If it came down to it my 1911 would be the last thing I'd be willing give up or trade for anything else materially. I have more fun shooting it randomly than any other firearm, Including my AK which is hard to beat. I like my iPhone too, but I'd shoot it with my 1911 for my last thrill.
What's your ultimate thrill, I mean besides wheelies...
Amir need not chime in......we already know! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWfph3iNC-k
Re: I Love My 1911
2As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
Re: I Love My 1911
3No you should get both.senorgrand wrote:As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
I have a RIA 1911 VZ TacII, and I love it more than I should. A 1911 just feels solid, the recoil impulse is so consistent and just kind of satisfying. The gun just looks and feels right, there is a reason the design has been around for a long time.
Re: I Love My 1911
4I dream of getting a 1911 when I get older and an income to afford one.
A free-market economy isn't really "free" when monopolies start springing up.
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." -Theodore Roosevelt
"Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far." -Theodore Roosevelt
Re: I Love My 1911
5If you haven't shot a 1911, you kind of owe it to yourself to find a friend that has a good one, and borrow it for a 100 rounds or so.
Re: I Love My 1911
6I agree 100%. Nothing fits like an extension of my hand like my 1911. I shot it better straight out of the box in IDPA than any other (higher capacity) pistol I'd shot. Love at first sight.
Forget 9mm. A 1911 is .45ACP. At least get that caliber first.
Forget 9mm. A 1911 is .45ACP. At least get that caliber first.
Re: I Love My 1911
7The .45 1911 pushes you back. It is not snappy. It is smooth and wonderful and sleek. It really is a dream because of the platform. The 5 inch slide back makes the difference along with the all steel weight and design. The length of the rails contributes to it's stability. It's not a thick gun like most plastic such as the Beretta Storm and Glocks. I don't know what else to tell you, just try out a rental and go from there. There's a shit load of options. Go with what feels right!senorgrand wrote:As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
On the other hand, no, always follow your dream. Get one "9mm", but don't stop there. The 9mm will feel snappy and the .45 will feel like slinging a brick.
Just my 1.5 cents.
Last edited by Sonofagun on Fri Jul 25, 2014 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: I Love My 1911
8I dunno. It may be the least favorite gun in my collection. High bore axis, big caliber, and thin grip make it less controllable than many others. It's heavy, low round capacity, difficult to disassemble, needlessly complicated, occasionally unreliable. It is pretty. This is all relative and highly subjective. No insult to 1911 groupies intended. I may change my mind in the future (I did on Sigs), but now I regret spending so much on it. Strangely, I'm really enjoying the recently-acquired Browning Hi-power gun, in spite of my low expectations. Aside from the magazine disconnect and slide bite, I prefer it in every way.senorgrand wrote:As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
I'd be interested in trying a 9mm 1911.
Re: I Love My 1911
9The 1911 design is more important than the caliber. John Browning's design just keeps ticking along as something very quintessentially American and at the same time "steam punk". Steel, wood & a snappy but not obnoxious recoil. It remains what someone at the start of the 20th century thought of as the most futuristic pistol possible.It was possibly the only time in American history that Ordinance was not decades behind the curve. Combine that with the customization possibilities and the fun has only begun.senorgrand wrote:As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
The RIA Tactical is a great value. Get one in 9mm and join the party.
Live like you will never die, love like you've never been hurt, dance
like no-one is watching.
Alex White
like no-one is watching.
Alex White
Re: I Love My 1911
10On top of everything else people here have said about what makes the 1911 great, I'd also add the trigger; no other handgun can touch a well-tuned 1911 trigger.
Re: I Love My 1911
11I like my Colt Commander. When I first got it I thought I'd never master the whole SA thing. Now that I'm familiar with it the set up feels completely natural and safe. The cocked & locked visual was hard to get past.
Puffing up is no substitute for smarts but it's a common home remedy
Re: I Love My 1911
12I shoot 1911 almost exclusively in IDPA, USPSA and 3-gun competition.
When I was thinking of buying my first one a couple of years ago, y'all on this forum talked me out of the 9mm model I was considering. "Try it first in the caliber it grew up with."
Good advice, I think.
I don't carry -- almost impossible to do so where I live -- but if I did I'm not sure how I'd feel about carrying a pistol cocked and locked. As Simmer said, it's pretty damn scary looking.
When I was thinking of buying my first one a couple of years ago, y'all on this forum talked me out of the 9mm model I was considering. "Try it first in the caliber it grew up with."
Good advice, I think.
