In praise of the obsolete M1911

[nammac]

Well, as we've seen the 1911 lives on very strongly. Yes it's heavy and there's higher capacity polymer pistols out there. But the 1911 has another facet to it, it's 32+ ounces of steel that can be used to bludgeon an assailant, if necessary. And no worry about anything breaking

Every collection has a place for at least one 1911...

 

[Plunger45]

One of the amazing things about the 1911 is that it has seen chambering in 22lr. to 10mm and a plethora of calibers in between. It's been chambered in rimmed cartridges like 38spl and 357 magnum. The platform is quite amazing and many firearms lend themselves to the 115 year old design. Certainly it was a firearm designed when our military's cavalry was still a top horseback, hence the grip safety, however people are still employing revolvers for their purposes and it can be argued that technology predates the 1911.

Even if one is so inclined to dismiss the 1911 as old design not relevant in today's world of polymer firearms I think one would have to appreciate the impact the 1911 has had on not just our firearm community but on our culture as well.

 

[po18guy]

"In the beginning"...there was one manufacturer of the model of 1911. Then, during wartime, several. Even the Nazis made some in occupied Norway. Now, let's >> to 2020. Is it even possible to count the number of past and prersent 1911 manufacturers? The variations of 1911s? And what about the 80% builders?

The common hammer, according to archaelogical findings, dates to over 3 million years ago. Hammers are still made of 2 pieces.

Both it and the 1911 do everything today that they ever did. In the 1911's case, it will do more today (due to advancements in ammunition) than it did in 1911.

 

[FourTeeFive]

Nothing wrong with a 1911. Simple and can be made to operate very reliably (I say that because some overtuned guns tend to give up daily reliability). The lack of double-action reduces the parts count, and the trigger in a good 1911 is a thing of beauty. I've got some high-end tuned CZs and Sigs, but the 1911 still is a joy to shoot.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I notice a lot of the post Nam generation just don't get the 1911 or even understand it, and WHY it's so damn good at what it does despite being as old as it is! When the Army was looking for a new fighting pistol, there was NOTHING outside the revolvers at the time, and the resulting semi auto and it's caliber .45 was a YUGE game changer for America, and we never looked back!

What most folks don't understand about the 1911, is, the Army ( and the rest of the Mil) thought it good enough for so dang long, that nobody ever had reason to seek change, and it was only when Beretta came out with it's Walther derivative M-9 did the U.S. Mil take notice, and the results, mainly it's caliber were inferior, not the pistol! Imagine if we had gotten the M-9 in caliber .45 Automatic Pistol, Colt, THAT would have closed the book on the 1911 forever as a combat service pistol! Having sat through countless combat de-brief's and after action reports, the ONE factor that always stood out was Caliber! With 9 mm, one tended to spend more rounds per tango, where with caliber .45, not only were fewer rounds spent, but the results were much better!

YOU never go to battle with your enemy with only Handguns, you fight with a Rifle, and the hand gun is only a back up or for the up close and personal defense before things shift to bayonets and K-Bars, and finally hands! Folks put far too much into their handgun thinking then it needs, and they complain about low capacity and heavy weight, totally obvious to the purpose of said fighting hand gun, and there in lies the misunderstanding with the 1911! It is first and foremost, a Fighting Pistol for the serious business of war, as a personal self defense carry tool, if you choose to carry one, you understand it, if not, then there are other options, but it is, and always has been a fighting tool with no equal in the world of serious fighting tools! As a civilian, YES, there are better options, especially for concealed carry, but there will always bee trade offs. OR, you accept the 1911 for what it is, not what it isn't, and you adapt to it, live it, learn it, know it, and love it! Remember, before the mid 80's the options of semi autos wasn't that great, and a lot of professionals carried revolvers or 1911's! When Concealed Carry really started to take off, THIS is when things started to change and we slowly started to see more options for smaller pistols!

I choose to carry a 1911 because I completely understand them, am highly trained in using them, and have a life time of experience with them, and that instills a level of trust in that tool that no other could ever equal for me! I have risked my life and put my trust in the 1911 many times, and it has never failed me, and I know as long as my skills remain sharp, my beloved 1911 will be right there on the hip should I ever need it again, and it will function flawlessly each and every round I ask of it!

 

[po18guy]

You bring up a salient point in that we fight with a long gun. Given the recent domestic terrorism, I would hope not, but we may need revert to carrying a long gun in the manner of Lucas McCain (the Rifleman).

 

[RVTECH]

I wouldn't call myself an 'expert' on the 1911 - but over the years of owning several I can say I have become a pretty good 'novice' with them and have made improvements on mine as well as helped a few friends out with them.

My first 1911 was an early Combat Commander that came to me as part of a car trade deal and I wish I still had it but I traded it for a 70's era GCNM which was a jamming, FTE POS but it was my first experience with 'smithing' a 1911 and I eventually got it running pretty well. Like a dummy I sold it to a friend who was nearly begging me for it.

