1911 What's the big deal?

[Mezzovex]

Was thinking the same thing..

+1

i dont have any trouble with my 4" Kimber eclipse. that gun handles so well. its completely made of stainless steel. not much kickback.

 

[teflon6string]

What's the big deal with a 1911? Hmmm...

What's the deal with a hardtail Harley, a metal SLR film camera, a big V8 in a classic car or a '59 Gibson Les Paul?

There are all kinds of newer gadgets that will outperform any of these classics in some way or another. Yet they endure because of their elegant basic designs, pleasing tactile functionality and the satisfaction of owning something iconic.

 

[decay]

If they made a single stack Glock in .45ACP that was 1/4" narrower It could give the 1911 a run for the money .

 

[orygun]

The difference is wether it is a full size government model 5" or if it is shorter - you need a tool on the commander and officer size pistols - a paper clip or such - it helps in the field stripping. Some people can stip a 1911 in the dark - I am not that good. There are other pistols easier to strip but a 1911 government model is not difficult.

James Ruby

My carry gun is a Commander sized Dan Wesson. The carry gun before that was an Officers sized Para. Neither of these guns requires any tools to field strip. While it may not be as simple to strip as some, I find it much easier than my polymer framed 380.

I've owned and carried 1911s since the early 90's. I grew up with a single action auto so maybe it's just a natural progression. I own, or have owned, all types of handguns and the single action auto is my preferred carry gun.
The 1911 is a fairly heavy gun, but a good holster and belt make the difference in daily carry.

I love the "feel" of a 1911. How it fits my hand. How the trigger works. The accuracy. The power of the 45 ACP. Very few guns feel as natural to me as one. The 1911 is a proven design and it just works. The only other gun I carry for protection is my 7 shot 357 double action revolver. Between the two, the 1911 is easier to conceal and is more comfortable because it's much narrower than the cylinder of the revolver.

My wife carries either a 38 snubbie or a small 380. But when we go shooting, she would rather shoot her SR1911 than either of them.

Like others, I'd suggest getting your mitts on one and shooting it. But, if you're shopping, try everything you can get your hands on.

 

[PuddleMonkey]

greatest... guns... ever...

 

[coop44]

They hide all the information you need in books. We are not put here to educate you or hold your hand while you decide.

If you are not capable of doing a little research, you deserve what you get.

 

[ripcity]

I have always liked the 1911 a lot, but imo there are better handguns. They are one of the nicest looking pistols. My 1911 was the first pistol I purchased and it will probably be the last one I would get rid of. Just something about it; I cannot get rid of it. That being said, I like my sigs and hk better. Heck I would even say I like my Beretta more. The 1911 mag capacity is a big draw back for me. Also, field stripping is pretty easy on the 1911,but the Beretta 92 is much easier. I can field strip that gun in the dark one handed in seconds.

 

[Diamondback]

1. 9mm or .40 my or may not expand, but you KNOW a .45 will never shrink.

2. For me it's all about how the 1911 grip angle (make mine a full -A1 with arched mainspring housing) fits my hand just right--Glocks have too much rake and point high for me, Berettas not enough and shoot low... but for MY hand and the geometry of my wrist the 1911 is just right.

3. It's also the history, that it's just like the one my dearly-missed grandfather trusted to defend his life during the course of a career spanning most of his adult life defending freedom, from WWII through Korea and into Nam.

Find a range with rentals, test one each flat and arched MSH--maybe it fits your hand, maybe not. Go with what fits YOU whether a 1911 or a Glock or a Something Else, just like skivvies guns are not One Size Fits All.

 

[Russ1590]

A quick google search on 1911 yielded this page on 1911. Here are some quick highlights.

March 18th - First time "International Women's Day" was celebrated.
May 21st - Mexican Revolution sees a peace treaty signed only to shoot at people 3 days later.
June 22nd - George V was crowned King of the UK.
September 29th - Italy declared war on Ottoman Empire.
December 29th - Sun Yat-sen is elected president of the Republic of China.

Lots more interested stuff on 1911 here.
1911 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Russ1590]

All kidding aside....

For me, the Kimber 1911 represents quality. From the moment you put it in your hand you simply feel like it becomes part of your hand. Add to these feelings the nostalgic history for the gun and you have this sense of pride. I love the Kimber more than any other handgun I've shot, but it does have its limitations. You can carry far more rounds with the 9MM XDM or Glocks than you can with this 45ACP 1911.

