Why is the 1911 more popular than ever?

[ralph]

Attachment 92844Attachment 92843

Saw this in the LGS earlier this week, did some old fashioned horse trading and brought it home, it joins the other two I have..All Colts I don’t know if I’d ever carry one, as there are way better options, but they are cool.

The pistol in the middle, is interesting, it was built by Jim Clark Sr, in 1962-63 (it’s marked under the slide) on a standard Government model, I’m assuming that the rails may have been welded up an recut as there is zero play in the frame/slide fit. When I got it, it had hammer follow thru, and was IMO dangerous to shoot..I called Wilson Combat and they did a trigger job on it replacing all the worn parts, it turned out great. Classic example of a 60’s era target 1911.

[Ichiban]

How did we get five pages in without someone posting this meme?

[HeavyDuty]

I’m currently trying to plan the logistics of moving 2 1/2 gun safes and about 10,000 rounds of CF ammo half way across the country in the next 3 weeks. In addition to exasperated comments from the wife, even I begin to wonder what kind of sick person I am? (especially as I am already planning the purchase of a handful of guns when I finally get my new “citizenship” I’m looking at YOU AK-103SF and EVO3).

It’s nice to see respectable people who are also afflicted.

When I moved from Northern VA down to Eastern NC a few years ago the movers moved all four safes and all my ammo and accessories in my household goods, I was the last pickup and the first drop off and the small privately owned moving company that the USMC had contracted for my PCS move was all about getting that loaded weight ticket weight up... It still took me 3 trips in the Jeep Cherokee to move all the guns, piled floor to ceiling with the seats down, I didn't have cases for everything so stuff was just wrapped in layers of blankets like a rifle lasagna.... Made three runs south on interstate 95 and 40 like that. Sketchy as hell... after that I developed a even higher affinity for pistols.... much easier to move...

Ooof. I just went through this moving NH to TX. I need to take up something lighter.

[Bergeron]

I remember a move my parents made, after mom showed the movers all the ammunition, the books, and her rock collection (geologist).

"Lady, don't you have any lightweight hobbies?!"

My own arms collection is quite meager by comparison to some, but the movers never touch it. There have been some entertaining conversations about an inert training RPG round that I have, and no matter what I say, no mover ever wants to touch "the missile".

[JHC]

I’m starting to think I should get a 1911 just to have in the collection. I’ve never owned one. Before everyone starts breaking out the pitchforks and lighting their torches, I do own three K-Frame Smith and Wessons so I’m not a communist.

Yeah well, not by Hack standards. In our class I was officially a communist fag as I didn't own one at the time. LOL

I'd recommend you do. But don't go cheap/basic service level IMO. 1911 life begins at the TRP level. I learned that across mucho dineros.

[HeavyDuty]

I’m going through a period of strong renewed 1911 interest. I haven’t been without one for 40 years, but for the last 20 it has been with a singular 5”.

A few months ago I got a wild hair and picked up a .45 ECP and a Ruger 9mm Officers. I liked the ECP so much that I picked up a second, in 9mm - and I’m considering one of the Ruger 5” bull barreled 9mms as a range and play gun. The Officers is in carry rotation, and the .45 ECP isn’t far behind.

It feels like a homecoming.

[Bergeron]

I'd recommend you do. But don't go cheap/basic service level IMO. 1911 life begins at the TRP level. I learned that across mucho dineros.

Yours are words of much wisdom and experience, and are of the kind that I always appreciate hearing.

I keep on wanting-not-getting the "custom-production" and "rebuilt masterpices" of the 1911 world; ya know; the ones with staples in the slide locks and Auto-Cad-Is-Confused levels of total craftsmanship. Mine have been lightly-touched Springers and Colts, and I'm going to either 2 or 3 SXIs of various formats. I think I have a plan for Dad's old Pins & USPSA Para. He bought a Llama (or I don't know what it was, one of those weird ones with external extractor and some other goofy bits, but cheap and reliable-)- until it died on diet of bowling pin loads with some traumatic ejector failure.

Good 1911s always worth the money.

[SW CQB 45]

I guess I have been lucky and ended up with no real issues on the 1911 style guns that have passed through my hands.

My very first 3
Colt Govt Series 70 it ran. no issues. It was modified by Sams Custom and still have it today.
Colt Gold Cup Series 80 (used, slide to frame fit was sloppy) but shot very good and reliable. Sold it to buy something else.
Colt Officers ACP (very first shot, recoil spring tab broke off and recoil springs and broken plug took off flying to never be found again. The gun was sent to King Gun Works in Cali for recoil spring assembly and ran after that.... still have it today.

