Would you trust your life to a 1911?

[seeker_two]

I don't know.....they're still getting the kinks out of the SAA....

[trkkshotbry]

My grandpa trusted his life to a 1911 in the Pacific, Dad did it again in SE Asia, I see no reason why I shouldn't carry on the tradition.

[Burner]

My grandpa trusted his life to a 1911 in the Pacific, Dad did it again in SE Asia, I see no reason why I shouldn't carry on the tradition.

Pretty much this. There's nothing inherently unreliable about the design, just manufacturers that make unreliable weapons.

I'm sure Glock 17 or Sig 226 design would have a questionable reputation for reliability too if suddenly a few dozen manufacturers hit the scene with an exact clone, but it wouldn't make the design a bad one.

[jmstr]

I have four. I'd trust my life to any of them, but would only choose 3 of them, as the fourth is a 3# trigger race gun.

I would not want to stake my life on any pistol I hadn't tested. But I would trust my life to my 1911s.

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[GUAMY-70]

Yes, yes, yes. Marines still use them today as they do the job, period.

They were made to use in combat. Only gun to successfully pass all the army torture tests.. That was a long time ago.

[Glock_fan]

Not yet, but I hope to soon. I have a Springfield Operator that I bought new and have only put 300 rounds through it. I have had some FTE issues to the point that the slide crushes the spent casing against the front of the breech. It usually happens to the last round in the mag. I don't think it's the magazines because I'm using the factory mags and I bought a Kimber Kim-pro Tac-mag I think that its just the recoil spring that needs to be broken in a little bit more, which means Im going to have to go shooting more....dang! So like I said I wouldn't trust mine just yet, but I'm looking forward to the day when I can.

[Sgt Pepper]

Yes

[Tactical Jackalope]

Can't wait till my SIG 1911 XO gets in! I'm waiting for that like patience on a monument.

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[ripnbst]

I REALLY don't think you could make a blanket statement about 1911's as being unreliable. 1911's are made by tons of different companies and vary wildly in quality.

[NWCP]

I wouldn't be carrying a piece that I didn't have complete faith in my ability to use it and depend on it's ability to do the job. In the past I carried a 1991A1 Compact and never had any hesitation about it being able to do the job. I have since been carrying an HK45C. The Colt worked well enough however the HK simply works better, is lighter and has DA/SA capability. It's close enough in design, feel and operation to the old Colt that changing over was a piece of cake. It's more accurate and has been totally dependable. I will probably carry the HK until I'm worm dirt and then my son will inherit the gun. Of all the pistols I own it happens to be his favorite as well. He currently carries a full size HK USP 9mm that has served him well so whether he chooses to continue carrying the 9, which has been very reliable nd is a higher capacity weapon, or goes with my .45C remains to be seen. I won't be around to see what he does, but he couldn't go wrong with either. JMHO

[Skimp]

The 1911 has blown off the heads of many <an enemy>...

[4V50 Gary]

Yes. Test the gun with the ammunition that it will be used in it. Keep it clean and function check it after cleaning and reassembly. That builds confidence in the user toward the gun.

[Dashunde]

I just sold one that was pretty darn good in every respect, except absolute reliablity - it hiccuped now an then, just enough to get replaced with a Glock 21 for nightstand duty.

However...
Near the top of my very short list of pistols to buy is a Dan Wesson Valor.
If the DW proves out I have no problems with sticking it in my nightstand and dropping that G21 into my trucks center console.

In the end 1911's are treated like any other gun - if it works its trusted, if not its gone.

[MonsterB]

I have a Springfield GI in the safe and a Glock23 on the nightstand, if that answers your question.

[Captain H]

1911s are made by alot of different companies. Buy one from a good company like Colt, S&W, Dan Wesson, Sig, Springfield Armory to name a few, and you will have just as reliable of a handgun as a Beretta. IMO. Also stay in the $750 or higher price range, IMO, to get a quality peice.

If Glock clones were made by 12 different companies of varying quality aimed at different demographics, there would be a thread just like this one asking about their reliability.

It is not a question of "are 1911s reliable?" it is a question of are cheap 1911s reliable?"

IMO buy a Colt or SpringField Armory and you can trust it. I bought five 1911s in the last six months and two were sent back to the factory due to QC problems and flaws in function. They were the 1911s at the $500 price point. Inside and out, my Colts are the best made production 1911s right now. I have compared them to alot of makes. I learned that you get what you pay for in these guns.

[Locoweed]

Back in the day when the 1911A1 was the military service pistol I carried one (always a loose as a goose Remington Rand) on and off for 20 years as an Army MP and yes I trusted my life with it. The only problems we ever had was with the magazines which sometimes cracked at the back of the lips so we always inspected them at time of issue.

[Atlshaun]

No doubt about it

[ehbj47]

I carried a 1911A1 Ithaca in Vietnam... but the Springfield Champion has a ramped barrel and works great.

[bikerbill]

My nightstand gun for many years has been a Springfield Loaded 1911 ... accurate, has never failed in any way ... I count on it to protect myself and my wife every day of the year ...

[hemiram]

No, I wouldn't. I take that back. If it was one of the old GI ones that rattle, and I personally shot a couple of hundred rounds through it, I might. But a new one, especially one of the ones that have been changed from the original design, no way. I'm a former owner and I am totally immune to the appeal of a 1911, unless it's to look at a friend's and shake my head when he tells me how much it costs. It sure is pretty..expensive. For what a mid level 1911 costs, I can buy a couple of guns that I would trust my life to, such as my $425 S&W 4506.

[TBT]

I know I trust “my 1911”. Don’t really care about anyone else’s 1911.

If buying from a reputable manufacturer like S&W, SIG, Springfield Armory, etc. I wouldn’t expect anything less than a reliable gun. If buying from a less than stellar manufacturer I think there is still a decent chance of getting a reliable gun. Metro Arms and RIA make some pretty good 1911’s. Even Taurus makes a good gun once in a while by accident.

[USMCGrunt]

Personally, I carry no firearm that I have not shot enough to declare it reliable enough to bet my life on and that's including 1911s, Glocks, H&Ks or anything else out there. This also gives me the chance to get past the break-in period, zero it in (or learn where to adjust my aim) and most importantly, become familiar with it.
Now as for 1911s in particular, there are so many makers making so many different models in various lengths and assorted doo-dads tacked on them that saying 1911s are not reliable is a blanket statement. Sure, some of your match grade and race guns built for accuracy, some of the stubby designs and the ones built so cheaply that they looks like they were banged out by a retarded Afghan with a rock and screwdriver as his only tools are likely to have functional issues. However, when you look at Commander length and Government length 1911s that were built with a little looser tolerances by somebody that knows what they are doing, I would say they are no less reliable than any other design.

[Tactical Jackalope]

I like you ^^^^^ I like you a lot.

Semper Fi.

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[Powderman]

Good question.



Yes...I believe I would--and do.

[Tactical Jackalope]

Originally Posted by Powderman

Good question.



Yes...I believe I would--and do.

Is that a Colt I see there? Nice pic! Love it

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