To expect a lot from a $500 1911 feels like wanting to enter the Daytona 500 with a Ford Pinto and yet Iver Johnson has managed to put together a package that is very affordable, true to the 1911A1 design and heritage, accurate enough, and seemingly very reliable. While this gun was on loan from Iver Johnson for this article, the best thing I can say about the gun is that I now want one for my collection. As someone that has always wanted a good 1911 but could never justify dropping close to a grand for handgun, the Iver Johnson Hawk 1911A1 gives me an affordable starting point that I can build on with better sights and magazines to really make this an amazing deal.