XD/Glock/MP = Toyota/Honda/Casio GShock. 1911 = Mercedes/BMW/Rolex? True?

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desibaba

New member
Since I got into guns a few months ago I have bought an XDm 9mm 4.5 inch as my handgun and a Smith & Wesson MP15 Sport 2 as my AR15. The AR has had some failure to fires but I think that is mainly from me using cheap Tul Ammo. The Xdm has fired EVERY single time without fail. I LOVE the look (and high prices lol) of the 1911 designs but it seems like you are paying mainly for Manual craftsmanship and the NAME and Heritage. I also noticed more failures to fire with a COMPLETELY STOCK 1911 over a Glock, XD or MP which a lot of the 1911 lovers call "Cheap, Plastic guns". I can relate to that.

I have worked in the Automotive business for a very long time and most German car owners frown upon Japanese and American vehicles. I have owned several Hondas and Toyotas and right now I am driving a 2015 Mercedes that I drove brand new off the lot. The Mercedes is the MOST expensive car that I have ever had in my life but it is also the most finicky. In my first year of ownership it needed to go back to the dealer 6 times to have the kinks worked out. I have never had that issue with any of my Toyotas or Hondas. That being said I love my Mercedes and will probably get another one down the road. Of course if it was The Walking Dead end of the world Apocalypse in real life and I had to depend on a car to start every time I would ALWAYS choose a Honda or Toyota over a Mercedes or BMW. So is it safe for me to say that a 1911 is a BEAUTIFUL piece to have but if your LIFE depended on it you are better off trusting a Glock, XD or MP as a daily carry? I love my Rolex Submariner that I paid close to $8k for but my $400 Apple Watch is a lot more accurate because it syncs with the atomic clock? Fair comparison?
 
Fair comparison? I guess so, although I have had absolutely no issues with my Colt. As for a 1911's price? They don't need to be any pricier than any of the poly guns you mentioned.
 
I agree with the fundamentals of your comparison. But remember, there are some guns that give you the beauty and hand craftsmanship of a Mercedes and the reliability of a Toyota. Try a high end CZ or a Tanfoglio match grade. STI or Les Baer for your 1911 platform. Or a beautiful performance center revolver. All dead reliable and beautiful. Think of maybe a Lexus. The whole package. :)
 
I love my Rolex Submariner that I paid close to $8k for but my $400 Apple Watch is a lot more accurate because it syncs with the atomic clock? Fair comparison?
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I bet it tells the same time as my $50 Casio, which tells the same time as their $30 models.

The guns are all equal.
The watches are more for vanity
 
Recall that 1911, like Mercedes-Benz, was not always synonymous with finicky.

USGI 1911's are like W123 diesels: they're ugly, they rattle, most of them have been worked on by sketchy mechanics, and performance certainly leaves something to be desired, but a good one will run and run and run and run and.... ;)
 
I dont like the car comparisons. To me BMWs and MBs are extremely unreliable, except for certain and select older models. If a 1911 is made right, it will be just as reliable if not more so than a mdoern polymer handgun. Around the $1000 mark i would say colt and Springfield are the best options, with the lowest risk of problems.

The biggest importance with 1911s is magazines. Know what causes them to fail and when they are worn out. Not all are made the same. this can be said for any automatic handgun.

I feel that your negative experience with your new MB, was simply because it is new. These car companies are packing so many computers and solenoids and switches and wires into these cars, that just one little solder joint could break and make the whole vehicle shut down and be non operational. Also these modern car companies come up with these advanced ideas and systems, without thoroughly testing them.

I dont want technology and advancements in my car, in fact i want the opposite. And in all honestly i wouldnt buy a car made after 2004 unless i was wealtht and could afford the shop bills and afford a rental car till my new computer on wheels was done being repaired.

I just bought a 1968 Ford LTD for a daily driver. She needs a little work, but is road ready right now just needs a few things touched up.

1911s can be a very reliable and durable companion. My only pistol is a 1911 and i trust my life to it. Not in the least bit "finicky", with any type of ammo
 
So is it safe for me to say that a 1911 is a BEAUTIFUL piece to have but if your LIFE depended on it you are better off trusting a Glock, XD or MP as a daily carry?
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No, I don't think so.

Use what you, by experience, know will work. And I don't mean generically, as in "some random Glock" or "some random 1911". I mean an individual piece you have worked with and know functions.

most German car owners frown upon Japanese and American vehicles.
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Rabid fanboys and internet social media blowhards look down on the XD. "Made in Croatia!". Without good reason not to, I ignore them.
 
1911=1955 Chevy. A classic beauty, but best left for the car shows. There are better options for daily drivers.
 
There is no such thing as "a 1911". In 1911 one make and model of pistol was chosen by the U.S. Army to be its service handgun. That model, later made for the Army by other companies, was very successful, being adequately powerful, sufficiently accurate, and quite reliable. It remained the service pistol unto the 1970's.

It has since been copied by many companies, and the general design has been used by dozens of gun manufacturers all over the world with quality ranging from superb to abysmal.

