beavertail. Don't get the Auto Ordnance.

in the pictures, i've noticed the difference in finish. i knew the para wasn't exactly a blued finish....kinda like my remington 870 finish i guess...the matte, or whatever name they want to use in place of rust magnet. i didn't realize the r1 wasn't a real "blued" finish though. and judging by the description on the reminton site...."assembled in USA", that's probably like the springfields....parts imported from wherever, but assembled here.
i certainly like the looks of the xse, i see 1 on gunbroker that has "100 years of service" inscribed on the slide, is that a custom job, or is that factory, because i don't see that on their website? and when i said "under $1000", you didn't leave much room did you...oh well, comes with the territory i guess. i'll have to find a few other gun shops though, the one that i have local had a total of 3 1911's in stock. 2 colts, one a full size, but stainless and the other a 3.5"(i think so anyways)...the 3rd was a brand i hadn't heard of before and the price indicated it came from an asian country.
anyway, any particular preference towards the colt, or just something personal? i'm not a 1911 guy, but i knew i NEEDED to get one and this just happens to be the perfect year for it, so any input would be appreciated.

IMO, the Range Officer by Springfield is the best gun currently under $1,000...in fact they are about $750. However, they are parkerized instead of blued.

Originally Posted by spinout

...Any particular preference towards the colt, or just something personal? i'm not a 1911 guy, but i knew i NEEDED to get one and this just happens to be the perfect year for it, so any input would be appreciated.

Well, it meets all your specs. Part centennial with the roll mark (the info is on the Colt Website in their catalog, pg 19) blued, wood grips, upswept beaver tail etc. Do I have a personal like for Colts? A little I currently don't have any but have had two in the past and they were well made firearms and ran well. They will also keep their value better than any similarly priced 1911, have a limited lifetime warranty etc.

Originally Posted by GReb

IMO, the Range Officer by Springfield is the best gun currently under $1,000...in fact they are about $750. However, they are parkerized instead of blued.

I don't know if I'd go that far, it's up there that's for sure, but not everyone is crazy about the adjustable sights, if they had a fixed sight model to accompany it, I'd probably agree with you. Until then I still have to go with the Stainless loaded or Colt XSE line for "best" under $1k. It used to be Dan Wesson but their prices went up in 2010.

Originally Posted by VAMarine

I don't know if I'd go that far, it's up there that's for sure, but not everyone is crazy about the adjustable sights, if they had a fixed sight model to accompany it, I'd probably agree with you. Until then I still have to go with the Stainless loaded or Colt XSE line for "best" under $1k. It used to be Dan Wesson but their prices went up in 2010.

All are quality handguns and depends on what you are looking for. The RO receives the same attention as the TRP with respect to the internals. Also the RO has a match barrel and bushing, while a standard Loaded does not. I'd say the Loaded has a nicer finish though. The XSE is very nice as well.

Personally, if I were willing to spend $1,000 on a 1911, I'd save up for a few more months and spend $1,300 on a TRP, DW, or even a Colt Gold Cup. You can also find really nice LBs in that price range sometimes.

since my gunshop doesn't have anything for me to actually look at, i guess i'll have to base all my decisions on pictures and descriptions for now. so far i like what i'm reading about the colt. but i do have a question on their blued finish though....how good/nice is it?
as far as the remington goes, it says satin black oxide for the finish. does anyone know what that's like in person? anyone know of anything else w/ that finish that a typical gunshop would have in stock?

vamarine, after reading your write-up on the different brands i gave sti a look....they had/have 2 models that looked like what i'm wanting....the spartan (which they say isn't theirs) and the trojan. how could a person not like the price of the spartan? but, just like comments on another brand, it's that price for a reason. and the trojan....other than the fact that it says "trojan" on the side, looks pretty good. and just like the colt, i could do w/out the front serrations.....dang, i'm picky.

or maybe i'll just say to hell w/ it....buy a basic gi version....spend another $300-$400 on a g'smith for upgrades and call it my custom 1911. just like the rest of us, i guess i need to win powerball and i won't have to make these decisions. this is like walking into a liquor store and being told to pick out the 1 beer that i'll drink for the next couple years.
okay, forget that last comment....i just thought about that for a moment and kinda paniced a little, the gun decision is easier.

Colt Blueing- IMHO it is the standard by which all others are judged. Or at least it used to be.
Remington R-1- I think it looks good, YMMV. Looks like a good value.

Front sight serations- with target sights I prefer them. I don't like trying to grab the rear of the slide around the rear adjustable sight. Aesthetically I don't really care for them, but they have their place.
The Springfield lineup has something for everyone. Download their online catalog, there is a 1911 for any occasion/budget.

I've had my Remington R1 for awhile and really like it. No problems, and built really tight. Good bang for your buck IMHO.
Eli

overkill, thanks for the input on the colt blueing. and i completely agree on the form vs function of the front serrations. esp when you palm the top, rack fast and swear you just ripped a chunk of skin off.

eliwolf, is your r1 the standard or enhanced? the enhanced is what i'm wanting to see, so if it is, please post a pic for us. i'm glad to hear that whichever version you own is a good one though....looks as if i can't go wrong with any of my options right now.

Originally Posted by spinout

overkill, thanks for the input on the colt blueing. and i completely agree on the form vs function of the front serrations. esp when you palm the top, rack fast and swear you just ripped a chunk of skin off.

eliwolf, is your r1 the standard or enhanced? the enhanced is what i'm wanting to see, so if it is, please post a pic for us. i'm glad to hear that whichever version you own is a good one though....looks as if i can't go wrong with any of my options right now.

Just the standard plain vanilla.
Eli

Here's a link. The enhanced is too fancy for this guy. I like the simple lines of the plain jane.
Eli
Remington 1911 R1 Enhanced | The Firearm Blog