As attractive as the lines are on a 1911 it irks me when companies mar the aesthetics with their signature stylings. Below are some of the things that just grate on my nerves.

Grip chop: Ed Brown's baby (seen on a night hawk & a few others). While it serves a (marginal) utility purpose, it looks awful to me.


Tacky logos/advertisements. The larger and less "official" the uglier in my opinion. Some examples:

Para Ordnance: pre 2004 was OK, then they started stamping stupid shit on the sides like "Para Carry". Even better, they came up with the PXT (external extractor) and the jagged font was printed on it to make it all "proactive and exciting". To me it just looks like a fucking cheesy Mountain Dew/Doritos "Extreme Flavor!!" wrapper.

Kimber: Not ungodly by any means but stamping a big cursive signature is the gay.

Nighthawk: I hear some excellent things about these pistols but the slide stampings in conjunction with their ridiculous "medallion" grips is just throwing the advertisement in your face. A Ferrari is a thing of beauty whose lines and workmanship speak for itself. There is no need to paint a 2' emblem on the hood.

Auto Ordnance: Silly bullet logo. Just looks cheap.

I think Colt is pushing the limit (esp with the little pony printed behind the thumb safety) but they are within the parameters of good taste. Springfield Armory, Wilson Combat, and the USGIs are all handsome representations in my opinion.

As you can see, I like the subtle traditional style which seems to complement the weapon, and feel the 1911 really needs no gaudy makeover. FWIW one "modern adulteration" I find tasteful/attractive is bushing work (beveling/melting or the bushingless system) I am sure that not everbody shares my tastes, however. So, IN TERMS OF AESTHETICS, What things have manufacturers done to 1911s that turn your stomach?

I admit it, I am very picky about 1911 aesthetics.  Some of my pet peeves:

Huge "billboard" rollmarks on the STI guns
"KOBRA" rollmark and snakeskin on the Brown guns (double yuck)
"Kimber" flowery script rollmark
Widely spaced cocking serrations ala Wilson and Kimber
Huge laser engraved slide on the S&W 1911s (at least that's easily sanded off)
Big-ass magazine bumper floorplate that's about 3" thick

I'm not overly fond of some of the Colt rollmarks either, especially the Series 70 and "1991A1" billboard marks.

Para just makes ugly guns all the way around.  There is nothing redeeming at all about their appearance.

Lama

I agree with your posts.

It's my impression that many of these "designs" are done by the owners or their kids with photoshop or something similiar.

The STI Trojan is about the worst I've seen with the name, horses head and a Texas state symbol!
What if your not from Texas...no offense to those who are from Texas and like it on their gun. heir
I suspect Colt sells a fair amount of their guns for people that simply like the understated looks of a traditional 1911.

I could not agree more!!!  I'm sorry to you butt ugly 1911 owners but, the only "Pretty" 1911 is this
www.springfield-armory.com/prod-pstl-1911-GI.shtml

So if you own anything else, please keep it from public view

Things that bug me:

ANY manufacturer: Putting wraparound Hogue grips on it. Just wrecks it for me somehow.

Kimber: that awful dot-matrix printing they use/used (I haven't held a new one) for "Yonkers, NY" type. Yee gads did that ever look like poo. Drop a grand on a beautiful Gold Match and it looks like some guy used a center punch on it.

Quoted: Things that bug me: ANY manufacturer: Putting wraparound Hogue grips on it. Just wrecks it for me somehow. Kimber: that awful dot-matrix printing they use/used (I haven't held a new one) for "Yonkers, NY" type. Yee gads did that ever look like poo. Drop a grand on a beautiful Gold Match and it looks like some guy used a center punch on it .

Essentially that is exactly what is done.  The machine that does that is known as a Dot Peen Printer ( there's actually a couple of names for the thing but I can't recall them right off the bat ) but the machine is essentailly an electric stylus that is computer guided.....

it's ugly as all hell....BUT FAST AND CHEAP...and when you have a corporate douche bag running the company, the last thing on his mind, generally,  is any sense of pride.  It's all about the cheap.

i hate Ruger for putting their safety 'weasel words'  a l l -   t h e  -  w a y -   d o w n  -  t  h e  -  b a r r e l   - on all of their guns

Colt 1911 scrolls are tastefully done - especially the series 70's
Kimber cursive is kinda cheesy
Springfield is acceptable
Para is getting a little too over the top - wild names big goofy letters
S&W Tactical has way too large letters
Auto Ord. no comment
Llama
who else?

Caspian has a pretty hideous billboard unless you delete it when you order.  I got mine with just the laurel wreath "C"behind the cocking serrations.

Speaking of cocking serrations, why has everybody gone to the big wide ones?  The original Colt looks nice, but my favorite is the older Springfield style which is the same pattern as Cold but with a slight angle to them.  I find them better looking and functional.

blasphemy

theres no such thing as a ugly 1911

Quoted: As attractive as the lines are on a 1911 it irks me when companies mar the aesthetics with their signature stylings. Below are some of the things that just grate on my nerves. Grip chop: Ed Brown's baby (seen on a night hawk & a few others). While it serves a (marginal) utility purpose, it looks awful to me.

