Gun Guys: Don’t Do This to Your Guns

[M2CattleCo]

I don't know why anyone would listen to anything either one of those guys say on YouTube.

[mtnbkr]

That said, they’ve both stated that 1911s aren’t fragile porcelain dolls that need to be baby’d. They just require a little more mindfulness of care than your run of the mill Glock. Which, when you break down exactly what that means, is way more indicative of just how lazy and inept a lot of people are vs how insufficient the 1911 design is.

I think what strikes me as odd is that a $2000+ gun needs more care (both in handling and preventative maintenance) than a $500 gun, especially when the former is touted as the pinnacle of fighting guns.
1911s are beautiful platforms, I'm just not sure they're *practical* platforms for non-enthusiasts anymore.

Chris

[Zincwarrior]

And grease the points.

At my age I just wish I could grease my joints.

[Zincwarrior]

I think what strikes me as odd is that a $2000+ gun needs more care (both in handling and preventative maintenance) than a $500 gun, especially when the former is touted as the pinnacle of fighting guns.
1911s are beautiful platforms, I'm just not sure they're *practical* platforms for non-enthusiasts anymore.

Chris

One could argue they are not, vs. more current firearms. They make excellent competition or personal home guns, but are less practical for heavier wear and tear than current generations. This is not besmirching 1911s, but they are essentially a 110 year old design. I would not expect a 1908 Luger to less finicky than a modern HK or Glock either.

[CCT125US]

Timely....

A friend of mine just just received his $5k 1911 back for a $1200 upgrade. His front sight was loose and shifting groups in the first 700 rounds. He made the comment about my reasoning for HK. Sure anyone can have a loose FS, but I would expect a detail like that to be checked at the factory on a now $6200 1911.

[spinmove_]

One could argue they are not, vs. more current firearms. They make excellent competition or personal home guns, but are less practical for heavier wear and tear than current generations. This is not besmirching 1911s, but they are essentially a 110 year old design. I would not expect a 1908 Luger to less finicky than a modern HK or Glock either.

I mean, in 2020, a 1911 is definitely not a non-enthusiast’s pistol. They’re still great guns, but yes, a 110 year old design is definitely standing out a bit vs it’s cheaper produced and meant to be mass produced via machine counterparts.

Most people are used to disposable things that are cheaper and only last “as long as they need them to”. A 1911 is a more elegant weapon from a more civilized age...

[Rosco Benson]

Ken and Bill have a lot of knowledge about 1911's and more modern designs too. One can ignore their observations and be worse off for so doing. They've each seen so many more examples of a given pistol in use, that their observations and opinions are based on much larger sample that a typical user.

Not letting a 1911 slam shut empty is just common sense. In operation, the pistol never slams shut empty. A tuned trigger will eventually be ruined by the practice. Frankly, I see no reason to let ANY pistol slam shut empty. Even with a Glock or similar, you're just beating the pistol unnecessarily. In firing, the blow will be lessened by stripping and feeding the next round up.

Flicking a revolver cylinder closed repeatedly will eventually misalign the crane. Again, why would you do that? If you've reloaded the revolver, your hand will be ON the cylinder. Just press the cylinder into the frame. If you're forced to do a weak or strong hand only reload. Go ahead and flick it closed if you wish. You've got bigger problems.

I can't see any merit to running a firearm for 2000 rounds without cleaning or lube. The late Todd Louis Green was fond of so doing as a test. I thought it was a useless exercise and still do. Does anyone really think they are going to have to shoot 2000 rounds through a pistol without having an opportunity to clean it or, at least, squirt a little lube in it? I'm not a cleaning fanatic. I generally won't clean a pistol until it's getting my shirt dirty. I will give it a shot of lube every once in a while.

Equipment should stand up to hard use, not stupid abuse. If you insist on slamming my car door just as hard as you can, every time you get in, your ass is going to be walking pronto.

I recall that when the Galil was first being fielded by the IDF, there were complaints that it wouldn't hold zero. Upon further examination, it was found that the issue was that the troops were just throwing the rifles down of the ground when they took a break. The Galil has a stamped receiver cover, like a AK. But, unlike an AK, the rear sight is on the stamped cover. So it was a training and user problem, not a gun issue. With a modicum of care, the problem ceased.

You don't need baby good gear, but you don't need to try to break it.

Rosco

[HCM]

Just wondering which one of our (increasing number of) resident contrarians will be the first to post, “OK, Boomers.”

I’ll go one better - this video was already posted and discussed in the thread about the “Gun Guys” video series in May of last year.

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....Gun-Guys/page3

[TheNewbie]

Just wondering which one of our (increasing number of) resident contrarians will be the first to post, “OK, Boomers.”

That term makes me cringe. Especially when adults use it.

[Lex Luthier]

I do wonder how long the polymer frames will hold up to use, UV rays, and chemical exposure. It would be interesting to test the H & K VP-70s and 1st generation Glocks to see what those materials are doing 35 to 50 years on.
We know the metallurgy aspect of these designs are good and durable.