Glock vs 1911, side by side comparison

[Turo]

Shootability: 1911 wins again. I found the 1911 much easier to shoot and control. I attributed this to weight. The 1911 has more weight which helps absorb the recoil. The Glock was definitely shootable, but it was far more jumpy in my hands. Now, to be fair I should have shot a Glock 21, but I had the Glock 17 and the ammo.

Wait, so a .45acp in a 1911 had less recoil than a 9mm Glock? You may need to change your grip on the Glock if that is happening. 9mm in any full size handgun has so little recoil it's almost not worth mentioning. Even my subcompact Glock in .40S&W barely has more recoil than any 1911 I've shot.

Oh btw, Glocks are just as inherently accurate as 1911s. The shooter is the weak point in that comparison.

[tacticalcity]

The shooter has a lot to do with it. What you are used to, how much trigger time you have on each system, and the realism of your training all play a role in your performance with each system. The human element cannot be removed the equation.

Now if you were to take 2 brand new shooters with ZERO shooting experience. Same age, general physical condition, and athletic ability. Stick a Glock in 1 guy's hand and a 1911 in the other's. Then have them take the same 4 Day Defensive Handgun course side by side. Then you could get some sort of realistic idea of how those guns performance compares to each other. But even then there would be some human element messing with the experiment.

Once you have a shooter with some experience on one or other, their own skill set begins to bias the experiment big time. Plus plinking at the range is not really a true test. You need the structured environment of an intense training course to see how they perform under realistic conditions, or at least as realistic as you can make them in a safe testing environment. The pressure of working at speed (1.5 seconds or less to get multiple shots off), from a holster from concealment and having to compete against the guy next to you is an important part of the equation.

Once of the reason why I like Glocks and 1911s is that both do very well under those conditions. Most instructors will tell you, people tend to do better with the Glock. Why? Even experienced guys have trouble with a manual thumb safety once you start stacking on the pressure. You would be surprised how many 1911 "experts" have trouble with that when they go from plinking to actually defensive training. You really have to be consistent in your training to make the flipping off the safety as you start to point in muscle memory. Sounds like such a simple thing. But people struggle with it. With enough time, they get it down it happens instinctively. But that is time and effort you completely skip with the Glock.

[tacticalcity]

Wait, so a .45acp in a 1911 had less recoil than a 9mm Glock? You may need to change your grip on the Glock if that is happening. 9mm in any full size handgun has so little recoil it's almost not worth mentioning. Even my subcompact Glock in .40S&W barely has more recoil than any 1911 I've shot.

Oh btw, Glocks are just as inherently accurate as 1911s. The shooter is the weak point in that comparison.

I'd say they are closer than I would like to admit recoil wise. With the Glock being noticably but not significantly less. Why? The massive weight of my 5" Steel Frame 1911 absorbs a lot of the felt recoil.

That said, the Glock 9mm is still less...no question there....and since it is much lighter I don't feel like my gun is trying to pants me all day during carry.

Don't get me wrong. These are my two favorite guns hands down. But there is a practicality to the Glock on every single level that makes it my favorite. It just fits into everyday life much better. Easier to carry, easier to shoot in an actual gun fight, less tempormental, easier to breakdown and clean, easier to maintain, the list goes on and on. Tell me I can't have a Glock however, and I reach for a 1911.

[redcliff]

Glock vs 1911, side by side comparison ??????
Ok. Lets see.... I have Sprigfield Armory Custom Shop full size PC9404 in .45. ( A little over 3000.00 MSRP) and I will use my STOCK Glock 23 that I pack off duty.

Glock is 100% reliable with HST and Ranger ammo ( the only ammo I can carry)
The custum 1911 is WAY more accurate , even with PMC Ball.
Looks way nicer , much more fun to shoot. NOt as near as reliable with factory JHP ammo. Can only be used with 7-8 or 10 round magazines.
Very heavy compared to a Glock.

Love them both!!!!

ap3572001, just curious why you don't send your SA Custom back and have them fix it so it is reliable, since they have a life-time warranty? My Springfield Pro does not share your pistol's shortcomings in regard to JHP. Nor does my LW Commander.

[ianS]

I'd say they are closer than I would like to admit recoil wise. With the Glock being noticably but not significantly less. Why? The massive weight of my 5" Steel Frame 1911 absorbs a lot of the felt recoil.

