The 1911 .45 ACP

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ShootingEnthusiatist

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Greetings! I am new to THR (seems another forum site is always ‘too busy’) and thought I'd post an invitation for anyone who has any experience with the venerable 1911 .45 ACP. Up to now I’ve focused mainly on CCW weapons in the 9mm caliber. But, after a recent trip to my local range, another member there was shooting a 1911 that left a lasting impression in my mind. I don’t remember the manufacturer, but it fit great in my hand and looked gorgeous. He offered to let me shoot it, but at the time I felt it’d be kind of like sleeping with another man’s wife, so I politely declined. Anyway, since then I’ve done some research, and I’m beginning to realize the valuable contribution this weapon is to history itself.

I'm not committed to any specific manufacturers right now. I've read an article on the Springfield Armory 1911. And I’ve visited the Kimber website. I’m really more interested with your past experiences and/or stories. I’d like to avoid the usual this gun is better than that gun rhetoric.

If there is already another recent post on the matter I apologize in advance. Just provide me a link to click on and I’ll happily check it out. Thanks!

PS – I realize I did not consume enough coffee this morning and spelled ‘Enthusiast’ wrong when I registered. However, I really didn’t want to register twice!!
 
Welcome:
I won't even try to tell you one manufacturer is better than another.
In theory every 1911 is the same, part for part. That's part of the beauty of them. 1911's are the pick up trucks of gundom. Don't like something? Swap it out.
Are some "better" than others? Probably. Can you buy one for $5000, you sure can. You can also pick up a very nice lightly used one for less than $500.
The thing has been around for almost 100 years for a lot of reasons.
It's reliable.
It's accurate.
It seems to fit almost everybody's had perfectly.
It uses a lethal round.
It's classic.
and it's flat out fun to shoot.

I've carried one for close to 40 years in combat and CCWing.
My daughter has shot them since she was 14 and now carries one. Her hand bag makes one big "Thunk" when she puts it down.

Hope this sort of helps.

AFS
 
Too bad you turned down that offer to test drive that pistol at the range. It would given you a whole lot of information which can only be had by firing the pistol. I have 5 Colts: Gold Cup Trophy, Government model, Combat Commander, and two Officers models. They are all reliable, good shooting for me pistols. There are as many opinions of 1911's as there are people. I like them for a variety of reasons, and while it may appear that I am kind of stuck on Colt, I have shot a few Kimbers and Springfields. I like them too, but have yet to purchase either brand so I cannot speak to their reliability personally. I would recommend that you go to http://www.1911forum.com and cruise around that forum for any specifics you may not find here.
 
SE,

Welcome to The High Road.

When someone offers to let you shoot their gun, it isn't the same as offering to let you sleep with their wife. They are only asking you to dance with her, because she is a really good dancer, and they are so proud they want everyone too know how good she is. People will not offer to let you shoot their guns unless they really want you to see how good it is, or they want to see how good you are, lol.

I have shot 1911's since sometime in the '50's. A 1911 is the first hand gun I ever fired, and since then I have shot and carried many of them. I have one that was made in 1913 and still shoots.

If you are looking for the 1911 that is best for you, go to a range and rent all of them you can, then get the one you shoot best.

Good luck and let us know how your search is going.

DM
 
The three previous gentlemen have given you excellent advice and I agree with all of their comments. The 1911A1 is one of the finest SD firearms to have and to shoot. It does take a bit of practice to become proficent with this round. As said before all manufactuers are good, but I will caution you on the Chinese Norinco, discontinued, but still around used, it's made of soft steel and crudely manufactured. Stay away from it. YMMV!
 
Welcome.

In my story, I had purchased a couple of 1911s in the very early stages of my gun collecting career and was put off by the negative experiences by both to the point of not wanting to go that route any more. (AMT/IAI products, numerous unsolvable FTF/FTE problems.) The guns were very comfortable and visually appealing, though. The design also seemed quite dated as compared to the linkless tilt barrels of the SIGs, which I had a huge liking to at the time.

