I have never bought a 1911 because...

[GLOOB]

I have never bought one for lots of reasons.

One of the most important is that I have no practical reason to want one. I shoot my preferred pistols more quickly and just as accurately as my GF's Gold Cup with target sights. And they're more fun to shoot.

Another important reason is that I have had more malfunctions with that Gold Cup than all of my other pistols combined, all of which were double-feeds. True, those pretty much went away after break-in, but there were a heck of a lot, and frankly I don't like the idea that this kind of problem is even possible. You lose at least 2 rounds, and you can't clear it with a tap/rack. And if I include the malfunctions I continue to witness my GF having, the numbers are way worse. She has limpwrist nose-dives with it that I never get. For some reason, contrary to all common knowledge, her 1911 is more prone to limpwristing than are Glocks. She has a gen 4 G19, which is near the top of the limpwrist food chain, and she hasn't had a stoppage of any kind with it since installing the 04 spring. She has never limpwristed any of my guns. Her 1911 is to the point where I loathe the sight of it. Whenever she shoots it, I end up clearing the gun for her multiple times. And I end up cleaning the gun for her, too, and it sucks.

But she loves this gun. She was never into guns before, but for some reason she sought out the 1911 and recognizes the Colt brand as the original. She has never bothered to get a holster for any of her other guns, aside from her CCW, but she picked out a Milt Sparks holster for this one which sees only range use and hasn't been worn on a belt since the day she got it.

 

[jon86]

I have never bought a 1911 because...

I will need to be promoted several times before I can sensibly afford a 1911.

But I'll get there!

 

[Fiv3r]

It took me several years to buy one mainly due to my budget and the idea that lower end models are super picky.
That said, once I finally pulled the trigger on one (figuratively and literally), I was sold. I don't own one that costs over $950. I've never had any issues beyond cheap ammo.
Buying a higher end cheapie with great success inspired me to try another "fragile" pistol the Internet likes to dog pile upon...The 92fs/m9. Fantastic shooter as well, and maybe my favorite semi.

 

[GLOOB]

I think you have it wrong. The internet loves the 1911. Despite all its flaws, it's got the "perfect grip angle" and the best trigger for a "fighting pistol," w/e that is. And when built properly from all the hodge podge of assorted parts that need to be hand-fitted and the right aftermarket magazine of the month, it will be 100% reliable - if you keep it clean and well-lubed. Even if you have a great one, if any parts ever need to be replaced, you may need to visit a smith.

The M9's only black mark is the locking block, at least. That has been fixed, and the gun is well known to be very reliable. I have never seen a Beretta jam, and I've shot them plenty.

 

[NGIB]

Can't answer this one as I own and like 1911s. If the OP doesn't, that's their choice.

I also own Glocks, Sigs, FNs, Rugers, and a few others...

 

[Wishoot]

I haven't bought one because I'm just not interested in investing in yet another caliber. I don't own anything in 45 and I'm not about to start unless I thin my small collection of 9mm.

I know there are versions of the 1911 made in 9mm, but I have two of the best examples of 9mm (BHP and 75B) already.

 

[bannockburn]

At last, a poll I can't vote in! I have more 1911 variants than any other semi-auto pistol in my collection.

 

[JTQ]

Fiv3r wrote,
...inspired me to try another "fragile" pistol the Internet likes to dog pile upon...The 92fs/m9.

GLOOB wrote,
I think you have it wrong. The internet loves the 1911.

I'm going to disagree with GLOOB and agree with Fiv3r. Sure there are some guys that will come to the defense of the 1911. On this forum there are about 10 guys that will typically show up not to really defend the gun, but just to correct bad information.

Nearly every 1911 thread is full of comments such as…

"I don't own a 1911, but my girlfriend has one, and I've shot it a few times. She doesn't know much about them either, and boy do we have problems with that gun. Limp wrist problems, and double feeds and boy it only holds 8 rounds, and it's heavy, and you can't let it sit in ocean water for three weeks without it rusting, and somebody even told me you can't convert it from .45 ACP to 9MM just by buying a 9MM barrel and dropping it in. I mean, are you serious, you're telling me I need to have a gunsmith do that for me. That's just ridiculous. Do you know how expensive .45ACP ammo is?…"

Well, you know those kind of guys. They show up in every thread about the 1911 and give an authoritative comment about the gun no matter how little they know about it.

The Beretta threads are pretty much the same. You usually can't get five posts into a Beretta thread without the inevitable…

"I hate that slide mounted safety/decocker. That thing will get engaged during an overhand rack and you'll get yourself killed."

Of course the design has been used in millions of guns beginning with the Walther P-38 and continuing through the S&W TDA autos, to the Ruger P-Series guns, and if it were such a problem, we'd have been reading about actual deaths due to this problem for decades, but we haven't.

 

[NGIB]

Many folks like to justify their purchases by demonizing your purchases. I buy and shoot what I like - doesn't matter what other folks think about that...