I don't carry -- almost impossible to do so where I live -- but if I did I'm not sure how I'd feel about carrying a pistol cocked and locked. As Simmer said, it's pretty damn scary looking.
"To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime" - Nuremberg prosecutor Robert Jackson, 1946
Re: I Love My 1911
13I carry my FS 1911 in the winter (layers!) in condition one (hammer back, round in the chamber safety on) and I feel pretty confident doing so. The thumb safety and the grip safety make this far less daunting than it seems at first, and after a few hours of running the gun you will find that working the thumb safety comes without thought (assuming you're used to glocks and their ilk).Elmo wrote:I shoot 1911 almost exclusively in IDPA, USPSA and 3-gun competition.
When I was thinking of buying my first one a couple of years ago, y'all on this forum talked me out of the 9mm model I was considering. "Try it first in the caliber it grew up with."
Good advice, I think.
I don't carry -- almost impossible to do so where I live -- but if I did I'm not sure how I'd feel about carrying a pistol cocked and locked. As Simmer said, it's pretty damn scary looking.
*EDIT - I'm not an expert on anything, I just play one on TV. But as a newcomer to pistols (I mostly shot rifles before) I've found that I love my 1911 more every time I take it out. I was a bit trepidatious about hammer back, round in at first as well but familiarity with the gun helps over time.
Re: I Love My 1911
14you simply cannot go wrong with a decent 1911a1 in 45acp. well, unless you have small hands or tend to limpwrist, or want to cc, no offense intended. mine felt a bit narrow, and the hammer tried to bite me, but those can be fixed.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?
Re: I Love My 1911
15My advice wasn't a recommendation - the .45 1911 feels quite different from all the 9mms I've shot. It also feels different from the 45 plastic double stacks. 100 rounds is probably enough to get used to the differences to see whether you'll like it or not.
Re: I Love My 1911
16The best way I've heard a 1911 described is that it feels like an ax handle in your hand. hefty, powerful, sturdy, and reliable.senorgrand wrote:As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
if you have big hands, it'll fit way better than expected. I don't own one yet, but it's by far the most comfortable pistol i've shot and the only one where I've been able to shoot a smiley face on a whim.
Re: I Love My 1911
17It seems to me that 9mm is just begging to be shot from a 5", all steel gun. I think I will try and get a 9mm 1911. That will keep me to just four calibers for 10 guns.
And I have pretty big hands (I used to be able to palm a basketball).
And I have pretty big hands (I used to be able to palm a basketball).
Re: I Love My 1911
18Beretta 92. Sure, the lock up isn't perfect - it's more accurate than I am, though.9mm is just begging to be shot from a 5", all steel gun
Really, shoot a proper 1911 with the 45. Lots. If you have to, rent one from a range, but I'd find it very odd if you have no friends that own one.
Then, shoot a 92 for the 9mm. All steel 5" barrel.
(Or a CZ 75 if you're willing to try a 4 3/4" barrel. They're snappier than the Beretta, though)
Re: I Love My 1911
19*nods*
I really like my 1911s. I'm a big guy and have no problem carrying my Kimber TLE II, and that size -- the full-size Government model -- fits my hands best.
That being said, Kimber poses a substantial barrier as far as cost of entry is concerned.
A few weeks ago I picked up a 4.25" ATI FX45. It was something like $315 new after shipping and there was (still is, in fact) a $30 rebate from ATI. Honestly, it's hard to find much in the way of fault with it. It shoots really well, feels solid, and doesn't rattle at all. I ran about 150 rounds through it and had precisely one failure: I had a stovepipe when I limp-wristed it trying to shoot left-handed. I had a buddy loading mags and I ran through a couple rapid-fire series of 8 8-round mags back-to-back; I was ringing the steel every shot at 15 yards. The gun felt better the more I shot it, so I handed it to my buddy to give him another 8 mags. Same thing. Bang every time, fired at point of aim. Really goddamn hard to beat for $300.
Does my Kimber feel better? Oh yeah, and it looks beautiful, too. However, I don't honestly feel that it's $900 better.
If the price is a barrier to entry, pick up one of those ATI 1911s to at least get a good foothold into the world of the 1911.
I really like my 1911s. I'm a big guy and have no problem carrying my Kimber TLE II, and that size -- the full-size Government model -- fits my hands best.
That being said, Kimber poses a substantial barrier as far as cost of entry is concerned.