I currently only own one, a 1991 A1 from 2003 and is ultimately the most accurate and best performing 1911 of all I have owned and while it is the early, plain Jane parkerized version I can carry it without a lot of concern or 'guilt' I might have with a shiny, highly blued model.

I have accomplished a couple of minor mods on it and with good reloads it is capable of nearly 1.5", 25 yard groups benchrested !

For me it is all about the history and importance the 1911 has been in the overall evolution of American firearms.

 

[Medic!]

Merica!

 

[gatmandoo]

1911s are my favorite semi auto handgun. Always have been. They fit my hand like they were made for me. I own a few of them, but this Colt Custom Shop Special Combat Government is my favorite and most accurate. It really is a fantastic pistol.

 

[dogface2000]

I'm not a fan boy. Matter if fact, I've never owned one (although I want to) the one facts remains.
It's still one of the most popular pistols 100 years after it came out.
and I would be willing to bet, in another 100 years it will still be selling.

it's not a design that lasted a lifetime, it's a design that will outlive mankind.

I highly recommend you take the leap. Whenever I go shoot there is always the question of what to bring. That .45 isn't even included in the decision, it's already in the truck. I really love like my 10.5 inch AR, but my 1911(s) are by far my favorite.
Also, check out the Wilson Combat ten round magazines. They help to up the game. Cheers brother.

 

[cookie]

Obsolete? Nope one of the finest shooting pistols ever made.

 

[No_Regerts]

Not only do I like 1911s, I find myself drifting back toward guns without as many of the "extras".

 

[oldcorpgunny]

There is such a plethora of new handguns and calibers on the market that it becomes difficult to stick with something that has a proven track record. In some ways, it's like a guy that has been married for a really long time to a wonderful woman. He might be taking her for granted, forgetting about all that she does for him. He developes a wandering eye and the next thing you know he's got some young exotic babe on his arm and has left the good and faithful wife behind.
Perhaps it's just boredom because we don't use them like we did when we were defending the nation in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, etc. As a nineteen year old radio operator it was all I initially had to protect me from folks that actually wanted to kill me. I felt very secure knowing that I could put a couple of "punkin' balls" into a charging VC and not only kill him, but drive him backwards about five feet while all of his guts fell out onto the ground.

 

[OldTengu]

While not a Colt, my ATI 1911 has had fewer malfunctions (zero, unless you count not being able to feed hollow points until I polished the feed ramp upon @nammac suggestion) than any other pistols I own. Glocks, sigs, shields have all had issues. Not my 1911.

 

[saxon]

obsolete? hmmmmmmmmmmm a 1903 in 30 ot 6 is "obsolete" and the M16 platform is " the current modern norm"
but what gun would you want if you had to shoot out to 1000 yards? or what gun would you want if you had 10 + BG's in CQB?

a spade is a spade and not necessarily an sod shovel......

 

[GWS]

I got my first 1911 in '83 A Colt series 70
Still have it.
Plus a dozen other 1911's in various calibers (22TCM is a hoot!)
I think its a great, all time classic design.

 

[Quirt Evans]

Far from being obsolete, in recent times the 1911 has had a greater resurgence in popularity than ever before.
Kind of like ARs, they have become the "Lego" of handguns, with scores of builders and an endless array of aftermarket goodies.
When I got my first one you only had three choices; you could buy a Colt Government, or a Colt Commander, or a Colt Gold Cup, and their wasn't any aftermarket except for a few choices of grips.
My how things have changed.
Over the years, as more people started using them as "fun guns", or "range" guns the companies started "tightening them up", and while this does help with shooting small groups it is not the best thing for a "fighting gun".
If you want to impress people at the range a tightly fitted 1911 gets attention and rave reviews,, and will probably outshoot your abilities.
But, if you have to crawl thru the sand in the Middle East you want something a bit on the "loose" side.
And, lots of oil no matter what.

 

[CLT65]

While not a Colt, my ATI 1911 has had fewer malfunctions (zero, unless you count not being able to feed hollow points until I polished the feed ramp upon @nammac suggestion) than any other pistols I own. Glocks, sigs, shields have all had issues. Not my 1911.

I have an ATI "Military" 1911 that I like a lot too. It's nothing fancy, just a sub-$300 Philippine made pistol. For a cheap gun it's a great shooter. It had to go back for a new barrel when brand new (looked like it had been chambered with a broken reamer), but since then it's been flawless. It shoots better than the old Colt Govt. Model that I inherited from my grandfather.

In some ways this reminds me of another iconic step in handgun evolution- the 1873 Colt Peacemaker. While it really IS obsolete as a combat arm, it's still as good as it ever was, and I don't feel bad with my modern Italian Peacemaker clone on my hip either.

 

[coop44]

Lots of good points here, here are a couple more,
Brownings patents and designs are present in nearly every semi auto available today.
the 45 and the 1911 were truly made for each other.
JMB was a genius

 

[jbett98]