In the last 30 years, I have tried on numerous occasions to get into 1911s. The first time was probably 20 years ago. I bought 3 1911s at the same time; A Springfield Loaded, a Colt 1991, and a Kimber Classic. My thinking was I would spend time with all three and keep the one I liked best. The fit and finish on these three pistols varied, none were great. The real problem, none of them fed reliably. I had failures to feed with all of them. My philosophy with any NEW product: if it doesn't work properly out of the box, it doesn't stay around long. I wound up trading them off or selling them.

The fact is, I want to like and shoot 1911s; they are an iconic part of America culture, they display classic (Colt) and modern (STI) good looks, and they have amazing triggers. There's just a lot to like about 1911s.

I bought a few more 1911s over the last 20 years. Either they didn't run reliably of I had some other issue with them. None of them stuck around very long. Before yesterday, the last 1911 I bought was a Ruger Nightwatchman Commander. Aesthetically I thought Ruger and Talo did a very nice job on that particular model. I also read a lot of good things about Ruger 1911s. The gun ran flawlessly. I must have put 600 rounds through it. There was just something about shooting it that I didn't love. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. So off it went, I sold it.

Wait, I finally had a reliable 1911, which is what I always thought kept me away from 1911s, and I sold it? What was wrong with me? As of yesterday, among other things, I figured out why. It turns out the real problem for me all along was the caliber. All the 1911s I owned and had shot in the past were chambered in .45 ACP.

Yesterday I bought and shot my first 9mm 1911! A Kimber Custom TLE II 9mm with a threaded barrel. The first thing I noticed, it was 100% reliable right out of the box. I didn't clean it or even wipe the factory grease off it. I put 200 rounds of mixed 9mm ammo through it; five different brands of ammo, 3 different bullet weights, FMJs, Flat-Points, and Hollowpoints. It gobbled up whatever I put in the magazine, both Suppressed and Unsuppressed.

Shooting a full-size, all steel 1911 chambered in 9mm felt just like shooting a 22lr pistol. Accurate follow-up shots were so quick and easy; just such a pleasure to shoot. I could only dream of shooting a 45acp 1911 like that. And the trigger! DA/SA and Striker-Fired 9mm pistols can only try to emulate the 1911 trigger, but never really come close. (Though the CZ P10 C does an admirable job of trying. But that's for a different thread.)

The absence of recoil, the super fast and accurate follow-up shots, and the no nonsense trigger all come together to make one hell of a nice gun. I'm now considering buying a Commander size 1911 with a lightweight frame and bobtail grip to carry. The problem for me with 1911s all along, it wasn't reliability, "It's the caliber stupid!"


Here is the first group I shot yesterday. 10 Rounds Unsuppressed at 10 yards Offhand:




Here is the second group I shot yesterday. 10 Rounds Suppressed at 10 yards Offhand:




Anticipating the arrival of my threaded 9mm Kimber, I picked up some grips and a cool thread protector. I took a couple of nice shots:





I think for the $759 I paid for this gun, it was well worth it. I'm looking forward to exploring the world of 9mm 1911s :)

One doesn't have to limit oneself to 230-grain Ball.

If you handload or have a friend who does you can shoot 155s, 180s and 185s, and 200s from powder-puff to full house.

I read all the time about unreliable 1911's.  I've had four Colts.  The worst I could say about them is the Series 70 would dent case mouths pretty bad on ejection (fixed that, finally).  I still have 3 of them (gave the Series 70 to my youngest son).

I've never tried it with my Series 80 stainless but my old Combat Commander will feed empty cases out of the magazine right into the chamber.

I got the 1911's because of the caliber.  As a kid I read stories of WW1 and WW2 and combat use of the 1911's.  Heroes, Medals of Honor, one guy taking on/taking out a group of enemy soldiers.  Alvin York.  Thomas Baker.  Many others that didn't get the MOH, but were outnumbered and "out gunned" but used their 1911 to either win the fight or at least put a big dent in the enemy force/objective so that their buddies survived.

Today I carry a CZ in either 9MM or .40 S&W.  Not because of the weight or the caliber or the recoil of the 1911 in .45 acp, but because I know with EDC my pistol is going to get nasty, sweaty, gouged, scratched, etc. and I decided I'd buy a plastic framed gun to abuse (they have no soul).  I went through the Glock/XDM/M&P guns before buying a P07 and after that it was just more CZ's.

Good luck with yours.  It's a nice feeling to have a good reliable handgun you trust.

