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Old June 23, 2012, 03:06 PM   #1
hlds54
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Would you trust your life to a 1911?

It seems latley that people have called the reliabiliy of the 1911 into question. As in its not suitable for carry, defense, etc. That it is only good for competition shooting and to look at. I dissagree I wouldnt carry my 1911 Range Officer but i would a colt series 70, 80, or some of Springfields other models. What do you all think?
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:12 PM   #2
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Already trusted my life to a 1911, no issues here. I have carried a 1911, a Combat Commander, a Browning HP. Never had an issue with any of them.
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:14 PM   #3
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They have been in use for many, many years now so I think they are a good choice. I think the 1911 problems tend to be a little overblown. Just like any firearm, you can have a malfunction. If your 1911 shoots well, I see no reason why it shouldn't be trusted for CC.
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:35 PM   #4
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Ditto
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:40 PM   #5
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I already trust my life to a 1911, so that answer would be yes.

People have been trusting their lives to 1911's for about 100 years now. I see no reason to change now.
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:44 PM   #6
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Depends...

Are we talking about the well - maintained, original 1911 that I shot in the Navy? Shooting factory ammo? Yes, I would trust my life to it.

Are we talking a modified or race gun? Reloads? .... nnnnope

YMMV
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:47 PM   #7
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Yes and I often do.
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Old June 23, 2012, 03:57 PM   #8
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If you like cocked and locked I see no reason why not . It was the US service pistol for as long as it was for a reason.

I do think the reliability problems of the 1911 are overblown. But keep in mind it is a 100 year old design. Hollow points weren't the rage like they are today so it wasn't designed with those in mind.

That said a good 1911 will feed them fine. Just make sure to get good magazines! They can make or break any gun, but some companies get cheap with them.

Lastly, an old 1911 rattles like a tin pot. Today the rage is to make them so tight that you can't fit a hair in the gaps. That wasn't the original intent. A little looseness helps it stay reliable. I honestly believe a lot of the 1911 problems today exist because of people making them too tight. That was the case with the last one I had from S&W. But they fixed it right.
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Old June 23, 2012, 04:01 PM   #9
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Yes I have. I love a 1911.

I trusted my life for many years to a Colt MKIV Series '70 Government Model. I was a pharmaceutical sales representative (Wyeth Labs. now Pfizer) and covered a large territory in SC and Georgia.

That Colt was damned good company on many lonely rural highways and motels out in the sticks.

However, that was in the late '70s through the '80s and handguns have evolved since then.

Today my carry choices would be HK P30, HK 45C or my HK P2000 SK for their almost total reliability. YMMV.
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Old June 23, 2012, 04:06 PM   #10
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My dad trusted his life to one in the Phillipines during WWII, so why wouldn't I? If it was good enough then it is good enough now.
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Old June 23, 2012, 04:08 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hlds54
I dissagree I wouldnt carry my 1911 Range Officer but i would to a colt series 70, 80, or some of Springfields other models.
???

The Range Officer is one of Springfield's better new models. Why in the world would you not trust it for self defense carry? That was the question, remember: "Would you trust your life to a 1911?"

What's untrustworthy about the Range Officer that's not equally untrustworthy about other Springfield 1911s?
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Old June 23, 2012, 04:16 PM   #12
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Threads like these lose their way when people start theorizing about guns that aren't their own. I'd trust my life to my 1911. I wouldn't trust my life to any gun, 1911 or whatever, without putting a few hundred rounds through it.

My 1911 is sitting at about 10k rounds down the tube, is a tightly built competition gun that is on the picky side but I know what it likes and doesn't like so I have plenty of confidence in it. In fact I just shot it at a Steel Challenge match this morning, no jams as expected. I'll probably put 300-400 more rounds through it before I clean it, and it will probably have 3-4 jams in that period. It's not a big deal to me because I know my gun and know before my next competition I will break it apart and clean it again.
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Old June 23, 2012, 04:16 PM   #13
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Quote:
The Range Officer is one of Springfield's better new models. Why in the world would you not trust it for self defense carry? That was the question, remember: "Would you trust your life to a 1911?"

What's untrustworthy about the Range Officer that's not equally untrustworthy about other Springfield 1911s?
The RA is too tight to be reliable I think. if I where to drop it in the sand, dirt, etc. it would not function. Its just too tight. I would trust a standard 1911 though, they are loose enough to be reliable in the sand and dirt. The RA is a great gun, I really like it, shoots great, 300 rounds and no malfunctions so far. But its a competition gun, even springfield says its not for self defense.
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Old June 23, 2012, 04:35 PM   #14
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ABSOLUTELY!!! This reliability stuff is getting way out of hand.