 

[Pandaz3]

Rock River and STI both make Polymer 1911's, STI for years, Rock River recently. I was unhappy with 1911's in the Army as they were (At training centers) sloppily maintained and I was just poorly handling the gun too I now suspect (But you don't know what you don't know when you don't know it)

Now I would love to own a good rendition of a 1911. A Colt Gold Cup always makes me drool, almost too pretty to carry, but I would if I owned one.

 

[PX4WA]

accuracy can be very good in a high quality 1911.. more than a shooter's capabilities...

the trigger can be made to support the accuracy (depends on the amount of work done)

the grip angle is a preference... but once you get used to it, muscle memory takes over and shooting a glock will be awkward and vice versa...

 

[mortar maggot]

Shot a good one!

In the 70's my uncle had a Colt it pretty much was a jammomatic, and shot a high and a low group alternating rounds.

Then I carried one in the Army, more than about a foot away you could not hit anything.

Then in a shooting class I shot a nice one, it was great. I then bought a good one it is a shooter.

 

[mrblond]

I was asking myself this same question 6 months ago so I decided to pony up and bought my SA loaded. I took it to the range and It was like the light of the angels coming down. It simply felt right to me, much better then either of my HKs. so much better I sold them both and bought my Dan Wesson Valor.

 

[glockman99]

Eventho' I have owned ALOT of 1911 pistols (AT-LEAST 20), I'll take my (customized, by me) Smith & Wesson 4506 over ANY of 'em....It is big & heavy (all stainless), it is double action/single action, and its' single-stack magazine holds 9 rounds of .45 auto...And it is smooth & accurate & will feed ANYTHING. (Currently it's living on a diet of 230 grain Speer Gold Dot HPs.).

 

[packman]

find a high quality 1911 and shoot it and see what it is like then shoot other mdls . find a range that rents different models and shoot them and see if you find what fits you

Not trolling at all...

I am in the market for a full-size handgun. I see lots of people that have them and I never have. I want to know what and why the 1911 is the choice of so many. I really feel the Glock is bought by so many because of it's name.

And I just want to know why people LOVE the 1911 so much besides nostalgia.

 

[Boats]

I personally would not say the 1911 is the all-time greatest semi-auto or anything. I love mine but it is an over-rated gun. Something can be very good and still be over-rated if its fans take it to legendary proportions.

The 1911 was amazing in 1911. Much less so in 2013. There are a number of designs that as of 2013 are better. That doesn't mean the 1911 is a bad design by any means - in fact, it's very good. I love the single action trigger and double safety system. I find the accuracy of full-sized models to be suburb.

BTW, which 1911 are we discussing? Because a 2013 1911 is a lot better than a 1911 1911 Even better than a 1945 1911. Make mine beavertail and skip the slide bite, thanks.

I'll let Roscoe P. Benson speak for me about the 1911 being outdated:

"Of course the 1911 is an outdated design. It came from an era when weapons were designed to win fights, not to avoid product liability lawsuits. It came from an era where it was the norm to learn how your weapon operated and to practice that operation until it became second nature, not to design the piece to the lowest common denominator. It came from an era in which our country tried to supply its fighting men with the best tools possible, unlike today, when our fighting men and women are issued hardware that was adopted because of international deal-making or the fact that the factory is in some well-connected congressman’s district. Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the 1911 IS an outdated design….and that’s exactly what I love about it."

 

[orygun]

I'll let Roscoe P. Benson speak for me about the 1911 being outdated:

"Of course the 1911 is an outdated design. It came from an era when weapons were designed to win fights, not to avoid product liability lawsuits. It came from an era where it was the norm to learn how your weapon operated and to practice that operation until it became second nature, not to design the piece to the lowest common denominator. It came from an era in which our country tried to supply its fighting men with the best tools possible, unlike today, when our fighting men and women are issued hardware that was adopted because of international deal-making or the fact that the factory is in some well-connected congressman's district. Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the 1911 IS an outdated design....and that's exactly what I love about it."

Love this^^^^

Jeff Cooper said the 1911 is not the best defensive handgun, it is the best fighting handgun. I figger if I'm being defensive with my handgun, I'm fighting.

 

[bmgm37]

I have one and love it but have others I like more........obviously THIS guy really like em.

 

[mud]

they were the inspration for most modern semi auto hand guns.They would be on my list of 10 guns that changed the world.that being said it has substance it feels like a steel block in your hand compare it to a 60s camaro or mustang or charger is a supra lighter faster newer yea but its not nearly as cool