Why choose a 1911?

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In my case, the 1911a1 was what I was issued in the military and it's what I qualified yearly with on the pistol range. So, it's what I'm most familiar with. Holding a 1911 always feels "just right" to me. That said, I have a number of other semiauto pistols that I like real well. But the 1911 is my favorite.
 
The thumb safety on a 1911 is a non issue. If it is your primary weapon then the "eyes on target, safety off" and "eyes off target and safety on" becomes instinct and good practice.

In this day and age if a guy pulls out a worn 1911 from a faded old leather holster I shall think twice before trying anything silly. He probably lives with that weapon and knows everything it can do.
 
Most 1911 fans also carry something more light in weight than their 1911, say a Glock or name your brand. Blued steel 1911s like my Kimber Custom are better suited as range guns rather than for carry, especially in hot weather. Still the thin shape and light triggers are a Plus ,as is the proven .45 Acp. round. But usually my Glock 26 gets carried most of the time.
 
Awwww, speak for y'self, kmbrman. Old Slabsides carries right comfortable for me...summer or winter.
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Yep, I carried a fairly decent Kimber year round rain, sleet, snow or shine. I'd probably still be carrying it often had I not gotten a really interesting (read: much to my favor) trade offer.

That barrel required lots of stripping, wiping and re-lubing to keep the rust away but it was definitely meant to carry.

I carry a glock 19 or 26 these days and I really miss carrying that much thinner 1911. I'm sure I'll switch back one day, but for right now I seem to be on a glock kick. A fullsized 1911, much less a commander is much easier (for me with my body type) to carry than a glock 19 or 26 assuming you have a proper belt. Yep, and that's coming from a guy who carries a glock daily. :) The 1911 even with an alloy frame is a bit heavier, but a good belt takes care of that without issue.
 
My first several carry handguns did not include any type of the 1911-pattern. A close friend of mine, a proud former Marine, and I went out shooting one day many years ago and I had the chance to shoot his cherished Colt 1911.

It was love at first shot. :) I love the way they look, the way they handle and shoot, their trigger, the ease of concealment and the .45 acp caliber.
 
Until you get into ridiculous extremes of pocket pistol vs. Desert Eagle, comfort for me is more about a quality holster and a proper gun belt than the gun itself. And I recall a wise man once said that carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable. :)
 
And I recall a wise man once said that carrying a gun is supposed to be comforting, not comfortable.
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Yeah, until they become so uncomfortable they stay at home. Try packing a full size 1911 with a couple of messed up discs in your lower back and a sciatic nerve from hell. I packed a 1911 in a Milt Sparks BN on a 5 stitch Wilderness belt and I still limped, whined and moaned...guess some of us are just wimps.
 
Quote:

>Try packing a full size 1911 with a couple of messed up discs in your lower back and a sciatic nerve from hell.<

Been doin' it for about 30 years now. Been dealin' with chronic back problems and all it implies...including periods of up to 3 weeks of crippling muscle spasms and high pain levels...for about 35 years.
 
1911Tuner said:
Been doin' it for about 30 years now. Been dealin' with chronic back problems and all it implies...including periods of up to 3 weeks of crippling muscle spasms and high pain levels...for about 35 years.
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I don't know how you managed with such a heavy pistol. Didn't you know? Carrying a 1911 is almost like carrying a refrigerator in your pants. :p
 
Funny thing, when I ditched the full size 1911 in favor a Kahr, the problems moderated and things were much better. Now that I think about it, I know several Grandmaster shooters who compete with a 1911, but they pack a smaller plastic fantastic. OMG, I just had an epiphany, IPSC shooters are pusses too. I feel better knowing I am in good company. ;)
 
Ankeny said:
Funny thing, when I ditched the full size 1911 in favor a Kahr, the problems moderated and things were much better. Now that I think about it, I know several Grandmaster shooters who compete with a 1911, but they pack a smaller plastic fantastic. OMG, I just had an epiphany, IPSC shooters are pusses too. I feel better knowing I am in good company. ;)
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Define good company. I don't define sissies as good company. ;)

It's funny how guys always say this Grandmaster does this or that top shooter does that. I've been doing things my way for years, and it's been working for years too.
 
Flintlock pistols worked for years as well. Maybe we should have just stuck with what worked and avoided all this newfangled "innovation". Hey you darn kids, stay off my lawn!
 
Effigy said:
Flintlock pistols worked for years as well. Maybe we should have just stuck with what worked and avoided all this newfangled "innovation". Hey you darn kids, stay off my lawn!
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Do they still work as well as anything being made today, or for that matter better than anything made today? Didn't think so.
 
It's funny how guys always say this Grandmaster does this or that top shooter does that. I've been doing things my way for years, and it's been working for years too.
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I was trying to point out there are people who shoot a full size 1911 very well, for example National and/or World Champion USPSA/IPSC shooters, but they may choose to carry something entirely different. Weight, and perhaps recoil, may or may not influence your decision, but they both influenced my decision. Choosing to carry a lighter gun, or one with less recoil, doesn't necessarily make a person more vulnerable to the evils of the world than a gunslinger packing old slab sides stoked up with 230 grain man stoppers.
 
Ankeny said:
I was trying to point out there are people who shoot a full size 1911 very well, for example National and/or World Champion USPSA/IPSC shooters, but they may choose to carry something entirely different. Weight, and perhaps recoil, may or may not influence your decision, but they both influenced my decision. Choosing to carry a lighter gun, or one with less recoil, doesn't necessarily make a person more vulnerable to the evils of the world than a gunslinger packing old slab sides stoked up with 230 grain man stoppers.
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Can't argue with that. It was mostly just a little harmless ribbing. Please don't take offense to what I said, as that was not my intention. :p

You hit the nail on the head though. What works for you may not work for me, and vice versa. I myself have been carrying a full sized XDm40 that weighs a ton when fully loaded with 17 rounds. I'm sure I can look forward to back problems later in life. ;)
 
Because they're easy to shoot well, because they're ergonomic, because they can be pretty, because they have "soul."

I carry a Springfield EMP when clothing permits. Why? I shoot it well, it's reliable, and it inspires mechanical lust in me. Yeah, I know the mechanical lust part is useless, but the fact remains that I shoot it better than any of my other carry guns.
 
I learned to shoot a 1911 when I was in the Navy in the 70's.

I guess I'm too stubborn to learn to shoot anything different.

Now my wife has a different tale. She qualified with an AMT Backup, of all things. But, after shooting my Commander, she wanted her own 1911.

So now she has an Officer's Model and she loves it. The chopped frame is just the right size for her tiny hands.
 
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