This may be the dumbest question ever asked here,but here goes anyways!

A full sized 1911, 5" barrel - in 9mm - in all stainless....will continue to be my primary carry weapon - with mags that are 10 + 1. My personal choice is a Wilson Combat Protector model.

What makes the 1911 great is the trigger...as it moves straight back and forth in the frame...breaks like glass, reset is very short - very little if any slack and no creep ...if its mfg'd and tuned correctly.

Weight is irrelevent if you have a good leather holster and a good solid belt.

Capacity is irrelevent...learn how to speed reload / and train....and "Defense" isn't a gunfight at the OK Corral ...in all probability, if in the one in a gazillion chance you ever need a gun, it will all be over in 4 or 5 seconds with less than 5 or 6 shots fired.
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I don't understand the attraction to any gun that has a trigger suspended from a pin...which means its going to swing thru a long arc... / the triggers wobble all over ...reset is long...and they have a lot of slack and creep.

Poly frame guns are cheap ...so I think that's where most of the attraction is..

If I wanted to save a little weight - and I don't - I'd go to a 1911 in an alloy frame and a 4.25" barrel...but I don't see the point in that either just for a few ounces.

But everyone should buy what they like, what their budget allows...and whatever fits their hands the best.
 
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The 1911 and similar obviouly has presents but I would venture to say a high percentage of the same folks have Glockish pistols. Why expose something like a Colt blue to the elements when a Glock is virtually impevious?
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Easy to answer really. I don't like Glocks. I don't own any Glocks. I don't have any plans to own any Glocks. Yes, it really is that simple.

Now go on and enjoy your Glock!
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He has a valid point, and one which I went through on a daily basis with a couple of Colts, which suffered for it too. Theres a lot to be said for how much abuse a Glock will take, and with very little care. I wish my Colts came out of the box like that, and its just one of the reasons they no longer ride in a holster.

As much as I like/liked my 1911's, Ive really come to like and appreciate my Glocks. You do what you want, but dont cut them short, or short yourself, if you havent lived with one for a little while. ;)

Capacity is irrelevent...learn how to speed reload / and train....and "Defense" isn't a gunfight at the OK Corral ...in all probability, if in the one in a gazillion chance you ever need a gun, it will all be over in 4 or 5 seconds with less than 5 or 6 shots fired.
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This is a link that was posted in the tactics section to some drills done with your average Joe "carrier", some with training, some without. Pay attention to how many rounds are fired and the time in which they were. I think it will give you an idea as to how fast you could end up with an empty gun, and with no time to reload when you do.

https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/ne...D-=/blog/news-stations-concealed-carry-drill/

This is another reason I dont have a 1911 in my holster right now. Even my "back up" holds more rounds.
 
Yep, no particular shortage of gun makers introducing a plastic 1911-style pistol over the years. Not something that appeals to me, though, and I own both 1911's and an assortment of plastic pistols.

I carried a Commander for many years. It was a Combat Commander I'd traded my Lightweight Commander to get. (One of my many silly mistakes when I was young.)

My favorite 1911 for shooting is a stainless Colt XSE Gov. I own 5 1911's, though, 4 them Colts. The balance and controllability of the XSE pretty much defines a 1911, but yes, it's as much of a waist anchor as my heavier .357's and some lighter .44's.

Over time, having worn a gun belt (before they were called equipment belts) and "full-size fighting handguns", created some easily aggravated spots on my hips. Nowadays lighter (plastic) guns are pretty much de rigueur for me, as well as pocket holster carry.

I do have a nicely balanced SW1911SC 5" that is a decent balance of size and lighter weight, for those times when I feel like belting on a 1911, and yet it's still nicely balanced & weighted for long range sessions. If they'd made it when I was in my 20's, I'd have carried it instead of that lightweight Commander, and would have kept it instead of getting that Combat Commander.

As much of an aficionado of 1911's as I am, I have zero interest in ever owning a plastic one. I have other pistols that serve my needs when it comes to the urge to own "plastic" (Glock, S&W/Walther, M&P's & LCP's).

Suit yourself, though.
 
Capacity is irrelevent...learn how to speed reload / and train....and "Defense" isn't a gunfight at the OK Corral ...
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Irrelevant? In that case why don't you carry a 50 cal single shot pistol? Sometimes you don't hit the CNS and the fight goes on, sometimes there are multiple assailants. Must be nice to be clairvoyant and know exactly how many rounds you will or won't need. :rolleyes:

I don't understand the attraction to any gun that has a trigger suspended from a pin...which means its going to swing thru a long arc... / the triggers wobble all over ...reset is long...and they have a lot of slack and creep.
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There are a number of non-1911 pistols that don't meet this description. Are they as good as the trigger on a Wilson Combat 1911? No, but the triggers don't "wobble all over", the resets can be fairly short, and some don't even have that much slack. You make it sound like you're only capable of shooting one type of pistol. How is that not a weakness? I get the idea that if there is a "better" product out there that you want the better product. Fair enough. But you make it sound like using anything other than a 1911 requires superhuman skill. It doesn't.

I'm outta here. For those who continue the debate that will never end, God speed.
 
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Capacity is irrelevent...learn how to speed reload / and train....and "Defense" isn't a gunfight at the OK Corral ...
Irrelevant? In that case why don't you carry a 50 cal single shot pistol? Must be nice to be clairvoyant and know exactly how many rounds you will or won't need. I'm outta this thread.
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Agreed (but in a non-hostile fashion). I switched from a 1911 to a small double column plastic gun partially because of that. At the time if I could have found a nice inexpensive double column officer's size I might have stayed with it.
 