Colt Commanders, Les Baer Monolith HWY, Springers this and that, ACW, DW..... all these guys ran good!

1911 style been BERRY BERRY GOOD TO ME!

[Bergeron]

I guess I have been lucky and ended up with no real issues on the 1911 style guns that have passed through my hands.

..., Les Baer Monolith HWY, ...

1911 style been BERRY BERRY GOOD TO ME!

What was that like? Those guns have always fascinated me.

[SoCalDep]

haha dang. I bought a few Jacksons and B92s recently. gen x card confirmed.

I can’t do the same things with my Les Paul, Strat, Tele, ripoff ES-335, acoustics, or dean resonator that I can with my ESP seven string, Ibanez, or my Earnie Ball Music Mans.

At the same time, I can’t do the same things with those modern guitars that I can with the good old vintage stuff.

I pick up my Strat and it’s blues. The Les Paul is the bridge between blues and everything else, and the tele bridges blues and country. It’s cheesy but those guitars seem to have a soul that inspires. The modern stuff is a canvas that I put my soul on. Sometimes I like to hear my soul alone, and sometimes I like to feel my soul mesh with the souls of the past. I’m pretty sure no one else wants to hear any of it.

My first introduction to pistols was a Ruger Mk something when I took my first hunter safety course. I think I was 11. I loved it, people were impressed (in my memory) with my shooting, and it probably set me on a path. A few years later it was my dad’s friend’s Browning Hi-Power. That was rad.

At 15 I went with a friend and his dad to an indoor range. We shot a Beretta 92F and 84, an AR-15, and a 1911A1. The damn 1911 scared the shit out of me. I’d never shot a handgun with that recoil. I look back now and think it’s funny, but at the time... damn!

Fast forward some years and I was in college, turning 21, and trying to decide what my first handgun would be. My parents were very anti-handgun, so as much as I loved handguns, I had somewhat limited exposure to them. The local CCW instructor/retired cop said Para Ordnance was the best of the best so after lots of thinking and research I ended up with a P-13 Limited Stainless. It sucked... wouldn’t run reliably, and I dumped it in partial trade for a Beretta 92FS Custom Carry. (A recent handgun magazine article had declared the Beretta the most reliable gun out of the box).

Lots of non-1911 guns followed for a while, but I decided to give the 1911 another shot with one of the newly-released Springfield Loaded models. I think that was around late 2000. That was the complete opposite experience. It was amazing. Reliable - accurate - felt great - and was very much like that Springfield Bureau model/ Pro that was my dream gun reading gun magazines back in 1998 or so. Then came the Kimber that I remember being the breakthrough custom-not-custom 1911 around 1995 or something. I grabbed a series one that really didn’t work all that well. Eventually got rid of it. A Les Baer Commander followed (problems) and another Para P-13 (worked pretty well but the slide didn’t lock open every time). The Colt 1991 in Stainless I got next worked great and boy do I wish I didn’t sell that one. I took a couple classes with it and had no issues at all. My next “1911” was a Para P-16 Limited for... well... Limited division. It was and has been crazy reliable with lots of different ammo in spite of my distrust of Para anything. Unfortunately I got hired into LE and a department that didn’t authorize the 1911, and from my perspective after being hired... probably never would.

By that time, having worked at a fairly big gun store in a big market for a couple years, I’d had the opportunity to go to some cool training classes and one of them was a marketing/training class with Springfield and it featured Rob Leatham. Being young and such I watched his demonstrations with complete awe. (I guess it’s not so much an age thing but DAMN that guy could shoot a .45!)

At one point we were shooting plates and Mr. Leatham was talking to another shooter right next to me. It was my turn to shoot the six plates with a Springfield V-16 1911 and all I was thinking was “shoot fast and don’t miss”. There have been a few times in my life when it seems like I ask for some “help” and the request is granted. Mr. Leatham looked over at me and said something I can’t remember, but after whatever he said, he gave me the hat he was wearing and had me shoot his open gun. I have a picture of me from the 2001 or 2002 Steel Challenge with him and I’m wearing the hat he gave me and the holster he gave me (yes, the free holster was a marketing thing but I don’t care). That Springfield Loaded 1911 was in the holster I was wearing.

That ends the first chapter of my 1911 love story. Like I mentioned... I hired on to LE and the 1911 was a big NO - so over time almost all got sold. I “sorta” traded the Para P-16 Ltd but it has stayed in my life, so more on that later. I held on to that Springfield for many years, but eventually the temptation of the next “authorized” gun was too great and I sold it. If there is one “what gun do you regret selling” for me... that’s it.