Shot two 1911's the other day, don't love it

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hadmanysons

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My buddy just got his Les Bear Thunder Ranch 1911 in and we went to the range to brake it in. He put 200 rounds through, 16 of which I shot, and his friend who joined let me shoot about 16 rounds through his Springfield 1911. Wasn't that impressed. I don't like the fact that the Les Bear needed a tool to take it apart. The mag's would also catch on something in both guns and I had to wiggle them to 'em in. I've also shot other .45's before and none has made my hands hurt like these two did. And as I understand it they have to be "cocked and locked" if your going to CCW with them. They were however both pretty accurate, the Les Bear of course being the best accuracy I've ever seen out of a handgun.

I guess I'm just looking for the 1911 nuts to fill me pro's to my fruitful list of con's or at least tell me where I was wrong.
 
Before everyone here jumps on you for not LOVING the 1911...I do don't care much for them either. Frankly, I thinking the slender and tall grip is awkward on 1911's and much prefer the grip width of a doublestack gun. Additionally, I don't think you should have to spend $1200 just to have a one optioned-out to perform where a $500 stock (insert Sig, Glock, etc here) performs right out of the box. Do I think they are cool guns? Yes. Do I think they served our military well for over half a century? Yes. Do I think every article in every gun magazine should be drooling over the same old thing? No.

The fact is, nearly 100 years have passed since the 1911's inception, and some people can't cope with the fact that newer and better advances in technology have come along. I shoot 1911's, a Kimber Eclipse and a Para P14, but they aren't my favorites by any stretch of the imagination. John Moses Browning, if he was still living, would probably look at us all right now and say, "Jesus guys, I designed that thing to be good in it's time, move on already, there are better options out there!"


Before I am burned at the stake, I would like to say that I do LIKE 1911's, I just don't LOVE them. They are a fine design, but I think they are over-glorified a bit too much. Kimber comes out with a trendy new milled hammer and it gets everybody excited, but another manufacturer designs a revolutionary awesome new design, and it gets a shrug.
 
Good luck in trying to find an honest assessment from 1911 owners.

The more I get involved with 1911's and talking with other people about them, the more I find out how unreliable they really are. Hi-points are horribly ugly and the fit and finish is for s**t, but I'd be willing to bet that they have a better reliability record than a 1911. I like 1911's a lot, but when I compare them to other designs I just don't feel that I can trust them as a carry weapon (wouldn't carry a hi-point either). They're like the Harley Davidson of the gun world. An icon that feels good and can be great to look at but you'd better have a backup (chase vehicle) if you use it.:neener:

BTW, my comments are made in fun and jest, so relax and feel free to blast away at glocks or lcp's or whatever makes you feel better, just back off the hi-points or else...
 
Well, Im a 1911 guy. Actually, I cant even really say that becuase I dont have enough experience to "qualify" as one. I will say that I love the way the guns shoot and feel. That meaning the way they fit my hand, the way they aim, and above all the fact that I can own several different ones and all use the same mags and holsters. I will say that I carry an xd in 45. My primary carry used to be a kimber pro eclipse. Yes, I had problems with it feeding. I tied it down to bad magazines. Yes, I know, its pathetic a 1100 gun doesnt come with reliable mags. After buying some quality mags and keeping the thing super lubed, it runs great. I have buddies who have 1911's that have never had a ftf (or one they would admit too). There is nothing saying you have to love a 1911. I love them but they are just tools. Use what you like and what you would trust your life with. Would I trust my life with my 1911, yes I would. Since over coming my initial problems I feel confident in it. Do I feel better with my xd45 that has NEVER once failed in any way...yes i do and thats why i carry it.
 
If you don't like it, that's your opinion.

I'm a M1911 guy, but that's just me.

No need to try and force anyone to like something. Plenty of guns available for everyone.
 
I have 3 quality 1911's. I'd buy a 4th & 5th if money allowed. These pistols are a pleasure to shoot. I enjoy cleaning them. 1911's are in a league of their own.
Mine are strictly for the range.
 
Shoot what is confortable to shoot. If you do not like them then you do not like them. That will leave more in the supply chain for me.
 
Nothing wrong with not liking a 1911. You can't please everyone with one gun, that's why so many different ones are made.

It may be that your hands just don't work on a 1911 or maybe your grip was off. Or truly, maybe it just isn't the gun for you.

I'll hang onto mine and you can buy the double stacks that I don't want.

RMD
 
For every "best" design, there are those who will think it the worst. As strong of a history as Glocks and Sigs have had, there are those who won't ever own or even shoot one for some reason or another. People out there who swear by their Hi-points and those who would never be bothered with them. There are actually people who carry j-frame snubs for personal protection! Do you believe there are people out there who choose to protect their home and loved ones with less than a .500 magnum?! 1911 vs. other platforms is not that different than a caliber war. There are always at least two sides to every story, usually more.
 
Nothing I enjoy more to shoot at the range than my 1911s. As for the design, getting old? Old doesn't necessarily mean bad. Ask any guy who drives a Porsche 911 - although the basic rear-engine design has been tweaked now for over 45 years, it's still the same design as the original at heart.

