Savage enters the 1911 market.  They have a .45 ACP gun and a 9mm gun.

I hate cheaply made firearms, and I hate the idea of paying $3000 or more for a 1911.  I like the price point of around $1500 for a 1911.  It doesn’t appeal to folks looking for a steal to get a good 1911 (there is no such thing as a 1911 for cheap, just cheaply made 1911s), and it doesn’t break the bank.

If they work right, I’d like one of each, but it’s very easy for manufacturers to make bad 1911s.  Has anyone had a chance to shoot either of these builds?

The first rule of gun club is that you don’t talk about gun club.  But I will say this much.  I agree with Tim that Dan Wesson makes a very good 1911.  Dan Wesson is owned by CZ now.  That was a good purchase by an already good company.

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.

This is very interesting and a good commentary on the recent history of the 1911 in U.S. special forces by someone who was there.

American Rifleman.

Combat narratives from veterans who engaged Viet Cong or North Vietnamese Army units at close range during the war are filled with stories of pistols used effectively. Handguns became a necessary fall-back option when rifles or machine guns jammed or ran out of ammunition. In such desperate engagements, the stopping power of the .45 ACP round was particularly praised as a rapid and reliable solution.

Throughout the long war in Vietnam, a number of soldiers and Marines carried civilian-made sidearms. This was largely in the early years of the war, when regulations regarding personal defense weapons were more relaxed. These weapons were either brought from home or sent to Vietnam by anxious family and friends.

[ … ]

Just like in World War I, World War II and the Korean War, there were never enough M1911 pistols to meet the demand.  American troops believed in, trusted and faithfully carried it on their hip or shoulder whenever and wherever they went into combat.

My love for the firearm puts me in good company.  Regardless of your commitment to high capacity magazines, the 1911 still lives, and today earns more respect and demands more money than plastic pistols.

It shoots a man-killer round that can be converted with +P ammunition to be large-animal killers with ball ammo.  It’s slim, sleek design makes it easy to acquire and reacquire sight picture and target, its single stack design makes it easy to grip and handle (especially for someone affected with RA like me), and its reliable operation engenders trust and confidence.

While change marks the nature of the plastic pistol market, the 1911 has changed very little over the century – because perfection doesn’t need change.

I confess I had never thought of the problem they’re discussing, and frankly I’m not sure I fully understand the problem they’re discussing.  I know there are gunsmiths who read this blog.  Enlighten us, please.

FWIW, the comments state that Ken Hackathorn and Bill Wilson say not to do this.  I don’t, but regardless, it would be nice to know why they recommend against it.

I missed this one from Texas Plinking about a month ago.  If I could have one more 1911 (honey, why do you need another 1911?), I think it would be this one.

TFB:

The famous command given to Revolutionary War soldiers at the Battle of Bunker Hill – “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes” – resulted in forever identifying the musket credited with the first shot fired against British troops on that fateful day in June of 1775. John Simpson, a Private in the 1st New Hampshire Regiment, was court martialed for disobeying orders, successfully documenting the gun that fired the first shot in the historic battle. However, Simpson was lightly punished and went on to serve in the rest of the war with distinction.

The gun that fired the first shot at the Battle of Bunker Hill is heading for sale Morphy Auctions in Denver later this month.

The Revolutionary War musket belonged to John Simpson, a Private in the 1st New Hampshire Regiment who fought during the historic battle in Charlestown, Massachusetts on June 17, 1775.

As the British troops advanced, Simpson fired his weapon prematurely – disobeying the famous order given to American soldiers not to fire “until you see the white of their eyes”.

Having been passed down by Simpson’s descendents for almost 250 years, the historic weapon will now be offered for sale for the first time, and is expected to sell for up to $300,000.

“We have the privilege of auctioning a firearm that symbolizes one of the most important battles leading to American independence,” said Dan Morphy, President of Morphy Auctions.

“It will be exciting to see whether the Simpson musket ends up in a private or institutional collection.”

In the comments one person says that “The father of the soldier testified for its authenticity.” I do wonder about authenticity and traceability.

I think I would rather have a rifle used by one of Francis Marion’s men. On another front and probably easier to prove authenticity, I had forgotten that Singer made 1911s.

As for the 500 Singer 1911s, those handguns went to arming Army Air Force aircrews, and today are among the most desirable guns in the world of arms and armor collecting. The small number produced, their high quality, and the even smaller number of guns that survived the war make them extremely rare. In December 2017, a Singer 1911 sold at auction for an eye-popping $414,000, one of the highest prices ever paid at auction for a handgun.

Yep.  I’ll take a couple with sequential serial numbers, please.

As readers know, I modified a S&W E-Series Performance Center 1911 by installing a 22# spring purchased from Wolff Gunsprings in lieu of the 18# spring that came with the gun.

Since then, it has performed flawlessly with 450 SMC, albeit a little stiff on the recoil.    Recall that the 450 SMC round comes with a rifle primer rather than a pistol primer, leaving more room for powder.  With stippled wooden grips I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to shoot more than three or four dozen rounds before getting some hand sting.  I would need to install different grips if I intended to shoot 450 SMC all day at the range.

But the question came up about this round whether the higher spring constant affected the gun’s ability to properly cycle .45 ACP (i.e., does the weaker ammunition incompletely cycle the slide and cause a FTF/FTE)?

I can confidently say after having shot several brands of .45 ACP with the stiffer 22# spring that I’ve had no malfunctions at all.  To me this is good news since I won’t have to change the spring for my choice of ammunition.