1911 fans, tell me why?

[stevereno1]

I own a kimber classic custom and I love to shoot it, but here are the facts about this gun: It weighs 38 ounces unloaded, holds 7 rounds, and is proned to stovepipes, and double feeds. A glock 21 holds 13 rounds, and is lighter and rarely ever jams. The 1911 is a pretier gun, but as the saying goes, "Colts and Kimbers are what you show to your friends, but glocks are what you show to your enemies". Please enlighten me as to how the 1911 is a better sidearm than a Glock. (the real safety rests between the ears)

 

[Jimmie]

It sounds like your 1911's not better for you. I don't keep guns that don't operate reliably.

 

[Josh Aston]

Pass the kool-aid please!

 

[magsnubby]

I'll make the popcorn.

 

[yongxingfreesty]

kool aid drinkers. id go with a glock 21, p220 over a 1911. its nice to have one, but i just dont trust it enough to carry.

 

[XavierBreath]

Please enlighten me as to how the 1911 is a better sidearm than a Glock.

Who said a 1911 was better?

I prefer a 1911, but that doesn't make it "better."

Some folks prefer Glocks. Some folks prefer 1911s. Some folks prefer something else. It's a free country, right?

What does "better" mean anyway?

 

[mikec]

"Colts and Kimbers are what you show to your friends, but glocks are what you show to your enemies"

I never heard that. Hmm, what does it say about me, I used to carry a Colt Lightweight Commander or a Colt Agent snubbie. The only feeding issue I have had was with one mag, marked as soon as I noticed a trend and that mag still is only a range mag.

I think age has to do a lot with it. I had both of my Colts before Glock sold a gun in the US.

Own and shoot what you like.

 

[FireArmFan]

In my opinion 1911's are more accurate than glocks. 7 precision shots are better than 13 so-so shots. That said I don't have anything against Glocks. But I love 1911's and I've never seen one fail.

 

[19-3Ben]

For open carry I might pick the Glock. But the 1911 is much narrower so if I were to concealed carry a semi-auto (I'm a wheel-gun guy myself), I'd want the 1911. I also prefer the triggers on nice 1911's. I will have a Wilson one day.... one day...

 

[Ken Rainey]

You have no faith in your 1911 due to it's problems, if you had a reliable, accurate 1911 (which I'm sure your Kimber can be) you might prefer it because of those attributes plus it's fit in the hand, etc.....on the other hand, the Glock may be more suited to you even if your Kimber was running right. Even if you don't prefer your Kimber for social duties, you still need to address it's problems - which may be as simple as a proper magazine and/or tuning the extractor. Nothing wrong with Glocks, I have some myself and trust my life to them, but the same applies to my Kimbers.

 

[Youngster]

Please enlighten me as to how the 1911 is a better sidearm than a Glock.

It lends itself toward a higher hit potential under stress than a comparatively poorly balanced, spongey triggered polymer pistol with a thick and poorly shaped grip, it accomodates all hand sizes and also carries easier despite the weight.

 

[skywarp_]

It's a bad question.


If you're comparing a 550 dollar glock vs the same priced 1911. The glock wins.

There is no 1911 in that price range that will stand toe to toe with the 21 except in ergonomics. The glock will feed more types of ammo, require less maintenance, work in more adverse conditions, require less "upgrading" and simply just function better in the conditions it was design to operate in

Gunsmiths dont pay the bills doing work on glocks.Lower priced (around the cost of a glock) 1911 pattern guns put food on the table.


Now if we are talking a more expensive 1911 vs glock it's a whole different ballgame but biased to the 1911 but not always. Watching my glock 20 snack on the norma 10mm loads that put my delta elite in the smiths hands three times cemented my glock as my go to 10mm. and the glock is considerably cheaper.

 

[rrflyer]

my Taurus 1911 cost 450 bucks and has shot 4000 accurate trouble free rounds of HP, JHP, SWC, RN, FMJ some factory and some handloaded. Theres dozens of sub 500 dollar 1911's out there that run great right out of the box.

I've owned a couple glocks my last being a .40 22c and a fullsize 10mm. I really just didn't like the triggers and clunky operation of em. I didn't ever have any real operating problems just didn't like em.

Now 1911's are the hotrods of the pistol world. You can spend as much or as little on em as you like.

And if you don't like that kimber...i might take it off your hands.

 

[MachIVshooter]

"Colts and Kimbers are what you show to your friends, but glocks are what you show to your enemies".

Colt's are what you show to your friends, Glocks are what the LEO's have when they show up to secure the scene and drag off the BG who was downed by a S&W

Anywho, why 1911? Ergonomics, style, nostalgia, etc., etc. And a true 1911 is every bit as reliable as a Glock (and less likely to explode). I don't think our military would have kept an unreliable pistol in service for 3/4 of a century and beyond.

I would trust my life to my Kimber. I choose to carry my Witness Compact because it holds 3 more rounds and conceals better. I choose to defend my home with a S&W 1006 because I like DA pistols kept condition one, safety off. But my 1911's have pulled both duties, and were trusted completely.

