Why do you prefer the 1911 over other more modern handguns?

Before someone gets pissy, I have owned a Wilson CQB, Kimber TLE/RL, S&W 1911, Colt series 70, Colt Commander XSE in the 1911 category. All are gone now.
I have also owned Glock 17/19/26/30/21. Hk usp 40. Sig 228/229. HK p7m8.
I currently only own Glock 17/19/21 and  a Sig 228.
I am only using the Glock 19 as I want to be only conditioned to it.

Got away from 1911's because of:
1 Weight.  
2 Low capacity.


But now I kinda miss not having a 1911 and have the urge to buy another.
Would like to hear others views on the 1911 vs other modern handguns.

This could be scarey...........or it might work out ok.






Popcorn is warming up now.

Bagman,

Why?  Is there some sort of debate about the 1911 vs. Glock or something?

G

The 1911 was made in 1911.  It's an ANTIQUE.  Put them in a glass case and hang them on the wall.  Enough already!

Glock: BANG, BANG, BANG,............. 3 inch group.

1911: BANG tap rack, BANG tap rack, BANG.......1.5 inch group.

Most here are passonate about their firearms, and those that have been proven for almost 100 years usually brings up big debate, I could be wrong this time, but we will see. Thats all I was saying.

Quoted: Why do you prefer the 1911 over other more modern handguns? Before someone gets pissy, I have owned a Wilson CQB, Kimber TLE/RL, S&W 1911, Colt series 70, Colt Commander XSE in the 1911 category. All are gone now. I have also owned Glock 17/19/26/30/21. Hk usp 40. Sig 228/229. HK p7m8. I currently only own Glock 17/19/21 and  a Sig 228. I am only using the Glock 19 as I want to be only conditioned to it. Got away from 1911's because of: 1 Weight.   2 Low capacity. But now I kinda miss not having a 1911 and have the urge to buy another. Would like to hear others views on the 1911 vs other modern handguns.

This subject has been beat more than a Hong Kong whore,  ZZZZZZZZZZZZ  

I'll have extra butter on mine, with a large coke.

Here is something else to think about.  Back in the day if you wanted a 1911 it had to be a Colt or Argentina Colt.  If you wanted an AR15 it had to be a Colt.  Why?  Nobody else made them.

Now there are tons of 1911 and AR15 copies out there that are not Colt made.

Will there ever be exact copies of a Glock?  I mean exact?  Will exact copies of a polymer frame be economical and/or even worth it?  

One day will someone be holding a Smith and Wesson Glock or a Rock River Arms Glock?

I prefer the 1911 because of its short, crisp, and more importantly, consistant trigger. NOTHING matches the trigger on a 1911. I also like the idea of an external safety.

Also, I have smaller hands. A doublestack .45 is inconvenient to handle. I've gone to a Browning High Power in an attempt to address the capacity issue, but the 1911 is still my main sidearm.

There's lots of people who claim that 1911s are unreliable (such as rock71), but like classic cars, people like to tinker with their 1911s, and home gunsmithing can have adverse results.

The fact that it's still around after nearly 100 years is a testament to its effectiveness. Newer designs have yet to make the 1911 obsolete.

My Kimber would be the last handgun I'd get rid of.  

I've had Sigs and Glocks, and I'd decided that while the Sigs are awesome, they still aren't 1911's...and Glocks are...well, Glocks.

From now on, it's 1911's and revolvers for me.

HH

Quoted: heretic

looking around...
tar,
feathers.,
firewood.
rope,,
fence post..

ok,,,ready..

... I'm just an old-fashioned girl I suppose

I like the 1911 because I can hit what I am shooting at a lot more easily, and more quickly.

Nothing except a Browning Hi Power fits my hand as well as a 1911.  Problem is, I can buy two quality Glocks for the price of a single Kimber...

I appreciate triggers that don't feel like they belong on a kid's cap gun.

Quoted: My Kimber would be the last handgun I'd get rid of.   HH

damn skippy. my kimber will go to the grave with me, hopefully 30-40 years from now..

