1911? Worth it?

[Panzerschwein]

Hey guys!

Well I've been interested in getting a 1911 pistol for some time now. The history and all the fans of the platform makes it seem like there is something I'm missing by not having a 1911, and that I am somehow inferior by not knowing it's greatness.

So really, I don't need a 1911. For home defense, I have one of my revolver which I think is plenty. For CCW, I have other guns (not like I could successfully conceal a 1911 anyway) so really it would only serve me in the range gun and open carry role. I very rarely open carry, and when I do, it's generally only on my own property or on the property of my friends who are pro gun and don't mind it.

So basically, since my bases are covered defensively by other options, do I really need a 1911? I keep hearing about how they are so great and how they are the best handgun in general out there. The fans they have are legion, but is the cost really worth it? To get a good 1911, I'd have to pay quite a bit. I have some other guns out there I'd like to get as well, frankly even more than a 1911... but what am I missing?

The pressure to get a 1911 is pretty high... I'm just not sure it's worth it. Please let me know what you think, and weather or not I should stop wasting time and jump on the 1911 bandwagon, or not.

Thanks!

 

[MutinousDoug]

Do you have a place to shoot it? 99.9% of the shooting you will do is into a dirt or steel backstop.
Sounds like you have your home defense needs covered so you are talking/thinking about a range gun that may or may not become something else if you want it to. So think of it as a toy. You don't need one.
Toys are fun if they don't keep you from buying stuff you need.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

You may not need it, but wanting one is enough justification. And you don't have to spend a ton of money on it, especially if it's just a range toy. I have 1911s from Springfield, Ruger, and Colt; I haven't had any problems with any of them and I haven't paid more than $800 for any of them. You can get a decent 1911 to scratch the itch for a lot less than that, or you can spend thousands on a really nice one. I chose the middle ground and I've been pleased with that choice.

 

[Jimster]

I think everyone should have at least one 1911.

 

[Stealthfixr]

Despite being recently enticed by the promises of plastic fantastic, I shoot Steel Challenge with my STI Trojan in 45 ACP and it remains my favorite handgun. Nothing else quite shoots like a 1911 for me, despite how nice some cheaper offerings are. Just me, but I think everyone should have one at some point and decide for themselves (same justification I used for buying my first Glock recently, a 34...been pushing them off for decades, but I have to see what the fuss is about).

 

[tarosean]

Buy one and try it... You will have first hand experience instead of anecdotal hearsay.

 

[alexander45]

Go rent one at a range and see if you still have a bug for one at this point as it isn't somthing you particularly need it's worth is all about that want

 

[nettlle]

I always wanted a 1911 and got my first one 4 years ago. Just wanted one for a "fun" gun to shoot. Next thing I knew I had two 1911's.

After shooting 24k rounds through these two 1911's in the last four years they turned out to be a little more fun than I was expecting. 1911's are not for everyone but they were right for me.

 

[larryh1108]

If you buy a used one at a decent price and just don't bond with it, you should be able to get your money back (less fees) if you sell it. I think you'll enjoy it more than you think you will.

 

[AZAndy]

It was certainly worth it for me. They're a lot of fun to shoot, and they provide a great base for tinkering and upgrading. If you enjoy the the tinkering side of things, the Kuhnhausen shop manual comes in handy. You don't have to spend a thousand bucks to get something satisfactory-- I'm happy with both my Springfield and Ruger. At the bargain level, Rock Island and Citadel are worth checking out.

 

[MedWheeler]

I'm in exactly the same position as Cooldill.. I've been reasoning lately though that, with pretty much any well-thought out firearm purchase, I can always at least get my money back if I need to, or if the gun doesn't satisfy me.

Being a left-handed shooter, though, I have to give it a little more thought than most would. Also, I'll probably end up with a Commander-sized one one day, as I'd like the option to carry it as well..

 

[bannockburn]

Cooldill

I have been a big fan of the 1911 for nearly as long as I can remember. And at the time we didn't have quite the selection we currently have today. Basically it was Colt, then a few foreign copies, like Star, Llama, or Ballester Molina. Quality and factory support for some of those foreign 1911s was pretty much non-existent so all I ever really wanted were Colts; Government Models when you could find them and then later I began to buy Combat Commanders as I really liked their shorter slide configuration.

