Devil's advocate... Why buy a 1911

[BigG]

Tuning a 1911?

Geez. I've had about a dozen or more Colts and shot a case or two of shells. I never knew they needed tune-ups. What mileage are they supposed to get one at?

 

[Wild Bill]

Thanks gang. Now I know why I’m so confused. It’s my toys history…

guns: 1911, Glock, EAA
cars: 280Z, ’69 Mustang, MG
bikes: panhead, CB750, softail,

I think I need professional help!

 

[1911Tuner]

Big G provin' once again that if it ain't a Colt, it's just a copy.
(Fireproof suit on)

Cheers!
da Tweaker

 

[1911Tuner]

Wild Bill

Cool Bill...I'm a 60's muscle car freak my own self. Mustangs
in particular, but that time I spent with a bud's 427 Cobra
left me...speechless. Owned a lotta Mustangs...from
grocery getters that wouldn't scare your granny to a
non-street legal 67 GT with a 427 Tunnel Port that flat
smoked my bud's Cobra at the digs...'Course, it took
a 4:87 gear to do it, but...

Themic...F-150 4WD here...'Cause there's somethin' wimmin like
about a pickup man...

Vroooom!
Tuner

 

[MoNsTeR]

The trigger.
The 1911 has/can have a trigger that other guns only dream about. That is, IMHO, the only real reason to have one.

 

[B Coyote]

Tuner,

I KNEW I liked you...I have a soft spot for Mustangs. Though I've never owned one...I plan to someday.

Someday.....[Insert dreamy-eyed look here]

bc

 

[bad_dad_brad]

I love this banter. You can always get a thread going by questioning an icon. I can't disagree that that M1911 is an icon. It certainly is, and of course, the basic Browning design is the basis for most of the autoloaders on the market.

I just think that basic design has been improved on. That said, I will probably buy one someday, just as a curio of course.

Well, the HighRoad proves once again, to be just as interesting and fun as the FiringLine.

P.S. - I still hate grip safeties!

 

[valnar]

why should I buy 1911?

It's like asking why should I like the American Flag or apple pie?

In my eyes, it's not about being the best gun, but owning a very viable part of history. No one says that because you buy a 1911, you have to use it to the exclusion of your Glock or Sig. That seems to be a big part of this thread. It's not like your other guns are going to get jealous!

Buy one. Shoot it. Customize it. Admire it. But if you still want to carry that hi-cap Glock for CCW when you leave home, be my guest. It's hard to argue with that. I love shooting S&W revolvers personally, and would always have one next to me when I sleep because I know it will go bang if I need it. But if I were going to war with a whole street gang, I'd bring my SIG P229 or P220 with several hi-cap magazines. Right tool for the right job.

Many people here would argue with me and think the 1911 is the perfect carry weapon. I disagree, but I do think its one of the best overall guns ever made, especially for its time. It makes a perfect target gun for me.

Someone else used a car analogy earlier. It seems to be a good choice as with computers too!

If you're a car buff, few cars are as customizable or tweakable as the old muscle cars of the late 60's and early 70's. Will a new BMW have more options, safety features, bells & whistles? Sure, that's their purpose. That's not the purpose of a Pontiac GTO.... or a 1911 for that matter. It's the "muscle car" pistol.

If you're only going to own one gun, keep the Glock. If you only need a self-defense gun, it serves the purpose, albeit blandly. But if you have a couple or more guns, it certainly doesn't hurt to have a 1911 as well, and shoot it too! It's a lot of fun.

If you had $100 million dollars, would you just buy 20 BMW's or Mercedes? Maybe at first, but I bet with all the money in the world, you'd start looking for a '57 Chevy to add to the collection.

ie. Having a collection of just factory made plastic guns can be quite boring.

-Robert

Edit:
PS. I only one 1911. I don't need any more, but then I collect S&W's. Some others collect 1911's. However, I *will* say that I don't think my collection, or any pistol collection for that matter, would be complete without at least one 1911.

 

[bad_dad_brad]

Well said Valnar!

 

[Byron Quick]

I presently own three 1911's: a Kimber, a Springfield and a Dan Wesson. All reliable out of the box. I've shot five hundred rounds in the Kimber without cleaning before I had a FTF

I've owned others...they were all reliable out of the box.

I've got a Glock 29. I like it. I just don't like to carry it. So it's my truck gun. Ugly, though.

I'll probably buy a G20 if AWB sunsets and the magazines' prices fall substantially. And I'll put in the console. And it's ugly, too.

