Tell me about Daly quality...

[KY1911]

I have a little extra cash laying around and was thinking of buying a 'budget' 1911 ala Rock Island, Charles Daly, etc.

Please let me know your thoughts on Charles Daly 1911 quality, any issues/problems and how it stacks up against other 'budget' 1911s.

Many thanks.

[Rugerman]

I love my EFS. It is a nice shooting pistol. I have not had any issues with it. Very accruate.

[steel609]

Charles Daly 1911's are a very good handgun for the money. I have several and have never had a single problem with any of them. I have a Rock Island as well, and they too are good guns for the money. Charles Daly's are much nicer in fit and finish IMO.

For a budget 1911, I highly recommend them.

[dogngun]

Read some of the revues of the Daly pistols on this site and you will be amazed how good they are. I own 2 older Dalys now, and thay are first rate despite the lower price. They are both very reliable and more accurate than I am. I recommend them to anyone who does not mind spending a little less money for a high quality 1911 pistol.

mark

[iball]

I've got an old CD 1911 that I shoot regularly and bought used.
Never had any problems with it after a few thousand rounds through it.
The overall fit-n-finish are kind of "meh" but it runs like a Swiss watch and is pretty accurate. It's my "beater" pistol I use running around the farm.
They make pretty decent intro-to-1911 pistols and are priced pretty low.

[Mercenary357]

How are the frames made? Are they cast or forged?

I am also looking into these guns and was just curious. I have heard a lot of mixed reviews but overall they sound like good pistols. The good service is what keeps coming up which I think is a good plus. If its one thing I've learned, brand has very little to do with quality. I have a Stag AR that needed work right out of the box while my wife's Bersa ran like a champ. So it's nice to know that the company you buy from stands behind their product.

This will be my first 1911 as well. I want one so bad and everytime I see one in this price range, with other brands, it goes too quick. I literally have been calling around for other brands of 1911's for 5 months and can't get any info on when new ones will be getting in. Since this will be my CCW, I don't want to spend a fortune on it, I just need it to work.

[Convert]

Frames are cast. No matter, I've never seen or heard of a cast frame gun breaking - at least not one PROPERLY made. The process is just "different", I wouldn't call it better or worse. Casting that is properly done on modern equipment is extremely robust, and Armscor (makers of Daly and RIA, and most of the parts for the STI Spartan) use very good quality steel, modern casting equipment, and top grade CNC machining equipment.

The fit and finish are top notch for the price from what I've read, and while they will never be as accurate as a Wilson or Les Baer, the majority of shooters in the entry-level market won't be able to tell the difference. They are still PLENTY accurate for CCW.

Mine will be arriving next week...I'll be able to post more first-hand knowledge then.

[kmcgovern]

i had a crack develop on my (at that time) cast EMS slide. Sent it back, new forged slide and 2 new mags. Very happy with the service.

[Spyros]

Is it me or do CD guns have a slightly odd-shaped triggerguard? In particular the part of it that meets the dust cover at the front. I have not seen a CD up-close, so my only reference comes from the firm's website.

http://www.charlesdaly.com/images/1911_EFS_s.jpg

I'm guessing it may be an older generation of CDs that had this though, because I'm aware that others use the same frames as they do nowadays, and I haven't seen this detail elsewhere...

[kmcgovern]

i never noticed a difference. But that's the only 1911 I own.

[1992mustang]

i never noticed a difference. But that's the only 1911 I own.
I have never seen/held one in person, but they look good. They seem to have all the "features" that most people want. I don't care for the serrations on the front of the slide, but other than that it looks like a top shelf gun at a budget price.
What should you expect to pay for a CD government now?

[Convert]

I've heard other people mention that they think it looks odd, too...although I can't personally tell.

[Chewietherugger]

So how about a run down of rounds fired and FTEs and FTFs? I, too, am interested.

[Convert]

i had a crack develop on my (at that time) cast EMS slide. Sent it back, new forged slide and 2 new mags. Very happy with the service.

Sorry, I somehow missed your reply there about the cast slide. So the slides are forged now?

[LDJ]

I own a CS and FS RIA and just purchased a new to me CD from my local shop. Haven't shot it yet but heard nothing but good things. I will say the finish is a notch or two above the RIAs Parked finish. I also like the extended ambi grip safety and the sights are better than on my RIA GIs. I would consider the CD and the RIA tactical on the same level. I know they used to be made by the same company in the Phillipines so I don't think you can go wrong either way.

[kmcgovern]

Mine was replaced when CD was still getting parts from Armscor in the Phillipines. The slide on my cd was originally cast, the replacement was done after Armscor (and, at the time therefore, CD) had switched to a forged slide. I am not sure on the current pistols.