1911

[CoachStall]

So what makes a 1911 such a great gun? Is it quality, "the look", accuracy?

I noticed different brands have their own 1911 (or am i misunderstood?), so which brand produces the best?

 

[Jstier]

I don't even know where to start this one.

Design is almost 100 years old.

When first tested for it shot over 6000 rounds without a single gun related
malfunction. (that was almost 100 years ago)

The most copied pistol ever.

the list goes on and on.

There are tons of good models made by just about everyone. I still prefer Colt and Kimber

I had mine for over 15 years
I'm still kicking myself in the @&# for selling mine to Edsinger

 

[Kw55018]

I believe its all in what the person likes, I myself love the 1911 always have always will. Its a design thats been around for near 100 years mainly unchanged since introduction. Not one other firearm in history has been copied by so many different people as the 1911. As far as why do I carry one, fits my hand well(dont like bouble stack mags), the .45 acp is a great round and I can control it well(proven man stoper), easy to carry(my preferance is fullsize all steel and currently carrying one with a rail, all day every day and still sometimes "forget its there"),accuracy(under 2" groups at 20yrds seems to be pretty good to me for "stoping the bad guy". As far as who makes the best, its more a question of how much do you want to spend( Ive had high end colts, springfields,willsons and even a ground- up custom on an essex frame, and still ended up keeping my taurus pt1911ar as one of the least expensive 1911s on the market(other than the rock island which i wish i couldve kept). So I woud say find someone with different brands and see if theyll let you shoot them then youll either hate em or love em.

 

[42769vette]

i like the history of them personally

 

[hammer81]

i like the look better then any other pistol and my taurus 1911 is a shooter

 

[Robert Richardson]

Shoot one and you will see the light.

 

[AllenM]

I love the 1911 however it is not always the best gun for every situation, but I keep coming back to it for pure shooting enjoyment. I like revolvers and hi cap guns but the 1911 is for me the most fun and accurate gun to shoot and handle.
Also a bobtail alloy frame commander makes a real nice and practical carry gun

 

[Magnum314]

Along with everything else mentioned here...it was first and foremost designed and developed purely as a fighting handgun in combat situations. Not for target, sport, personal protection, competition, or anything else...just for combat! This perfect match is partly due to the trigger, safeties, grip angle, caliber (.45), and simple basic sights. Is is thin (relatively), flat, perfectly balanced, and of course...made of metal. (No plastic, that is...even though they are available now...purists would NEVER carry a plastic framed 1911!) That said...it is as perfect a fighting handgun as has ever been made, and other than some bells and whistles over the years, is essentially the same design/platform for the past century....and counting. While it has obviously excelled way beyond the combat/fighting role it was intended for...and with phenominal results...I think it still remains at its best, when called to service as a fighting handgun in a fighting caliber...the .45acp of course! (No...I'm not biased at all towards the 1911's!)

And oh yeah...they look OH SO GOOD!

 

[Joe Williams]

They way it looks, feels, shoots. It's a proven performer, reliable, easy to conceal compared to any other full size semi-auto. It was made right 100 years ago, and almost every mainstream semi-auto sitting in a cop's holster to this day uses design elements thought up by JMB.

 

[Hornett]

There is not a better trigger than that on a good 1911.
Crisp break, short reset, mmmmm perfect.

There is no real best brand.
Here is my thoughts on breakdown.

Low cost: Rock Island Armory (Armscor), LLama, Charles Daly, Norinco,

Midrange: Kimber, Springfield armory, Colt, Taurus (more low midrange heh), Dan Wesson

High end (expensive): Les Baer, Nighthawk, Ed Brown, Wilson Combat, Rock River

Any of these manufacturers make a 1911 that will work. The high end have been tuned for reliability and are much prettier. The low end generally have cast frames but will shoot thousands of rounds with proper maintenance.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

So what makes a 1911 such a great gun? Is it quality, "the look", accuracy?

None of the above. We have lots of quality guns now. "Looks", eye of the beholder and all that (with the exception of Milla Jovovich). Accuracy? Who cares, it's a pistol and we have lots of accurate pistols now.

To paraphrase Jeff Cooper, if the egg is the perfect shape, the 1911 is the perfect pistol.

In a word it is about ergonomics. Everything is where it should be on the 1911.

The weapon is easy to manipulate with both hands or with one hand. It's size and ergonomics facilitate this. The mags are single stack and thus easier to manipulate.

The weapon is easy to carry as it is flat. With proper holster and belt the weapon conceals very well and is tight against the body.

