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I fell in love with a 1911 today...

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jpatterson

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So at my local range this evening I was just plinking around and zeroing my roommates CZ .22 rifle when everyone starts to leave and the time comes to close down the range. I start talking to the Range Officer and he has several pistols he brought to let a friend try out who is trying to decide on caliber and style.

Anyway, he offers to let me fire his bone stock Colt GI 1911 and (of course :)) I obliged. Immediately, it fit my hand perfect. Balance felt good, I liked the weight. Sadly, my only experience with handguns lies on the polymer styles of 9mm Glocks and my XD.45

But geez, this just felt RIGHT! I have small hands and the doublestack of my .45 magwell was never too comfortable. Having no source of comparison to smaller-gripped pistols I had never known what I was missing.

I shot 7/7 on paper at 50 feet, more consistency than after shooting my XD after a couple boxes of FMJ. I NEED ONE OF THESE!!! Maybe not a Colt per se, but is there any cheaper (400-500$) alternative to GI 1911s?
 
I'll cut to the chase and say buy a used Colt. For that matter, you can find new Colts for $550.00, i.e., the Colt Combat Commander 1991. Oddly enough, my least expensive Colt, is also the most accurate. Go figure. :scrutiny:

Edit to add: It isn't true love unless you give her a name. :)

Doc2005
 
Is it alright...

to fire a stranger's gun in a shooting range? I mean if somebody offers you to try and shoot their guns, is this okey? Im asking this cuz ive another fired a stranger's firearm in a shooting range, but of course no one offered, but Im thinking I should not. Ive neither offered to a stranger to fire my guns either. Don't you think its possible that someone could frame you up with your finger prints all over :eek: and you could be the unwilling perp? Sounds far fetch?

Lets me hear your thoughts.

(Letting a friend shoot is another story. Im talking about total strangers.)

Thanks in advance.

(sorry jpatterson, not meant to hijack the thread but im wanting to know the concensus on borrowed firearms ethics in a shooting range from another person that we may not personally know.)
 
No combatantr2, I totally understand your point. However, he works as the range officer at the local range like I said and is there every Tuesday. He could have had malicious intent, and I admit I hadn't even considered that, but I doubt it.
He also let me shoot his father's old service .357 and his J-frame.

Now I understand why all you 1911 nuts are 1911 nuts! :D
But next time I will be sure to wipe the gun down after using someone elses...
 
Is it allright to fire a stranger's gun in a shooting range?
Click to expand...

Okay, I understand your concern but ANY lawyer worth spit would be able to tear this up within seconds by the simple fact that a LOT of people shoot each other's guns at a shooting range.

Now if you shoot the gun and the other guy immediately takes it back while wearing gloves and locks it up in a case and leaves...then you might want to be concerned :evil:

In reply to the OP...
Yup the 1911 package does have a feel all it's own. It's honestly not my favorite platform but I can certainly understand why so many love it so much.
 
jpatterson,

1911's have made sense to me for 30 years. Hope you have at least a 30 relationship as well. Sounds like you're on your way.

By the way, a good, "inexpensive" (not cheap) 1911 entry is the Rock Island.
 
If you're worried about prints on a stranger's gun at the range, hope you've never handled anything at a gun shop.

Think of all the prints running around with your name on them on the guns of strangers! ;0
 
Welcome to love at first sight Jpatterson =) like all have said above when it comes to the 1911 platform you have tons of options. you should consider what its main use will be before making a choice. is it going to be your main carry piece? home defense? plinking? if it is going to be your main carry piece i might recommend a 1911 with an aluminum frame instead of all stainless steel. youll shave about 10 oz off the weight which you will really notice when your out and about (10 oz is about 25% of the total weight of an all steel 1911 w/ empty clip). Kimber tests their aluminum frames to over 20,000 rounds with no structural damage! if your going to carry sometimes but shoot alot then i would go all stainless as it will last the longest and can withstand tons of rounds put through it. in terms of barrel length you have 3" 4" and 5". 3" for an all carry gun, 4" for all around use, 5" for best accuracy and feel but is kinda large for carry. i personally have a kimber pro carry 2 (4" barrel, aluminum frame) which i baught new from the-armory for $692 +20 shipping which isnt too out of ur range. my roommate just baught a new Taurus 1911 for about $470 i think, but he doesnt get to take it home till thursday so i cant say how well it shoots. i sure love my kimber though. if i could spend $500 id prolly go with a used kimber or Colt, or a new Rock Island Arms 1911. happy shopping!

SS.45
 
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To tell you all the truth, I am considering a radical personal firearm switch up, just based on yesterday.

