Happy Birthday Colt M1911! 94 years old and still serving.

[Bigdog57]

Today, the 29th of March, 1911 - the Army formally adopts the Colt Pistol Model of 1911, .45 ACP.  Long live the King!!  

[Questor]

I suppose you're right, but I still think of it as a mystery that something better hasn't been accepted more widely. There are better guns out there.

[Edgewood NM]

I suppose you're right, but I still think of it as a mystery that something better hasn't been accepted more widely. There are better guns out there.

In a way yes there are better pistols out there, but for an all around personal side arm that any infantry man can master, that is realiable, easy to maintain, and fits 95% of the folks who pick it up. The M1911A1 is a damn fine weapon. Yes it has it's shortcomings, but the majority of those is not the pistols design, it is people who who muck about with it trying to make it something it is not that cause the problems with some of them. Glocks are great guns, you pull the trigger at it goes bang. Same thing with my Springfield M1911 WW2 GI. I opened it's box, Put a bit of oil on the slide and every time I pull the trigger it goes bang. The only malfunction I had with my 1911 is well I hate to admit it, my fault. I belive the term is called limp wristing. But I have seen every other make of autoloader do the same. If more folks would follow the following Ancient M1911 Scripture, they would perform better. Push anything past it's design limits and it will not work well.

"1 In the beginning was the 1911, and the 1911 was THE pistol, and it was good. And behold the Lord said, thou shalt not muck with my disciple John's design for it is good and it workith. For John made the 1911, and lo all of his weapons, from the designs which I, the Lord, gave him upon the mountain.

2 And shouldst thou muck with it, and hang all manner of foul implements upon it, and profane its internal parts, thou shalt surely have malfunctions, and in the midst of battle thou shalt surely come to harm.

3 And as the ages passed men in their ignorance and arrogance didst forget the word of the Lord and began to profane the 1911. The tribe of the gamesman did place recoil spring guides and extended slide releases upon the 1911 and their metal smiths didst tighten the tolerances and alter parts to their liking, their clearness of mind being clouded by lust.

4 Their artisans did hang all manner of foul implements upon the 1911 and did so alter it that it became impractical to purchase. For lo, the artisans didst charge a great tax upon the purchasers of the 1911 so that the lowly field worker could not afford one. And the profaning of the internal parts didst render it unworkable when the dust of the land fell upon it.

5 And lo, they didst install adjustable sights, which are an abomination unto the Lord. For they doth break and loose their zero when thou dost need true aim. And those who have done so will be slain in great numbers by their enemies in the great battle.

6 And it came to pass that the Lord didst see the abomination wrought by man and didst cause, as he had warned, fearful malfunctions to come upon the abominations and upon the artisans who thought they could do no wrong.

7 Seeing the malfunctions and the confusion of men the lord of the underworld did see an opportunity to further ensnare man and didst bring forth pistols made of plastic, whose form was such that they looked and felt like a brick, yet the eyes of man being clouded, they were consumed by the plastic pistol and did buy vast quantities of them.

8 And being a deceitful spirit the lord of the underworld did make these plastic pistols unamenable to the artisans of earth and they were unable to muck much with the design, and lo these pistols did appear to function.

9 And the evil one also brought forth pistols in which the trigger didst both cock and fire them and which require a "dingus" to make them appear safe.

10 But man being stupid did not understand these new pistols and didst proceed to shoot themselves with the plastic pistol and with the trigger cocking pistols for lo their manual of arms required great intelligence which man had long since forsaken. Yet man continue to gloat over these new pistols blaming evil forces for the negligent discharges which they themselves had committed.

11 And when man had been totally ensnared with the plastic pistol, the lord of the underworld didst cause a plague of the terrible Ka-Boom to descend upon man and the plastic pistols delivered their retribution upon men. And there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth in the land.

12 Then seeing that the eyes of man were slowly being opened and that man was truly sorrowful for his sinful misdeeds, the Lord did send his messengers in the form of artisans who did hear and obey the teachings of the prophet and who didst restore the profaned 1911s to their proper configuration, and lo, to the amazement of men they didst begin to work as the prophet had intended.