That said, the Glock 9mm is still less...no question there....and since it is much lighter I don't feel like my gun is trying to pants me all day during carry.

Don't get me wrong. These are my two favorite guns hands down. But there is a practicality to the Glock on every single level that makes it my favorite. It just fits into everyday life much better. Easier to carry, easier to shoot in an actual gun fight, less tempormental, easier to breakdown and clean, easier to maintain, the list goes on and on. Tell me I can't have a Glock however, and I reach for a 1911.

I agree. Throw in compact (G19) and subcompact (G26) versions and they cover most bases well. Never really trusted compact or subcompact 1911's nor liked their shootability compared to compact Glocks. So 1911's are, to me, limited in that sense. Nevertheless, Gov't length all steel single stack .45 1911's were pretty much my 2nd favorite handguns after Glock as well. However, since I'm so entrenched in the "Glock system" I'd probably go with similar pistols like the S&W M&P or even an XD before I go 1911 again, if for whatever reason I couldn't use a Glock.

As a side note both my former SA Professional and Baer TRS seemed to have a bit more felt recoil or slower recoil impulse than my former Colt Gov't Models, Kimber Custom II, or SW1911. The Pro and TRS come with heavier 18.5 lbs recoil springs while the Colt, Kimber, and SW come stock with lighter 16 lbs recoil springs. Not enough to make huge difference but noticeable.

[DaveFJ80]

Even experienced guys have trouble with a manual thumb safety once you start stacking on the pressure. You would be surprised how many 1911 "experts" have trouble with that when they go from plinking to actually defensive training. You really have to be consistent in your training to make the flipping off the safety as you start to point in muscle memory. Sounds like such a simple thing. But people struggle with it. With enough time, they get it down it happens instinctively.

Same with an AR rifle, as the safety selector switch moves in a similar way with your shooting thumb. Unless you train doing it every time, it's tricky at first when doing a defensive carbine course when you're having to flip the safety everytime you raise and lower your carbine. The same can apply to a 1911 when drawing or holstering it.

Ok, I'm off topic... but I've done a defensive pistol class with my Kimber (I mostly use my Glock, but I wanted to try something different), and I've done a defensive carbine class. So when you've done both, you can kind of relate to the 'ease' of using a Glock during a high stress situation or when you want a gun to just grab, point, and shoot.

[chiselchst]

Very nice write up Loco...I agree with you.

I have several 1911's, and love them to death. They're all reliable (now), but for SD I have a few G21's...robust reliability, capacity, utility, and low cost make them my choice for SD.

(I love all of the unsolicited advice )

[ninjawho?]

Ok...G20>everything else.......but really my 1911 carries less rounds but has way better acuraccy and stopping power than my nines at 25 and 50 yards which is a lot........even more than my sp01 which I could still beat people with if I had to......

[ron1950]

I just bought a Glock 36 and a Kimber Ultra Carry 1911 and shot them both for the first time today.

They are virtually the same size and same mag sizes (7 in each I believe).

For me the Kimber won hands down. I was much more accurate with it, the trigger was smoother and everything just felt right.

It may have something to do with the DAO trigger of the Glock, I don't know. But the Kimber seemed to recoil less and get back on target easier and hold it while I squeezed the trigger.

I will shoot more and try to learn the Glock more and then see which one I like better. But for the first day the Kimber was the winner by far. Of course the Kimber also cost 2X as much.

[locosway]

Thanks for the write-up, but this is going down the path of comparing 9mm to 45acp. I think both guns are more accurate than the shooter. In the right hands they both are deadly accurate. As far as reliability goes - a 1911 are just as reliable and can be made more reliable for a defensive carry weapon. Just how often will someone encounter a situation that requires you to shoot thousands of rounds without maintenance? Who can carry that many rounds on them anyways. I'm pretty sure a well maintained 1911 will function flawlessly through the first couple hundred rounds.

Well, I wasn't intending to compare the rounds. At 25m both rounds should be equally accurate, and the Glock is most common in 9mm, and the 1911 in .45. So if someone was looking to buy one of these guns, this is most likely the caliber pairing that would happen. I agree with your assessment of the average shooter never encountering an situation where they will shoot thousands of rounds without maintenance. It's not realistic in any sense, but 4 day handgun courses that go through thousands of rounds are available, and one could always choose not to perform maintenance during that time period.