 

[sirgilligan]

Thank you for participating. I hope this didn't come across as I have something personally against the 1911. I had been reading another thread about someone searching for a 1911. My cousin who has owned a handful of them has told me in great detail what he has liked and disliked. Our family talks about firearms more often than basketball, and for a Kentuckian that is rare. So I got to thinking about why some may have never bought a 1911. There is always the money issue, and there is the cost of adding .45 ACP to the cartridges you have to buy, but I wondered if there is a perception issue and if those perceptions are based in reality.

I may be wrong, but it seems that those that love the 1911 the most love them for the trigger, the grip angle, being made of metal, how it points, the knock down of the .45 ACP round, the beauty of it, and its heritage. It seems that those that are disappointed are the ones looking for a primary self defense firearm and the firearm has had some failure when the user feels it should not have because of their experience with other "more modern" semi-autos.

I think this would be a great opportunity for those so inclined to put down any myths concerning the 1911.

p.s. I just read another post about a firearm that has never had a failure and then in the next sentence said it wouldn't feed a particular ammo. You will also hear my firearm has never had a failure but it doesn't like hollow points. Am I wrong in thinking those are failures, or is it when people talk about firearm failures they are restricting it to some physical part of the firearm breaking, such as the slide release, or the slide cracking, etc.?

 

[MIL-DOT]

I somehow went 25+ years without ever owning a 1911 (or even anything chambered in .45), even though I'd thought to myself many times how odd that was given all the wheelin' n dealin' I've done, but one just never fell my way, till I traded into a Colt 1991 about 3 years ago (which I've since traded, and do miss).
My main reason for not going out and buying one was the cost, but the low mag capacity was a factor too.
If money were no object, I'd definitely want a couple nice ones, but given that the money IS an object, for me, more modern, higher capacity, and inherently less finicky pistols are much more practical and desirable.
BTW, I couldn't even vote in the poll, because 5 of 6 options more-or-less applied to me ( I couldn't say that they don't appeal to me).

 

[NGIB]

Ok, real life. I bought this Kimber used for less than $500. I've owned it for 4+ years and have put upwards of 4000 rounds thru it with ZERO malfunctions. The ammo has been a mixed bag of aluminum cased FMJ, brass cased FMJ, and maybe 10 different types of HP ammo. Mags have been Wilson, Kimber Tac-Pro, and Tripps. If you're ever in SE GA, bring ammo and you can shoot it...

 

[Robert]

I can't afford the one I want. Yet. But I do have my father's 1911 that mom bought for him in 1969. Still runs like a top and more than accurate enough for defense usage.

 

[Chocolate Bayou]

9mm 1911

Tiamat,

Check out the Springfield 5" Ranger in 9mm. They're popping up everywhere and only running $700-$750. I have 1911's in .45acp and in .38 super. I think this will be next. My Springfield LW Loaded is a grat gun even after 11 years. I have a Colt Defender in 9mm but I want a 5" barrel.

 

[TarDevil]

I don't own a terrible lot of guns, so I tend to buy more or less on "need" than "want." I want a 1911, but there's nothing I need it for, so it will have to wait until a time in my life when I can spend a grand or so on a gun solely for fun.

 

[tarosean]

I'm going to disagree with GLOOB and agree with Fiv3r.

Nearly every 1911 thread is full of comments such as…

The Beretta threads are pretty much the same. You usually can't get five posts into a Beretta thread without the inevitable…

Have to agree, put 1911, Glock or 92 series in a Post heading and watch the train wreck happen.

 

[Plan2Live]

In order;
I have seen too many malfunction on the range
I don't want to stock an additional caliber
I don't like carrying cocked and locked
I'm not used to sweeping safeties, don't want to start
Guns should be reliable without being tuned
Too heavy for my preference as a carry gun

I've tried them, shoot them well but don't feel the need to own one.

 

[Chocolate Bayou]

I have my 1911 in .45acp for home defense. It's in my night stand with a spare magazine. I have 9mm that hold 16+1 but if I'm going to reach for a pistol, it's the 1911. This isn't going to be a gang fight, I just want to stop one guy and I'll pick the 1911. I know ballistics that show a 9mm with the right ammo is just as effective. But this is no ballistic test, i just want to protect me and mine.

 

[Wil Terry]

These "polls" intrigue me. OF what earthly use is the information ?

 

[sirgilligan]

These "polls" intrigue me. OF what earthly use is the information ?

I was interested in seeing if there are common reasons why people have not purchased a 1911. Now, of course there are common reasons and if any of those reasons are predominate.

As of right now if you sum the tuning and finicky there are 15 votes, that is 42%.
There are 16 votes for it never makes it to the top of my list, that is 45%.

So, if you were in the business of making 1911's, I think you would want to address these two things.

If you were started to research a 1911 as a potential purchase you might be interested in these things.

It is also okay to see no value in such a poll as well.

 

[NGIB]

Why does one buy a Ford vs a Chevy? Same thing for guns. People like what they like and there doesn't have to be a reason.

I'd venture a guess that the 1911 is the most bubba'd gun in existence hence the reputation for it being picky. I have owned probably 50-60 through the years and the only one I ever had that was problematic was a Taurus 1911 in 9mm. Come to find out that Taurus put the wrong recoil spring in it at the factory - they used the standard .45 ACP 16# spring. When I put in a 12# spring it ran perfectly...