I currently have an XD .45 and an 870, and am thinking about selling them both to get ...
a) Colt HBAR - am getting a great deal from a friend
b) and some kind of wild 1911, maybe like a Springfield Operator?

I know I may be jumping the gun (pun might have been intended ;)), but I feel that it might be a wise investment to drop a bit of money on a nice 1911 pre-election while I still have the opportunity to. The HBAR I can pay off over time, so I think I might just sell my two guns now and go straight for a higher-end 1911.

Smart? Not?
 
Single stack 1911s weren't affected at all by the '94 AWB; they'll probably be among the last semi-auto pistols around if the noose gets tighter and handguns are still legal at all. Also, I'd be watching for deals on higher-end 1911s as people look to liquidate assets during the economic slump rather than buying one outright.

A two for one gun swap isn't likely in this scenario either - unless the 870 is extremely tricked out with accessories etc. You'll be making up the difference with a substantial amount of cash.
 
My thought's are you shouldnt sell both of you polymer's. Dont forget about S&W 1911's. If you are going to carry the 1911 you may want to check out something like the dan wesson cbob. Good luck on your next purchase but be warned you cant stop with just one 1911 :)
 
I think you might like this . . . It is my favorite carry gun and I am rarely without it.
It is a Colt Officer's Carry Pistol with the lightweight alloy frame. It not only fits the hand perfectly, it is really well balanced and a super reliable platform for seven rounds of .45ACP. I paid about $600 for it, and I wouldn't give it up for twice that. I did put CTC Laser Grips on it but that just makes it a better self defense weapon in my opinion.

Although I am a Sig bigot, I have taken Colts into my teepee. . . and think the world of their quality and design.
 
If just beginning with a 1911, I'd go with one of the following:

Springfield Armory GI or Milspec
Rock Island Armory
Taurus PT1911

And yes, that would be my order of preference. The SAs, while not having all the popular features, are great platforms in case you want to add the features. The Rock Islands are great values, but I don't know that I'd use one as a project gun. The Taurus is also a good gun and has the nifty features out of the box, but the fit and finish isn't up to the SA and the customer service is lacking compared to either SA or RIA.
 
Another man's opinion

jpatterson - - -

I'll take it that you've asked for general input. Others have addressed the matter of relatively inexpensive 1911-type pistols.

First of all, I'll say that my own favorite .45 for all around use is a Commander. I had a lot of experience with the 1911-type before I settled firmly on the CLW model. It is not easy to shoot, compared to the standard 1911 or 11A1 type. It is light and therefore has significantly more felt recoil. The sight radius is noticieably shortened, making a good sight picture more difficult. The loss of 3/4 inch of barrel means lower velocity. The CLW has a 4-1/4 inch tube. The three- to four-inch barrel models lose even more, and have still shorter sight radii. Because I always carry a handgun, (though not ALWAYS a .45) these compromises are acceptable to me.

Is it POSSIBLE to learn to shoot well with an abbreviated .45? Sure it is. It's just harder, takes longer, demands greater concentration, and requires more ammunition.

With all respect to those who are rightly proud of their reduced-size pistols, I don't think this is a good choice for a first .45. The short ones, especially the short, LIGHT ones, are specialized tools, and it's far easier to learn to shoot a full-size (five-inch barrel) and full weight (39 ounces empty) Government Model .45.

What you're getting here is a series of personal opinions. This is mine, based on some 45 years of shooting .45 automatics. And, for the final 32 years of a lengthy peace officer career, I carried one about 95% of the time. If you choose to take a different direction, I certainly won't be offended. :D

Best regards,
Johnny
 
Kimber Custom II, Springfield Loaded, Dan Wesson Pointman 7.

Take a good.... long..... hard..... look at these three pistols.

I own a Kimber Custom II and it has been great. A few of my friends own Springfield Loaded models and they are all great and the Dan Wesson P7 is the next firearm on my list. They are great for the price.

All are full size 1911's. They are all in the same price range and I would have to say that through experience these are the BEST bang for the buck in this price range. Sure, you could go with a bare bones 1911 like a GI or Milspec... but you will want to upgrade stuff sooner or later. Buy a 1911 to fall in love with... then once the bug officially bites you, you can purchase a lower grade firearm to build on.

Any one of these would serve you well. If you are looking for a carry piece look into the Dan Wesson Commander Classic Bobtail as well.
 
Rock Island Armory Tactical model, a great place to start! Be advised that you CANNOT own just one 1911, you'll find that you MUST have several. Start with the lower end guns like RIA's to begin the addiction, and you'll soon move up to the upper shelf models. Then you'll want different finishes, barrel lengths, calibers, etc........
 
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