Fair write-up. How about comparing a single action CZ75 vs. the G17? It will close the capacity difference and the CZ (internal rails) may be just as accurate as the 1911.

I've yet to shoot a CZ, but I would really like to.

Obviouisly 17 rounds makes you warm and fuzzy and as I said you should shoot a Glock then. I'm warm and fuzzy with 8+1 .45acp plus I have a spare magazine. If you think magazine capacity is the over-riding factor in a self-defense handgun thats your right. I'll agree to disagree as the average civillian self defense shooting is 3 rounds fired total at 3 yards in 3 seconds. I'll stick with the pistol that I personally shoot best which is the 1911. You shoot a Glock better? Than carry that!

If I'm not to cover as a civilian by the time I fire 9 rounds/3 seconds elapsed against 3 adversaries I'm probably already dead. Perhaps you're nimble enough to run around and fire bursts into each adversary without being hit or the bad guys will be clueless and miss every shot like in the movies while you systematically take them out one by one. However I don't believe it's wise to underestimate your adversaries (or over-estimate my own abilities).

Many, many people have successfully defended themselves with 5 and 6 shot revolvers and 8 shot 1911's against assailants with higher capacity handguns. They're not obsolete. I'd much rather face a gang-banger with a Glock then a real shooter with a revolver.

According to you we would all be fine with a 6 shot wheel gun for defensive purposes, correct? There's no reason to ever run any gun with more than 10 rounds, because it's just not needed...

Look, I know a 6 shot handgun is effective, I've never claimed otherwise. But your claim that there's no benefit to having more rounds available is silly. If that was the case then all military and police agencies around the world would stay with 10 round magazines and just reload more often. From a tactical perspective it's better to reload less.

Now, I'm sure you know this, but from a strategic standpoint one person can hold off a team of other people if they have a choke point where they funnel through. If you don't believe me, get some airsoft guns and hide in your house in a strategic point. Then have a dozen people try to find you. You'll likely be able to take them all out before they can get a shot off.

I see no reason to limit myself to 7,8,10 rounds if I don't need to.

Wait, so a .45acp in a 1911 had less recoil than a 9mm Glock? You may need to change your grip on the Glock if that is happening. 9mm in any full size handgun has so little recoil it's almost not worth mentioning. Even my subcompact Glock in .40S&W barely has more recoil than any 1911 I've shot.

Oh btw, Glocks are just as inherently accurate as 1911s. The shooter is the weak point in that comparison.

A Glock will NEVER be as accurate as a 1911. It's mechanically impossible. As for my grip, I gripped them the same way. I also do not have a problem with 9mm recoil, and I shoot a 10mm regularly. However, FELT recoil on the Glock 17 was more than on a 1911. This is because of the weight of the gun. Just like my light weight AR has more felt recoil than someone with all the tacticool gear on their AR.

[locosway]

I didn't think anyone would actually care this much about my review, especially since it was a casual one. I can do more and be far more specific on many issues if people are interested in me comparing certain guns.

[ojisan]

We all care deeply.


Nice write up.


The 1911 less-capacity answer is a wide body frame.
I have 14, 15 and 16 round mags for my Para P14 in .45.

In Cali most folks are stuck with 10+1 in whatever caliber, so that changes the equation here.

[locosway]

We all care deeply.


Nice write up.


The 1911 less-capacity answer is a wide body frame.
I have 14, 15 and 16 round mags for my Para P14 in .45.

In Cali most folks are stuck with 10+1 in whatever caliber, so that changes the equation here.

Yeah, I'd like to shoot a Para or STI doublestack and see how they shoot.

This thread has me wanting to buy a RIA GI model gun to compare it to a Glock 17/20/22. If I had a 21 slide for my 20 I could do a direct comparison.

[KandyRedCoi]

Loco, thanks on expanding on my post and previous convo, and i agree! having both a Glock and a 1911 i would give accuracy hands down to the 1911 but in a combat environment id go with my BlOCK all the way!!!

i know theres plenty of videos this and that it the shooter and not the gun

to a degree i agree, then again just because a few dudes can shoot a glock accurately does NOT mean everyone can!

[H2O MAN]

I've never found a 1911 that was more accurate than either of my G21s.