Nowadays you have an enormous selection of 1911s and their variations to choose from, along with a wide price range and caliber options to look at as well. Overall quality is fairly decent with most of the 1911s out there and chances are you can find something that best suits your needs and you budget.

P.S.- When thinking about getting a 1911 perhaps consider this as well: any time a mechanically challenged person like myself can build a fully functional, working version of a 1911 from a stripped frame and a bunch of various parts; well that's a mighty amazing design accomplishment!

 

[agtman]

1911... but what am I missing? The pressure to get a 1911 is pretty high... I'm just not sure it's worth it. Please let me know what you think, and weather or not I should stop wasting time and jump on the 1911 bandwagon, or not.

Just buy for quality if you do. Avoid high-percentage MIM builds, and any 1911-maker with known QC issues and/or sucky customer service.

Word.

 

[badkarmamib]

Yes, it is historical. Yes, they are a lot of fun. Yes, I love mine. But, it took me a while to warm up to them. They never seemed to fit my hand and point as well as everyone said. But, as I got older, I learned to appreciate the simple ergonomics, as my shooting grip improved.
But, at the end of the day, it is just another gun (for you). Only you can decide if it is worth the cost compared to ammo, training, groceries, etc. And, for the record, I CCW my 5" Para on a regular basis.
And, I agree with the next post that a Rock Island is one of the best dollar/value 1911's out there.

 

[WestKentucky]

Everybody here seems to be suggesting getting into the 1911 game at a springfield/ruger/Remington/etc price point of 6-8 hundred bucks. I disagree wholeheartedly, especially on a gun you have no experience with and aren't flat out enamored with. I would find one of the cheap options from the Phillipines and give it a try. A REALLY basic version is going to be $350, and a super high end version from these guys will barely break into the same price range as is mentioned above. My first (and last) stop would probably be Rock Island as they have a good reputation and a great price point with enough variety to let you find something that you will fall in love with. It may be the 400 dollar model, for me it's the 22tcm/9mm 800 dollar version, but I keep looking at their competition grade guns too.

 

[Drail]

You bet your life they're worth it............ Be prepared to spend some money to make it 100% reliable regardless of brand. Most are mass produced and not tuned by the factory. If you don't use and follow the original blueprint faithfully and merely assemble the parts without any fitting - reliability usually suffers.

 

[444]

I own a half dozen 1911s. And I have owned others before these.

For a couple decades, that was the primary handgun I shot. I shot tens of thousands of rounds through them. I took numerous pistol classes including some at Gunsite (where the 1911 is king) with them and competed with them. If I was carrying a pistol, it was a 1911. I actually read and own several books about 1911s.

That being said, today, I probably shoot ONE of my 1911s once a year just for something different to do. The whole mystique wore off for me long ago. Today, there are much lighter guns with greater capacity, greater reliability, that are MUCH easier to work on; and if you shoot one as much as I did, you are going to be replacing parts. There was a time when shooting 1500 rounds a week was normal for me. This whole tuning thing is not something you need to do with a modern pistol. Fitting parts is also not something you need to do with a modern pistol. Today, with a modern pistol, if you need a new extractor or a new ejector or whatever, it is a very simple 10 minute fix that just drops right in and works without issue.

In my opinion, as someone who has a great deal of experience with one, no, they are not worth it and I wouldn't buy one. I am not getting rid of mine, but I can't give you a good reason why not other than the fact that they are paid for and "they ain't eaten nothin". They just take up room in the safe.

This is one of those things that is debated with an almost religious fervor. But, I think for myself: like others have said, try one. If you like it, buy one. In the end, it depends on what you like. And, most people don't shoot enough to worry about working on the gun as it wears out. I do, and that is a valid consideration for me.

 

[Candyman87]

I'm in the same boat as you. My defensive needs are covered but I always wanted an 1911 in the safe.

99% of my handgun shooting is 9mm. I have several, and possibly too many 9mm guns. It makes buying ammo easy. Covers all my defensive needs. But they're still not 1911's.