Quoted: I like the 1911 because I can hit what I am shooting at a lot more easily, and more quickly.

Compared to what? What led you to this conclusion? Info please.
I never had the problems that some state.
I could shoot any pistol I had, no probs there. Just take the time to become accustomed to it.
Never had reliability problems.{Wilson/Kimber}
I really just boiled down the weight and capacity. I don't get into the whole caliber debate because I believe shot placement is key, but 9mm is the minimal I would use.

I shoot them well.  Thats kind of important.

Quoted: Glock: BANG, BANG, BANG,............. 3 inch group. 1911: BANG tap rack, BANG tap rack, BANG.......1.5 inch group.

My experience as a range master at local IPSC matches indicates that you are correct.  In an actual combat situation, any difference in accuracy is academic.

If ya owned several 1911s and got rid of ALL of them, well my friend....



it better have been a boating accident
Speed

Quoted: Quoted: I like the 1911 because I can hit what I am shooting at a lot more easily, and more quickly. Compared to what? What led you to this conclusion? Info please. I never had the problems that some state. I could shoot any pistol I had, no probs there. Just take the time to become accustomed to it. Never had reliability problems.{Wilson/Kimber} I really just boiled down the weight and capacity. I don't get into the whole caliber debate because I believe shot placement is key, but 9mm is the minimal I would use.

Please explain to me why anyone owes you a justification as to their choice in handguns?

You've made your choice.  Excellent.  Go forth, practice and prosper.

Quoted: I shoot them well.  Thats kind of important.

But I bet you shoot other handguns well also.

There has got to be more reason than "I shoot them well". Or I would think there would be. Not knocking anyones choice though, but does anyone think that it is just because they are in "fashion"? There has to be a reason to drag around a heavy 7-8 shot handgun, when there are other choices.

Somebody give some hard reasons to carry a 1911.

Quoted: I shoot them well.  Thats kind of important.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I like the 1911 because I can hit what I am shooting at a lot more easily, and more quickly. Compared to what? What led you to this conclusion? Info please. I never had the problems that some state. I could shoot any pistol I had, no probs there. Just take the time to become accustomed to it. Never had reliability problems.{Wilson/Kimber} I really just boiled down the weight and capacity. I don't get into the whole caliber debate because I believe shot placement is key, but 9mm is the minimal I would use. Please explain to me why anyone owes you a justification as to their choice in handguns? You've made your choice.  Excellent.  Go forth, practice and prosper.

Never said they did. If you don't have anything to add thats fine, no need to get ruffled about it.

elvisp,

You need a reason or two to carry one?  They feel good.  They shoot well.  They look good. They are reliable.  That is not a slam on any other handgun...I like them all.  I just like 1911's the most.

But,...why do you need people on this forum to give you a reason?  Go with what you like.  There's a reason Baskin-Robbins has 31 flavors.

Blake

I'll bite.

My first handgun was a Glock, paid $500 for it NIB.  Aboslutely brainless to field strip, never had a failure to fire, etc, etc.  But the ergonomics just did not work for me, and I would shoot pie plate groups at 15 yards.

I bought a used 1911 that had many thousands of rounds down the pipe (Sistema Colt 1927 from argentina, the barrel looks liek a sewer pipe, paid $275 for it).  First time a fired it I shot the center out of the target with the first two mags.  Later I took it to an outdoor range and was hitting a 5 gallon pickle bucket at 130 yards with it, even with the awful little early 1911 sights on it.

A 1911 is a bit heavy, but there is no CCW in my state so it is a moot point.  It may take a little more time to field strip, but has never had any failure in 1200+ rounds that I have owned it.  The trigger on my 1911 is far, far better than any Glock trigger IMHO, and the erognomics just plain work for me.  

I liked everything in theory about the Glock, but when the rubber hit the road the 1911 just works better for me.  