A number of years later during a TFL gathering, one member allowed me to shoot his Kimber and, thinking back to my experiences, was surprised by its reliability when I shot it and its accuracy/precision (I was surprised I was able to shoot such a small group). With this new experience, I decided to go back to the 1911 design and give it another try, but start off small first. I had read about Armscor's poor quality in the past through Gun Test mag (despite being from the Philippines myself, I will not knowingly buy inferior products no matter where they come from) but lately (past couple of years) folks have been generally pleased with their current products. I went and purchased a Rock Island and have found it to be quite reliable. I had originally decided to give it to my dad but took it back to try my hand at gunsmithing the 1911 to make it better (hammer bites, install arched mainspring housing, other small stuff). I'll get my dad another one in the near future. I also purchased a Springfield late last year but have yet to try it out. (TRP Operator)
 
Thanks!

Excellent advice thus far. I like the 'dancing with wife' analogy and think I'll have to remember that one. I agree that the only way to know which weapon is right is to shoot it (the more often the better). I had just met the member offering up the dance and was leary is all.

I'm concerned more with long-term reliability than looks. I'm not opposed to purchasing a used firearm. I primarily want something I can keep by the nightstand and take with me to the range once-a-week. Maybe put one or two thousand rounds per year through it. I realize my first 1911 probably won't be my last.

Thanks again!
 
I'll give my $0.02 on 1911's:

I carry my G19 for size and capacity, but after owning a 1911 my safe will not be without one. The history behind them is felt in the gun, it's weird to me. .45 is expensive, but if it's the occasional gun it's not too bad. I love em. I just sold a Springfield loaded and am picking up a springfield Operator. I've owned 2 springfields, to me they are the best value. I've had 0 problems with either of them. I bought one used and was missing some pieces, springfield mailed them out to me free of charge.
 
If you are looking at 45ACP for a CCW application, you will also find some other market choices that have advantages over the traditional 1911 platform such as

Lower weight - can be important if you carry all day
Higher capacity - without including the "wide grip" 1911 designs
Double action capability - alternative to locked and cocked.

You should look at a Springfield XD, Glock (30, 36) or a Taurus 24/7 too as examples.

That said, everyone should have at least one 1911 in their collection. I've had 4 over the years (1 Colt, 3 Kimbers, 1 Armscor Stainless) and the only thing that I didn't care for with respect to daily carry was the weight of these pistols. (These were all "full sized). I do plan to try out a Springfield Scandium Commander sized 1911 one day - still saving my pennies. Meantime, my Kimber Polymer Stainless Target holds the 1911 ground in my collection. 14 rounds capacity. Heinie sights installed. One of the best pistols I've ever had the honor of acquiring.

Best of luck.
 
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As a CCW...

My current CCW is also a Glock 19. While someday I may want a more compact 1911, I really would like to start with a full size model.

I typically shoot at about 7 yards at the indoor range. However, some days I like to move it back to about 15-20 yards. I feel (could be wrong) that a full size barell (about 5") would be more enjoyable for longer range shooting. The Glock can certainly get the job done, but I wish to expand my collection, and thought a 1911 would be the perfect addition.

Let me just say great site, great members, and great information!
 
Well, my story is similar as I've owned and shot 1911's since the very
early '70's; having owned Colts previously (Government models, Combat
Commanders, Colt Lightweight Commanders, and 2X Gold Cups, and now
I own two Springfield WW-II G.I, models (stainless and parkerized), a
Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II, and a Les Baer Thunder Ranch Special
.45 ACP. Also, up to just a few weeks ago I owned a 5" Kimber Raptor
II; that I traded in towards the Baer. All of these guns work so well
that I just recently retired my first love, a West German .45 caliber
SIG-SAUER P220A~!:uhoh: :D
 
Welcome to THR! Pull up a chair and stay a while.

If you do a search in the pistol or autoloader forum about a specfic manufacturer, you'll find volumes of info. Probably a lot more than you ever wanted to know. ;)

I've got a Springfield loaded 5" 1911 that I've enjoyed very much. I actually haven't had a malfunction in it thus far, and use it for carry and IDPA regularly.

I'd start by going back to the range and trying to rent or 'dance with' any 1911 you can get your hands on, make sure it shoots like you hope it will.

Then decide what kind of features you can't live without, like night sights, etc.

Previous folks have really given better advice than I could, so I'll just quit there!

PS- Once you start looking for holsters to carry that thing in, take a look at the Comptac C-TAC. Mine has been very comfortable, easy to conceal, doesn't shift and retains the pistol well. The search function will also be a big help in that area.
 