Making any kind of comparison with "a 1911" is no more possible than making a comparison with "a German machine" or "a Chinese tool."

Jim
 
I like comparing things just for the entertainment value. On that note (don't hate me):

Dodge = Hi Point - cheap and they only work for a short period of time. Both companies have one exception, Ram trucks and the Hi Point Carbine, both of which are solid.
Honda = Glock - exceedingly reliable, but bland. Hence people mod them in an effort to make them more cooler (grammar misused unintentionally).
Kahr = Saab - heavy on the engineering, but not very mainstream.
Ford = Colt - used to be what everyone wanted, then kinda fell off the map with some QC issues... but is back and better than ever.
Acura = CZ - amazing combination of performance, looks, and reliability. And you can find a used one at affordable prices.
Chevy = Smith and Wesson - American classics and (with a few exceptions) very solid across the board.
Jeep = Remington - are known for one thing... which they do very well.
Audi = Kimber - you want one because they're beautiful, until you talk to people that have had nothing but problems with them.
Ruger = Toyota - they do everything, and are rock solid across the board without being flashy in any way.
Subaru = Springfield - reliable, known for a few standout models.
Kia = Taurus - cheap import. There might be some good ones out there, but it's risky.
Lexus = Sig Sauer - undeniable quality.
Smart Car = Kel Tec - little stuff for people that like little stuff.
Land Rover = Walther - Very focused product line, and does it very well. Focus on ergonomics and user experience.
GMC = H&K - professional grade.

What am I missing?

Ps. Don't hate if I insulted your car or your gun. It's all in good fun.
 
I rather like the car comparisons. I've compared Glocks to Honda Civics or Toyota Camrys in the past. Not particularly sexy, but they do their job, and they do it every time.

As James K noted, you can't really compare "a Glock" to "A 1911." While there are many models of Glock, there's one manufacturer. I don't know how many companies manufacture 1911s, but it's a bunch. There's also an extremely wide range of features and price points available, so there is also (at least arguably) a huge difference between a $400 Jamma-matic and a $4000 Les Baer.

With all of that said, and in my admittedly limited experience with 1911s, my opinion is as follows: A properly constructed and fitted 1911 is a thing of beauty, and a dream to shoot. It can also be perfectly reliable, but I think 1911s (generally) require more regular maintenance than modern, striker-fired polymer pistols. The 1911 was born in a day and age when men were (quite reasonably) expected to spend more time maintaining machines than we are today.
 
My 1911 has been flawless from day one.
It's a bottom of the line version.
The only Mercedes I ever owned was flawed from day one.
Price is not always indicative of quality.
Neither is Brand name.
 
Mayors in ft lauderdale, Florida. Its a two tone blue. They hold their value well. I could probably sell it for close to what I paid for it.

 
I have used the car analogy quite a few times myself. If you are getting the higher grade 1911's, you can easily use the watch comparison or car comparison. Guns are designed to fire bullets, watches are designed to tell time, and cars are designed to get you from point A to point B. You can go pretty cheap and still accomplish your objective (Glock, Timex, Hyundai) or the sky is the limit (Custom 1911, Patek Philippe, Rolls Royce).

The comparison falls apart when it comes to reliability and price since not all 1911s are expensive or unreliable. https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/top-5-budget-1911s/ These lower end 1911s can easily be tuned to be highly reliable and can be great shooters. On the flip side, a match grade bullseye gun is not going to be a great carry gun since they are typically built very tight. For higher end car, they contain more gadgets, which means there is more stuff to break down. Just like higher end watches (almost all are mechanical/automatic movements) require more maintenance and are more susceptible to damage compared to cheaper quartz watches. My Omega Seamaster 300 Chrono stopped resetting properly after just over a year of wearing it. It cost me $900 for the freaking service. There are so many moving parts compared to simple quartz movements. Service on even the simplest Rolex will run about $500 (so think before you buy). The other thing is that a cheap quartz watch will be more accurate most high end automatic/mechanical watches.

With all that said, a finely tuned 1911 will out shoot a stock Glock, XD, or M&P any day of the week. The crisp clean single action trigger is hard to beat compared to those mushy triggers. While Hondas and Toyotas can be tuned (not talking about the Supra or S2000), it is hard to compare to the feeling of a BMW M3 or many of the AMG Benzes. Most cars will get you from point A to point B, but getting there in style is like wearing that mice watch that might be off a few seconds a day.
 
I wear my Submariner everyday. Great looking watch in 18k gold and stainless steel. Keeps time as expected of a precision piece. I would say in the car/watch/gun analogy, the Submariner is the Wilson 1911 of watches.
 
How about comparing my Explorer 2 to my Semmerling 45 LM4?

semmerlingnrolex.jpg
 
I bet it tells the same time as my $50 Casio, which tells the same time as their $30 models.
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I bet my Timex will out time your Casio :D

I like the toyota = glock but I do not know what to match a 1911.
 
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