Greetings gun guys, I'm looking to see what you guys think of guns described as 1911s, but really aren't 1911s. To me a 1911 is .45 caliber with a 5" barrel that looks and functions like John Browning's original design. Nearly every gun manufacturer makes at least one model. I regularly see 9mms advertised as 1911s. they look similar to a "real" 1911 and have the same features and controls, but I don't think such guns should be called 1911s. I can accept the description 9mm styled after the 1911, or maybe 9mm of 1911 design, or 9mm designed after the 1911.
I own a Colt/ Walther .22 auto designed much like a 1911. The gun is cool as ever, but it's certainly not a 1911. The stamp on its slide says: "Colt's Government Model Cal. .22 Long Rifle". This gun should never be called a 1911. It is a .22 that looks and functions much like a 1911. It does have a 5" barrel.
We would never call a four cylinder kit car that looks like a Ferrari a Ferrari! Why would we call a gun a 1911 when it isn't?
Do you guys relate to my thinking on this?
I don't yet own a "real" 1911, but it's certainly on my list of guns to own!