How to get a Reliable Hard Use 1911?

[Trooper224]

High round count 1911s don't do much for me. Does anyone doubt that the all-steel 1911 pistol is durable? How many times did PWS rebuild those MEUSOC M45 frames?

A 1911 with quality small parts is going to last a long time. Whether it runs well? Different question entirely.

I think Larry Vickers sums it up nicely.

How do I know if a 1911 is the right choice for me?
That is a tough question as I feel most people are best served NOT using a 1911 as a primary sidearm. Two criteria come to mind a) A passion for the 1911 platform and b) you are willing to be your own armorer and can fix relatively minor problems or fit certain parts yourself. If you are the kind of guy that doesn’t mind tinkering with your Harley Davidson motorcycle to keep it running then you are a candidate. If, however, you treat your pistols like we all treat our lawnmowers, then don’t get a 1911 –- use a Glock. If you want a very nice 1911 that runs out of the box, get a Wilson Combat.

Pretty much this. If you like working on and maintaining things the 1911 may be for you. I don't use the term "tinker" because that has a different connotation. Sometimes we tinker when we should leave well enough alone. Like: why send a 1911 in for some smiths "reliabilty" package when the gun is running fine? If you think a fun Saturday afternoon is spent in the garage working on your GTO, you may be a 1911 person. On the other hand, if you just want to jump in your Honda Civic and go, you're probably in the Glock column.

Finally, there are those who just feel the innate John Wayne need for a "hard use 1911" who might be best advised to simply leave well enough alone.

[Wondering Beard]

A 1911 doesn't kill, it harvests souls.

Especially if it's a 10mm Delta Elite.

[RevolverRob]

A 1911 doesn't kill, it harvests souls.

It's not nice to talk about @Duke and how an STI stole his soul... (Sorry Duke, buddy. Love 'ya).

[Trooper224]

It's not nice to talk about @Duke and how an STI stole his soul... (Sorry Duke, buddy. Love 'ya).

No disparaging Duke here. We're talking about real 1911s, not new age hipster jewelry.

[wvincent]

No disparaging Duke here. We're talking about real 1911s, not new age hipster jewelry.

Are you really gonna go there?

[wvincent]

It's not nice to talk about @Duke and how an STI stole his soul... (Sorry Duke, buddy. Love 'ya).

Duke? Are you talking about the same @Duke who was banging the hottest girl on earth (2011), and cruising around in a Lambo?
Who then dumped the hottest girl on earth(2011) and took up with that mousey little librarian, you know, with the glasses and the hair bun. In the flat shoes and below the knee skirts (S&W M&P)?
I can only surmise that he also traded the Lambo in for a Prius, started wearing cardigan sweaters, quit the gym and joined book club.

[Trooper224]

Are you really gonna go there?

[03RN]

Ive had 4 springfields. 2 got sold or traded. All 4 have been fine. A few mag failures, a recoil spring broken and a loose plunger tube.

I typically loose track of round count for guns at around 5k. They all surpased that.

I couldn't ask for better results.

[RevolverRob]

Duke? Are you talking about the same @Duke who was banging the hottest girl on earth (2011), and cruising around in a Lambo?
Who then dumped the hottest girl on earth(2011) and took up with that mousey little librarian, you know, with the glasses and the hair bun. In the flat shoes and below the knee skirts (S&W M&P)?
I can only surmise that he also traded the Lambo in for a Prius, started wearing cardigan sweaters, quit the gym and joined book club.

Dude...I know you ain’t hating on cardigans...

[Patrick Taylor]

Well...

Except you can be reasonably sure the HK is going to work and put the bullets where you want - where I'm not sure you can reasonably say that about a Gen4 Glock or a 1.0 M&P9...

Of course now with Gen5s and 2.0s...things have gotten markedly better. But the HK cognoscenti will smugly note...while Glocks and M&Ps were busily throwing brass at your face and keyholing at 15 yards...those USPs, P2000s, HK45s, and P30s were chugging right along...

Meanwhile the 1911 Boomers are still hanging on, "Two World Wars and two dozen other military actions across the globe. Killin' Nazis and Commies by the buttload!"

I have seen one HK in a class, it was a .45 and it choked. The student did the 2nd day with a school rental Glock. Sample of one means nothing but it is the only HK I have seen in a class.