A few weeks ago I picked up a 4.25" ATI FX45. It was something like $315 new after shipping and there was (still is, in fact) a $30 rebate from ATI. Honestly, it's hard to find much in the way of fault with it. It shoots really well, feels solid, and doesn't rattle at all. I ran about 150 rounds through it and had precisely one failure: I had a stovepipe when I limp-wristed it trying to shoot left-handed. I had a buddy loading mags and I ran through a couple rapid-fire series of 8 8-round mags back-to-back; I was ringing the steel every shot at 15 yards. The gun felt better the more I shot it, so I handed it to my buddy to give him another 8 mags. Same thing. Bang every time, fired at point of aim. Really goddamn hard to beat for $300.
Does my Kimber feel better? Oh yeah, and it looks beautiful, too. However, I don't honestly feel that it's $900 better.
If the price is a barrier to entry, pick up one of those ATI 1911s to at least get a good foothold into the world of the 1911.
(.22 TCM - 9x19 - .357 Mag - 10mm - .45 ACP - .44 Mag - 7.62x39 - .308 Winchester - 7.62x54R - 12ga)
Re: I Love My 1911
20On the Hi Power try popping the little stupid pin in the trigger for the mag disconnect. It immensely improves the trigger and manages to eliminate a useless feature along the way. As for the slide bite - a different hammer can help and is considerably cheaper than getting a beavertail setup.begemot wrote:I dunno. It may be the least favorite gun in my collection. High bore axis, big caliber, and thin grip make it less controllable than many others. It's heavy, low round capacity, difficult to disassemble, needlessly complicated, occasionally unreliable. It is pretty. This is all relative and highly subjective. No insult to 1911 groupies intended. I may change my mind in the future (I did on Sigs), but now I regret spending so much on it. Strangely, I'm really enjoying the recently-acquired Browning Hi-power gun, in spite of my low expectations. Aside from the magazine disconnect and slide bite, I prefer it in every way.senorgrand wrote:As someone considering a 1911, what makes it so awesome? Is it the platform, the caliber, what?
Should I just jump to .45acp and give up my dream of a 1911 9mm?
I'd be interested in trying a 9mm 1911.
I can see how the bore axis on the 1911 might be contrary to preference but I am surprised about the comment around disassembly. I find the 1911 to be the simplest of all the handguns I own to detail strip - a couple of basic punches and a screwdriver to get the grips off and I can detail strip in a couple of minutes. I am always amazed at how many more parts are in other similar designs.
Re: I Love My 1911
21I traded a G17 for this RIA 9mm, ten rds later in my basement, it doesn't like 4 gr. of Unique, cycled smoothly with 5.3 Unique over 124gr Berrys.
This thing is well built, the second RIA for me, the first 1911 9mm of any brand.
http://blackicecoatings.com/ did the teflon and cerra coat.
I can't decide whether to keep it or not with all the bad things I've read about compact 1911s.
I had a Colt 1991A1 compact years ago, didn't have any problems with that gun functioning, just not accurate with it.
Last edited by Bearlaker on Sat Jul 26, 2014 3:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times"
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Re: I Love My 1911
22+1 over and over.Evo1 wrote:On top of everything else people here have said about what makes the 1911 great, I'd also add the trigger; no other handgun can touch a well-tuned 1911 trigger.
Re: I Love My 1911
23Let's just say that if it were legal for a man to marry a firearm, I'd be sharing a bed with my Colt S70 Stainless.
Re: I Love My 1911
24The FS92 is my favorite 9mm. The 1911 is my favorite .45. Condition one is not scary, it's a condition based on design. If you carry concealed it won't matter anyway, no one will see it. Not even you. A holster with a hammer strap and thumb break solves all possible accidental discharge. Condition one is as safe as any other carry method. Especially since 3 things have to happen before the gun can be fired. The grip safety must be depressed, the thumb safety must be disengaged and the trigger must be pulled. Check out the M-1 Hoplon by Brigade Gun Leather.fknauss wrote:Beretta 92. Sure, the lock up isn't perfect - it's more accurate than I am, though.9mm is just begging to be shot from a 5", all steel gun
Really, shoot a proper 1911 with the 45. Lots. If you have to, rent one from a range, but I'd find it very odd if you have no friends that own one.
Then, shoot a 92 for the 9mm. All steel 5" barrel.
(Or a CZ 75 if you're willing to try a 4 3/4" barrel. They're snappier than the Beretta, though)
http://www.brigadegunleather.com/m-1hoplon.html
Regarding disassemble I agree that it's easy. Especially since I'm a fan of standard guide rods. Not that that even matters much...