1911 lust...what is it about them???

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piece of meat

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A few years ago i got the 1911 bug bad. Now im very practical and frugal and i knew it wasnt the best choice for my needs/uses, but dammit, i had to have one. The aesthetics, the history, the aura, it drew me in. So i picked up a rock island tactical. Once i owned one, the allure quickly faded. Ammo cost double what 9mm cost, mags were picky and didnt always lock the slide, it was heavy as hell compared to what i was used to shooting, field stripping was overcomplicated, the trigger wasnt that great, etc..so rather than investing more into it i sold it. 1911 lust had ended.

But just 1 year later, it came back with a vengance. I just had to have one. The damn things drew me in again. It was just because it was a budget model, i told myself..a 'nicer' one will be 'better'. So i shelled out for a Sig 1911. Fit, finish, amenities, it had it all. But after shooting it a few times, the allure died out again. Ammo was even more expensive now, the trigger was much heavier than expected out of the box, i wasnt that accurate with it...my range experience just wasnt fun. I shot my glocks better, and their slides always locked back. So, i traded it in. This time for sure, im done with 1911's.

Now barely a year later...and...i want one again. I dont get it. Im not like this with anything else, i know once i own one again the same thing will happen. But dammit, despite everything, i want one again! What is it about these damn things?? :D
 
I do the same thing...

Just find a buddy that has one and borrow it for a while. Once I start shooting one again, I re-discover why I sold them.
 
I enjoy shooting my 1911s as much as I do my revolvers. All my 1911s are very accurate and have nice triggers although I had my gunsmith adjust each trigger so that they all have a 2 lb 10 oz pull. Try shooting various 1911s and find which make and model you like best before buying. If you want to lower the cost of shooting, buy a 1911 in 9MM.
 
I don't know. My Kimber Classic is my first gun, and if finances go south it'll be the last one I sell. I shoot it better than any other pistol I've ever owned/shot/handled, and in nearly 15 years it's only jammed twice - both times it was the mag.

I know there are guns that hold more, recoil less, cost less, with cheaper ammo, but I like the way it looks/feels/handles and I feel like a hero shooting it. What's not to like?
 
If you already have another gun in 9mm, think about getting a Springfield Range Officer in 9mm. Still a 1911 but cheaper ammo & less recoil.
 
Same thing happened to me. About a year ago matter of fact. Bought a Sig C3. Year later and this honeymoon is still going strong. Carry it every day. Mine's a keeper.
 
I love my Kimber CDP, will never get rid of it. Always locks the slide back after last round, never had a jam or failure to feed. Very accurate at 15-25yds. My main carry gun. I think the trigger is great, I think 4lbs. As for ammo I reload so it basically costs the same to shoot 9mm, 40s&w, and 45acp, for practice I used plated bullets to keep the price down.
 
Now barely a year later...and...i want one again. I dont get it. Im not like this with anything else, i know once i own one again the same thing will happen. But dammit, despite everything, i want one again! What is it about these damn things??
Click to expand...

The eternal search for true perfection, unlike what that unnamed company claims... :)
 
Pretty simple. They are easier to carry than most pistols even when said pistols are smaller, and a .45ACP makes a much bigger hole than a 9mm.

As for you experience with crappy triggers, mags that don't feed, slides that don't lock, etc., also pretty simple......... You get what you pay for. Stop spending money on cheap 1911's and you will stop having issues.

I can't understand how a shooter is willing to dish out $1K for a Colt or Springfield or Kimber, yet will balk at spending a few hundred more and getting a Dan Wesson or other quality "production" guns. You want lightweight? Look at the DW CCO or Guardian. The quality is so much higher than the "well known" brands it's not even funny.

Hard to field strip? You are doing something wrong, because it don't get any simpler. Even if it is a bushing gun, I never have needed a take down tool, even on high end, heavy sprung guns.

As for expensive ammo, sure it costs more, but for range ammo it is only about $5 more for a box of .45 vs. 9mm. For SD ammo, who cares how much more it costs. You will only be shooting some to be sure it is reliable in your gun, and then every now & then for practice. All other times it will be housed in your weapon in case you need it to save your life. Is your life worth a few more bucks? Mine is.
 
Just buy a Colt, so when you are tired of it you will like the appreciation value of it, until you want to shoot it again.
 
It isn't high end but I like my SR 1911. It hasn't given me any problems. One day it may but not yet.

As far as day to day carry I usually use polymer but I carry it sometimes on the weekend or in cooler weather when I am dressed to conceal a larger gun.

It is easy to see why you keep wanting to come back to it. All the reason you listed & the looks of them. 1911's & revolvers are the prettiest guns in my opinion. Even if I do tend to carry modern polymer.
 
You could try another 1911, heck it could even be a nicer one in a cheaper caliber... But I have a funny feeling you'll just end up putting a third 1911 on the used market for us 1911 enthusiasts.

So that said, go ahead and give it another try. At best you fall in love, at worst you spent a little money and one of us might get to save a little money ;)
 
JH225 said:
Not looking to get into a caliber battle, but do some research on wound cavity.
Click to expand...
I have and I have seen a good amount of gunshot wounds at my hospital. It is very hard to look at a gunshot wound and tell the difference between a 9mm, 40S&W, and 45acp, but it is very easy to tell the difference between a rifle and pistol. If shot with a 147gr 9mm Winchester T series or a 230gr 45acp Winchester T series(which is what I carry) as long as they both expand properly the difference is very small. It not like the 45 makes a hole 1" or more larger then a 9mm, more like tenths of inches. Skin, muscles, and fat react differently then paper and gelatin. You are right and we should not get into a caliber battle over this, its not worth the time and energy, and its not what the OP was about.
 
In todays terms, you might be better served if you spend a few more dollars on a gun like a Springer TRP or a Colt Combat Elite. If needed, get a good smith to do a trigger job on it for $125.00 or so and enjoy shooting a better gun. If you go a little further and get something like a Baer, Brown, or Wilson, I don't know how you could get tired of a gun on that level.

If ammo price is a big concern, do like many of us here do and RELOAD. My .45 ammo costs around $7.50 to 8.00/box of 50.
 
I'll tell ya what it is about the 1911.
Captain America had one! It's the All-American gun. It's the Ford Mustang of the gun world. It's big, it's heavy, it's bold, it's bodacious... And it's loud!
God bless 'Murica!

cap4.jpg


;) couldn't help it. I bought one for all the same reasons and I really wish I still owned it. Worked great, but I just prefer my Witness.
 
The symptoms of the 1911 bug are acute but the condition is chronic. I am going through it now, looking for my next 1911. My wife compared it to "nesting" the other day when a woman is pregnant getting this ready. As I was in my reloading room clearing a space for a new one in my safe, cleaning my old 1911 holster, working up a .45 load for it...
 
1911

I read all the hype about the .45 1911, I bought a beautiful Colt Commander. Yes, the trigger was nice. Yes it was real steel and it was comparable to nice jewelry. I kept it about 2 years and sold it. I'm over it.
 
I felt the same way about a year and a half ago. I ended up with a sig c3. Never carry or shoot it to be honest. I do love the and will never part with it, it's my first 1911. My first of anything I buy seems to never leave.
.45 is expensive to shoot, so when I go to the range with a .45 I usually take my p220.
 
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