Lucky Gunner On 1911s
BY Herschel Smith
2 years, 11 months ago
I do disagree with him that the .45ACP is becoming less and less popular.
I think overall this is a fair analysis. My experience is that if you pay for a good 1911, it serves you reliably. As I’ve said before, I’ve shot thousands of rounds out of 1911s and never had a single FTF / FTE. The things I like about 1911s are numerous, but here’s just a few of them
I like the grip angle.
I like the hammer fired operation. I do not have striker fired pistols and will not have one in the future. To me, pulling the trigger on striker fired pistol feels like letting a bucket full of compressed springs and rubber bands explode.
I like the smooth, crisp trigger.
I like the single stack design with the slim grip (which is good for my severe RA and gnarled up knuckles on my right hand).
I like the weight (what some people see as an undesirable, I see as a benefit). Getting a commander size 1911 brings the weight close to most striker fired handguns.
And finally, I like the safety, which can be swept off by merely achieving proper purchase on the pistol if you desire.
On December 19, 2021 at 10:28 pm, Foot in the Forest said:
I have a 1911 purchased many years back from a neighbor. He was a 17 pilot for the 8th AAF. Swore it had been run over by a sherman and got it out of the shit pile and fixed it. Long after he passed was checking it out and lo and behold the mag well viewed from the bottom is bent to the right. Replaced the barrel and main spring and it functions fine.
On December 20, 2021 at 11:03 am, 41mag said:
I too enjoy my 1911. I find Kahr pistols have similar attributes that are why I like the 1911. The trigger on Kahr’s are so smooth.
On December 20, 2021 at 2:29 pm, blake said:
I’m glad he touched on the trigger aspect. I’ve yet to run into a Glock aficionado who doesn’t admit to the superior “out of the box” trigger on the 1911.
On December 21, 2021 at 9:35 am, Thomas Madere said:
I own both a Glock 19 and a Colt 1911 series 70. I have carried a Colt Defender in the past. If I was bullseye shooting I would chose the 1911. In a defensive situation I would chose the Glock. An 8 round Garand is the rifle equivalent of the 8 round 1911. I would chose neither for personal defense.
A 30 round AR-15 is the equivalent of a 15 round Glock or other high capacity modern hand gun. I chose a 15 round Glock or any high capacity handgun and an AR for personal defense.
I have nothing against either but I chose what I consider the best tool for the job. In the job of personal protection for me it is the Glock and AR.
On December 21, 2021 at 4:57 pm, Brad said:
I think he missed something big. A vast majority of competitive shooters still shoot 1911s. The reason being is the recoil of a 1911 tends to be predictably straight up and down. Tupperware, not so much. When you’re trying to move fast and accurate, most people can regain their site pic faster with a 1911. For that reason, for me at least, I consider a 1911 a very good self defense weapon.
On December 24, 2021 at 12:34 pm, Georgiaboy61 said:
The enduring greatness of the M1911 Automatic is no accident. John Moses Browning got it right years before everyone else, and the fact that men are still taking it into harm’s way 110 years after it was adopted speaks volumes about it.
The cartridge is the heart of any firearm, and the .45 Auto or .45 ACP is legendary for its potency. As the saying goes, “There are not too many problems that a 230-grain Fat Boy (Ball/FMJ) round won’t fix!” At the turn of the 20th century, U.S. forces – the men of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps – found themselves fighting in the Philippine Insurrection following the conclusion of the Spanish-American War.
Fanatical Moro tribesmen would burst out of the jungle and into isolated encampments and behead or otherwise kill too-many men before they could be put down for good. The standard issue handguns then in service, predominantly M1892 revolvers in .38 Long Colt, simply weren’t up to the job. The Moros, amped up on narcotics and bound tightly with linen strips to slow bleeding, were absorbing multiple shots and still causing havoc. Known as “juramentado,” these men were willingly martyring themselves for Islam.
The Moro Rebellion in the Southern Philippines was fought 1899-1913, so it was concluded mostly with other weapons, but the insurrection is why the M1911 and its cartridge came into being.
In the 21st century, when shooting modern ammunition designs, other calibers of handgun are arguably as effective as the .45 ACP, but when using full-metal jacket (ball) ammo, few cartridges practical for military use compare with the stopping power of the 230-grain FMJ/Ball round of the M1911. By treaty, under the terms of the Geneva and Hague conventions, the military was restricted to FMJ for military use on the battlefield.
The .45-caliber slug of the weapon is part of its appeal, but the design of the pistol itself is also superb. Years before modern technologies such as computers made engineering & design easier, John M. Browning somehow arrived at the optimum grip angle and shape. Consequently, M1911s feel better in the hand and “point better” than most competing designs.
The single-stack magazine does limit capacity somewhat but the standard grip on a M1911 is suited even for modest sized hands and is comfortable for most people.
Like anything else, the M1911 has been modernized, updated, and so forth, to suit various tastes. This is nothing new. As far back as the 1920s and 1930s, Texas Rangers bound their individual 1911s with rawhide straps to keep the grip safety depressed, so as to make the weapon better for fast-draw use from a holster.
Various agencies have substituted .38 Super for .45 ACP, since the smaller, faster-moving round penetrates surfaces such as automotive glass and sheet metal better than the big .45 slug does. And there are also M1911s chambered in 9×19/9mm Parabellum, for that taste.
Critics point to the seven-round magazine capacity as a detriment, but a good “45 man” can drop the spent mag and have a new one in place and his handgun back into action, in a remarkably short span of time. Mag changes are smooth and fast, again thanks to Browning’s design genius.
One measure of the effectiveness of the Colt M1911 and the affection its users have had for it over the years is reflected in the number of Medal of Honor recipients who have used one in combat. U.S. Army soldier Alvin York of the 82nd Infantry Division used his to great effect on 9 November, 1918, and he is just one example out of many.
And there are a lot of very brave men who did not get the official recognition they deserved, such as the “tunnel rats” in Vietnam, who took M1911s and a hand-held flashlight, into the NVA tunnel complexes. No matter what recognition those guys got, it wasn’t enough!
On December 24, 2021 at 12:42 pm, Herschel Smith said:
John Basilone. Ma Deuce + 1911.