1911...are they really THAT much better???

[M&PVolk]

I know many handgun fans are true believers in the 1911. I think they are beautiful guns, and the .45 is an outstanding round. That said, I guess my question is, why are they so hyped and priced at such a premium?

I have limited experience with them, but the one I have shot the most is a Kimber custom compact carry. It is beautiful, and it shoots smooth, but every time I shoot it, I find myself thinking "Is this really double the price nicer than my M&P"? I realize the M&P is a poly gun and DA only, but even with the CTC lasergrips, it was half the price of the Kimber. Additionally, my accuracy with both isn't that much different. Perhaps with more shooting the Kimber's worth would shine through, but right now I wouldn't even consider dropping $800+ on the platform without some kind of better reasoning behind it.

Is it customization? Is it reliability (which I understand is either 100% or terrible)? Is it looks? Is it ergonomics? What draws you to the 1911? I realize just "liking" them is perfectly legit as a reason to own one, I am just kind of wondering if I am missing something about the 1911 that would turn me into a fanatic about the gun as many others seem to be.

Why the 1911?

 

[Fat Boy]

This post will likely get some excellent responses.

My first response is a question; what other device from the early 1900's is still in widespread use today? That alone supports my thinking that the 1911 is possibly one of if not the best guns for its intended purpose out there. It isn't that other designs haven't come along- they have. Yet the 1911 is still going strong.

And the gun doesn't have to be a Kimber or other high dollar edition to perform -

 

[Bill B.]

I have limited experience with them, but the one I have shot the most is a Kimber custom compact carry.

For me the 1911 shines in the full size version. When you get a good one and there are many nothing else even comes close for me in a .45 ACP.

 

[444marlin]

my answer is no they are not worth it, I would rather carry my glocks or a revolver.

 

[SaxonPig]

The 1911 is elegant in its simplicity. A proven design that has stood the test of time. The finest military handgun ever devised.

That's not to say that I prefer the 1911 for all uses. I have several but don't carry one for personal defense. I prefer a pistol that carries a greater payload and I want the DA trigger system for carry. I have my reasons.

Also, I eschew the fancy doodads on 1911s like extended controls, beavertails, etc.

 

[PT1911]

they are a great weapon that many love and others loath... I own a couple and greatly enjoy shooting and carrying them. I also own polymers (not glocks) and enjoy shooting them and carrying them also..... you will find the great variance in the replies to come. in the end, you must make your own judgement based on your own experience.

 

[oldFred]

1. It is God's gift to man.
2. It is THE Perfect Design.
3. Mine works right out of the box.
4. People buy those plastic mallninja splock's I think they call them, turn around, sell them and get a 1911.
5. People have trouble with Bubba 1911's (cut down, shortened, compact, ruining the original design)


Nuff said

 

[calaverasslim]

In 1954, when my cousin came home from Korea, he brought a 1911 and introduced me to it. I shot that pistol thousands of rounds until I went into the Army in 1962. Shot the 1911 until I retired in 1984. Swore, never again. 2 years later, I bought a Colt Commander and shot it quite a bit. Sold it. said never again. I lasted 3 more years and found a Kimber at the gun show.

I do love my N frame Smiths, have several but end up grabbing the Kimber when I go to the range.

I even went so far as to buy several Smith 45's, a Glock 45 and got rid of them. I now have 2 Kimbers, commander size and a compact size.

When you own them, they have a tendency to grow on you. You realize that a quality made 1911 is as dependable as humanly possible. They go bang, first time, every time.

 

[UKJ]

Though I prefer John Browning's later design in 9mm, the 1911 is an excellent design classic and a sweet shooter.

I can't speak for others, but the 1911 just feels great in the hand - this could be due to grip angle, grip size, natural pointability or the rock solid feel you get when you operate one or it might be a combination of all of these factors.

Are they worth double the price of other pistols? Hard to say. If you're buying one made by a small manufacturer who deals in limited volume and makes a quality product, then sure, why not.

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

If you guys can find another full size pistol that I can conceal easily in an IWB under t-shirt and jeans in 90 F weather, then, by all means, tell me about it.

I'll be honest, though; for me, it was a close decision between the 1911 and one of those EAA witnesses. I chose the 1911 because I'd handled them before, and in retrospect, the witness probably wouldn't be as easy to conceal.

 

[husker]

i picked up a NIB gi 45 by HIGH STANDARD for $385 last June. i could not be happier. rock island= H-Stan. also

 

[brighamr]

I've had two 1911s, three revolvers and two XDs. All of them are good guns. (FYI you can spend $350 for a brand new full size Springfield 1911...)

I had the Springfield for a long time, but wanted the beavertail, beveled mag well, better trigger, lighter aluminum frame, etc. I probably could have bought all the parts and tried to do it myself, or I could sell the springfield and upgrade to a Kimber.... I'm now a huge fan of the Kimber lol.

I do prefer a revolver for some situations, but all of my polymers have gone bye-bye (just didn't shoot them as much).


The 1911 platform is kind of like a 68 mustang. In stock or base configuration, it will get the job done. BUT with strategic modifications by a competant smith or manufacturer, it can become a Shelby 500. If you are interested in the 1911 platform, please shoot some low end and high end models as the differences are pretty amazing.

 

[JSmith]

My big reason is that my Colt 1911 is American-made steel and wood. I'm just not all that big on imported plastic pistols.

But that's just me - there's a pistol out there for every taste and budget.

 

[kmbrman]

1911s Are they that good ?

As for myself the 1911 is an endlessly rebuildable and improvable gun. That puts it ahead in the practicallity department. I've had Poly guns that have been really good and accurate also, Sigs , Glocks ,and S&W M&P 9mm ,But I can't take them to a Gunsmith to make them into 1" guns at 25yrds. I can buy a 1911 that will do so right out of the box. Also ,I can replace any worn parts in the 1911 easily. That gives the 1911 an advantage !

 

[Floppy_D]

I dunno about better, but I've got about $500 tied up in this one, including the grips and holster. Shoots like a dream. Looks good. Ergonomics are great. Slide is nice and thin, makes for easy carry. Pretty hard to beat if you ask me.

 

[skoro]

For some, they are.

Whether or not a 1911 will tickle your fancy is another matter, though. Individual preferences are just that - individual. I'm more of a revolver guy than anything. But I will readily admit to a certain fascination with the 1911. I'll try to explain. I carried one years ago when I was in the service. I qualified expert with the 1911A1 on the handgun range. So, I have a certain comfort with this particular design.

I do own several other types of more modern semiautos. Polymer farme, lightweight, DAO style things that are very accurate and utilitarian.

But the bond just isn't there. The "modern" autos are reliable, consistent, accurate and considerably lighter. And totally lacking in personality, soul, mojo, or whatever term you'd care to use to describe the intangible something that a 1911 has but other handguns lack.

The 1911 has direct ties to Alvin York in the WW1 trenches. It was my dad's sidearm in WW2 when he was a machinegunner in the heavy fighting in NW Europe after D-Day. They served well in Korea and Vietnam. Outside of the S&W Model 10 revovler, there isn't another widely available handgun that can make the claim of serving so well for so long.

The 1911 is large, heavy, has limited capacity and yet no other handgun feels so at home in my right hand.

 

[bhk]

It is all about the trigger!!!! That makes the 1911 so much easier to shoot (for me) than my Glock or any other centerfire handgun.

 

[mljdeckard]

I had a couple of 1911s, but I listened to the other half of my brain for several years. I carried Glock, Beretta, Sig, S&W, etc. They all worked, but whenever I saw a 1911, I wished I was carrying it instead. I had listened to the idea that I needed to carry a lot of rounds, that it was a hundred years old, that it was complicated.

The truth was, I never used any weapon system as comfortably as I used a 1911, despite its 'complications'. I used my brain and did some homework, and learned that the difference between 9 rounds without a reload and 15 or so rounds without a reload was not likely to make a difference in the real world. The process of firing it is the most intuitive of any gun I have fired. Every time I pick it up, I know that I am using the handgun that has saved more soldiers' lives than any other, designed down the hill from where I live right now.

When I carried a Glock, I had 1911 envy. Since I switched back to a 1911, I don't have Glock envy.

