I have never bought a 1911 because...

What is the main reason you have never bought a 1911

  • Typically magazine capacity is only 8 rounds

    Votes: 2 3.2%
  • Most factory magazines should be immediately replaced, that seems wrong to me

    Votes: 1 1.6%
  • Even if it costs $800.00 it is still viewed as acceptable that it should be tuned to make it run

    Votes: 11 17.5%
  • They just don't appeal to me

    Votes: 14 22.2%
  • They have a reputation of being finicky and problematic

    Votes: 9 14.3%
  • There are many modern firearms and the 1911 never makes it to the top of my list

    Votes: 26 41.3%

  • Total voters
    63
  • Poll closed .
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Funny you should ask.
I didnt buy one for 40 years because the one the army gave me was junk. That was 68 on the senior trip to South Viet Nam.
Fast forward to 08. A frient wanted to try my beloved CZ. I let him. Reluctanty and to be polite I tried his 1911. I fell in love. I now own 3 and one is on my hip right now. Never had a problem and they all work flawlessly.
So thats my reason, sort of. :)
 
I can't vote here, since I bought a Colt XSE a while back.

None of the options above apply anyway (aside from the 8-round capacity).
 
Same here. I own a whole mess of M1911s. I train with them, individually, with friends, at club meets and with professionals.

Problem with polls like this is that they merely proliferate lies about a design that has demonstrated 100+ years of reliable service.
 
Never appealed to me because of the weight and limited capacity. Really the 45 and 40 don't appeal to a 9mm guy. I'm probably quite a bit younger than most on here though.

Now that blue kimber they adverstise on this site is one sweet looking piece. I do like the customization aspect of the firearm though.
 
Never did because the expense of a quality, left-handed (or fully-ambidextrous) one was too high to justify both its acquisition, and the learning of a new manual-of-arms. Virtually all of my guns are defense-oriented, and all my combat training has involved guns that can be fired using a double-action trigger stroke.

But, I didn't select a poll option because none fits.
 
Problem with polls like this is that they merely proliferate lies about a design that has demonstrated 100+ years of reliable service.

Another problem with polls is the commentary offered by those for whom the polls are irrelevant.

If someone posted a "why did you buy a 1911?" poll, you can bet I wouldn't be posting in it, as I have not done so.
 
So you you want to see posts only by sycophants?

If a poll is flawed to begin with, I point it out, just like you think it's worthwhile to make your thoughts known.
 
One day I will add the 1911 to my collection. But i am filling holes in the 9mm collection still. (I may even commit the heresy of buying a 9mm 1911).
 
The reasons for someone not doing something have to be subjective.
An objective poll would have been worded:
I bought a 1911 but never again because:
- It would not shoot hollow points
- It left me wanting something else
- My hands were too small
- Even after 200 rounds it was less reliable than I expected

Even if the reasons someone doesn't do something is not true, it was still perceived as valid. I.E. I have never bought a Toyota because Chevy is more American. But the reasons are important to enumerate and think about.
 
I started my 1911 love affair at 17, 40 years ago. I wish I still had that one. :)
 
I truly love classic firearms, but the 1911 is one of my least favorite weapons. Truthfully I have had a few but have traded them off because they NEVER seemed to be worth their monetary value. I sold a crimson pro carry and bought 3 guns with the money that I enjoyed as much or more INDIVIDUALLY than the 1911s combined. For 800 bucks or 1200 bucks or 400 bucks you get a 100 year old gun that hasn't truly been upgraded. It is heavy, loud, heavy, recoil a lot, is heavy, doesn't like ANY ammo....when you go buy a 3rd Gen smith, a Beretta 92, anything made by sig or even a hi point and you get a gun that out of the box mirrors most 1911s in reliability, accuracy, and function. For the money a 1911 is a terrible gun, but by the time you get a well tuned custom that actually works you are in into the gun for at least a grand if not 4 grand to have a gun that is the equal of a $500 glock. They are sweet as hell at that point, but to be fair let a man sink 4 grand into a glock or sig and see what gets built. As a collectable piece (WW2 Era or older) they are great.
 
I always find something more interesting at a better price point...
hence why I bought a S&W CS45 instead of the RIA 9mm/.22TCM recently...
The RIA's still on the "Get It" list, but its under a few things ;)
 
None of those options really apply to me. I'm not really sure why I haven't bought a 1911 yet.
Initially, the style just didn't 'do' anything for me. But over time, I've grown to be quite fond of them. Maybe that's just me getting older?
I also didn't want to expand my caliber footprint (from being only 9mm at the time, for both handguns AND rifles/carbines), and that was before I learned that 1911's come in caliber's other than .45. Even still, I wasn't keen on the additional expense of .45acp ammo vs. 9mm until the ammo crisis hit and then it didn't seem to matter either way.
I'm over all of those hurdles now, having already expanded into .223/5.56 and now .38 special, so I really don't know why I don't have a 1911 these days. Guess I just haven't come across the right deal, although the several recent deals on ATI's offerings have been very tempting at $299 after rebates.
Ultimately, I think I still would rather have a 1911 in 9mm, and if I'm going to go that route, I think I'd want an STI offering, which seems to have a great reputation - and those things never seem to be on sale.
 
I just don't like them. The first time I shot one was in the Army, first handgun I ever shot, and it just felt awful in my hands. Even after I started buying guns for myself they still felt awful in my hands. The first time I picked up a BHP it felt wonderful in comparison. Then a friend of mine bought one back in 80s and after he spent more on gun smithing than the gun cost it still was never reliable with JHPs it pretty much sealed the deal with me.
 
Ditto with the Nam Vet; after my ETS, I wanted nothing to do with things that shoot - got tired of the .45, the 5.56 and the 12 ga. - I was glad to be out and be home - 42 years later, let's just say that I have changed my mind. The "stuff" they build today is costly but most is good stuff - I am old enough now to be past the money - lots of good stuff to buy. I hope that my response did not skew the poll.
 
There are many modern firearms and the 1911 never makes it to the top of my list


The biggest misnomer of all.
99.9% so called "modern" guns are based on JMB's tilting barrel or other old tech..
 
Funny you should ask.
I didnt buy one for 40 years because the one the army gave me was junk. That was 68 on the senior trip to South Viet Nam.

Likewise the ones I carried and had to attempt to repair in the Army in the mid-1980's were worn out pieces of scrap that were more dangerous as a boomerang.

I finally broke down and got a Rock Island Tactical this summer and can finally understand what people see in the 1911 design.
 
While I can definitely appreciated the design, effectiveness and great trigger, I view it as a Harley D..

I raced MXers & Enduros back in the day, but really appreciated the Harley for what it was/is--an iconic road machine. It just didn't fit into my uses. The new ones are gorgeous and cost a fortune.

The 1911-type .45s definitely can be superior shooters; but for some of the reasons on the poll and my shooting "niche", I just never felt the need.
 
My Dan Wesson Valor 1911 and my Gen4 Glock 21 often go in the range bag together with me and I enjoy shooting them both for entirely different reasons and that's just the way it is, variety is the spice of life!
 
I had to vote for the "modern guns" option, misnomer or not. Ultimately, the reason I never bought one, despite a certain level of interest, is that there are always other guns above it on my list when buying funds become available. I KNOW that won't change for at least a few years. No rush.

For me, a 1911 would be nice to have the same way it would be nice to have a golden toilet. I'd use it occasionally, but mostly I'd look at it and talk about how nice it is, but spend most of my time with a simpler, less expensive machine.

Every once in a while the 1911 bug bites me again, but it always stops itching within a couple days.
 
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