Why are 1911's so Addicting?

General Firearms Handguns - 1911
1

Why is it so difficult to have only one 1911? I purchased my first one in 2004, a Springfield Loaded. I also have many Glocks. The Springfield Loaded did not perform any better than my Glocks for me. So I thought, 1911, no big deal.

Move forward to 2013. my buddy buys a Rock Island CS (compact tactical) .45. I try it. It is great, extremely accurate. I need one. I find the Citadel compact (no RIA around at the time), essentially the same pistol. Awesome as well. I get to thinking that there might be something wrong with my Springer. I check it out and find the barrel hood has some movement in it while at lock up. I call Springfield and they immediately sent me a prepaid shipping label. In a little over a week and a half, I get it back. New barrel and bushing (previous barrel was a 2 piece), new extractor, polished feed ramp, new recoil spring and something done to breech face. Now it is a tack driver. Used it in an IDPA match last week and it didn’t do too bad.

Now I am really loving 1911’s. Just bought a new Springfield Mil Spec last week for my 3rd 1911. It shoots great. However, I can’t stop wanting another 1911. Now I am looking for a Commander sized 1911. I am looking at a Colt (although I am not too thrilled by the series 80 safety and the price). I am also looking at the Ruger Commander and the RIA Midsize, both of which are like a series 70.

By the way, I still have my Glocks, and carry a Glock everyday. However, I have a Milt sparks Summer Special 2 for 1911 on order that should arrive around September.

2

It’s because the 1911 is the Smoking hot bitch of the firearms world!

3

There isn’t a thing in the world wrong with the Colt Series 80 system, and in fact, it happens to work the best out of all of the 1911 drop safety systems designed and fielded since. It adds a legitimate safety feature, and takes nothing away from the gun – it is time to let the rumor of it ruining trigger pulls die.

The appeal of the 1911 is likely akin to that of the Garand, and I suppose it reaches different people for different reasons. You haven’t even been buying or shopping for particularly good 1911s, so you can imagine how a nicely upgraded Colt or a Wilson Combat might increase the appeal exponentially. A competent pistolsmith can do things with this gun that no Glock armorer can even begin to touch.

The gun is wonderfully flat, possesses excellent shooting characteristics, features the most classic and recognizable lines of any sidearm in history and, more to the point, has the finest trigger of any service-grade pistol ever designed. You need to know the gun well before you consider it as a carry arm, and there is an associated training curve, just as there is with any handgun, but in the hands of a competent shooter, nothing else comes even close.

People often get enamored with the subcompacts to their own detriment (the physics of the 1911 are such that these models will always be more problematic), but a Government Model is generally going to work very well, and a Commander should deliver nearly the same results with just a bit of extra care.

As we’ve seen more and more manufacturers enter the scene, each seemingly with their own recipes for specific tolerances, new features and essential upgrades, the reputation of the gun has suffered somewhat, though I attribute this more to people tinkering with their hardware than to the gun itself. Everyone seems to want to “improve” a 1911, but since its internals require fitting, the plug-and-play or “drop-in” approach usually just leads to trouble … which is invariably (and unjustly) blamed on the gun.

Do your research, buy the best 1911 that you can afford (hint: it probably won’t be a Ruger, SIG, Para or RIA), and leave it alone. That is really the key to happiness with Old Slabsides, and if you do your part, these guns will give you a whole new degree of confidence in your shooting abilities, as well.

AC

4

I don’t own a single stack gun(yet), but the combo of the heavy weight, 5in slide and slim grip(makes support hand crush griping more effective) makes the gun pretty flat shooting for 45. They are just very enjoyable to shoot.

sent from mah gun,using my sights

5

It isn’t the trigger of the series 80 that concerns me; it is that extra safety. I am one of those KISS principle types. That is why I prefer no firing pin safety. Nevertheless, I am very interested in a Colt Commander.

6

I understand, at least, in principle. We have good reason to cast a sideways glance at Kimber’s Swartz/Schwartz system, for example, because there have been a number of problems reported with it. On the other hand, you hear little-to-nothing about Colt’s approach, because there isn’t much to say apart from some secondhand mumblings about it resulting in a bit of extra work when you get a trigger job.

Extra parts? Sure, a couple. They aren’t really prone to failure, but if they bother you, you can buy the aftermarket spacer and remove them, or you can just invest in a Custom Shop Series 70 reissue. There are any number of ways around this, actually; I’m simply trying to counter the popular – but inaccurate – notion that a Colt is better without its Series 80 parts.

The truth is that you gain a valuable drop safety mechanism (something that every modern autoloader already has), and you get it without paying any penalty whatsoever. Put more simply, if you didn’t know any differently by reading a slide rollmark, you would probably never even realize that the parts were there in the first place. Not suggesting your logic is unsound; just trying to correct a common misconception that serves no one well.

AC

7

having owned many custom 1911’s, I have come to think that a series 80 colt may be the BEST configuration when building a carry gun.

AC’s comments are spot on, as usual

8

Thanks Army Chief. I could easily live with the Colt series 80. In fact, if i find a Commander (not lightweight) at a reasonable price, it will be very difficult for me to pass up. I did have the opportunity to pick one up (not XSE) blued for about $860.00 brand new, about 2 months ago and was unable to due to finances. If I came across the same one at the same price, I would be all over it. However, being left handed, I will have to add about another $100.00 or so to put on an ambi. So maybe I should just hold out for an XSE (comes with ambi but in stainless); but I do prefer blued over stainless. Decisions. Decisions.

9

I’ve definitely walked this particular dog – I too am a southpaw.

