What is the appeal of 1911's?

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1911

No gun feels better in my hand - and that coming from a revolver guy.

I have small hands and a short trigger reach. So the combat style trigger is right for me. And boy, is it ever right. It can't get more right.

Form following function. They look good because they were designed right. J.M. Browning was a genius.
 
The 1911 fits my hand and with a short trigger matches my trigger reach perfectly. I've owned and carried SIG, S&W, Beretta, Kahr and for the last 21 years, Glock. With the exception of the Kahr series, none have fit my hand as well as the 1911.
 
For home defense I want a gun with high capacity,
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I hear this often, but do wonder, why?? Are you planning to miss a lot?? :rolleyes:

Hi capacity guns are fun, and if they make you feel better, by all means, feel better. But I do have to wonder, why, now, today, it seems to take 12, 15, 17 or more to do what 6, 7, or 8 has done for well over a century.

What's the appeal of the 1911? Different things for different people. Nostalgia for some. Practicality for others. Fit, feel, finish, function, it just fills the bill best for many of us.

Sorry you had one that was balky. Machines are sometimes like that, they can sense how you feel. And behave oddly or badly when they know you aren't really comfortable. Fords and Chryslers work pretty well for me, Chevys ALWAYS screw up for me. There's no proof, no "study", no statistics to back this up, just real world observation, first hand.

My Dad had a Colt Government model. I have it now. The Army put one in my hands to use, and also trained me to repair them. I have NEVER been bitten by the hammer. I trust the design, and have in serious situations in what is now my distant past. I have faith that if I ever need to again, it will perform as well as it has in the past.

Those are a few personal reasons why the 1911 appeals to me.
 
Funny, I could easily argue all the negatives to a 1911 platform. That being said I totally get it and they are not my schtick so to speak. They have a FANTASTIC trigger even the crappy triggers are good. They feel good. They look good. They have soul.

For me, and although I am not as young as I used to be I am far from old curmudgeon, I dig revolvers. Low capacity, slow reloads, decidedly in tactical in every way and arguably even more "ridiculous" then a 1911 in our modern world.

The reality is they do certain things exceedingly well. Things that haven't been matched even in the 21st century. Even with Their drawbacks real and perceived they have their place. Especially when we talk about and look at real world defensive civilian scenarios.

The 1911 is the same way. There are things it does that still haven't been matched and even with its drawbacks real and perceived...........

I have always said its hard to argue against a Glock 17/19. Cost, capacity, durability, accuracy, reliability etc. and I stand by that. But a trained user with a sorted out 1911 with a grip and trigger that makes putting two quick rounds of around 460 grains on target before a crunchenticker even feels right in the hand is nothing to be scoffed at.

People get so hung up on technology (me included) that we forget that an original Colt Single Action Army or hell a .32 caliber black powder cap and ball pistol is just as viable today as it ever was with a trained user.

1911s have soul, presence. Are they a better weapon then say a Glock designed damn near 100 years later.........probably not, especially on paper. Would I want to have a gunfight with Ken Hacklethorn or Larry Vickers with them armed with a basic 70 series, GI sighted 1911 vs me with a Glock 41 MOS with Trijicon optic.......HELL NO.
 
I more of a revolver guy, but I own and carry a polymer hi-cap (Taurus PT140) at times. Nothing wrong with it at all, I can shoot it very well and it's never skipped a beat. But style wise it has zero appeal to me - it's just a tool that works. No particular attachment to it. But a 1911 - the heavy steel, the mechanics and the character, the wood grips and the hammer - I just enjoy handling and shooting them for fun (I have three) and I find them aesthetically pleasing as well. Hard to explain, and not to take anything away from the polymers but 1911s just do it for me in more ways than just as a tool. Kind of like cruising a cherry '57 Chevy Bel Air through town as opposed to an newer but average no-name compact car. But I'm not saying anyone else should think as I do...

I also love single action revolvers for similar reasons.
 
The 1911 is the same way. There are things it does that still haven't been matched and even with its drawbacks real and perceived...........

I have always said its hard to argue against a Glock 17/19. Cost, capacity, durability, accuracy, reliability etc. and I stand by that. But a trained user with a sorted out 1911 with a grip and trigger that makes putting two quick rounds of around 460 grains on target before a crunchenticker even feels right in the hand is nothing to be scoffed at.