First off welcome to the highroad as to your question the 1911 is a great gun fits great,reliable,accurate and thin which makes it nice for ccw. With a good gunbelt and holster you can carry and conceal it comfortably all day. I carry a full size blued colt government model all day I used a rafters leather gunbelt and a milt sparks summer special IWB holster. I am going try a rafters gunleather IWB rig or maybe a sparks watch six. Bottom line a fullsize 1911 can be concealed and well to you just have to have a good holster IWB seems to be the best way to go,a real gunbelt this is 50% of the rig and proper dress. TRy a 1911 see if there is a range where you can rent one you'll love it. For me I've always loved this gun but when I shot one for the first time that was the clincher.
 
You will not be disapointed...

Go ahead and git you one. I have only been shooting/collecting for about 15 years and in that time I have had in this order:

1. essex parts gun
2. colt series 70 commander
3. kimber custom (series 70 model)
4. colt gov't series 80
5. colt gov's series 80
6. SW1911

Each one has been very reliable and a joy to shoot. My favorite being the SW1911 (it makes me look good at the range). I don't think I will ever be able to shoot as accurate as this gun can be.

Just my $.02
 
Well I just signed up too, and my first handgun is coming in this week, and it's a 1911.

I shot a friends Springfield and really enjoyed it, have always liked the classic style and proven approach, and just love the concept of them. I'm looking forward to shooting mine. While it probably won't be a carry gun if/when I get a CCW, I know it's going to be a favorite for a long time.
 
welcome to the HR. i just ordered a SA mil-spec myself, should be in shortly, i'll post pics and reviews in a couple weeks :)

im only 21, so its odd for me to like the 1911 so much. so many young shooters like myself tend to drift more towards glocks and other higher capacity, or alternative style firearms. I seem to have a love of all things historic, which got me tramping through the 1911's past. then once i got to hold one, it just felt right; and i really wanted a full size 45 to start rounding out a collection. so the 1911 just seemed like the natural choice.

also i love to tinker, you'll be hard pressed to find another pistol as customizable as the 1911. you could literally build one from after market parts. its the 10/22 of the centerfire pistol world.
 
Enjoying the Feedback!

Thanks to everyone who has responded. I've enjoyed reading the feedback today. From what I can tell the 1911 is a great platform from which to experiment and build upon (with no shortage of parts). I've been thinking of stepping up to a .45 for quite some time. Based on its rich history and wide-spread appeal the 1911 remains at the top of my 'got to have in my collection' list.
 
TRUE LOVE

I have had my baby (Colt Series 70) over 20 years. She has performed marvelously for me. All I can say is youv'e been bitten by a bug that only has one cure....buy one!
 
I would get a full size steel 1911 and would stick with quality products such as Colt, Springfield, S&W, etc. You can spend as much as you want on a 1911 - from less than $500 to way beyond $3000. I don't think it's necessary to buy a high dollar custom gun, but I do think it's important to get a gun that has a high quality slide and frame like the ones listed above. I also wouldn't get too caught up in the "MIM" parts thing either. Sure, tool steel parts are better, but you can always change out MIM parts later. That's the beauty of these guns - parts are so easy to find and change.
And of course you can easliy customize them to your individual tastes. A $500 Springfield will probaqbly work just fine as is, but you can also send it off to someone like Ted Yost (or any of the many other first class pistolsmiths) and it will come back as nice or nicer than the "semi-custom" guns like Baers, Browns or Wilsons, and will still probably cost less.
And one last thing. My 1911s have all been just as reliable as any other guns I've owned. The 1911 is not inherently unreliable. Just the opposite.
 
Welcome to THR

Welcome to the site. I too spend more and more time here since other sites are "busy" now.

What I've found is some of the best advice to date on all aspects of firearm ownership and usage. Hat's off to THR!

With regard to the 1911... I couldn't help but read some of the threads and feel like I was in a 12 step therapy session.

"...Hi, my name is Rick and I'm a 1911 owner. The addiction started when I was ..."

Just joking guys and gals... I carry a Kimber Pro Carry II at 3:30 in a Galco IWB everyday. I've fired everything from .22 to 500 S&W and without a doubt the best and most fun I've found is the venerable 1911. Depending on the quality from the manufacturer, most are ready to shoot out of the box. Others need a little tune-up to make them work their best.

Once you get a good 1911 that's dialed in, it will shoot like no other gun on the planet (IMHO). No collection is complete without one (or two or three or four...)

:)

Rick
 
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