[Tecolote]

I once owned a Model 80 Colt Combat Elite. I had a solid bushing installed and a bearvertail grip to avoid hammer bite. It was accurate and reliable except with some types of ammo. I had about $700 in the thing but then the WonderNine willies got to me. I stupidly sold the Combat Elite to a friend for $300. The guy at the shop that did the transfer had offered me $250 so I felt like I wasn't losing too much. I was young and dumb. My buddy has never had a single problem with the Colt.

Since then I've handled nearly every brand of auto available. Some I've liked more than others but I've always given thought to getting another 1911.

I'm outsider to the cult but there's something about the 1911 that keeps me wanting to buy another one. Maybe it's the trigger, the heft, the balance, the fit, or maybe it's that a 1911 is as American as apple pie.

[Tamara]

The one really cool thing about it? It's one of the few pistols that is so modular and has so many aftermarket gizmos and commercial variations that you can set one up that is exactly the way you want it...

[cratz2]

Personally, I can't stand the 1911... It's an outdated, obsolete platform shooting a projectile that is lucky to ever penetrate clothing, let alone a person. What you really want is a CZ52... or better yet, a .30-357SIG! That thing will knock anyone plumb off their feet up into a wall or if you line the shot up just right, spectacularly through a plate glass window. And it'll kill 'em lazer ray dead with none of that inconsiderate wait time the 45AutoCrappyPistol bullets leave you with.


:p

[Stainless Steel]

cratz2:

Are you OK man? Speak to me! Did you get
bumped on the head? I think you were
hallucinating there for a moment. Hope you
are OK! Let us know when you are feeling
better!

I am really, really concerned! Should I call
911?

Please don't scare us like that! You almost
gave me a stroke!

:D

Stainless.

http://home.mindspring.com/~colt45acp/nra1.gif

[agentwithrow]

I know what you mean about the appeal of a 1911. I have several new autos, most are polymers, HK, Glock, ruger, Beretta, Sigs, and I kept feeling incomplete, I just needed something heavier, something that just felt like a real damn pistol. Now I will still love my guns like children, but some get more attention than others, and shooting a 1911 is like Tamara said, totally customizable to you, and who DOESN,T like to customize?

[arinvolvo]

Its the same reason that people still buy vinyl records....




















They are living in the past!!...HAHAHAHA!!! :neener: Just Kidding, please dont kill me.

[SodaPop]

I would have to compare the 1911 to something like a Gibson- Les Pal. Change the strings and change the pick-ups, and it'll play like something new with the same vintage style.:D

[sm]

They will go for hundreds of thousands of rds. Inspect, maintain and when need the parts can be easily replaced. Neat deal about the design-IMO.

[Gilmore]

I have owned and been shooting 1911s since i was 17, i`m 29 now and have yet to shoot anything that makes me want to convert to another weapon system. IMO the 1911 is the most beautiful gun ever made & has the best trigger. They can be made as accurate as you want. And ofcourse nothing will ever come anywhere even remotely close to it`s heritage. Pride of ownership is high! I could go on but i think that sums up the basics.

Now before my post starts a war, i should mention that two days ago i was followed home by a Glock 19, and i have decided to keep it. :D

[WonderNine]

I had about $700 in the thing but then the WonderNine willies got to me. I stupidly sold the Combat Elite to a friend for $300.

Huh????????????????

You're losing me here.....

Its the same reason that people still buy vinyl records....

Analog vinyl sounds better than CD's any day of the week on a properly set up system. :)

[schapman43]

Personally, I can't stand the 1911... It's an outdated, obsolete platform shooting a projectile that is lucky to ever penetrate clothing, let alone a person. What you really want is a CZ52... or better yet, a .30-357SIG! That thing will knock anyone plumb off their feet up into a wall or if you line the shot up just right, spectacularly through a plate glass window. And it'll kill 'em lazer ray dead with none of that inconsiderate wait time the 45AutoCrappyPistol bullets leave you with.

Thats what I'm saying! 230gr, big woop!! One shot stops, who cares!

[CZF]

The 1911 fans will always stand by the old warhorse.

Others..think the P-35 Browning is the Zenith in handgun
design..and anything else is outdated (1911) or a bad
imitation.If JMB wanted a 9mm for the European market,
why didn't he just make a 9mm caliber 1911? A 30's
edition of the wide body Para.

He found faults in the 1911 and rectified them in the P-35.
The CZ75 takes the design a bit further by offering a DA/SA
action. Some people do need Double Action in this world.

I always wondered if the old Colt would be so popular if
it was only offered in .38 Super?? Would people be in love
with the .38 Manstopper? 1911s are great for the guys &
gals that admire them. For some people they are the cat's
meowww. I'm one of the persons that sees no charm in them.

[Soap]

The 1911 is just perfect for me. It fits, it is easy to carry, accurate, easy to shoot, fires a big chunk of lead, et cetera ad infinitum.