 

[JTQ]

So, if you were in the business of making 1911's, I think you would want to address these two things.

And yet there are what, 20 or so companies making 1911's? Most sell all they can make. Certainly it could be an awesome marketing campaign by all the 1911 makers (Lite Beer, tastes great. Sure it does.) that have enabled them to make a gun that "doesn't work, is too heavy, and has too small of a capacity" desirable to all their customers.

On the other hand, maybe they do work, not everybody thinks they are too heavy, and maybe some (in their own sad, misguided personal defense scenarios) don't think they need 15+ rounds in a magazine (please don't tell all those guys that carry revolvers). The late Mr. Stephen A. Camp (I'm pretty sure you know who he is) often said, "chances are good you'll run out of time before you run out of ammo."

If you were started to research a 1911 as a potential purchase you might be interested in these things.

A valuable point.

Much of it is perspective. If you (not you personally, but the generic you) are under 45 years old, chances are you've lived your entire shooting life during the "Glock era". Most of these folks have lived through an era where most handguns are made out of aluminum or polymer frames, shoot 9MM, and have double stack 15+ magazine capacities. Since you're a Hi-Power guy, how many threads can you remember folks complain about those low capacity 13 rounders, or how big the Beretta 92 is for "only" 15 rounds. If that's all you know, sure a 1911 would seem like an oddity and not desirable.

Conversely, I recall a 1911 article from Sheriff Jim Wilson, where he talked about his transition from an S&W Model 29 to a 1911. With the 1911 he got a lighter gun, with more capacity, that is easier to conceal, with a better trigger. He has a different perspective.

 

[sirgilligan]

And yet there are what, 20 or so companies making 1911's? Most sell all they can make. Certainly it could be an awesome marketing campaign by all the 1911 makers (Lite Beer, tastes great. Sure it does.) that have enabled them to make a gun that "doesn't work, is too heavy, and has too small of a capacity" desirable to all their customers.

On the other hand, maybe they do work, not everybody thinks they are too heavy, and maybe some (in their own sad, misguided personal defense scenarios) don't think they need 15+ rounds in a magazine (please don't tell all those guys that carry revolvers). The late Mr. Stephen A. Camp (I'm pretty sure you know who he is) often said, "chances are good you'll run out of time before you run out of ammo."


A valuable point.

Much of it is perspective. If you (not you personally, but the generic you) are under 45 years old, chances are you've lived your entire shooting life during the "Glock era". Most of these folks have lived through an era where most handguns are made out of aluminum or polymer frames, shoot 9MM, and have double stack 15+ magazine capacities. Since you're a Hi-Power guy, how many threads can you remember folks complain about those low capacity 13 rounders, or how big the Beretta 92 is for "only" 15 rounds. If that's all you know, sure a 1911 would seem like an oddity and not desirable.

Conversely, I recall a 1911 article from Sheriff Jim Wilson, where he talked about his transition from an S&W Model 29 to a 1911. With the 1911 he got a lighter gun, with more capacity, that is easier to conceal, with a better trigger. He has a different perspective.

I think the converse of this poll is essential and I welcome anyone that wants to do it to feel free.

The poll might be like this:

What are the main reasons you still own an Model 1911?
- I shoot it accurately, equal to or more so than any other hand gun
- It is the only firearm I trust my life to, it has never failed with my preferred ammo
- John Moses Browning made it, any more questions?
- I love the heritage of the firearm
- It is a family heirloom
- It doesn't look like a block of plastic or a power tool

Just some quick thoughts.

But I think that would be great. It is too bad I haven't figured out a way to allow multiple selections. Maybe there is and I missed it.

 

[RustyShackelford]

Why no 1911a1....

I never owned any 1911 models because I'm not a huge fan of the SAO format.
I packed a Remington Rand 1911a1 .45acp for about 12mo while in the US Army. It was old & wore-out.
To me there's nothing wrong with 1911s but they are not for everyone. If I were to buy a carry or duty 1911a1, Id add the after market SFS system. It allows the gun to be safely packed but doesn't have the "cocked & locked" design. NE's www.cylinder-slide.com offers the kits.
A professional or skilled gunsmith can install the parts.

1911s have many, many custom features & add-ons available. There are other minor tweeks or changes you can make but don't go over-board.

 

[GLOOB]

I guess I came off as "one of those guys," as JTQ put it so eloquently. It happens sometimes. Yes, maybe there should be a thread about the pros, as opposed to the topic of this thread.

I appreciate the history of the 1911 and of John Moses Browning. I will try to remember that the next time I'm clearing someone else's jams and cleaning their gun. It might be a different story if it was my 1911, true. I would certainly have been confident in it by now, having learned everything I need to know and having fixed anything needing to be fixed, and having spent whatever time and money needed to be spent in the process.

This is from the viewpoint of someone that primarily gets enjoyment out of a gun while I'm shooting it, and who doesn't handle a gun much in the interim. I don't habitually carry or handle a gun between range trips, is what I mean. And the many - too many - firearms I own that are not fun to shoot collect dust in a dark corner.