Why a 1911?

[Phil3]

I was all ready to buy a Dan Wesson Pointman 7 in 45, but it became more apparent I was not so sure about the purchase. I already have a semi-auto CZ 75 single action in 9mm, which I use to shoot paper targets. I have shot my CZ and a 1911 side by side, and to this newbie, they are very similar creatures, with this 45 having better sights and trigger, and somewhat heavier recoil.

What possessed others to buy a 1911, especially if they had one (or a non-1911 semi-auto) already? Guess I want to be sure I am not overlooking something special about the 1911 that would cause me to reconsider buying one.

I do plan to buy a revolver, since after having shot that, I find it a very different (and pleasant) experience vs the semi-autos.

- Phil

[Army GI]

For me, it's mostly psychological. I can't help but think about the hero in our favorite WWII movie handling a ".45 Auto-matic" as they used to call it. It's a gun that's been around for a long time and has developed a HUGE cult following and is legendary in every sense of the word. I know I would probably be fine with an HK, or a Beretta, or a Glock. But the 1911 makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[AlexBreya]

all metal, good looks, pretty accurate. i think its the coolest looking handgun.

[Kid Stanislaus]

My first semi-auto handgun was purchased at the behest of a gun store salesman and it was a Colt Combat Commander. After that I decided to stick with one kind of semi-auto so I'd never have to be concerned with trying to remember what I had in my hand. There are good arguments that I've seen for other formats but whenever I draw a flat gun from my belt I know the safety has to be flicked off and that'll never change.

[kusanagikei]

all metal, good looks, pretty accurate. i think its the coolest looking handgun.

Agreed. It's sexy... *sniff* must... raise... funds... to buy... one...

[stphnman20]

Why not?

[Paradiddle]

No other semi auto handgun can be made to have the wonderful straight pull no creep trigger of a 1911 that has been worked on by a good smith.

Plus - they are good pointers and most people like the thin grip profile. The look great and 45 is a great caliber.

Watch The Wild Bunch - then buy one, a trench gun, and a browning water cooled.....

[Army GI]

Watch The Wild Bunch

My favorite setup is a 1911 and a Winchester 30-30

[freakshow10mm]

It is by far the most reliable, accurate, and well loved combat pistol in the world.

Right now I carry my Glock because my 1911 is getting a new 10mm upper fitted plus a bobtail and checkering job. If I ever get in a gunfight again, I want a 1911 in my hand if all I have is a pistol.

[aplinker]

-Trigger
-reliability
-accuracy
-pointability
-tunability,
-simplicity,
-parts availability
-all metal
-excellent ergonomics

[kurac]

cause every one else has one


I do not have one for this very reason

[M. D. Van Norman]

Thanks to their popularity, you can make 1911-style pistols be just about anything you want them to be. This is a very nice feature in a state otherwise flooded with oversized, low-capacity handguns.

[biscuitninja]

What you talking about Willis!

Because I can't leave well enough alone and I get to change whatever I want and parts will probably be around for another 100 years or so.

[Jonathan Doe]

1911 grip fits my hand very good. I shoot very comfortably with it.

[USMC Tanker]

I bought my first 1911 shortly after returning home from my first tour in Iraq.

The only pistols I had touched, carried, shot in the last 7 months had been my extremely beat up M9 and the sh*t we pulled off of the Iraqis.

The first pistol I touched when I got home was a Springfield Armory M1911A1, .45 ACP, GI model. I was on the market for a GI style 1911, to have what my father and grandfathers carried in their war. When I handled that GI model, it felt like everything a fighting handgun should be. It was heavy, it rattled, it had an authoritative sound when the slide was cycled, it had classic looks, and it fired the gunslinger's round...the .45 ACP.

I bought it and never regretted it. There's a sense of history with it, regardless of the fact it was manufactured well after WWII and Vietnam.