Ken Hackathorn quote on current Colt 1911s.

[JTQ]

Man, I feel bad, that I brought all this angst to this Colt love-fest thread.

"The Colt 1911 pistols made today are some of the best 1911s Colt has ever made. Maybe not up to prewar standards..." -Ken Hackathorn

Hey, I'm a fan. I've been shooting Colt 1911's since the late 1980's. I was joining in on the love-fest. I'll get back in my lane.

[SLG]

I'm a fan too, and I'm not trying to piss in your rice crispy's. Being a fan, I also recognize its limitations and differences from more modern designs.

[JTQ]

They're not my rice crispy's and all I did was relay information from other folks. I regret debating at all with zelney.

I apologize to Mino. I would not have posted anything had I known it would prompt the change in direction this thread has taken.

[SLG]

I hear you. No worries on my end.

[Maple Syrup Actual]

I can honestly say that I've gotten to the point where I no longer care if a gun will run 50,000 rounds without needing an overhaul. In particular I work on 1911s enough that I'd just be doing the overhaul myself anyway...but the main thing is that there's no way I'm burning much more than a couple of times that much .45 in my life. Well, unless we can ink a better deal with Federal. But even so...I really can't see them including pallets of .45.

Granted even my own reloads are probably more expensive up here than what you guys are used to paying, so that's half the issue...but if I burn $20,000 worth of ammo through a gun and it has to get rebuilt or replaced that's just not that big a deal to me if I enjoyed shooting it the whole time.

So for my own purposes, I'm okay with the 1911 being a gun that won't last like an HK45 and I accept that they've advanced firearms technology over the last century.

Just not manliness enhancement technology. Well, unless you count steroids, which I guess they've radically enhanced over the last hundred years. So, I guess they've also improved that. And also there's those ads that go straight to your junk mail.

But you know what hasn't improved? Irrational obsessions with stupid mechanical objects.

Not that it applies to 1911s, which are rational to obsess over.

Shut up.

[Robinson]

Recent developments have kindled an interest in 9mm 1911s for me. The Colt Commander I bought recently is a gem, plus new magazine designs are very promising. This Colt runs great so far even with the standard mags, and the new designs on the market look good.

I'm not getting rid of my .45s but I really like this new Commander and may add another. I won't be surprised if 9mm 1911s start rising in popularity in the near future.

[SLG]

I completely agree with your point about ammo consumption vs. weapons cost. A $3000 weapon is a consumable when dealing with $20,000 worth of ammo. What I'm not on board with, is a weapon that is unreliable during its acceptable lifecycle. I have never, as in NEVER, seen a 1911 that would shoot as reliably as my Sigs or Glocks. I have seen very reliable 1911's. They just don't stay that way when you need 1500 of them to issue out.

[Maple Syrup Actual]

I completely agree with your point about ammo consumption vs. weapons cost. A $3000 weapon is a consumable when dealing with $20,000 worth of ammo. What I'm not on board with, is a weapon that is unreliable during its acceptable lifecycle. I have never, as in NEVER, seen a 1911 that would shoot as reliably as my Sigs or Glocks. I have seen very reliable 1911's. They just don't stay that way when you need 1500 of them to issue out.

I have absolutely no doubt about that and I would hate to have to keep more than about half a dozen running well for tens of thousands of rounds at a time.

I have done well with a handful of mid-priced semi-customs. But if I had to support dozens or hundreds? Forget it. I think that the inherent modularity of modern mass-produced guns makes for way better fleet pistols. I can't remember who has the line about the 1911 being an enthusiast's pistol but that's bang on IMO.

I'm just glad I only have to worry about my wife and I and our little gun stable, so I can shoot outdated guns with limited capacity, just because I like them.

[Wayne Dobbs]

I completely agree with your point about ammo consumption vs. weapons cost. A $3000 weapon is a consumable when dealing with $20,000 worth of ammo. What I'm not on board with, is a weapon that is unreliable during its acceptable lifecycle. I have never, as in NEVER, seen a 1911 that would shoot as reliably as my Sigs or Glocks. I have seen very reliable 1911's. They just don't stay that way when you need 1500 of them to issue out.

And THIS is the core truth on the gun. It's a wonderful icon and aficionado's pistol, but it for damn sure is not a satisfactory institutional gun for mass issue today. And if you're going to squeal about their use in WW's I, II and III (which commenced on V-E Day), that isn't comparable to what we expect from a duty gun today. I love the 1911 and am alive because of one, but I would never go back to it for a duty gun, nor do I recommend it for that application.

[LSP972]

... I would never go back to it for a duty gun, nor do I recommend it for that application.

Lot of that going around for those with a clue… and it is the leading cause of apoplexy in certain forum gurus (not here) and other self-professed experts whose pristine 1911s rarely leave the safe and/or residence.

I gifted my #1 grandson an Ed Brown Special Forces some time back. He thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread; until he began shooting one of my HK45 Compacts. A week ago, he came to me, and very sheepishly inquired if I minded if he tried to trade it for his own HK45C. He was worried that I would be highly offended. I told him no sweat, I understood exactly his reasons- which he carefully explained in his initial pitch- but that I would handle the transaction for him so we got the most bang for the buck, so to speak, out of the EB pistol.

I consummated that deal today; did better than I expected, especially with the market for slightly-used semi-custom 1911s being almost as soft as that for EBRs, these days. Several of my acquaintances, who consider themselves pistoleros but are most certainly not, were scandalized. They truly don't know what they don't know…

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