I'm not a 1911 fan but that's a damn nice looking pistol

Thanks! I think a stainless grip safety would finish it off nice. I will probably get a couple of different colored grips and matching thread protectors to switch around.

I am a fan of the 1911 and .45 ACP. While it is possible to set up a 1911 badly and get it to malf, it is also easy to set it up to work indefinitely. My competition gun has Bomar sights, a Kart fully ramped barrel, and just enough clearance between the slide and frame to maintain function as it gets dirty during a long day of competition, while being very accurate. The ergonomics just work for me; it is the best I have, with the CZ-75 being a reasonably close second.

The caliber also works for me. A big, heavy bullet in a cartridge not developing high pressure makes it very effective and very long wearing.

I have owned 16(I think) 1911s, most in 45, Two in 40.  Only sold some to buy better ones.  Only one was a problem child, a colt, and it needed a new extractor to get running right.   Bubba had dremeled the hook beyond repair on it.

I do like the 9mm versions and agree with op they shoot well .

How so many have ended up with unreliable 1911s ?   I don’t know.
Even the rattletrap issue guns we had in service ran fine with semi decent accuracy.

Colt light weight commander. 35 flawless years

Very nice setup OP.  But have to disagree: It's not about the caliber.  Nothing wrong with the .45acp, 38 super, or 9mm and none are hard to shoot but you can get those in other platforms.  No.. the 1911 is about the trigger, the size and weight, and the ergo's.  Those that shoot 1911's find them to be more accurate and easier to fire accurately than any of those nasty cheap plastic pistols with squishy triggers and poor grip angles.  And with a 1911 you can get anything from tactical pragmatic through the best work of the best gunsmiths if you're so inclined.  Downside is the weight that makes them feel so solid also will test our gun belt and holster when using one as a daily carry.  It's my first choice at the range or in a tanker rig out hiking.

With so many great 9mm pistols (such as CZ), I see no reason to buy another 9mm 1911 beyond my Colt Competition.

The 1911 rules my world only in .45, and then it is perfect.

Itsd great to hear you finally found a hand gun that does it for you. My first gun purchase was a Kimber CustomII, I still regret trading it off.

A 1911 should only be in .45 IMHO.
I have one & I only have one because well it's a 1911 & everyone should have one.  I shoot it well, but it's not shot much. I do not like shooting 1911's.
Your gun looks nice though.

Fuzzy you say you don't like shooting 1911's.  You should try a 9mm 1911.  It will probably put a smile on your face.  David

I loved everything about my Colt Series 70 in 38 Super, except the price of ammo back then. It was $25 a box 30 years ago and nobody sold reloads for it in my area. (45ACP semi wadcutter reloads could be found for $4.50 a box).  I traded it toward a Gold Cup National Match but I do miss it. It was flat shooting, no recoil and accurate. Back then it was superior to 9mm but improvements in 9mm have negated most , if not all, of it's advantages. (heavier faster bullet).

I'm no expert, but 1911's were being used successfully way before a G19 was a twinkle in Gaston's eyes and has a longer service life.  In all kinds of environments.  With reputable reliability.   And of course in .45.

I also like them in 9mm but I'm pretty sure you have it backwards.  A reliable 9mm 1911 is more of a recent thing.  


I don't mean to be rude, but .  The 2 I had ran fine.   Like someone else mentioned, I regret getting rid of them.

OP HERE:

Absolutely no disrespect to .45 ACP. It is an amazing round that has stood the test of time. I personally shoot 9mm pistols better. I like being able to make accurate and quick follow-up shots with my handguns. A 40 ounce full-sized 1911 in 9mm with its minimal recoil is a real treat on that front.

Yes, that I agree with.  I got to shoot a full sized 1911 in 9mm one time a couple years back and the recoil was practically non existent.  It felt great.  Plus the guy was a Smith and had blended the front strap with the grips and it was just very nice.  It was however, a Taurus.    Not that that is a bad thing.  Yours is very nice.  

I've had some guns I've had bad luck with.  That's what you've had with a .45 1911.  I don't think that is a common experience.

Thread needs more .38 Super........

The 38 super is a lost cause , the .357 Sig is everything the 38 super ever hoped it could be .

That may be, but the 1911 was in .38 Auto at inception.
Changed to .45 for the army.
The super feeds thru that platform very well.
I still have one in my safe, it runs 100%.

While I have a 1911 in .45ACP my ole .38 Super race gun respectfully disagrees as does my 2011 Super race gun.