I liked the .45 1911 so much I bought a 9mm Series 70 when I foudn it used in the store one day.  It is hands down my favorite handgun.  In addition to all the rasons above, this one has a mirror like blue finish with some aftermarket scrollwork on the slide, and came with a .22 ACE conversion.  It is the first time I saw a gun and simply had to buy it without question.  I honest to God plan to be buried with that one, if I only had time to grab one gun in a fire that would be it.

[ETA]  for a time beofer I got the 1911 I tried many, many different handguns including BHP's, CZ75's, etc, etc looking for the one that was "right."  Although you only have 7-9 rounds in a 1911 depending on caliber, I woudl rather have a gun I can hit with consistently than one with more ammo, as all that extra ammo is just going to go to waste.  If I have to carry a weapon that is a little heavier/bulkier, so be it.  IMHO the most important thing is to be able to hit what I am shooting, and the 1911 seems to work best for me. Find me a 1911 with a SA/DA trigger and modern controls in 9mm with the same grip thickness and more capacity, and I will be your new best friend!

1911 has ergonomics, controls and a low line of bore that make it the best non-supressed .45 caliber handgun available FOR CARRY.  It is skinny for carry, and has a great trigger.  

If you want to talk 9MM's, then you can bring up Glocks.  If you want to give your gun a sand bath with the action open, then we can talk about Glocks and USP's.

The capacity may be low, but mags are easy to carry and change, and most people don't need that many rounds to begin with.  If you think you need an LBV for concealed carry, I pity you.

If weight is a problem, get a better belt and holster, or an alloy frame.



Seriously folks, carry whatever the fuck you want.  I find the 1911 to be the best platform for my uses, and so do many others.  That is all.

1911's work for me.

Well fuck me, I thought this was a discussion forum I guess I took a wrong turn at Albuquerque.
PS
Sorry if I caused anyone to stain their pretty pink panties.

As to the DA/SA autos....why anyone wants a handgun that is designed to be more difficult to fire accurately, is beyond me.

I have owned Glocks, Sigs, HK's 1911's and several other pistols over the years. The 1911 is still the pistol I carry day to day. The only pistol that impressed me as much as a 1911 was the HK USP full sized. I have nothing against any of the others except the Glock. Now dont get me wrong Im not a Glock basher but they are simply not made to fit me, ergonomics trigger and lack of safety are the issues I have with them. If I was going to play in the sandbox then I would take the HK USP hands down.
For personel carry in the civilian world it  is my favorite 1911, my Kimber Warrior.

Quoted: As to the DA/SA autos....why anyone wants a handgun that is designed to be more difficult to fire accurately, is beyond me.

+1 to this and to your previous post.

Two Words: Religion Forum.

i love 1911s because they fit in my hand better than anything else, and because of the trigger

Quoted: One day will someone be holding a Smith and Wesson Glock?

Don't you mean Smith & Wesson Sigma?  

Glock's ergonomics don't work for me.  I've tried several and they just don't work.  Actually, most double-stacks don't work for me.  I'm just a single-stack kind of guy.  Has to do with the shape of my hand, I reckon.

As far as reliability, in my personal experience with my firearms, I haven't seen a difference in the 1911s I own or the Glocks I've shot.  They both seem to work well.  I can't speak to other peoples' 1911s or Glocks I haven't shot before.

With a properly fitting and constructed carry configuration, the weight isn't an issue.  Still, not having the really wide grip of the Glock makes it easy for me to conceal my handgun.  For summer, all bets are off and I often carry a PPK/S IWB or I carry a 1911 in a Wilderness Safepacker as a man purse.

I'm not fond of hammerless designs.  I can't recall ever purchasing a hammerless pistol.  That goes for revolvers, semi-automatics, or whatever.  I just don't like them.

Ammo capacity just isn't an issue for me.  If I need more than 9 rounds, I've gotten myself into some deep kimchee.  With my spares, that's 25 rounds.  I don't really tend to pick fights with the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club, bless their hearts.  I feel like 25 rounds should be sufficient for me to disengage or get to where more ammo is.

