My 2 favorite 1911s are a Les Baer Premier II with a 1/2" at 50 yard guarrantee built by Les himself before passing and a Kimber Raptor II, neither of which I have ever had to sink a penny into.
My best recent purchase was a gunshop walk-in Colt 1911 made in 1918 someone had really hammered on. It was finished in BBQ grill paint. Even Thor passed on trying to restore it because of pitting in the slide grooves and elsewhere and the removal by some genius of all the US property marks. Nevertheless, I got it for $250, sold the original grips for $80, plus a pair of bakelite GI grips and sent it off to a friend for Parkerizing free of charge. With a small investment in some parts I now have a reasonably decent looking Colt 1911 I have $210 into.
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