OP HERE:

I went to the range yesterday and ran some more rounds through the Kimber 9mm Threaded. It really is a super sweet shooter. It is so controllable because of the mild recoil, especially suppressed.

Yesterday I ran two kinds of ammo:
- 150 rounds of Federal Brass 115gr (the Walmart 100 round bulk pack for $18.97)
- 50 rounds of 124gr Federal American Eagle Suppressor Ammo

So 200 more rounds for a total of 400 rounds. I has run 100% through the 400 rounds. Not a single hiccup. After the first range session last week I broke the Kimber down and give it a good cleaning and lube. I took a careful look around inside the gun and was very impressed with the machine work. It was flawless.

Here are a couple of groups from yesterday. I had adjusted the rear sight after the first session as well, but I went a little to far. I will have to tweak it one more time to get it dead center.

9 round groups at 10 yards offhand.

Unsuppressed:
I was pleased to see I was able to put 7 of the 9 rounds in a 1" group. It was pretty effortless because of the mild recoil. I didn't need much time to get the sights right back on target between shots.




Suppressed:
The Kimber really shines here because the already mild recoil is further mitigated by the suppressor. The gun barely comes off target after firing a shot. The first 4 shots made one hole.




I'm very pleased with my purchase and glad it has been 100% reliable. Because if it wasn't I would have to say goodbye. I ran a few rounds of Federal 124gr HST the first session. Next session I will me running a bunch of different 9mm hollowpoints to see how it handles my defensive rounds in 124gr and 147gr. I don't expect any issues.

Keep us posted on how she runs.  It is super nice.

1911 ---------> in 10mm AUTO.

There you go. Problem solved.

I'm pretty sure a 10mm 1911 has more recoil than the 45acp version. So I'm pretty sure that would not have solved my problem. But much respect to 10mm! Glad to see the renewed interest in the caliber. But 10mm doesn't usually conjure up images mild recoil and quick and accurate follow-up shots :)

A .45 5" steel framed 1911 with the Colt dual recoil spring system, 25lb mainspring, and flat bottom firing stop is the flattest recoiling .45 I've ever shot with 185gr ammo. And quite pleasant with 230gr.

I imagine a railed framed gun with a Surefire X300U would be even better.

I bet a 9mm equivalent would be great too, as I understand the Colt dual recoil system comes for 9mm guns too.

I don't know, I shot a Colt Delta Elite one time a long time ago and I actually thought it DID have less recoil than 230 fmj .45.  But it was only a 1 time deal, so....  But I remember being really surprised.

I've always bought 1911 45ACP Commanders for carry use. I had one full size all steel 45ACP and gave it to my son in law when he retired form the Army after 21.5 years.The only thing I had to do was adjust the extractors so they would feed HP's reliably. About a year ago I bought an Ruger LW 9mm Commander and it's been fantastic so far. It has fired over 640 rounds of FMJ and 4 brands of HP's without ANY failures of any type. Six of my family have shot it and have not been able to get it to fail. All but two had never fired a 1911 and you would have figured that they could get it to jam. While I'm still a 45ACP guy the 9mm is lighter weight, which helps my bad back, and recoil is very mild. It's also very accurate.

The factory grease is for storage not use as a lubricant when firing.

It is chosen for its ability to cling, bond, and stay put.

It is mainly to prevent rust.

In the 80's I had several Colt 1911 pistols and always had to have them finished by a gunsmith - chamber throated, magazine wells beveled, night sights added. In the early 2000's I discovered the Kimbers and unlike all of my old Colts, they came ready to go out of the box and were all reliable. After that I discovered the Dan Wesson 1911 pistols in 10mm. Much, much better cartridge than 9mm, .40, or .45 ACP. The DW 1911 pistols do require some break in, which the Kimbers did not, but, the DW pistols have better fit and finish than Kimbers or Colts. I did break down and buy one higher end 1911 pistols just to have one really good 1911. It is a Night Hawk Custom 10mm and is the best 1911 pistol I have ever owned or handled and shot. Oh, and since I dumped all my .45 ACP pistols and ammo and switched to 10mm I haven't looked back to 9mm, .40, and .45 ACP, and don't intend to. I do have some 9mm pistols because they don't make these outstanding pistols in 10mm. They include several H&K P7M13 and M8 pistols, a Walther P1, and a CZ 75 (unfortunately it is not the much more superior pre B model).

