Why all of the 1911 hatred lately?

[Vanguard.45]

Perhaps "hatred" is a bit strong. Let's just call it a "disowning" by many of the former devotees.

Seems like a lot of gun writers and instructors seem to be making a point of how 1911s are all of a sudden not a good choice for defensive carry, or how they rarely see a 1911 make it through a class without major malfunctions. They talk about how the 45ACP has lost its advantages over the other service calibers (if it even really existed according to the new set), and how it lacks capacity and longevity and durability and any other -ity they can think of.

I guess I am just amazed at how the 1911 has become the focus of so much ridicule and disdain in the past few years.

The Colonel would not be pleased.

I carry a full size, low capacity, heavy a$$, outdated, and much derided 1911 as often as possible (on duty I carry the craptastic brick in the hand SIG P229 without the SRT Trigger. Yuck). The weight soaks up the recoil and nine rounds of .45 seem like they would get me out of most tricky situations. If not, I have 8 more in a thin magazine riding on my opposite hip.

I feel well armed and have never had a failure of any kind. Guess I am no longer in the cool kids club.

I really miss Col. Cooper. He would have straightened this whole thing out.

Vanguard.45

 

[Classic]

My brother carries and shoots a 1911 manufactured in 1914. For those who have trouble with math that's 100 years old. It is still fully functional and to my knowledge has never had a part replaced. It would be interesting to see (I won't be around) how many of the plastic fantastic sidearms are still functional by 2114.

 

[Kirk Freeman]

Movies. It's all about the movies.

What is the most important thing? Right, to look and seem cool. I slung guns for four years. I know my market. Everyone wants to be cool.

Name a movie that the 1911 has been in recently? Right, you can't.

It is all about the polymer baby. You may be cool, but you'll never be dual-wielding plastic fantastic cool!

 

[NyleRN]

That's awesome trigger discipline there Samuel

 

[NyleRN]

Being serious about the op question, I adore the 1911 and have a few myself. Love shooting them but wouldn't ccw one of them. They have alot of moving parts and need fine tuning to run well all the time. The mags are not that sturdy. You drop one and it hits the feed lip then it may or may not work again. It's hard to argue with the guys that are seeing these guns choke

 

[Kirk Freeman]

That's awesome trigger discipline there Samuel

Pffft, too cool for your old Four Rules.

Just like the hate on the Four Rules, the way one stands out in the Charge of the 300 is to hate the established order. The establishment is seen as 1911s and the Four Rules.

To carve your niche, you have to generate controversy. One generates controversy by embracing the new hotness . . . and by facial hair, and traaaaaansitions!

 

[JB357Mag]

I know our government has its flaws and faults, but to think
they would use a gun for over 70 years, that has reliability
problems make no sense to me.

Jimmy

 

[Bennettjh]

Yeah I know what you mean, OP. I like 1911s for a variety of reasons. Sure they don't hold as many rounds as a new polymer pistol and weigh more but 1911s wrote the book on handguns.

 

[VERT]

Because for $450 - $600 a person can buy a pistol that is as reliable (possibly more so), less maintenance/cleaning, lighter, higher capacity, and easier to manipulate. I for one have a hard time recommending the 1911 to new gun owners. A Glock or M&P in 9mm will serve them well.

Now to be perfectly clear I have a Glock and an M&P sitting in the safe right now. The gun on my hip is 1911. I could drive a Honda Civic but I bought an F-150. Yes I think 60s-70s muscle cars are pretty darn cool. Guy drove up in a 20+ year old Porsche today and I have to admit that was pure class!

 

[drillsgt]

Being serious about the op question, I adore the 1911 and have a few myself. Love shooting them but wouldn't ccw one of them. They have alot of moving parts and need fine tuning to run well all the time. The mags are not that sturdy. You drop one and it hits the feed lip then it may or may not work again. It's hard to argue with the guys that are seeing these guns choke

The 1911 hardly has any parts and can be taken down to the last pin and spring very quickly. Buy good mags.

 

[churchmouse]

My name is churchmouse....I am an addict. 1 1911 is too many and 6 are not enough.....go figure.


As to round count....hit what you are shooting at and 8 will be enough. Hopefully.

 

[indyjohn]

Wait! What? 1911 hatred? Pshaw I say. Gov't Model is my EDC. Has been for over a year; I put my Gov't standard M9 in the safe. Why waste bullets by shooting twice at the same target?