1911 magazine capacity? I don't think I can miss fast enough to win. I carry two magazines. If it looks like the mob is about to charge, I am a) leaving the area, or b) going to the truck's toolbox and getting out the HK 91 and ten loaded 20 rd magazines.

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. There are a plethora of excellent pistols out there. And most of them leave me absolutely cold.

The 1911 doesn't.

But, hey, run what you brung.

 

[G Man.40]

The 1911's are a fine weapon , but many flavors of them are way to pricey.

 

[Mr. Black]

Real Calibers. No 9 or .40 stuff (traditionally) .45 is THE MANSTOPPER, we all know it and everything else is a compromise, and .38 Super (especially the original loads or handloads) is one heck of a flier; .357 in an autopistol.

Single Action. Please expain to me how a glock doesn't scare the heck out of you. No safeties? I could subject a locked and cocked 1911 to almost anything and it won't go off.

Single stack mags fit so well in your pocket; and with the AWB; the 10 rds I get of hard a hard hitting 147 gr HP at 1250-1300 FPS are the most I can. Why carry a 10 rd bricks in your pocket?

You know what it is. My girlfriend says all those plastic things "don't even look real." If I'm going to point a gun at something, it better look and feel like a darn gun!

I mean, what else would you get.

Oh, and they're stone cold reliable in my experience.

Lifes too short to shoot ugly guns.

 

[Grayrider]

Mr. Black,

You have good taste. Getting ready to order a .38 Super 1911 as I type this for all the reasons you gave. I have never shot a 1911 in that caliber that wasn't damn accurate. But then we digress....

GR

 

[brookstexas]

Why buy 1911- Wussis gun!

Well I had a 9mm and everyone said get a 45, 9mm doesn't have stopping power.
Then they said a 1911 is a wussie gun with so-so stopping power
get a Barrett 50 cal rifle, it was real expensive so please don't say it doesn't have stopping power!
BT
PS anyone know how to conceal carry this beast?

 

[B Coyote]

Ankle holster.....definately get an ankle holster for CCWing.

bc

 

[Mil Novecientos Once]

Why buy a 1911

Because they are mechanical enginering at its best, besides life is too short to buy and shoot ugly pistols.

The 1911's are a fine weapon , but many flavors of them are way to pricey.

Have you check the Springfields Loaded models, they run about $650.

 

[mattd]

.45 is crackhead/ ww2 jap /crazy person stopper, a .22 will stop a normal person.

 

[Byron Quick]

It's been said before but I reckon it needs to be said again: ALL handgun rounds are marginal as manstoppers. Some more than others...granted.

 

[TheMariner]

No, Byron Quick, MOST HUMANS are marginal manstoppers... A pistol is a very lethal machine in the hands of a competent and COOL marksman... anyone else experiences only a marginality of total lethality...

 

[JShirley]

Respectfully, that is demonstrably untrue. There are numerous examples on record of skilled marksmen who placed handgun rounds in what should have been kill zones on their attackers: and died regardless.

Sadly, you have just given us a soundbite, instead of a truism.

John

 

[Handy]

I just saw Schamkey's old post about accuracy.


The basic 1911 is about as (or less) accurate as any other decently constructed recoil operated firearm. With oversize parts, it will achieve excellent accuracy. So will all the other recoil operated pistols. The Army proved that even with the M9 in matches.

The reason bullseye shooters prefer the pistol is partly historical, partly based on parts availability and mainly for the reason I stated in my first post - the trigger.

Aside from the trigger, there is nothing the design does inherently better than any other design, especially when so many others are so similar.


As I have 3 factory production, not "tuned" combat pistols that will produce around 1" groups, I think it's easy to say that the 1911 isn't the most, or even close to the most accurate combat auto.

 

[Rob96]

The reason I came back to the 1911. I just couldn't find another pistol that fit my hand as well as the 1911. It just feels so natural .

 

[mattd]

If someone was to make DA on the first trigger pull the gun would be the best. Browning was a genius, its a world war 1 gun still in use today, that has to say something. Fun fact about Browning, he would leave work to go ice skating on his living room ice rink.

 

[Handy]

Matt, there have been several DA/SA 1911s over the years - all flops. The feature that makes the gun IS the trigger.

Otherwise, why not buy a Sig 220? Same capacity, same bore height, great accuracy, reliability, etc. Same with a number of guns.

 

[mattd]

Got any blueprints of the gun I can see?