More than likely that 10mm cartridge that you fired probably was not a full power 10mm like the cartridges that Underwood Ammo loads. Most likely the cartridge you fired was probably the underpowered 10mm ammunition that most average manufacturers like Sig, Federal, and Hornady load to lower specs. Most of these rounds are traveling at around 1,100-1,200 fps instead of the 1,300 - 1,500 fps Underwood loads travel (depending on bullet weight). And I do notice that my Underwood 140gr Xtreme Defense founds at 1,500 fps do significantly recoil more than the old .45 ACP 230 FMJ rounds did.

Saint John originally designed the 1911 in a .35/9mm caliber.

The Army insisted on 45 caliber and insisted he re-design his pistol.

Draw your own conclusions.

...and the gun is beautiful OP.

I really want one in 38 Super

A .38 Super is even better.

If the .38 Super feeds well, then I'd imagine the bottlenecked .357 SiG would be even better.

My .02 cents

I really enjoy my 357sig 1911.

For guys who like a 9mm/.355 bullet coming out of a 1911, you really ought to try one chambered for the 9x25 Dillon. You could do that by getting ahold of a 10mm 1911 of some make, and then buying a spare "drop in" 9x25 barrel.

The 9x25 Dillon, being a true 10mm case necked down to 9mm/.355 dia.,was the first cartridge to put some nads (with hair) on the Mini-meter. Ask Rob Leatham.  

It was, and still is, a true "9mm Magnum" autoloader and puts all the usual suspects (9mm+P, .38Super, & 357Sig) to shame.

OP HERE:
The last 45ACP 1911 I bought was a Ruger Talo NightWatchman Commander. It was very nicely fit and finished and was 100% reliable with whatever I put in it. I was very impressed with it. Just didn't like the 45ACP 1911, hence I'm now enjoying the 9mm versions.

OP HERE.

I got to run a bunch of different Hollowpoints through the threaded Kimber 9mm a few days ago. I ran Federal HST 124gr, Remington Golden Saber 147gr, Speer Gold Dot 147gr. They ran perfectly. Ran about 50 rounds total hollowpoints suppressed and unsuppressed. I also ran another 50 rounds of 115gr federal brass from wally world unsuppressed. So almost 500 rounds through it in the 10 days I have had it. Flawless regardless of ammo and whether suppressed or not.

I was amazed how mild the recoil continued to be even with full power defensive loads. Felt the same as anything else I put through it thus far.

Here is a mag with 4 rounds of 147gr Golden Saber and 6 rounds of 147gr Gold Dots.






Here is another Glamour Shot ;)

1911s work just fine as long as they are 10mm, .45super, or 460 Rowland.

Yep, ... never buy a 1911 chambered in a "Caitlyn caliber."

OP HERE:
I know you guys are just playing around. But it really depends on what you are using the pistol for. I have been shooting for a long time, and I shoot regularly. Out of 9mm, 45acp, 10mm, and above, I put up the quickest and most accurate fire with 9mm. The others really aren't that close. I am perfectly comfortable with modern 9mm bonded hollowpoints for defense. So when it comes to defense, I will take my 1911 in 9mm please.

If we are talking about a range toy, or hunting, sure the other calibers are great.

I have been shooting for 3 decades. For the last 6 years, I shoot at least once a week. Yes, my monthly ammo bill is insane. Try to focus on 9mm and 22lr to keep costs down.

It seems we totally agree.

OP HERE:

I took a long lunch today and played for an hour. I put 100 rounds of Wally World Federal 9mm through my Kimber 9mm Unsuppressed, and 30 rounds of Federal 147gr Suppressed. So I am now over 600 rounds in the 3 weeks I have had the 9mm 1911.

This was my last group of the day. My aim was a little low for the first shot, so I kept the same POA for subsequent shots. I REALLY over-thought the last shot! Took me like 35 seconds to pull the freaking trigger. Totally broke my stride.



I have to be honest, I'm really loving 9mm out of an all steel 1911. It's like shooting a 22lr target pistol. Fast and very accurate follow-up shots are so easy to make that I have decided to buy a 1911 for carry consideration. I have a new Colt 9mm Lightweight Commander inbound. If it shoots like the full-sized steel 9mm 1911, I will carry it. If it recoils just like all my polymer 9mms, I will sell it and buy all steel 9mm Commander, and give that a try. It is interesting, the weight difference between an Alloy-Framed Colt Commander and Steel-Framed Colt Commander is not very much. The alloy frame Commander is 29.4 ounces, while the steel frame Commander is 33.0 ounces. I was surprised the difference was so little. It is almost like why bother making the alloy-frame model. Anyone else ever wonder about this?