13 And the men of the land didst drive out the charlatans and profaners from the land, and there was joy and peace in the land, except for the evil sprits which tried occasionally to prey on the men and women of the land and who were sent to the place of eternal damnation b by the followers of John."

As translated from the original ancient manuscripts by Fr. Frog.
© copyright 2002 by John C. Schaefer


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Open the bottle and throw away the cap, for tonight we drink like men!

[gunhamr]

I have been shooting the 1911 since the Marine Corps gave me my first one in 1942 and have never found a better one.  Just one old man's opinion.  I have tried many of the plastic and double action guns but just don't like the fit and feel of them.  Just recently bought a Ruger KP345 because I had read so much about them that I wanted to try one.  Shot it beside my Paraordnance PX745 today and it compared about like an old military jeep against a Lincoln.  It never failed to fire but just was not as accurate and comfortable to shoot as the Para.  Like the jeep; it will get you there but the ride is not as comfortable.  And at my age, I'm going to stick with the one what brung me.  Yes, I have also tried Glock,  Same song, second verse.

[Questor]

Those SIGs and Pardinis are a heck of a lot nicer and they cost about the same as the same level of quality in a 1911.  

I really must take exception to the comment that any infantryman can master the 1911. This is a difficult gun to even get reasonably good with.  That, I suppose, is its greatest attraction for me because if you can learn to shoot a 1911 well, you can shoot anything well.

[Edgewood NM]

Those SIGs and Pardinis are a heck of a lot nicer and they cost about the same as the same level of quality in a 1911.  
 
I really must take exception to the comment that any infantryman can master the 1911. This is a difficult gun to even get reasonably good with.  That, I suppose, is its greatest attraction for me because if you can learn to shoot a 1911 well, you can shoot anything well.

 
I do need to apologize for the use of the word "master" There are not many folks that can master any firearm. I should have stated that compared to most other weapons the M1911 series (Military style) the average infantry man,( Should I insert Servicemember?) can become competent in it's use and being able to hit his/her target. Also in field stripping the M1911 series can be done with out any tools, infact I find it easier to field strip and clean an 1911 than I a M16/M4 rifle.(Remember the M16 and M16A1 handguards? Talk about FUN.)  Barrel, Slide spring, bushing guide and frame. 1 pin holds it together and a twist of the bushing starts the show. As to it being difficult, Not really. It has a large frame and it's heavy gun, but to my thinking, (And to the solders I trained) it's weight worked to it's advantage. The single stack mag gives a slimmer profile that more hand sizes can grasp and keep control of. The 18 degree grip to frame angle is a natural point to the majority of shooters. I personally find the grip angle of most of the polymer pistols Except the SW40GVE "Sigma" to be un natural. But I am changing course here. Over all in the terms of being a weapon that will serve well, and has served well the M1911 has few peers. It is reliable, easy to use, easy to maintain and packs enough punch to get the job done. Personally, I would love to see a variant of the M1911 with a double stack mag adopted, but a double stack of .45 ACP is a handful for most folks. Another thing as to the cost, A military grade .45ACP retails to the civillian market for about 400 bucks. A cople fo bucks less than the same grade Sig or Pardini. Rock island has there M1911 for a bit under 400 and Springfield has at or a hair above. Now we all know that if the US armed forces does choose to adopt a M1911 again, you can bet that the price that they will pay well be in line with the 600 dollar hammers and 300 dollar ashtrays!!!.

 
Chuck

[Rod B]

I hope its still around & as popular after another 94 years. :grin:

[IntrepidWizard]

Being using 1911's since Korea,carried as a off duty LEO gun,Bob Chowed and have the Colt Gunsite Pistol now,no copy cats can do it or tune to the same quality as a Colt can be tuned.

[vinconco]

IPSC/USPSA competitors are a fickle bunch and if there were a better design these guys would JUMP on it.  They put their guns through every imaginable stress from modification to trial by fire and the 1911 always wins in the end.