Well, the 1911 followers have something to crow about in that ultimately, the Browning design is what most modern pistols evolved from. Browning invented it, everyone else refined it. The Glock is evolved from the 1911. Yep, it is. No matter how it is viewed. There is almost nothing original about Glocks, nothing inovative (not frame material, not method of locking up, not striker design, not take down (CZ-52)). Yet, followers of the 1911 are as folks in a cult with Browning the annointed one. The 1911 is very competent, very capable, but not perfection.
Glock-o-philes can crow about the Glock being cheaper to produce and utterly reliable. They don't rust very easily and have no external safeties, a concept that to them is wonderful. They can be used and abused (though I must admit I would never admit to trashing my pistol the way some Glockos do). Also, Glocks are very light and were designed much more recently (on that note, true audio fans love LP's because of the richness of music, LP's being designed in the 19th century, but I digress). Glocks are also hyped in movies and that makes one feel good about their product. Yet, Glocks are no closer to perfection than 1911's. And, devotion to Gaston is just as cultish as Browning.
It kinda reminds me of the Roman Catholic/Southern Baptist arguments. As a Presbyterian CZ-75 follower, I just sit back and watch. You see, all three believe in God and Jesus, the problems lie in the details. Glocks and 1911's are BOTH superb weapons that are accurate and competent and had the 1911 been made in 9mm before WWII, there would have been legions of European purchasers. The Glock-o-philes damn the 1911 because of .45, yet their own prophet not only has pistols in Browning's chambering, but also have created their own, making their prophet somewhat fallen, I suppose. 1911's damn the Glock because of a lack of manual safeties, yet pre firing pin block 1911's cannot be safely carried chambered, hammer down and in that instance, the manual safeties are useless. Glocks require no manul operation of safeties, but cannot be safely carried unless the trigger is covered.
I love watching lovers of Glock or 1911 (Glocks more often) who are so intense that they probably crap diamonds getting their feathers ruffled. That little bit of prose above was humerous (about as funny as the new .45SAP round mentioned last year, you know, the .45 Short Auto Pistol round that is so short as to be magical).
I don't like plastic so will never own any kind of polymer handgun. But, I concede that Glocks are well-made and competent pistols. They aren't perfection, though. Neither are 1911's. I like double action pistols and have owned several 1911's in my life but always end up selling them. But, I have friends who use Glocks, friends who use 1911's, and I use the CZ-75 (or Witness in .45, covering both calibers). It really isn't a big deal, they are all good weapons.
Ash