You'll have to let us know if you think the less weight makes a difference in carrying and shooting.  

I'm excited for you.   We'll need pics of that one too.  I think the trend of 9mm 1911's is cool.  They seem to work a lot better now a days.

Not being a 1911 guy, I didn't know there was a trend in 9mm 1911s. But it only makes sense given the terminal ballistic similarities among the major service calibers. Why carry a gun with a caliber that has stout recoil, when you can have the same gun in a softer recoiling caliber that has similar terminal ballistics? Not to mention an extra round or two as well. 9mm just makes a lot of sense. I also don't feel under-gunned with 10 or 11 rounds of Federal 9mm HST 124gr.

Yesterday I shot five or six full mags as fast as I could pull the trigger. Since the recoil is so mild, the sights barely come off target. Especially if you have a firm grip. All of the rapid fire groups I shot were all under 4" at 10 yards. I even had a rapid-fire group that was just over 2" yesterday. When I say rapid-fire I mean emptying that mag as fast as possible; like a few seconds. With my light plastic 9mm guns, if I unload on the target that fast, my groups are larger, unless I fire them a bit slower. They just move off target more from the recoil than the all steel full-sized 1911.

I have a feeling the 9mm Colt LightWeight Commander I have inbound is going to do the same thing as my lighter plastic 9mms. But we will see. My plastic 9mm's, like my Glock 19 and CZ P-10C are 22 ounces to 24 ounces unloaded. The LW Colt Commander is 29.4 ounces unloaded. So maybe there is enough weight there to keep it on target shot after shot. The Colt also has their newer Dual-Recoil Spring set-up which is supposed to soften recoil over the single spring system. We will see. I should have the answer by Wednesday or Thursday :)

If it behaves like my plastic 9mms, I will probably sell it and get an all steel commander 9mm. Though only 3.5 ounces heavier than it's alloy framed sibling, it might be enough to do what I'm looking for.

If either of the commanders shoot as mildly as the full sized 9mm, I will definitely consider carrying one.

When I tell you I often carry an FN Five-seveN it should make sense now. 5.7x28 produces 40% less recoil than 9mm. I can put up a ton of shots in a tiny group very quickly.

Here is a pic of the Colt I bought that is inbound. I really like that the trigger-guard is undercut so I can get my hand up higher on the frame and get the bore axis down closer to my hand.

That's a beautiful commander.

Agreed. I have always kinda wanted an Colt 1911. I have had a few, but as my original post pointed out, that didn't work out so well due to the 45acp thing and some spotty reliability issues. But now I have a reason. Let's just hope it's a good one!

Just not sure if I can deal with a manual safety on a carry gun. I have trained without one for a long time.

You would be surprised what you can accomplish with only a week or two of dry firing.  I was worried about it too.

I have far more 1911s than I ever thought I would, and the only one in 9mm is my Nighthawk'd SA ROO. If my boss let me, I'd turn in my G21 and carry it on duty in a heartbeat.

-Checker Front Strap 25 LPI

-Reliability Enhancement Package

-Trigger Job, Nighthawk Match Grade Complete Trigger Job, 3.5 - 4.0 lb. (Including all new fully machined parts) Hammer, Sear, Disconnector, Trigger, and Sear Spring **Set pull to 4.5lbs**

-Safety, Ambidextrous, Install, Fit and Tune

-Magwell, Install and Fit Blended One Piece
Magwell/Mainspring Housing (Falcon), cut from forging

-Shorten Slide Stop & Bevel Frame
**Blend in the rear of the slide to frame**

-Prep Job, Grade 3, Prep Frame & slide, Detail prep all small parts, all bevels, blend, smooth scallops & trigger

-Black Nitride Finish, Complete Gun
-Black Nitride Finish, Individual Parts
**Finish trigger, barrel, and barrel bushing in black**
**Complete Blackout**

-Sights, Install Nighthawk 2 Dot Rear Sight & Tritium
Front Sight

-Test Fire, Inspection, and Target

-Six (6) Magazines, 9mm Chip McCormick, XP Government,
10rd, with base pad

SpringHawk Port by J, on Flickr
2017-06-30_06-07-14 by J, on Flickr

Can we ask your opinion on WHY you would choose to carry that over a G21.  Other than it's freaking gorgeous.  I mean I have some ideas as to why but just curious what your thoughts are on the matter.