[Shweboner]

I had a chance to fire a 1911 a while back, I loved it. I need one now! I dont think it'll ever be obsolete.

Watching "Cops" last night and noticed an officer carrying a 1911 cocked & locked:uhoh: with all the other cops around, in a sea of glocks, that 1911 looked like the baddest on the block.


NOw dont get me wrong, I love the polymers also. My XD is still king. But you cant forget your past, and IMO the 1911 was the one that proved the legitimacy of semi-auto handguns.


~Brian

[Boats]

SNIP--If JMB wanted a 9mm for the European market,
why didn't he just make a 9mm caliber 1911? A 30's
edition of the wide body Para.

Might have something to do with those pesky patents Colt held. Seriously, a hinged trigger on a SA pistol is not an improvement over the stirrup style. Might also have something to do with ego. Why merely repeat yourself when you can try and top yourself? In some regards, the BHP tops the 1911, in others it falls short of the benchmark.

He found faults in the 1911 and rectified them in the P-35.

Yep, I think the 1911's plunger tube is inelegant. However, the BHP is worse in the hammer bite department and not as easy to do something about. The trigger, even when worked on is far worse than the typical 1911, and the ergonomics not quite as adapatable. Finally, the BHP is chambered in the wrong cartridge.:neener:

The CZ75 takes the design a bit further by offering a DA/SA
action. Some people do need Double Action in this world.

Yep. Some people need double action. Some people should also walk around with crash helmets on.:D

SNIP

[garrettwc]

Cratz, your meds may be kicking in dude!:D

Your comment (tongue in cheek) reminded me of an old Rosco Benson quote since it was almost the opposite statement.

I am sharing it here:


"Of course the 1911 is an outdated design. It came from an era when weapons were designed to win fights, not to avoid product liability lawsuits. It came from an era where it was the norm to learn how your weapon operated and to practice that operation until it became second nature, not to design the piece to the lowest common denominator. It came from an era in which our country tried to supply its fighting men with the best tools possible, unlike today, when our fighting men and women are issued hardware that was adopted because of international deal-making or the fact that the factory is in some well-connected congressman's district. Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the 1911 IS an outdated design.... and that's exactly what I love about it."


Rosco S. Benson

Ya gotta love how Rosco just gets to the point.

[TarpleyG]

Analog vinyl sounds better than CD's any day of the week on a properly set up system.
AMEN!!! to that...

GT

[BZ422]

I've never had good luck with 1911's in general. Over the past few years I've tried many different ones, all with poor results. I've generally just gotten fed up with them. I listened to alot of people saying "get a 1911, its great" and such things, and to my experience I've found everything I've heard to be wrong. All being said, I did like the accuracy of the gun and the ergonomics.

[Standing Wolf]

My Kimber is the best model 1911 I've ever owned or shot.

That said™, it's still only a .45 A.C.P.: not enough round in a push comes to shove situation.

[HBK]

A lot of the guys I know that shoot 1911s are always having trouble with them breaking. Not very reliable are they?

[Gilmore]

HBK, I have never had any problems with any of mine, stock or customized. It`s been around and in service for nearly a century. If breakages and reliability problems were the norm it wouldn`t be thriving still today.

[Tamara]

A lot of the guys I know that shoot 1911s are always having trouble with them breaking. Not very reliable are they?

Nah.

They're hard to clean after you stomp them into the mud, too. ;)

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=167309

[sm]

quote: "A lot of the guys I know that shoot 1911s are always having trouble with them breaking. Not very reliable are they?"
___

Another one that will disagree. I find the design to be the most reliable for me. I have shot mine caked in mud, and snow. I have done the "Vickers Sand Test". Mine kept firing, and did fire with no manual manipulation needed after pouring sand down my C&L holstered 1911.

I like K frames...sorry , but they choked with mud and snow...also wouldn't fire when sand tested.

Like Tamara is demonstrating...1911's clean up easy :D

[stretcharmstrong]

http://www.boomspeed.com/stretchcdr/Kimbercards.jpg

The 1911 is a wonderful hand gun. Very modular for personalization (notice arched mainspring housing.) It is highly accurate with one of the best triggers in the biz.

[kbellis3]

D***#$% Tamara, at least take the wood grip panels off before you start handwashing JMB's Lethal Masterpiece of Metal.


Kyle

[PCRCCW]

CZF.....quote "The 1911 fans will always stand by the old warhorse.

Others..think the P-35 Browning is the Zenith in handgun
design..and anything else is outdated (1911) or a bad
imitation.If JMB wanted a 9mm for the European market,
why didn't he just make a 9mm caliber 1911? A 30's
edition of the wide body Para.

He found faults in the 1911 and rectified them in the P-35.
The CZ75 takes the design a bit further by offering a DA/SA
action. Some people do need Double Action in this world.