People get so hung up on technology (me included) that we forget that an original Colt Single Action Army or hell a .32 caliber black powder cap and ball pistol is just as viable today as it ever was with a trained user.

1911s have soul, presence. Are they a better weapon then say a Glock designed damn near 100 years later.........probably not, especially on paper. Would I want to have a gunfight with Ken Hacklethorn or Larry Vickers with them armed with a basic 70 series, GI sighted 1911 vs me with a Glock 41 MOS with Trijicon optic.......HELL NO.
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That. That is I was going to say, just not as eloquently as Mr. cslinger. Thank you.
 
Hi capacity guns are fun, and if they make you feel better, by all means, feel better. But I do have to wonder, why, now, today, it seems to take 12, 15, 17 or more to do what 6, 7, or 8 has done for well over a century.
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That's not really a good assessment. The modern handgun, from a civilian point of view, is more of a substitute for a submachine gun. It's not meant to be a last-ditch weapon in battle when you don't have an operating rifle. It's a device that can be used for clearing rooms in residential structures. A large capacity handgun is effective against gangs of more than just one person.

Think about it - a large capacity handgun has the same capacity and is as powerful and effective inside of a house as was a Thompson sub-machine gun with a standard box magazine. I have several 9mm handguns that hold 20 rounds with a slightly extended magazine. I have a drum magazine for my Glock 17 that holds 50 rounds - same as a typical Thompson drum. The fact that the modern 9mm handgun is far more compact, light weight, reliable and semi-auto (rather than full-auto), make it a almost a different weapon than 1911 with 7-8 round capacity. So, you can't compare a civilian's use of a 20 round handgun to a combat militant's use of a 1911.....two completely different animals.

Oh, and it's not just 9mm with that kind of capacity. STI 2011's can hold close to 20 rounds of 45acp with a slightly extended magazine. Tanfoglio 10mm magazines hold 15 rounds. That can be a lot of firepower in a handgun, especially if you can access multiple magazines.
 
Where do I start?

The 1911 is an American classic. It has seen service in pretty much every war and conflict America has been in since 1911, and it has earned itself a reputation for getting the job done.

They are beautiful guns, probably one of the most beautiful semi autos ever made.

There are so many options for them that it's mind boggling.

They are the "gentleman's" gun, and the roughneck's gun.

They work, they're accurate, and they're just great guns period.
 
There are so many options for them that it's mind boggling.
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That's the 10/22 and AR15 problem.

My sense is that there are a wealth of options for gizmoes on the 1911, but I never tried any of them because they all look like they might take a little skill or patience.
 
All real Americans love the 1911 pistol, in all it's forms and calibers. Only those with suspect patriotism and mental faculties choose Glocks.

Bolsheviks and nancy boys, one and all. :D
 
Only those with suspect patriotism and mental faculties choose Glocks.
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Aww come on. . . LOL

I have Glocks and a bunch of 1911s. The 1911 seems too bulky for me to carry but they are a ton of fun at the range.

My carry gun is either a G19, P938 or P320C.
 
So, you can't compare a civilian's use of a 20 round handgun to a combat militant's use of a 1911.....two completely different animals.
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Nor should one compare Police & military use of a 20rnd(+) handgun (or smg) to civilian use of a 1911...also two completely different animals.

It's an easy trap to fall into, because there are so many things in this world where "more is better" actually works. But there are also many situations where more is just more.

What bothers me is the stated or implied attitude that anything less than the "more" is ineffective or not worth bothering with. That's what I see so often today, the idea that if it doesn't hold a dozen or more rounds (or 20, or whatever large number you pick) it's not worth having.

It has been said often, and its true, you (and I) as "civilians" (ordinary citizens) are personally, legally responsible for every round we fire. The police and the military are not. They have a legal system, and large well funded support. You and I, do not.

The constant, 24/7 "free training" that we get from movies and TV teaches high volume fire is the "right" thing for everything, it must be, it works, right? Well, the real world doesn't follow the same script other than on rare occasions.

One other, and widely ignored, thing about the 1911, and other steel guns (including the tommygun;)) is the fact that when you can't, or shouldn't shoot, they are a superior impact weapon, compared to lighter constructed arms. No, its not something most of us will ever need, but it is there.
 
I don't really care one iota about the history of the gun relative to whether or not I carry it. I don't care about nostalgia. It is a fine gun with a sweet SA trigger and grip angle that I really like. It suits me, is reliable, and I shoot mine very well. That is what I want in a defensive pistol.
 
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