Back to the 1911.

[Trooper224]

Well, after a period of two years, in which I pretty seriously worked with other designs, I've decided to take what many here will consider to be a step backward. Over the past two years, I've briefly carried a FN-FNS-9, lived with the Beretta 92 and gave the Walther PPQ a work out. There was also an earlier period with the Browning High Power. I loved the P35, but it didn't love my big hands. The FNS-9 wound up with a rather "meh" rating. I did develop a love and respect for the big Beretta and it remains my favorite 9mm. It's also Mrs. Awesome's favorite so it isn't going anywhere. I also found the Walther to be a fine shooter.

However, in the end none of them shot as well or as naturally for me as the 1911. The real difference came in speed and accuracy at longer ranges; twenty five yards and beyond. At closer range the difference was minimal, but it really began to show once the target moved out to the twenty five yard line. It seemed as if I was putting in more effort than should be necessary to maintain accuracy at longer range. I'm sure this is due to my long association with the 1911, which began when I was six years old. I'm reasonably sure that a bit of time and effort could get me over the learning curve, but here in the spring of my fiftieth year I find such issues frustrating.

A couple of months ago I decided to take the 1911 out during a range trip. Over the previous two years I'd only been using it for Bullseye shooting and hadn't done any speed drills at all. Based upon my performance you'd never have known it. By the time I was done with that session I'd decided, "Enough of this silliness." Consequently, I've been using a lighter handload for range work so as to avoid aggravating my arthritis and I'm considering a 1911 in 9mm as a training gun. (the last two years has shown me the economy of shooting the 9mm as well) I've also been adding some lower back strengthening exercises to my gym workout that have alleviated some of those day to day problems and an aluminum frame gun might be in my future. Being sure that I was finally done with God's Gun, I gave the Colt that had served as my carry piece to my youngest son on his twenty first birthday. I'm currently using my competition gun for carry and there's a gun show this weekend, so I've got a great excuse to buy a new gun.

I guess some old dogs just can't seem to learn new tricks.

[SLG]

I completely agree about the speed and accuracy of the 1911, especially when you get past 25 yards. Does that seem like a realistic need FOR YOU for a defensive pistol? I'm well aware of the relatively few shots fired defensively at longer range, and if you need to, you need to. That is an outlier of an outlier though.

OTOH, having multiple opponents, running around within 25 yards, seems like a more problematic scenario to me.

[El Cid]

Do what works best for you. And it's pretty obvious you actually experimented with other options. No shame in that in my book.

[LockedBreech]

I haven't been able to stop fonding the new Colt since it got here. There's no doubt that it's a heavier, more finicky, lower-capacity platform, but there's also no denying that feel of authority, heft, and correctness as you bring up the sights.

What ones are you lookin' at? What's your budget?

[Trooper224]

I completely agree about the speed and accuracy of the 1911, especially when you get past 25 yards. Does that seem like a realistic need FOR YOU for a defensive pistol? I'm well aware of the relatively few shots fired defensively at longer range, and if you need to, you need to. That is an outlier of an outlier though.

OTOH, having multiple opponents, running around within 25 yards, seems like a more problematic scenario to me.

When I created this thread I did so knowing full well that, given the overall tone of PF, some would disagree, voice concerns or flat out tell me I was wrong. Thank you for being the tip of the spear on that.

As everyone here will agree, the handgun is a compromise weapon. When I go to work I like to do so with a full tool box and I prefer that my primary tool do as many things as possible. Within my context I find the 1911 provides me with more flexibility than other handguns. Concerning multiple bottom feeders, I've always carried at least two spare magazines with that in mind and I still have the Pizza Blaster in the safe if I think more may be needed. Most here may disagree and I have no problem with that. I come here for interesting discussion not lip service.

[BillSWPA]

1911 is absolutely not a step backward.

When I competed in IDPA years ago, the most common guns were Glocks. 1911's were second. Anything else was a distant third. There were more 1911's than everything else combined excluding Glocks.

I generally prefer to carry a Glock, but I can place an accurate hit on target faster with a 1911 than with any other gun, including when starting from a holstered gun and the safety on safe.

The mechanical engineering may be archaic, but the human engineering remains the standard by which all others are judged.

[LockedBreech]

The mechanical engineering may be archaic, but the human engineering remains the standard by which all others are judged.

That's...kind of an awesome way to describe it.

[Trooper224]

I haven't been able to stop fonding the new Colt since it got here. There's no doubt that it's a heavier, more finicky, lower-capacity platform, but there's also no denying that feel of authority, heft, and correctness as you bring up the sights.

What ones are you lookin' at? What's your budget?

Being a state employee, I've never been able to move up to something like a Wilson, although I'm eyeing something like that as a retirement present to myself in a few years. I've always gotten good service out of Springfields and Colts in the $800-$1500 range. My current competition gun is a lightly modified SA Range Officer that has run like a red assed baboon for over ten thousand rounds. I've been impressed with the quality of my recently acquired CZ1911A1 (made by Dan Wesson) so I'm considering something like a Dan Wesson Valor. The SA TRP is a possibility as is one of the new Colt offerings.

[ydennekb]

Your post pretty much covers my last month and I ended up with a Colt Competition. I hadn't fired a 1911 in 4 years after carrying nothing but for 12. Felt like an old friend. My up close work wasn't up to Glock speed but the longer distance shots (out to 50 yds) seemed like a breeze. I'm not quite ready to go back to carrying one but the thought has more than crossed my mind.

Glad I'm not the only one.

[SLG]

When I created this thread I did so knowing full well that, given the overall tone of PF, some would disagree, voice concerns or flat out tell me I was wrong. Thank you for being the tip of the spear on that.

As everyone here will agree, the handgun is a compromise weapon. When I go to work I like to do so with a full tool box and I prefer that my primary tool do as many things as possible. Within my context I find the 1911 provides me with more flexibility than other handguns. Concerning multiple bottom feeders, I've always carried at least two spare magazines with that in mind and I still have the Pizza Blaster in the safe if I think more may be needed. Most here may disagree and I have no problem with that. I come here for interesting discussion not lip service.

Glad to be the tip of the spear in something.

I didn't post to piss in your cheerios, just to ask a question and add a view point.

I have carried a 1911 all over, for many years.