I always wondered if the old Colt would be so popular if
it was only offered in .38 Super?? Would people be in love
with the .38 Manstopper? 1911s are great for the guys &
gals that admire them. For some people they are the cat's
meowww. I'm one of the persons that sees no charm in them."

Your a truely sick, twisted and opinionated man.....Thats why were on the same wavelength....:evil:

Hey...to each there own...I love the 1911, BHP and CZ.... If 45 was as cheap to shoot as a 9mm with factory ammo...Id have a slew of 1911's.....

Boats

"Yep. Some people need double action. Some people should also walk around with crash helmets on. "

Are you saying Jeff Cooper road the special bus to school? I gotta hear this one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :neener:

CZ's rock...I know I started the conspiracy!!!!!! :what: But I love them all.....well, except Beretta...LOL

shoot well

[Boats]

Jeff Cooper is a lot of things to many people, but a fan of double action autos is not one of them. More considered like an unnecessary evil at best.

[Penforhire]

I've been shooting my series 70 for almost 15 years. Mechanically it is stone reliable, in terms of breaking parts. But, even with throating and Wilson mags it is fussy about what ammo it likes. "Feed me ball and I will keep you happy."

I must get around to trying the more modern incarnations (Wilson, Kimber, etc.) because as it is, I'd rather shoot my P99 and my 686 because neither one cares much about what I feed it. And I agree few things are as American as the 1911.

And you can rag on me all you want but I cannot shoot MY series 70 well in terms of groups on a target.

[Art Eatman]

Old Slabsides just fits my hand really, really righteously, so I've always been satisfied. My preference is to find old, rusty clunkers to workover and rebuild. They're really easy to work on.

If the magazine feed lips are set correctly, the 1911 will darned near feed empty brass. (Not that I'd want to, but it does mean that SWC feeds as well as RN.)

Cooper called the DA semi-auto "a solution searching for a problem". I agree.

Doesn't matter how happy I am with a 1911. For any of you who have found some other pistol to fit your hand better, or with which you shoot better, that's the best pistol there is.

:), Art

[dsk]

Nah.

They're hard to clean after you stomp them into the mud, too. ;)

Tamara, you really should just use the dishwasher instead. :D

http://www.nwlink.com/~dkamm/wetcolt.jpg

[sm]

dsk, do use find the "Jet Dry " [tm] ...just curious if it makes any difference? ;)

---
quote:" always wondered if the old Colt would be so popular if
it was only offered in .38 Super??"
---
I could live with .38 super. I've also been playing with 9x23 and like it a lot...

That said, I prefer the 45ACP. Though I have, and have shot some very very nice 1911's, I'm like Art.

Something about the poor, homely, neglected 1911 getting cleaned up , given a warm dry place to stay and getting well fed, just gives me satisfaction.

Especially when that sucker runs and the high dollar boys and their toys choke.;)

[Art Eatman]

I've found that by laying down some brazing material on the back side of the trigger-bar and then filing to fit, I get the take-up slop to no more than 0.020". Sure makes double-taps a whole bunch easier.

Following the directions in Hallock's book on the 1911 lets you get a really fine trigger, along with the other tuning.

Careful use of a belt sander on the sides of a magazine makes it drop out quite freely. :) A couple of strips of leather, razor-cut to fit, plus Elmer's glue, and you've got good but cheap pads--they lived through a lot of my IPSC speed-reloads.

My hands don't get sweaty, so I've been quite happy with the Pachmyr "combat" style grips, without that thumbswell thingy.

1911s are lotsa fun.

:), Art

[PCRCCW]

Regarding Cooper,
Funny, he highly recommends the CZ75 B and has commented that its one of the best defensive gun designs he has seen.
(Personally, I dont see how he could have made this comment without comparing it to the infamous 1911 and knowing its a DA trigger gun :neener: )
Shoot well....

[Marko Kloos]

Cooper loves the CZ-75 design because it can be carried cocked-and-locked, circumventing the DA trigger.

Personally, I think the CZ-75 is the bee's knees, but I don't have an issue with DA triggers myself. It's the one gun that fits my hand even better than a 1911. Still, the 1911 has a unique combination of ergonomics and desirable features, and the reason it's been popular for over 80 years is that no other gun has quite offered the same combination of ballistics, trigger quality, slimness, and accuracy.

[Tecolote]

Just curious but when did Colonel Cooper recomend the CZ75B? I know that he commented favorably on the CZ75 but I didn't know he also liked the B.:D

I hope no one is putting WWII 1911s into the diswasher.:(

[Erik]

..."but there's something about the 1911 that keeps me wanting to buy another one. Maybe it's the trigger, the heft, the balance, the fit, or maybe it's that a 1911 is as American as apple pie."

Yup. But don't forget the mystic, the legend, the "customability," the shootability, and the whatever else it is that endears so many to it.

:cool: