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

[FlyinBryan]

I carried a 1911 in combat and it, along with the rest in my unit, were POS's.

your unit was a p.o.s.?


the 1911 design is the finest combat handgun ever devised.

its possible you didnt properly maintain yours, although most will fire even after severe abuse.

 

[bac1023]

The 1911 is my favorite handgun design by far. They point great for me and I love the trigger. On top of that, they're the sexiest looking autos on the market.

I collect them, actually. I've got several dozen that I acquired over time.

Here's a couple.

 

[jfrey]

It's just me, but when I pick up one of my Glocks or revolvers, I feel their weight and heavy trigger pull. It just doesn't feel like a natural motion to shoot them. When I pick up one of my Briley 1911's, they are the most natural things I have ever shot. The crisp trigger pull and pointability are without compare. Really well built and properly fitted 1911's are expensive, but once you have shot one of them, you will know why some of us spend so much money on them. For me, they are worth it.

 

[bac1023]

I agree.

 

[.308]

I love the way the 1911 looks, feels, and functions. It's been nothing but reliable for me.

 

[f4t9r]

The 1911"s are certainly one of the best. How much you want to spend is up to you. Others are good also. A nice 1911 or a Sig,HK or even a XDM are up over 600.00 new. Most of the time you get what you pay for.
With that said some of those guns can be found used for a decent price.
Are 1911"s worth the money? I say yes !!

 

[BlackHand1917]

I have owned a Springfield Armory plain vanilla M1911 for many years and I think its greatest advantage is that it has a single-action trigger. Carried "cocked and Locked" the trigger pull is Uniform (unlike most automatics.) The grip angle is also very natural to the hand...at least my hand. The only bad thing I can say about the 1911 is that the .45ACP cartridge is getting more and more expensive all the time.

 

[RevolvingCylinder]

Mechanical simplicity, steel frame, and outstanding trigger is why I like them.

 

[M&PVolk]

skoro wrote:

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.

I can appreciate this response and can actually relate to it, albeit with a different tool, the automobile. I am a fan of vintage American muscle cars and feel like modern day vehicles have no soul. An interesting comparison with the 1911 vs. the polymer guns. I LOVE my M&P, 100% reliability, light, rugged and believe it or not, attractive to me. That said, I do see the point in the general "quality" of the 1911. I have just felt that shooting them has left me with an enjoyable experience, but nothing earth shattering. Perhaps my expectations of the gun were too high, or maybe my indifference is based simply on the fact that I was shooting someone else's.

Some very good observations and comments so far. Please keep them coming. Also, if someone could give me an opinion on the Dan Wesson model 1911's, I would appreciate that. Also, Rock River, who seems much more affordable. Thank you.

 

[Tamlin]

Used to have a Ruger P90. Got the 1911 bug - traded it in on a Dan Wesson PM7. Totally different animals. The Ruger was pure functionality - big, brutish, intimidating. The 1911: sleek, sexy, impressive. I thought the Ruger was accurate; compared to the 1911, it was all over the place. I thought the Ruger fit my hand pretty well; compared to the 1911, it was an uncarved block of wood. Don't get me wrong - I love the Ruger, and wish I hadn't have traded it - but shooting the 1911 is like driving an Audi compared to a Chevy. Worth the price difference? That's up to you. Sometimes you want a Chevy; sometimes you want something more.

 

[GLI45]

1911s - Wonderfully balanced, great set up in the hand due to the angle of the grip to the barrel & slide, very accurate, and unmatched triggers. With some of the quality double stacks now available (my preference is STI), capacity is no longer an issue. As for aesthetics, there is beauty in the simple clean lines of a 1911. I own and enjoy shooting other handguns, but for me, none equals the 1911. It's simply an American classic that has stood the test of time.

 

[robctwo]

I don't own a Dan Wesson, but would in a second. I have a few other 1911s, and the DW looks good in the full size and commander models. Also has the 9mm. 9mm 1911s are very nice as well.

Trigger, sight radius, slim grips, good control location, all steel. I have a few other guns, but shoot the 1911s most of the time.

 

[Isher]

CZ's do the same things.

To my mind, it is the old argument of

Work dog vs. Show dog.

Now because I grew up with work dogs,

Weapons included, my prejudice shows.

So be it.

Just my .02, and I'm sure I'll

Hear about my heresy.

isher

 

[maskedman504]

To relate a personal experience; I LOVE CZ pistols. My father and brother are SIG fanatics. All three of us are proponents of all metal firearms; my father only buys stainless finished pistols. I never really considered a 1911- the CZ line has pistols for (almost) every popular semi-auto pistol chambering. (9mm, .32, .38, .40, .45, .22lr) I never considered a 1911 because I prefer DA/SA pistols with a decocker. However, I was at a local gun stoe yesterday and decided to pickup a Springfield Mil-Spec. I checked out the controls, racked the slide, checked the sight picture. The heft of the gun was nice. I generally don't dry fire weapons that don't belong to me because it carries a stigma, but when I handed the gun back to the salesman he cocked it and handed back to me and told me to fire it. I saw him check the chamber- I decocked it and checked again. I then cocked the hammer and dang that trigger was beautiful. The trigger was comparable to my hunting rifle (Browning A-Bolt stainless stalker- the first time my brother fired the rifle he told me he fired it accidently)

Conclusion: I am not selling all my CZs (substitute for Glock/Sig/1911/HK etc) but I am going to buy a 1911.

Post Scriptum: This forum is rife with all or nothing mentalities. Nothing is the end-all be-all. Ok, you love your bicycle. In fact it is the best bicycle in the world and you can't imagine owning a different one. That's fine. I like to travel differently. The only thing that we all gain by failing to introduce options into our lives is exactly that- a lack of options.

 

[Isher]

maskedman -

Your have a point, partially.

The 1911a was/is the signature semi of the 20th century.

The work dog of the 21st century, in my opinion,

Is the CZ line.

And you Glocksters can just faaade away.

(Courtesy of the Who)

But **** happens.

The work dog 1911a

Has turned into any number of show dogs,

Which don't do a hell of a lot for me,

Other than wishing to pull a hell of a lot of cash

Out of my pocket.

For what?

isher

 

[weisse52]

OK, I think I agree with Isher.

I like the 1911a1, it has worked for me for the last 30+ years. I like them as simple as possible. No extended anything, no FLGR, simple fixed sights. Most of the time with the orginal spur hammer.

But, to each his own. I just know that the platform works for me,

 

[Jefferson Herb]

I've owned a few 1911's over the years,and got rid of them.The 1911 combat commander in 9mm I think will stay.

 

[NGIB]

Pick one up and shoot it. I shoot 1911s better than any other handgun - period. I have a variety of pistols but for competitions I always reach for one of JMBs creations.

I moved here late last year and joined in on the monthly pin shoots at the local range. The first one I entered (first ever for me BTW) - I won with my 1st generation Kimber Gold Match. At that match, only 2 of the 16 shooters used 1911s. At the match on Wednesday, I expect 90% of the guns shot will be 1911s...

 

[H2O MAN]

I've shot a few 1911's, but I don't care to own any of them.
I'm sure they are better than some, but the 1911 is not my #1 choice.

 

[schmeky]

Has anyone considered why, nearly 100 years later, we are STILL extolling the virtues (or lack of) of the 1911?

 

[mudriver]

Qoute "your unit was a p.o.s.?"
FlyinBryan - I believe you owe me an apology.


the 1911 design is the finest combat handgun ever devised. (again your opinion)

its possible you didnt properly maintain yours, although most will fire even after severe abuse. (they were properly maintained according to military specifications)

 

[EHL]

I have to post this great quote from one of our own forum members, Billy Shears. It really points out the virtues of the 1911 platform. Sorry it's a long quote, but it is indeed a good read.

Just look at the weapon's strengths. I've already mentioned the trigger, but it's worth repeating, since it is probably the number one reason why this almost century old design is still so favored. Many other guns can match the 1911s reliability and practical accuracy, but not one has as good, let alone a better trigger. Then there's ergonomics, which are unsurpassed by any other handgun; the gun points quite naturally for most shooters, and the controls are all placed ideally for rapid, positive operation, even under stress. The safety, magazine release, and slide release can all be operated by the shooting hand with great ease, and the motor skills they demand are not fine ones (certainly no finer than operating the trigger is). Thirdly, there is accuracy, of which the 1911 has more than enough. Some examples are capable of match grade accuracy (and they don't always necessarily give up too much reliability to achieve this either, though some do), but even a stock, GI 1911, that rattles like a castanet when you shake it typically has enough accuracy to put its full magazine inside an eight inch-diameter circle at 25 yards, and that's easily accurate enough for a combat pistol. Finally, there is reliability. Many, many people will sneer at the 1911 as a "design that you must spend a LOT on cash to be semi-reliable" and this is simply rubbish. It's true that there are many unreliable 1911s out there. And the thing they all have in common is that the design has been monkeyed with to varying degrees. A well made, mil-spec 1911 is still as reliable as anything you can lay your hands on.

 

[DeepSouth]

A good 1911 is sorta like a Harley Davidson, Unexplainable to the people who they aren't meant for.

That's right Harley's and 1911's aren't for everyone, but I love them both.

If I have to explain it, you wouldn't understand.

 

[sohcgt2]

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?

Supply and demand, people pay for them and so the price goes up.

 

[Midian]

I have a pre CZ Dan Wesson PM7 1911. Shoots like a dream. Love the weight. All stainless. Gets a little fussy with certain magazines.

My SA Loaded is strong like bull. Shoots wonderfully, lovely to look at. Leapt into my hand and demanded to be taken home.

I pick up my PT1911 tomorrow. (CA mommy state rules) Looking forward to feeding it some rounds.

For me the 1911 is perfect size, perfect weight, beautiful to look at, and packs a whole lot of boom boom.

I love my Sigs and CZs as well, they're great guns, but the 1911 is--like the previous poster mentioned--like 70s American Muscle Cars; my A6 will destroy them on the road, but those machines have a wonderful, elegant soul that snarls when riled.