Such is the case with the 1911 (wow, almost the same numbers), the engineering and materials have been tweaked for the better, but the basic design lives on ........

3305088230_28858b1026.jpg

Disclaimer: I carry a Seecamp (summer) and P7M8 (winter).
 
What I have gathered from my 1911 journey is that too many modern, new to the game 1911 manufacturers have taken the design and screwed it up.

Thinking that all their little tweaks, tighter tolerances, fully throated ramps etc.... are going to make JMB's design better.

Take an A1 type 1911 ( that costs way under $1000 ) and run 230gr FMJ ( the round it was designed for ) and it will run all day long without issue.

My $0.02
 
I have always felt myself in the minority because my favorite 1911 happens to be those made by Para Ordinance. I think that they have taken the proper steps in improving it further than any other company. As well as the introduction of the LDA trigger and you have converted an old for the times 1911 into a more political friendly DAO automatic. I resisted the LDA for years and finally tried it and it is the real deal. It is not the end all be all of 1911 designs but it at least lends credibility to the bobbed hammer on a 1911. Kimbers bobbed hammer on the Aegis is the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Think about it. The hammer is only spurless when it is down. When it is being carried cocked and locked like its supposed to be then the spurless hammer is back creating a spur.
 
Hi,

Just wanted to put in my .02 cents worth of comment.

I have a few guns, Sigs, H&Ks,
1911s, Glocks, CZs and a few others.

I like them all. Do I have my favorites? Of course.

There are people out there that don,t like Glocks, or Sigs, or H&ks for what ever reason.

Almost all the time somebody comes out and says they don't like 1911s
people react as if it's the only gun people don't like.

Part of my point is that even some of those new Hi-Tech guns are not liked by many.

I must be in the very few. For me each gun has it's own character.
When I'm at the range I enjoy shooting all of them.

I guess that's why we live in a world of colors, choose what you like and leave the rest for others.;)
 
When I first got into shooting, I never really liked the platform. I was a "Sig only" kinda guy. One day I got a wild hair and decided I needed a 1911. I got a Springfield GI, a very inexpensive, entry level type 1911. All I've done to it is paint the front sight (three coats of white, three coats of Hot Orange, man is it bright) and 1911Tuner's poor man's trigger job. My trigger is a crisp 4 lbs, and I shoot this 1911 better than any other gun I own.

I like the looks of the custom 1911s, but there's something neat about an old, bone stock GI model (that feeds 200g LSWCs flawlessly).

I still love Sigs, I guess I just finally got the 1911. If it's not for you, then enjoy the rest. :)
 
It took me 30 years to learn to like a 1911. I used them off and on from 1962 until 1986 in the military, but never owned one until 1991 when I bought a Norinco. I used it and loaded for it and finally learned how well the 1911 really works, now I like them and have 2. That said, I still like revolvers better for all round use.
 
I'm not a fan of .45's in general.

In fact, the only reason I have one is that it was given to me as a birthday present when I turned 21.

So it's okay not to love a 1911. Just so long as you have something you like to shoot, be it a High point or a Holland and Holland.
 
I don't LOVE them, but I do LIKE them.

I don't own one yet, but hopefully I will soon. Although I'm still tempted to get an XD45, but the steel and wood just looks so much better!


so maybe I should just get a CZ97... :p
 
The XD45 isn't the best-looking gun ever, but IMO it's a very user-friendly firearm.

The CZ97 is a wonderful .45, but it's a heavy beast. For the range, I think it's hard to beat it for anywhere near its price ballpark. It might not be the best CCW gun ever made...:D

The 1911s that really turn me on start way too far up in the price range for me to want to jump on the train...

They ARE a lot like single malt. After trying some really good Scotch, if you like it, you won't ever get excited about Bourbon again. And you'll want a bunch of Scotches, to compare their subtle (or not-so-subtle) differences in aroma. Some people don't understand why you'd pay $50 for a small bottle of whiskey that tastes like smoke, when you could get drunk for a few bucks.

After trying a custom 1911, I have no desire for a rattly 7-shooter that will do nothing an XD can't do better. I want a really nice one. Or a few...

But I'm too cheap.

Right now, I'd rather buy a house while we can get a fixed mortgage rate under 5%, and it's a serious buyer's market, than buy one handgun for the price of four -- even if it IS really, really nice.:)
 
I think they shoot wonderfully, but for a couple of hundred dollars less you can usually buy a lighter gun that holds more rounds. Sure the ergonomics aren't going to be as good, but for many people the trade off is worth it.
 
I don't know. Basic 1911 ergonomics sure aren't the end-all, but they can be customized because you can put a lot of extra grip material on that skinny frame.
 
I,m shocked and surprised that Trgrhpy actually told the truth about
Harley Davidsons and has not had the wrath of the universe come down on him. It's one thing to criticize 1911s but the sacred Harley....why it's unheard of...shocked,shocked,shocked....
 
The fact is, nearly 100 years have passed since the 1911's inception, and some people can't cope with the fact that newer and better advances in technology have come along.
Click to expand...

The real fact in what was said there is that you expressed an opinion not shared by everyone. What you call newer and better advances I call dishonest shortcuts in design and manufacture with inferior materials. Now, that's my opinion! :)
 
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