In the April 2024 issue, our Houston Gun Tests team compared the Savage 1911 and a Ruger SR1911, with the Ruger earning a half-grade win over the more costly Savage. Because the Savage was a new release, and new releases often need some time before the bugs get worked out, we had our South Carolina test group working independently with a second Savage 1911. During test firing, the Savage in Houston had solid results as far as combat shooting and accuracy were concerned, and we saw no reliability problems. The second pistol’s reliability, however, was questionable. One tester in South Carolina, a frequent shooter with a great deal of practical shooting and gunsmith experience, felt that the Savage could have been a stellar pistol with a little more prep. While we recommend readers send problem-prone pistols back to the factory, we kept working with the second Savage to identify issues readers might encounter with their pistols.