 

[10-Ring]

I prefer the gov't and commander models.
I found we will all gravitate towards the 1911 & then decide for ourselves if it has a place in our collections

 

[rbernie]

Many, many pistols will go BANG when needed and will last longer than the shooter who buys it. The full-size 1911 is not unique in that regard. But it is relatively unique in that it was designed specifically to be a war-fighting tool; it had to work under diverse field conditions, it needed to have decisive firepower, and it needed to provide the user with a spectrum of capabilities (e.g. complete one handed operation) regardless of the situation. It was not designed to a price point first and to a functional spec secondarily.

There are some pistols that are designed as sporting arms. There are many pistols that are designed as duty arms. There are a few pistols that are designed as fighting arms.

The full-size 1911 (in its traditional form, without FLGRs and such) is one of those pistols that is, as far as I am concerned, designed to be a fighting pistol. That makes it relatively unique in a world of sporting and duty pistols.

 

[David E]

A properly set up 1911 is the best fighting handgun there is......for the shooter dedicated to the 1911 system.

If you're not dedicated to it, then another gun is a better choice for you regarding defensive applications.

.

 

[Zundfolge]

1911s are like the girl with the curl.

When they are good they're very good, but when they're bad they're horrid.

 

[jad0110]

The truth was, I never used any weapon system as comfortably as I used a 1911, despite its 'complications'.

Actually, for those who have detail stripped a 1911, they really aren't nearly as complicated many other guns out there. Yes, there are a few more steps for field stripping a 1911 as compared to a Glock or XD. But IMO, detail stripping a 1911 is far simpler than doing so on said Glock or XD.

As for cost, well, if you are willing to pay it, then it must be fair enough ... for you anyway. It might not be for the next person in line. I tend to prefer no frills, basic 1911s without a lot of doodads. My Springfield milspec has decent 3 dot sights, a beveled magwell, lowered a flared ejection port (good for reloaders), polished feedramp and a throated barrel. I'm personally not interested in FLGRs, front cocking serations, adjustable triggers, bull barrels and aluminum frames.

1911...are they really THAT much better???

In the end, as much as I like 1911s as compared to other autos, I don't really any better than other options out there in general. Better for some people, but not for others. Its as simple as that.

 

[ugaarguy]

I know many handgun fans are true believers in the 1911. I think they are beautiful guns, and the .45 is an outstanding round. That said, I guess my question is, why are they so hyped and priced at such a premium?

Their price is a result of the fact that they were designed when machine time was expensive, and hand fitting was cheap.

I have limited experience with them, but the one I have shot the most is a Kimber custom compact carry. It is beautiful, and it shoots smooth, but every time I shoot it, I find myself thinking "Is this really double the price nicer than my M&P"? I realize the M&P is a poly gun and DA only, but even with the CTC lasergrips, it was half the price of the Kimber.

Maybe that model is twice the price of a CT equipped M&P, but a base model Kimber runs in the mid $800s. A .45 ACP Glock or M&P runs in the Mid to high $500 range. Para's new GI Expert, which is a pretty nice basic 1911, is about the same price as a Glock or M&P.

Why are 1911s so hyped? Being the standard issue sidearm for both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam is a pretty solid pedigree alone. Jeff Cooper, the father of modern handgun techniques, was a devotee of the 1911 as well. Further, many elite US military units use the 1911, even after they were pulled from standard issue, which makes some civilians think even more of them. Additionally, many top competition shooters use some 1911 variant in their sport. All of those are great reasons that 1911s are hyped, loved, whatever you want to call it.

For me it's ergos and trigger pull. Range time showed me that 1911s and DAO 3rd gen S&Ws are the semi-autos I shoot best. I own both, but I like the 1911s better. I also just enjoy the craftsmanship of a well built 1911.

If something else works better for you then by all means use that. Your M&P is a great gun, and it seems to work well for you. Enjoy it.

 

[mudriver]

Qoute "The finest military handgun ever devised."

Do you have any evidence or facts to support this statement. I carried a 1911 in combat and it, along with the rest in my unit, were POS's. I bought a Sig back in the 80's and it is a better combat gun than any 1911 I've seen in service.