How confident are you carrying a 1911?

C

CSAY

New member
First off, I love the 1911 and want that to be my carry piece. However, I have never had complete confidence in it's reliabilty. In a time of peril, the last thing you need to have to worry about is, will this thing jam? Is a part likely to break? I know that with machinery things happen and parts break but, it seems that I don't worry about it near as much with more modern ones. I have a couple of Springfields(nice ones),a Sistema and an HS2000. I like the Sistema best but, I carry my HS2000 more because I am very confident in it. How confident are you in your 1911? Is it all psychological?
 
I am extremely confident in my 1911A1s, particularly in my Springfield TRP. It has NEVER failed, with thousands of rounds through the barrel. Further, its accuracy, reliability, durably and its quality of fit/finish, manufacture and so forth are all outstanding. I might add, it is 100 percent stock (although I do use Wilson 8 round magazines). In sum, I trust this TRP with my life -- and I am sure my confidence is well placed.
 
Sound's to me like someone has been doing lot's of reading and has gotten confused. If you have put a few hundred rounds downrange with a cetain ammo and all has worked as it should. The weapon is considered fine for carry. The 1911 is not a weapon that requires hundred's of dollars of work to make it a good carry weapon. Lot's of folk's are making a good living telling you it need's this or that to make it dependable. Many problem's are caused by the shooter or the wrong ammo for a particular weapon.

Find out which factory ammo your 1911 likes [shoot's to point of aim and function's with]. Do some range time with this set up and after a few hundred round's your confidence in the 1911 will be greatly improved.
 
With your lack of confidence in your 1911's, all it's telling me is you don't shoot enough.

Sorry but that's the truth. Any individual that dedicates hundreds of rounds per week, will know the in's and out's of their firearms. You'll know which one's will perform reliably and which one's will not.

No matter what anybody tells you on TFL about the reliability of brand X pistol, it doesn't mean squat because it's ultimately up to you to have the confidence to carry that firearm.
 
I agree with all the previous posters. If you have a quality 1911 and use quality magazines and ammo, it will be as reliable as you need it to be. I would add that you should get some professional training as any firearm can jam, etc. But if you know the clearance drills, etc. , you will be able to handle that eventuality. One poster recently noted that, at such a training class, all the firearms types (even the Great Glock) malfunctioned about equally. Pick the firearm you are comfortable with and practice often!
 
I've been shooting and carrying the 1911 for 30 years. I have utmost confidence in it. You should fire your carry gun untill you are totally confident in it's reliability. You should also be familiar in the complete dissasembly of your weapon prior to carrying it.
 
When it comes to reliability, I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE HANDGUN'S DESIGN, or what other people think about it. I care how a PARTICULAR EXAMPLE of that design works. I don't give a rat's behind if the new SuperBoomerDon'tEvenThinkAboutItPal handgun design has been tested extensively by the military, the FBI, Britan's SAS, and my grandma's next door neighbor Phylis. I care about how the particular handgun IN MY POSSESSION works. I don't care if it is a $2500 Les Baer or a $25 Lorcin (may the gun gods have mercy on me for using those two in the same sentence), it's got to prove itself to me before I trust my life to it.

I wouldn't trust ANY handgun if I have not shot it often and am not completely familiar with it. I don't care if it is a Glock, a 1911, or a Phaser a la Star Trek. Knowing how well your particular handgun functions is more important that knowing IN GENERAL if they work well or not.
 
Oh yeah, by the way, I carry a 1911 design, I shoot it often, I practice realistically, I know how it functions, and I would trust my life to it's operation.

So shoot and shoot some more. Get comfortable with whatever gun you carry. Good luck.
 
I'm a relatively young guy so, I didn't get to use the 1911 when I was in the military. My experience with the 1911 came before and after I served. So, of course, I haven't put as many rounds downrange as with the M9. I have had numerous 1911's. After numerous malfunctions with various models,it has somewhat diminished my confidence in it. But, I still love em!
 
A good 1911 is a joy to own and shoot, there is not much better around in a self defense handgun than the 1911. Its closest competition is in the Glock line of pistols. I personally own 19 different variants on 1911s and have carried one for years as a LEO and they have never let me down. My current favorite carry gun is a Kimber Custom Combat Carry Model, which is similar to the Commander except mucho nicer....

7th
 
7th fleet, you are my kind of guy! Nineteen 1911's is impressive, and makes me envious.

I only have about 4, and people I know make fun of me for that
 
Anything made by man can fail. Even if the gun does not fail, there is the possibility that the ammunition will. It does not matter if you carry a 1911, Glock, or Raven, you should know how to clear a malfunction and keep going without any real thought about the process.

I have a Wilson CQB that has been flawless for the last 1700 rounds (now that I started using only Wilson mags). I have every confidence in the gun. I have to add snap-caps to my training to help assure that I am mentally prepared for a malfunction.

Things can and will go wrong and they can do so when you least need to them to go wrong. Prepare for the worst case scenario and hope for the best.
 
Hello LGM I have amassed this collection of 1911s by not ever trading one in and buying them when a good deal came along. You do not build a collection of anything, by trading one in or by selling, the key to a nice gun collection is to buy, buy, buy and don't sell. :)

7th
 
I have complete confidence in my Systema that I carry everyday.I just shot the hell out of it and experimented with different ammo and magazines.I did strip it completely to find out what makes it tick because I was never familiar with 1911's.Now I can assemble and take it apart blindfolded.The few extra creature comforts I put on it didn't make it more reliable only made it look prettier to me.I did polish the feed ramp so it will eat all ammo and use Wilson mags but that is it.
 
Been carrying a 1911 to keep my tubby self safe since '64 otr '65. I've done my part, it has done its part and I can tell about it. Practice and shoot a little more.
 
A 1911 is among my guns I use as a carry gun. It's not my only carry gun but one of them. Interestingly, when I want a gun that I consider totally reliable and shoot better than any other, I reach for the 1911. If I am going to be out in a place I consider riskier than others, I want my 1911.

I'll echo what previous posters have said. If you have to ask the question, you're not spending enough time at the range. If your 1911 functions reliably at the range without a failure, your question is answered. If it doesn't, get it repaired.

With a Kimber Compact,
RJ
 
"Kimber Custom Combat Carry Model"

Jeesh! Is it possible that they could shorten that name down a little? That's why I like Glocks - you can just say "I have a 23" and "oh, really, I have a 19." Of course, they have no personality either.
 
CSay,

I've carried a M1911A1 since I was 17 years old. U.S. Marines, 20 years. Going on 17 years as a Deputy Sheriff, that makes 37 years. Using a M1911A1, for me, is like taking a wiz.
Now, dependibility, all weapons need to be broken in and some cases tuned up. You get a nice M1911A1, go out and shoot the heck out of it. Take care of any "things" that might happen and you'll have a nice pistol.
I've got other auto-loaders, but I'll take my M1911A1 over them all.
Clem
USMC Retired
 
Should my Sistema need any "upgrades" to be more reliable. I'm not trying to start anything but, out of everything I've owned, I've experienced more failures with my 1911's. That's not intended to rile anybody, it's just what has happened to. Enough that it has made me a little uncomfortable.
 
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