The first 1911's were much tighter than the old war relics after WWII. I have 3 1943 Colt 1911A1 which are in Mint condition. They are pretty damn tight, not Les Baer tight but tight.

I've not shot them but have no doubt they are regular production arms that will shoot with the best of them. People need to get over this everything new is better than the old stuff!

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Old June 23, 2012, 04:48 PM   #15
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I have in the past and still do from time to time. Luckily never had to use it to save my life.

As mentioned if the government felt comfortable enough to issue them to our troops in the past, to trust their lives with. And the men who used them swear by them in general. I believe they would make a great choice if you like the platform.
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Old June 23, 2012, 05:02 PM   #16
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Depends on the gun honestly. The 1911 is my favorite handgun by far, but I own quite a few and would only carry a couple.

Most of them run well most of the time, and those ones I dont carry. Some of them refuse to die or fail, and I trust them entirely.

My dan wesson heritage is probably the tightest 1911 I own, and even when sandy it hasnt malfunctioned in over (conservative) 10k rounds.
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Old June 23, 2012, 05:08 PM   #17
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My stepfather trusted his in Vietnam, my grandfather trusted his in Europe. I never had one to trust in Iraq. I dont think it would have served as the sidearm for the US military for 70ish years if it was unreliable.

I'll soundly stand with it. It is the finest shooting platform I've fired (when maintained correctly). It has enough heft to remind you that it means business, it claps very nicely down onto the target for a second shot. The trigger is gorgeous. The safety is in exactly the right place. The grip is incredible. It is fast on presentation, and target acquisition, as well as accurate. I actually like modern polyframe handguns, and love their ruggedness, reliability, and high magazine capacity. However, there is nothing quite like shooting a 1911. It is a legend for a reason. I would absolutely carry one, chambered, cocked, on safe, ready to roll. No question.

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Old June 23, 2012, 05:24 PM   #18
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Yes. My DW has proven very reliable.
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Old June 23, 2012, 05:33 PM   #19
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Yes. I think the 1911 problems are a bit overblown as well. The one's i see my friends using at our matches have no problems. I believe the problem that arise in 1911s aren't the 1911s itself it's the process of producing one today. Creating them on a mass scale and assembling them from a parts bin, and no hand fitting them like it was in the old days, creates problems. I agree with tunnel rat as well, making them extremely tight in order to generate more accuracy sacrafices reliability IMO, especially when you factor in the accommodation of dirt/fouling/debris. The tightness to an extent goes the same way for rifle actions. This is how i see it anyway. That being said most moderately priced 1911s by reputable manufactures springfield, Colt, DW, etc. run well. I myself like the idea of a custom, or taking a lower based model and using the frame and slide to get what you truly want, while having everything hand fitted.
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Old June 23, 2012, 05:39 PM   #20
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It really depends on the manufacturer. Some 1911's are highly reliable....some are just paperweights waiting to happen. Maybe we need a "Reliable 1911 Checkout Thread" stickied....
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Old June 23, 2012, 05:42 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seeker_two
It really depends on the manufacturer. Some 1911's are highly reliable....some are just paperweights waiting to happen. Maybe we need a "Reliable 1911 Checkout Thread" stickied....
I'll second that, sounds like a good idea.
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Old June 23, 2012, 05:43 PM   #22
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No, I wouldnt.

If I was knowingly going into harm's way and I had a choice between, say, a standard Colt 1911...or a standard Sig P226, I will reach for that Sig everyday of the week. And twice on Sunday.
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Old June 23, 2012, 06:13 PM   #23
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I have several, but probably I'd trust only my Dan Wesson and my S&W.
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Old June 23, 2012, 06:20 PM   #24
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I cannot claim credit for this, I'm parphrasing someone else's comments on the subject that I read on a forum some months back.

If you were to put a dozen high end 1911's that I'd never shot on a table in front of me along with an untested Glock, and told me I had 5 seconds to pick one to defend myself with before someone came through the door shooting at me, I'd pick the Glock.

If you were to put "my" 1911's on a table along with an untested Glock, I'd pick up one of "my" 1911's that have proven they will work.
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Old June 23, 2012, 06:27 PM   #25
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Of course!
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