Notice that most of the plastic-framed 1911s are discontinued?
It's a great idea in theory, but I wonder how practical a plastic 1911 really is.
 
I was sitting on the couch this afternoon talking about the glorious 1911 with some friends on facebook and a strange thought entered my head. One of the issues with EDC of the 1911 for some is weight, so why hasn't someone made a polymer 1911? Or have they? It seems like a logical idea to allow for reduced weight but maintain the awesomeness of the 1911.
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It's been done and they are junk.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Notice that most of the plastic-framed 1911s are discontinued?
It's a great idea in theory, but I wonder how practical a plastic 1911 really is.
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That may be true, but it may also be more a matter of how shooters here in the U.S. look at the guns than how polymer 1911s are viewed elsewhere in the world, where 1911s are less known, lessrenowned, or less frequently used.

Tanfoglio and Bul have sold quite polymer-framed 1911s few in Europe, and EAA /Witness has several IPSCI-type polymer-framed 1911s in their catalog. They aren't cheap models, either. The fact that some of the polymer guns being offered are double-stack (popular in IPSC) may play a role in their continued existence.

Most of the guys I know who are big 1911 fans wouldn't use a Glock (or any other polymer-framed gun) unless forced too and a polymer-1911, to them, just seems wrong. I think it has less to do with functionality or practicality than to an almost unconscious belief that using polymer in a 1911 frame is some sort of sacrilege, i.e., a gross irreverence toward a hallowed person, place, or thing. :) I suspect a lot of folks felt that way about fibreglass-handled tools many years ago, but now non-wood handles are just another option.
 
For the record, there are no dumb questions.

I have a Glock, but my 1911s are all traditional, tradition being sacred, you know. Once you give up your traditions, civilization itself falls.

So I'm fighting for truth, justice, and the American way of life by not having a polymer 1911.
 
What's so awesome about the 1911? It's a good design but it really is over 100 years old. Besides that, I think most people carry a 1911, a large heavy handgun, over a modern more practical EDC design due to the nostalgia factor, rather any design advantages.
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Hmmm....issues on all counts, for me personally. I carried a few handguns, even before carrying what many consider the best carry available-the H&K USP Compact. Just didn't do it for me and I yearned for my 1911s. The Kimber Ultra CDP that replaced it for my primary was lighter, thinner, smaller, far more comfortable to carry, had less recoil with the same load, and it's accuracy completely blew away the HK. At PD distances, it's as accurate as my customized pin gun. Reliability has been perfect as well. Have carried it now for over 12 years. Advantage in all areas:1911. Practicality:1911. Old design? I really couldn't care less-if I shoot it better than any other, along with all the previous advantages, it's what I am using. That's not only being practical-it's simple common sense.
 
I couldn't say why, as my suspicions are vague, but my gut tells me that a swinging link action isn't conducive to being made in plastic. I'm thinking that there is too much room for flex in the design for plastic.
 
NateKirk said:
I think most people carry a 1911, a large heavy handgun, over a modern more practical EDC design due to the nostalgia factor, rather any design advantages.
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Yeah surely it's just nostalgia and not because they're accurate and reliable.

JDBerg said:
The 1911 is archaic, maintenance intensive, heavy, with low capacity mags.
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25 oz and 10+1 of 45 ACP just like the similarly sized G30

745SW said:
Why expose something like a Colt blue to the elements when a Glock is virtually impervious?
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Who said it's gotta be blue

101combatvet said:
It's been done and they are junk.
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ROTFLMAO
drobs, You missed one
 
It's interesting that these threads always turn into 1911 vs Glock. Every time.

It's not that simple. There are polymer offerings in multiple brands, calibers, and sizes. M&P, USP, P2000, P30, PPS, P99C, on and on.

Glock not fitting a person doesn't take poly off the table.
 
Some people eschew the aluminum frames

If carrying all the weight of a steel 1911 makes you list, there is a simple solution: Carry a New York Reload on the off side. (That's a second gun, folks).

Or enough magazines to counter the off-center weight problem.

When the first aluminum framed Colts came out, there were a number of purists who decried THEM as loudly as other purists decry plastic. Some still object to the lighter metal, still.

Lost Sheep
 
No plastic in there

gyvel said:
I couldn't say why, as my suspicions are vague, but my gut tells me that a swinging link action isn't conducive to being made in plastic. I'm thinking that there is too much room for flex in the design for plastic.
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I could be wrong, but I think, if you take a plastic gun apart and examine the slide and rails, you will find no plastic in the linkup between them.

Every plastic-framed gun I know of has metal inserts to form the bearing surfaces of the rails.

Between the parts, rails, slide, barrel lugs, barrel bushing and whatever link mechanism (ramp, slot, etc). It will be all metal. I could be wrong, as I said, but I can't think of any.

Lost Sheep
 
Regardless of the age of the design and whether any given person likes it or hates it, IMHO the real reason for not producing the 1911 or a close copy in polymer is that the design doesn't lend itself to use of polymer. It is not always easy to see, but the reality is that the material selection is an integral part of a gun design. The gun is designed around the use of a specific material. Not having any other material, Browning designed his guns to be made of steel. Using other material, even lightweight alloys, has not been that successful, not as durable, for example.

Jim
 
Regardless of the age of the design and whether any given person likes it or hates it, IMHO the real reason for not producing the 1911 or a close copy in polymer is that the design doesn't lend itself to use of polymer. It is not always easy to see, but the reality is that the material selection is an integral part of a gun design. The gun is designed around the use of a specific material. Not having any other material, Browning designed his guns to be made of steel. Using other material, even lightweight alloys, has not been that successful, not as durable, for example.
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That was kinda what I was thinking about a swinging link design not being suitable for plastic.
 
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