Having shot multiple firearm designs, I prefer the feel of the recoil of the 1911 to most anything.  It's natural for me and the 1911 naturally returns to where the sights are lined up for me.  Most anything else just doesn't do that for me.

As far as the one IPSC guy up there, well, the difference between your IPSC jammomatics and my 1911s is that I haven't tweaked out my 1911 to the ends of the earth and hung every kind of doodad off of it I could find in the Brownell's catalog.

My Kimber can be a little touchy with reloads, but all of the factory ammo I've shot through it has functioned flawlessly.  The Springfield even shoots crappy reloads that are out of spec.  It doesn't seem to care.  Over a thousand rounds in the last month and a half of mixed crap I found in the garage and about 3 FTFs.  The Colt, that shoots every time I pull the trigger, too.

I'm thinking if people have jamming problems with their 1911s, they're just doing it wrong.  

Oh, and I was serious about mixed crap in the garage.  I was trying to make it FTF.  I was picking up out of spec rejects and things that I had in a bin.  It digested them all.  Sick and twisted thing, that Springfield.  It ain't supposed to work like that.

ETA:  I bought most of my guns during the AWB.  Before it, I was in the Army and couldn't really afford guns.  The difference between 10 rounds in a Glock with its wide grip and 8 rounds in a 1911 just wasn't worth the things I don't like about the Glock.  I already knew I loved the 1911 since it was my first Army gun.

Skinny for small hands
Short and consistent trigger
External safety
Ergonomics

I was going to do a long bit on the virtues of the 1911. The I thought about it and found I couldn't say anything good that hadn't been said at least 100000 times before.

It was the first handgun I was taught.(In the Army)
I'm used to it.
It works for me.
I compare everything else to it.

That is all.

Quoted: img.photobucket.com/albums/v394/xdoctor/glockv1911.jpg

If God is on our side, who could be against us?

Or, Kill them all, God will know his own.

read my screen name, and 10 k rounds later i still love em

Tagged.

Quoted: Nothing except a Browning Hi Power fits my hand as well as a 1911.  Problem is, I can buy two quality Glocks for the price of a single Kimber...

Quoted: Quoted: Somebody give some hard reasons to carry a 1911. Phillipine Insurection, Mexican Expedition, World War I, World War II, Korea, Viet Namn, Desert Storm, Afganistan, Iraq....... ..................................ask Marine Force Recon.

OK...that just summed it up quite nicely!



HH

Quoted: I was going to do a long bit on the virtues of the 1911. The I thought about it and found I couldn't say anything good that hadn't been said at least 100000 times before.

+1000

When I was younger, and first starting to acquire guns, I "knew" about the 1911/.45 automatic, but didn't understand how it could be so special & why so many were so "Religiously Fanatic" over it and J.M.B. .

Years later, when I really understood just how little I did "Know", I had the chance to handle, shoot and experience what all of the "Fuss" was about. I bought a semi-raw frame/slide, and had a good gunsmith fit them together. I then had good quality parts fit inside the gun.

Now, Many years later, and I hope wiser, I have tried allot of the handguns available today. I consistently come back to the 1911. It has never FTF with a live round fed to it. It is the one gun that I know rain, shine, hot, cold, day, or night that will go bang when I pull the trigger, and whatever I have in it's sights will have a .45 cal hole in it....right where I was aiming for.

It's not the prettiest, or most expensive gun I own, but I wouldn't sell it for any amount of money that any sane person would ever offer.

I hope I can buy several more just like it before I die.

That's why I shoot a 1911.

Tall Shadow

Quoted: Glock: BANG, BANG, BANG,............. 3 inch group. 1911: BANG tap rack, BANG tap rack, BANG.......1.5 inch group.

Yeah - it must have sucked for all those GI's in WW1, WW2, Korea, Vietnam, etc - to have an incredibly unreliable sidearm.  

Don't be fooled by race guns and pimped out 1911 variants - the USGI 1911A1 is one of the most reliable handguns ever designed.  So is the Glock.