The weapon can be shot well as the two things that matter, sights and trigger are easy to adjust to the user's preferences.

It was built by a man who understood firearms, who lived and breathed firearms for an army that understood what a pistol is to do.

 

[cosermann]

I'm not a 1911 nut, but here are a few pages of good reading fer ya.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob83.html
The Sight's M1911 .45 ACP Page
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/ayoob83.html

 

[infidel]

Beauty, history, reliability, ergonomics are all factors that appeal to me, not in specific order.

 

[mospeada]

Ergonomics. It points naturally, is well balanced and the controls are in the proper location to be reached by a normal man.

It is of sufficient caliber, while the .45ACP isn't the end-all be-all of stopping the fight, it is as good as most any pistol cartridge in existence. If you don't like .45ACP, then you can get a 1911 in another caliber to your liking.

It is reliable and durable. It was made for war when THE war was in the muck and mire of France. If it'll withstand the trenches of WWI, the sand & salt of the pacific and the tropical jungle of Vietnam, I think it'll do on my hip.

While not modular in the sense of an AR15, it has withstood modification like no other pistol ever made before or since. How may varieties of 1911 are there? Plenty, from .38super race guns, to 9mm ultra compact to plastic atrocities and back to the mil-spec beauty. There are as many 1911s as there are kinds of people.

History. The 1911 is historic, you feel the same feel that your grandfather, father or uncle felt when they were defending this great nation. That's cool. The 1911 is possibly the only pistol that gives you that feeling as it was in service with our military for, well, we're still counting aren't we?

These are just some of the reasons why and why everyone should own one at least once in their life.

 

[hodgej1843]

1911 OH WHERE TO BEGIN.

HERE IS WHAT MAKES THEM SO GREAT.LOOKS,LOOKS,LOOKS,AND BEING AROUND 100 YEARS DON'T HURT EITHER

 

[bw210]

None of the above. We have lots of quality guns now. "Looks", eye of the beholder and all that (with the exception of Milla Jovovich). Accuracy? Who cares, it's a pistol and we have lots of accurate pistols now.

To paraphrase Jeff Cooper, if the egg is the perfect shape, the 1911 is the perfect pistol.

In a word it is about ergonomics. Everything is where it should be on the 1911.

The weapon is easy to manipulate with both hands or with one hand. It's size and ergonomics facilitate this. The mags are single stack and thus easier to manipulate.

The weapon is easy to carry as it is flat. With proper holster and belt the weapon conceals very well and is tight against the body.

The weapon can be shot well as the two things that matter, sights and trigger are easy to adjust to the user's preferences.

It was built by a man who understood firearms, who lived and breathed firearms for an army that understood what a pistol is to do.

This plus this is why.

Ergonomics. It points naturally, is well balanced and the controls are in the proper location to be reached by a normal man.

It is of sufficient caliber, while the .45ACP isn't the end-all be-all of stopping the fight, it is as good as most any pistol cartridge in existence. If you don't like .45ACP, then you can get a 1911 in another caliber to your liking.

It is reliable and durable. It was made for war when THE war was in the muck and mire of France. If it'll withstand the trenches of WWI, the sand & salt of the pacific and the tropical jungle of Vietnam, I think it'll do on my hip.

While not modular in the sense of an AR15, it has withstood modification like no other pistol ever made before or since. How may varieties of 1911 are there? Plenty, from .38super race guns, to 9mm ultra compact to plastic atrocities and back to the mil-spec beauty. There are as many 1911s as there are kinds of people.

History. The 1911 is historic, you feel the same feel that your grandfather, father or uncle felt when they were defending this great nation. That's cool. The 1911 is possibly the only pistol that gives you that feeling as it was in service with our military for, well, we're still counting aren't we?

These are just some of the reasons why and why everyone should own one at least once in their life.

Repped you both - couldn't have put it any better if I tried.

 

[unforgiven1203]

the feel of the grip does it for me. the huge aftermarket is a huge plus. plus J.M. Browning may as well have invented gun powder, IMHO.

 

[Garb]

Basically, it's an old school military gun and to some people that's like owning a peace of history. Also, it wouldn't have been used so widely if it didn't work well. There is a variety of reasons, but I want one for the same reason I want an M1garand or an M1A. It's a piece of history, even if it is only a copy of the real deal.

 

[WhitleyStu]

I look at 1911s like Harleys; old design that has stood the test of time, still available with much the same look, and more aftermarket parts than you can count to make your 1911 look and feel to your personal liking.

 

[KahrFan]

I've never shot one, but am now convinced I need to.