Allure of the 1911

G

geetarman

New member
I just got back from my second trip to the range today and it has dawned on me that every handgun I shoot gets compared to the 1911.

Goodness knows I have a bunch of semi automatics. Today it was a Sig P227, PPK and a G17. Day before yesterday it was a Model 29 and a Dan Wesson PM9.

As much as I try, I keep coming back to the 1911 and straying away from the striker fired guns.

I really like the P229 and P220 Elites and the CZ SP01 and CZ 97B. Those guns are all steel/stainless steel and they really do run good.

The one striker fired gun that really floats my boat is a tried and true G21.

Anyone else feeling the same way?

The striker fired guns are reliable as all get out and that is what I carry when I carry ( not very often ).

I don't know if I am creating a problem by taking too many firearms to the range. I know guys who shoot the Glocks regularly and shoot well with them. The only Glock I consistently shoot well is the G21. All of them are drop dead dependable and what I use for self defense in the house. The 1911s are the ones that I really love to shoot at the range.

Any thoughts?
 
Yeah, 1911s do kind of get in your blood.
With one exception, they're the only auto loaders I've ever owned - or wanted.
Being a old diy guy, part of the reason is being able to find any and all parts without having to rely on the manufacturer.
One of the reasons I drive a Ford truck, too.
 
I decided what I like a long time ago. Except for one Hi Power all of my autos are 1911s, they're reliable as all get out and that is what I carry and I carry all the time. The rest of my handguns are with just two exceptions are S&W revolvers.

I've owned many other handguns over the years but after a while I chose to just stick with what I like the best.
 
I just got back from my second trip to the range today and it has dawned on me that every handgun I shoot gets compared to the 1911.
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..... and for me, at least, some come close, and none are better, all things considered.

Some guns have one or two features that are better ..... but in total, there is none better.
 
My first centerfire handgun was a Ruger P-95DC. Utterly reliable but a bear for 12 year old me to shoot.

However, after a stellar semester in which I turned in six As and one B (damn English teacher was a hippy) Pop bought me a M-1991A1.

Since then I've been through both a S&W revolver phase and a phase where I drank, well chugged, the Glock kool-aid, carry a M-9 in the Guard; but I keep coming back to the Government Model.

I shoot it the best and I trust the .45 ACP if I ever need to use it in a self defense situation.

Mr Browning did it right.
 
Any thoughts?
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The 1911 has lost it's luster with me. I'm just not all that enamored with it these days. There are other newer, more modern guns that do the same task better and easier IMHO. Never a bad gun, the 1911, just showing it's age.
 
I use 1911s for every handgun need; they do everything about as well as any other handgun can do anything.
Shooting a handgun well is difficult enough, so why make it harder with sproingy triggers, and/or un-ergonomic shapes and proportions?
Whenever I see or hear someone boasting about how accurate or reliable their non-1911 gun is, and they challenge any 1911 to do better, I always, always think, "I'll take MY 1911s over any one else's handgun, no matter what it is."
 
"I'll take MY 1911s over any one else's handgun, no matter what it is."
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I am leaning that way too. The 1911 just feels right. My first was a 70 series Gold Cup. Fantastic gun but for the roll pins holding the rear sight on.

I did not have another for many years until I bought a Sig Tacops with an all steel frame. That started me down the road and I find myself gravitation to them.

I have to say I like the 45s just fine but I like the 9s even better. Just a real pleasure to shoot.
 
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The 1911 has lost it's luster with me. I'm just not all that enamored with it these days. There are other newer, more modern guns that do the same task better and easier IMHO.
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What tasks? How do these other guns make these tasks easier?

I'll admit that they do sometimes take a bit of work to get (and keep) running with modern hollow point ammo. The extractor needs to be kept tuned...... they are not as maintenance free as some of the plastic guns out there (that avoid these problems by having very loose tolerances and chambers)- a novice can't just buy one and have it run, worry free...... but people who shoot much, and put an effort into same, can make them run..... and our brass is not mangled ...... so that we can reload it and shoot even more!

They are heavier than most of the plastic guns...... and bigger, in albsolute dimensions than many of them ...... but the weight makes them easier to shoot well, and though longer and taller, I find them easier to carry- the slide is flatter and it's edges and more beveled where it rides under the belt. The trigger also makes precise shots easier than most other pistols ..... the hammer and safety let you know what condition the gun is in, even in the dark (I had a Glock Fanboy tell me just the other day he used the position of the trigger as a "tactile indicator" in the dark to tell him whether the gun was cocked or not :eek: ).
 
Any thoughts?
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A zillion! :p

I love a 1911 and it's easy for me to see why... it's the trigger more than anything, but the wonderful and natural feel in my shooting hand is another. What's funny is that I love them but I am not drawn to them. I have a few guns that I'm always chasing and a 1911 is a bit down that list. I own a small handful but CRAZY enough is that I do not own a 5-inch 1911 in .45 Auto. Sacrilege, perhaps!

As to "bringing too many guns to the range", I'd be accused of it as often as anyone. Outside of short 1-hr social jaunts to a shooting range, my range days are never (and I mean NEVER!) less than seven handguns. Never!

To those who might hint or suggest that me shooting so many different handguns might eat away at my natural ability or "training" at a defense scenario... Good God, please, direct those thoughts somewhere they might be of use. I can't imagine something any more ludicrous than anyone who spends even half a moment worrying about -MY- skill in a defense scenario behind a handgun. If you worry about your own situation, I can understand that. If someone can pick apart my "training" and skill and ability and suggest I do otherwise, I won't be able to stop laughing long enough to tell him where to go. :p
 
To those who might hint or suggest that me shooting so many different handguns might eat away at my natural ability or "training" at a defense scenario... Good God, please, direct those thoughts somewhere they might be of use. I can't imagine something any more ludicrous than anyone who spends even half a moment worrying about -MY- skill in a defense scenario behind a handgun. If you worry about your own situation, I can understand that. If someone can pick apart my "training" and skill and ability and suggest I do otherwise, I won't be able to stop laughing long enough to tell him where to go.
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Lighten up! Jeez Louise, did you wake up in a different world than me?
 
I was a 1911 guy till I bought a Sig P-220.
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I was the exact opposite. To the point I sold my P-220 and currently own 6 1911's.

That said, every so often I see a picture, movie, show, go to the range, see an empty mag, etc. etc. etc. I think, "gee I should start carrying my 1911 again, its just so nice!".

THEN I go the range and compare it to my CZ P-07 and realize, I just shoot that darned plastic 9mm as good as anything I've got.

So I keep carrying the CZ.
 
I know the feeling. My P220 shoots like a champ and functions flawlessly.

What it does NOT have is the "trigger."
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Yes, but if you shoot a P220 that has been worked over by Ernie Langdon, or a P-220 Super Match, the trigger -- while not a "1911" trigger -- can be very, very nice, and offer you a very rewarding shooting experience. (A friend has a bunch of 1911 -- he's a 1911 fanataic -- but he won't sell his EL P220s, either. When he carries concealed, its more often a P220 than a 1911.)
 
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It's got the trigger and the ergos other designs strive for and it shoots an effective calibre. Some handguns nowadays boast a "modular" concept, where the user can change backstraps to enhance its fit. The 1911 has been doing this for 100 years. One can go with a flat or a curved mainspring housing and/or a long or short trigger. Everyone has a combination that fits them best and it is likely most anyone can find a setup that fits them no matter how big or small. What it doesn't have so much of these days is light weight and large (er) capacity. Love my 1911.
 
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