That being said, mine is a range toy. I didn't want to spend $800 plus on a range toy. So I picked up a Rock Island Armory GI model. I swapped out the grips for some surplus checkered wooden grips and now it feels great and shoots great too.

I paid about $350. It's not a Colt. It doesn't compare to a Colt in fit or finish. Any of the big names certainly build a better gun. But are they $500 better? I don't think so. Not for a range toy.

Check out the RIA family of 1911's. You won't be disappointed.

 

[X-Rap]

They are an iconic firearm without a doubt. I was bitten with that bug and have had quite a few. It's been stated already that some of the early ones came with few features and I concur, I had a Gold Cup and Delta Elite that would have cost more to customize than I wanted to pay.
I still have a couple Kimbers and PARA's a Springfield and a Colt.
I'd say you can count on about any of them to need some tweaking. I'm not a fanboy of any of the various makers or the model 1911 anymore but I'll probably always have a few.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[Capt. Ct.]

I have had a small collection for years. I did not buy a 1911 until a few years ago. If you are a gun guy you just kind of have to have one in your collection. For me it is a heavy range toy. I appreciate the history and what it is but for me there are more practical guns.
I bought a basic used Colt for $500 and ended up putting another $500 into it to make it nice the way I wanted it. It was a fun learning experience. I would not get rid of it but I don't need another either. It is in the back of the safe with the Hi-power and the King Cobra.

 

[stoky]

I find the allusions to 1911s constrained to range toys, (once you have defensive "needs" covered), semi amusing.
IMO, go with Colt or Springfield.

 

[FL-NC]

I used to worship at the alter of the 1911. I'm more of a realist now. If I feel I need to make a 45 caliber hole in something, I'll be carrying a Glock 21- light, reliable, and cheaper in the event I need to use it and it gets confiscated. I have about 10 1911 pistols. Most are vintage/safe queens, and were bought to be safe queens- actual GI guns, or guns like my series 70 gold cup or my unfired 10mm delta elite. I have a couple of older Springfields that get shot once in a while. I'm just kind of put off by the "supermodel" 1911s that cost between $1000- $4000 that grace the covers of handgun magazines, that are pimped out to the general public but financially not obtainable for most of us.

 

[Candyman87]

I find the allusions to 1911s constrained to range toys, (once you have defensive "needs" covered), semi amusing.
IMO, go with Colt or Springfield.

Might I ask what is amusing about that?

For those of us who choose something other than a 1911 but want one anyway, it serves no practical purpose except for "just because we want one" that would pretty much relegate it to a range toy if we don't carry it or compete with it or leave it in the nightstand for protection at 2am.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

and that I am somehow inferior by not knowing it's greatness.

Nah...... It's just tradition and preference and anyone who looks down on you for not already owning one is a d-bag.

So really, I don't need a 1911.

You know how hand guns are. Once you own 2 or 3, you don't really "need" any more. So if your wallet permits it, give it a go. Ruger is apparently making some nice ones now for reasonable prices.

So basically, since my bases are covered defensively by other options, do I really need a 1911?

Nope.

I keep hearing about how they are so great and how they are the best handgun in general out there. The fans they have are legion, but is the cost really worth it? To get a good 1911, I'd have to pay quite a bit. I have some other guns out there I'd like to get as well, frankly even more than a 1911... but what am I missing?

I keep hearing how great Corvettes are.... but I'm not going to buy one. I will say though, if you are missing anything, it's the pleasure of a 1911 trigger. They make hitting your target pretty easy, and repeatable.

The pressure to get a 1911 is pretty high...

Pressure from whom?

The recommendation from some to rent one is a good idea. You may love it, or hate it. Any of your friends or relatives own one you could shoot? 1911's aren't for everyone. I didn't need one, but wanted one. Once I bought it, I fell in love. That being said, one is enough for me.

Good luck man.

 

[stchman]

Only the OP can really make the determination if he or she "needs" a 1911. I own two but I don't "need" either, I wanted them.

As to which 1911, there is a plethora to choose from.