 

[9mmfan]

Because for $450 - $600 a person can buy a pistol that is as reliable (possibly more so), less maintenance/cleaning, lighter, higher capacity, and easier to manipulate. I for one have a hard time recommending the 1911 to new gun owners. A Glock or M&P in 9mm will serve them well.

Now to be perfectly clear I have a Glock and an M&P sitting in the safe right now. The gun on my hip is 1911. I could drive a Honda Civic but I bought an F-150. Yes I think 60s-70s muscle cars are pretty darn cool. Guy drove up in a 20+ year old Porsche today and I have to admit that was pure class!

I think this is it. There are just too many good self defense hand guns on the market now that are great to run right out of the box. And not just Glock or Smith, but Beretta and Taurus. I have considered buying more than a couple 1911's but to be reliable out of the box I would have to spend close to $1000. If someone is on a limited budget that is a bit pricey when something for half that can do the job.

 

[NyleRN]

My name is churchmouse....I am an addict. 1 1911 is too many and 6 are not enough.....go figure.


As to round count....hit what you are shooting at and 8 will be enough. Hopefully.

When you're shooting 45 you need only one round on target

 

[VERT]

As to round count....hit what you are shooting at and 8 will be enough. Hopefully.

Quote from one well known instructor. If you decide to carry a revolver then carry two. A 1911 is a two bad guy gun, a Glock 35 is a three bad guy gun. Honestly as much as I like my 1911, I think an M&P or Glock with 18 rounds on board and Streamlight TLR-1 is a better home defense firearm. Forget reloading, if you wake up in the middle of the night you will have what is in your hand.

 

[Redhorse]

If 1911s is suddenly so hated, why does so many companies make them? The market doesn't lie.

 

[Cameramonkey]

1911s are classy. Glocks are workhorses. Both will get the job done. I have to say that I love both my Glocks and my 1911. They each have their place.

 

[bradmedic04]

Pffft, too cool for your old Four Rules.

Just like the hate on the Four Rules, the way one stands out in the Charge of the 300 is to hate the established order. The establishment is seen as 1911s and the Four Rules.

To carve your niche, you have to generate controversy. One generates controversy by embracing the new hotness . . . and by facial hair, and traaaaaansitions!

You left out t-shirts that are four sizes too small.

 

[ModernGunner]

LOL, it's a gun. A tool. A piece of hardware. It's not a 'wunderkind' and it's not 'magical'.

Nothing wrong with 1911's, or many of the clones (though I don't see Colt mentioned too often on INGO when people are bandying about 1911's).

Had one for some years, got rid of it. At the time, there's wasn't a gazillion 'options parts' for it, and I didn't like the thumb safety on the left side (I'm a lefty, so 'awkward'). Didn't care much for the 'cocked & locked' method of carry, as I could foresee potential issues with that when the 'heat of battle' arose.

But those are my personal preferences, and those preferences directed me to DA/SA or DAO autos ever since and never looked back.

STILL think about 1911, maybe even pick one up some day, IF I can get it with an ambidextrous (at least a right side) thumb safety.

'Til then, I'll stick with 10 shots and 15 shots.

 

[Cameramonkey]

LOL, it's a gun. A tool. A piece of hardware. It's not a 'wunderkind' and it's not 'magical'.

Nothing wrong with 1911's, or many of the clones (though I don't see Colt mentioned too often on INGO when people are bandying about 1911's).

Had one for some years, got rid of it. At the time, there's wasn't a gazillion 'options parts' for it, and I didn't like the thumb safety on the left side (I'm a lefty, so 'awkward'). Didn't care much for the 'cocked & locked' method of carry, as I could foresee potential issues with that when the 'heat of battle' arose.

But those are my personal preferences, and those preferences directed me to DA/SA or DAO autos ever since and never looked back.

STILL think about 1911, maybe even pick one up some day, IF I can get it with an ambidextrous (at least a right side) thumb safety.

'Til then, I'll stick with 10 shots and 15 shots.

I hear ya.

I'm also a lefty, so I had to spend a little extra to add my ambi safety.

And forget about the cocked and locked. I freaked a bit too at first. Then I had a revelation: Carrying condition 1 is no different than carrying a Glock with one in the pipe. Both are cocked and ready to go, the Glock just isnt as evident since you cant see the striker cocked from the outside of the gun.

Some might say that its safer to carry a 1911 in condition 1. After all, with Glock's passive trigger safety, its technically like carrying condition 0 (cocked, no safety) since the 1911 grip safety works similarly to how the glock trigger safety works.