 

[jenrob]

1911 (Kimber Ultra CDP) and Glock (22) I've seen both fail. Found the problems and resolved them. I would trust both of them with my life and do at times. I like the Glock but it can't shoot with the Les baer oh now where talking about a totally different gun, nope still a 1911 very reliable very accurate but comes with a price. How much would you pay for your life your wife and kids life. If your guns not working for you get it fixed. weather it be a Glock, Hi-Point, 1911, Ruger, ect. Get a wheel gun if you pull the trigger and it don't go bang then just pull it again.

 

[Z71]

I don't know that the 1911 is better, just really popular!

I've owned several 1911 style pistols, although never a real Colt or a Kimber. Not all that reliable for the most part. But I can say that my Sistema Colt .45 is a superb pistol, and I would trust it anytime.

I still own the Sistema, and a Springfield Mil-Spec .45, but I've had a few binds with the Springfield(fixed I hope!).

Just an observation of mine, but seems as if 1911 style guns tend to have magazine issues often. Lots of nice looking, cheap, mags available, that are apparently cheesy made items! Not to mention that the magazines that come new with some pistols often are crap!

Stick a decent magazine in some "troubled" 1911's will cure a lot of grief.

On the other hand, my Glock 17(used, old) don't lock back when it's empty and a new mag didn't fix that!

Only semi-autos I've owned that have not jammed or otherwise malfunctioned include; my previously mentioned Sistema Colt Argentine 1911A1 clone, a FEG Hi-Power clone, little beat-up FN Browning .25 auto, used 226 Sig 9mm pistol, Walther pp .32, Walther PPK/S .380, a Mauser made P08 Luger(who'd thunk it! Another P08 Luger I have is a major Jam-o-Matic!!) .

I was thinking just the other day about the trouble some auto-pistols have caused me. Then how some battered police trade-in or WWII relic will perform superbly!

 

[ugaarguy]

Since you're directly comparing a Glock to a 1911 I'll address why I own 1911s and owned a Glock. It was purely ergonomics. I struggled on the range with Glocks. The grip angle and shape make for a poor fit for my hands.

I've owned six 1911s now, and the SIG GSR was the only one that had out of the box function problems (which I fixed myself). A Kimber Classic Custom, Springfield GI, Springfield Loaded, Colt XSE Commander (had cosmetic issues that my gunsmith altered to my liking), and Argentine FMAP Modelo 1927 Sistema Colt have all been mechanically trouble free with a wide variety of ball, wadcutter, and JHP ammo. The grip angle, shape, and feel fit me exceptionally well. The very good trigger inherent to the design makes shooting a joy. With good leather - holster and belt - the weight is a non issue. If I need more than eight rounds I'm getting the heck out of dodge and to a long gun.

The problem with many 1911s is that they aren't made correctly, and it causes problems. Older Kimbers (Pre Series II or the current Warrior), Colts, and Springfields are the best of the big name factory guns that I've seen. Your experiences may vary.

I currently sell guns for a living as well. I have nothing against Glock, but they just don't work for me. They work incredibly well for several of my co-workers and many of our customers. My job has shown me that there are many very good makes of guns, and a few that I'll avoid like the plague. Most folks who post here are US Citizens, and as such we have the greatest variety of handguns in the world available to us. Enjoy the myriad choices and find the one that works for you. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and better is in the hands of the end user.

 

[Hoppy590]

if you dont get it, you dont get it, not any worse, not any less.

single action trigger, grip angle, action design.

i dont hold anything against you,you like glock, i dont.

but capapcity is no excuse. my p14 is the combo of all the good qualitys of a 1911, trigger, angle etc. and the glock. ammo capacity.... that all the benifits i find with a glock.. sorry.

 

[TimboKhan]

But I love 1911's and I've never seen one fail.

Dude, if thats true, you have been lucky. 1911's are a mechanical object just like anything else, and they can and do fail all the time. THR is full of posts from guys that have had all sorts of failures from simple stuff like magazines on up to just plain junky guns.

If you're comparing a 550 dollar glock vs the same priced 1911. The glock wins.

First off, as someone else mentioned, I have a Taurus PT1911, and it works like a champ. Aside from me sticking up for Taurus, the statement is more telling than I think you meant it to be. For $550, you get a reliable gun in a proven design. No need to spend $1000 (or more) to get good results. I have long railed about the overblown expense of the 1911, and occasionally someone will use the argument "Well, isn't your life worth such and such a price?", to which I answer "My life is apparently only worth $350.00, since thats what I paid for my P90, and it has never let me down.". Obviously I like 1911's since I own one, but that doesn't mean that I have taken red pill and convinced myself that 1911's are the be all end all of handgun design. People can look down at Glock all they want, but the guns work very well. In the end, it's what you like, I guess. If you can afford $2000 bucks for a Nighthawk or something, then good for you. Practically, not a whole lot of people are going to want or be able to spend that much...