I'm not sure what you mean by 'grip chop', but I'm thinking that you're thinking of the 'bobtail', as seen here www.czusa.com/product_detail.php?id=66.  And I agree...it may be functional (although I don't think it would make the grip more comfortable for me, we're all different), it's ugly.

I also think that the arched mainspring housing is kind of unattractive...I far prefer the look of the straight MSH (apparenty most people do, otherwise why would the straig MSH be so unbiquitious?).  That being said, an arched MSH feels pretty nice in my hand.

Quoted: I'm not sure what you mean by 'grip chop', but I'm thinking that you're thinking of the 'bobtail', as seen here www.czusa.com/product_detail.php?id=66.  And I agree...it may be functional (although I don't think it would make the grip more comfortable for me, we're all different), it's ugly.

You are correct... on both counts.

They may advertise it as bobtail, (which assumes some sort of appendage) but that's a bullshit advertisment whitewash. "Grip chop" is my PROPER term, because they artlessly hack off the grip at an angle and smooth.

Quoted: They may advertise it as bobtail, (which assumes some sort of appendage) but that's a bullshit advertisment whitewash. "Grip chop" is my PROPER term, because they artlessly hack off the grip at an angle and smooth.

Yeah, but it feels a lot better than it looks.  I still can't stand looking at them, though.

I find the combination of the angular, distinctly Sig-like dustcover and the traditional round trigger guard on the Sig Arms GSR quite hideous.

Quoted: Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. Each and every one a treasure. photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=44305

A big +1

If we all liked the same things in life it would be kinda boring.  We might all have square black plastic guns that all looked the same.

Quoted: I think Colt is pushing the limit (esp with the little pony printed behind the thumb safety) but they are within the parameters of good taste. Springfield Armory, Wilson Combat, and the USGIs are all handsome representations in my opinion.

Quoted: Quoted: I think Colt is pushing the limit (esp with the little pony printed behind the thumb safety) but they are within the parameters of good taste. Springfield Armory, Wilson Combat, and the USGIs are all handsome representations in my opinion. www.coolgunsite.com/images/1911/1917%20colt/1917%20C3.jpg

I was referring to the "later models" that have the full host of large roll marks,  the horsey mid-slide AND the little one on the thumb safety.

I will however, take that smackdown of yours gracefully. Definitely subtle and classy.  

Quoted: I will however, take that smackdown of yours gracefully. Definitely subtle and classy.

All in good fun!  

Mine is non magwell grips on a magwell gun.

Quoted: ...and snakeskin on the Brown guns...

...and yet the Ed Brown "Snakeskin" is one of the most comfortable yet "grippy" designs.

I absolutely loved it on the one Ed Brown I owned.

These are ugly:

I don't know why, I've always disliked the slide serrations Kimber uses. I also don't like their pretty girl cursive logos either.

Pachmeyer or whatever wrap around rubber grips. If you want to ruin the look of your 1911, that's the quickest way to do it. I know they're functional, but I do have to draw the line somewhere.

The non S&A mag well. You know, the one that clashes with the mag wells natural lines. Wilson uses them exclusively.

Para's slide serrations, and the look of their high craps.

Seeing "Made in Brazil" on Springfield pistols. Aside from that, I think they have the second best looks. Nothing to "purdy" but still highly functional.

Caspian railed frames with their built in mag well guide. Yuck those things look horrid.

External extractors. I honestly think they take away from the looks of the gun.

Flat triggers.

I think the best looking 1911's I've ever seen are Rock Rivers. The pictures on the internet don't do the pistols justice, where as every other manufacturers pistols look worse in real life.

Quoted: These are ugly: photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21471 photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21472

That's fuglier than a catcher's mitt filled with foreskin

Congrats Kimber, you actually made it possible to say a 1911's uglier than a Glock! (TWO actually)

Quoted: Congrats Kimber, you actually made it possible to say a 1911's uglier than a Glock! (TWO actually)

Uh, I guarantee those are custom jobs done somewhere OTHER than Kimber's Custom Shop.

Springfields look like ass, IMO. I like Colt rollmarks, except on the Series 80 guns. My favorite marks are the Commercial markings from the 60s. Baers markings are OK. Kimber is blah, especially the stuff under the ejection port and the cheap ass engraving on the frame.

Quoted: I could not agree more!!!  I'm sorry to you butt ugly 1911 owners but, the only "Pretty" 1911 is this www.springfield-armory.com/prod-pstl-1911-GI.shtml So if you own anything else, please keep it from public view

Does that include the "butt ugly" grips ?

Quoted: These are ugly:

ACK!  I'm going to try pouring bleach in my eyes to get rid of it...  

Quoted: These are ugly: photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21471 photos.ar15.com/ImageGallery/Attachments/DownloadAttach.asp?iImageUnq=21472

[vomits into nearby wastebasket]

That's not just "ugly".  That is the result of a deliberate attempt to offend us.