Fortunately, ambi safeties can be added at any time without too much additional expense, but I do understand about budget realities. I dealt with them regularly as a young family man, and even now, as I have worked my way to the starboard margin of the pay charts, I still have to ask Mrs. AC what I can and cannot really afford to be doing. (“Nothing” remains a fairly consistent reply.) :wink:

Perhaps you can find a suitable used Colt that will meet your needs without breaking the bank. Just be sure to look for a bone-stock gun, and not something that someone tried to improve in their garage (and which probably no longer works properly as a result). Although I ended up more on the custom side of the house with the passage time, the fact is that Colt’s internals are quite good, and they have really stepped up the quality in recent years. I would strap a stock Combat Commander onto my hip these days without any reservation at all.

Good luck in your search – just remember that you are far better off saving and waiting for quality than you are scratching an itch now with something that will leave you pretty underwhelmed later on.

AC

10

The 1911 is a platform that rewards those that are dialed in to their pistol. When a 1911 is fitted and tuned correctly, it is a reliable pistol that is well suited to the heavier calibers. The single action trigger of a 1911 can be set at the users desired pull weight and will break like glass, as long as the ignition parts are properly fitted. This helps to make the 1911 a pistol that many people are very accurate with.
I think that 1911’s can be addictive to those of us that love to tinker. To really be able to maintain a totally reliable 1911, it is important to understand which parts you should pay attention to in order to maintain proper function. Tinkerer’s enjoy this stuff.
Some people will send a 1911 back for things like an extractor that is slightly out of tune, or because they are experiencing failures due to bad timing that can be fixed with a new magazine and/or recoil spring. This is the kind of stuff that you should learn to fix and maintain if you want to use a 1911 as a primary firearm.

11

Excellent advice; hopefully I can live by it. However, i don’t think I can go wrong with my 2 Springfield government sized 1911s so far.

12

The same reason why AR15s are addictive… the degree of variation and specialization.

First you get the basic 1911

then you need the carry one

and the competition one

and .22lr practice one

and the GI throwback one

and then one with light rail

and so on ad infinitium

13

for me it started with the history of the 1911 so i bought a colt made in 45. i am not the best pistol shooter but i can hit very good with this one. it also has that nostalgic badass look to it. eventually i would like to get a brand new colt but i love my old one so i’m not in any hurry to spend the money on a new one at the moment.

14

It’s funny. My first handgun at the age of 21 was a 1911. Pops convinced me a 1911 was the finest designed semi-auto in the world and has used them extensively while in service to the Army prior to the M9. So I bought one, and hated it. All I wanted some something left-handed friendly and easy to shoot.

Fast forward a bit, tried almost all mainstream semi-auto’s, picked up a bunch, traded a bunch, and came full circle back to the 1911.

Something about making it your own, customizing it to what you want, the weight, the feel, the look, the trigger… shit. I could go on…

15

First pistols I shot as a kid were GI .45’s, and as soon as I could I bought a friend’s Llama clone. Shot the fool out of that thing, never missed a lick. Best $75 I ever spent, and I have to say mid-70’s Spanish fit & finish was better than half the current clones available now!

Then moved to Commanders as soon as I could afford it, and still love that format! Not perfect, not cheap, but I like it.

Made sure my kids were also exposed to 1911s early on, and they appreciate them even if they can’t afford them yet. Poly pistols make too much sense now as a starting point. Especially the PPQ & M&P.

16

For me, the crispness of the trigger has nothing to do with anything. It is the straight back, linear, non camming pull that makes the trigger THAT much better than everything else on the market. There is no arcing torque effect on the trigger pull which can throw shots on other platforms.

The 1911 is popular and is an addiction because it comes in Baskin Robbins 30304304334730 flavors.

Glocks are boring but they are reliable, effective and pretty hard to beat cost wise.

1911’s are expensive, customizable and VERY good at what they do albeit arguably inferior in reliability to modern polymer pistols.

17

What isnt to like about a fine firearm crafted from solid steel. It a piece of Americana that everyone can own. I grandfather taught me how to shoot a 1911 and now I have one to teach my grandchildren. And if you run out of ammo you can always slap someone with it.

18

Can’t empathize, never owned one. Shot plenty though. Colt, Kimber, Les Baer, RIA, and some others I don’t remember the type. 45 and 10MM.

I’m sure part of it was when I was buying my first handgun before the advent of the Internet, back in the mid-90s. Knew I wanted a 45, I wanted accurate, I wanted reliable.

Firearms knowledgable guy was telling me buy a 1911, then send it to so and so for throat, polish, reliability this, accuracy that. Sounded crazy to me.

Read some gun rags and they had an extensive SIG article. Bought a 1995 P220.

Never regretted the decision, but I’ll admit that I don’t want the maintenance headache required for a 1911.

19

There’s something about them that just feels…natural. I’m required to carry a Glock at work and it’s hard for me to go back and forth because the G22 feels like a 2x4 in my hand after shooting the 1911. I once went a year without shooting it so I could concentrate solely on the Glock but my wife wanted to shoot the 1911 so we went out and I ran a mag through it as well. It felt like coming home again…just so easy to shoot accurately. It feels like a living extension of my arm when I heft it.

20

I’ve never really warmed-up to the Springfields personally (grip profile always felt slight odd to me), but I would agree that you’ve probably got yourself a couple of decent pistols there. This is really the key to happiness with the 1911: buy the best quality gun that you can afford.

Remember too that if two guns are priced about the same at retail, but one has a bunch of bells and whistles while the other does not, the chances are good that some corners were cut (usually on component quality) to make that price point on the well-optioned model. There are no free lunches.

AC