Of course, now someone is going to start screaming "What about Kabooms!"

 

[possum]

there are few guns out there that out perform glocks, i am fond of thier 19 and 17 and even the 26 but any glock in any other caliber you can keep it. even though the 9mm models are awesome they are not that awesome for me, i don't really enjoy shooting them as the grip is wierd for me.

for polymer striker fired guns i go with sa xd's.

now i own a 1911 and i love it. for one they are classics and i have always wanted one, other reasons i love my 1911 is mine is accurate,reliable, shoots the great .45acp rd. mine is sexy as all get out, and just a fun comfortable gun to shoot.

 

[mjrodney]

When it comes to handguns, I most definitely keep an open mind.

An engineer by trade, I fully understand that advances in technology, materials and manufacturing processes occur with each passing year. Where it can, anyway.

I buy and sell more handguns than I should, always looking for the next latest and greatest, and I only keep those that live up to the hype.

My safe holds what I consider the pick of the litters.....a number of revolvers, a number of DA/SA semi-autos, and three 1911 platforms, in three price grades.....S&W 1911, a Kimber Team Match II and a Les Baer Premier II.

Each 1911 is an active shooter, and each works as intended. In fact, they always work. They have never failed me. Never. Never, ever, ever.

And I'm talking thousands and thousands of rounds........and I keep track (engineer).

Prior to today, I have owned other 1911's as well, and they worked equally as well too, but I am not a collector of handguns and they financed other purchases.

A 1911 is ergonomically correct for most people. They fit the hand. They point very well. They are safe. That straight back trigger is simply wonderful.

But my loyalty to the platform will end when someone produces a superior design.

As of today, IMHO, no one has done that.

Yes, I have owned Glocks in various sizes and calibers, but all have been sold.

The ergonomics aren't right, and the Glock trigger is too easily affected by errors or lapses in judgement.

the real safety rests between the ears

Oh, puleeezze.....stop with the "I never make a mistake" and personal perfection already.

And I won't get into the Kaboom thing....

 

[Dobe]

There is no 1911 in that price range that will stand toe to toe with the 21 except in ergonomics. The glock will feed more types of ammo, require less maintenance, work in more adverse conditions, require less "upgrading" and simply just function better in the conditions it was design to operate in

You need to meet my Norinco.

 

[1911Tuner]

Because there are a great many of us out here who have 1911s that don't malfunction. None of mine do, and I haven't done any super double throwdown secret trick tweaks on most of'em...unless you count correctly installed extractors and standard spring rates throughout. Well..There is the small radius on the firing pin stops that have been my SOP for years...but that dates back to 1912. Mine run just fine, despite the fact that 98% of my ammo is in much reloaded brass with my home cast bullets. Really some pretty funky stuff...but the "girls" can't tell the difference.

Good magazines. A proper extractor. Decent ammo. Don't overspring the slide. That'll take care of most of'em that are problematical. For the others...there's always good pistolsmiths who are ready and willin' to do the job.

There is no 1911 in that price range that will stand toe to toe with the 21 except in ergonomics.

I'll take that bet.

Cheers.

 

[1911 guy]

Better for who?

Let's see, the 1911 is slimmer than any Glock, has a track record of reliability (until dillweeds got to mucking around with the specs) points well for 99% of the population, has a better trigger, sight radius is longer, more accurate.

The Glock is a decent handgun, but the design is nothing spectacular. Its manual of arms was designed for the lowest common denominator of training and thier popularity is due only to the near give-away to law enforcement agencies. History has shown that the populace gravitates toward whatever the "professionals" carry. They are now carrying Glocks due to budgetary concers rather than quality of equipment.

 

[Old Fuff]

I agree with Tuner. Those of us that have been around awhile know that the older 1911 style pistols that were made by Colt and U.S. military contractors ran fine, and still do. That's because the were made to print, with tolerances being held, and out of the correct materials. That isn't true today. They were also put together by careful workers under the eye of ever-present inspectors. Real quality control made a difference.

Today most if not all of that is missing - gone with the wind. Much of what is left is intended to seperate unsuspecting buyers from their money - sometimes in very large amounts - without a whole lot of concern about if the "big-boy toys" works or not.

It doesn't help when owners start switching parts, springs and magazines (also not made to any previously known standard or print) in a desperate attempt to get their clunker ticking.

Do I prefer the OLDER 1911's to a poly-pistol? You bet! The heavier weight of the all-steel gun may be more uncomfortable to carry, but it helps you hit by adding recoil control. The trigger pull is a big plus too when it comes to hand-held hitting, and precisely placed shots is what stops attacks.

By now it should have dawned on some folks with a bit of brains, that Uncle Sam would have not stuck with a service pistol from 1911 to about 1982 that was not reliable and required 200 to 2000 rounds through it before it could be considered so.

How many think that the present crop of poly-pistols will still be in service 90 years or more from now without any substantial changes to their design?

And if these pistols were being made in various other shops with parts purchased from unknown vendors and little or no quality control, just how good do you think they'd be?