[smokingfrog]

The issue 1911's were so old and worn out by that time that I wondered if throwing one at the enemy wouldn't be more effective than shooting one. I wasn't very impressed with them.

Yep. I had the same experience. Not very much accuracy from those old worn-out 1911's. It's almost a wonder that anyone could qualify with one of them.

[marktwain]

The issue 1911's were so old and worn out by that time that I wondered if throwing one at the enemy wouldn't be more effective than shooting one. I wasn't very impressed with them. Yep. I had the same experience. Not very much accuracy from those old worn-out 1911's. It's almost a wonder that anyone could qualify with one of them.

I had a significantly different experience. I joined a reserve unit in Wisconsin, an Armor outfit, about 1984. There was a pistol match scheduled at Camp McCoy, so I asked if I could attend. The powers that be said OK, issued me a stock 1911A1 from the armory, and cut me orders to McCoy for the weekend match. This pistol looked as though it had been manufactured about 1946 and had never seen combat or even been carried much.

I shot top score overall in the match (a divisional "leg" match) and everyone wondered where the heck I came from. I had never shot with them before.

After I had told them that I was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and that there was little difference between shooting a .45 and a .22, they were properly mollified.

What impressed me what how accurate the stock 1911A1 was and how correctly regulated the sights were for issue ammunition. It was right on at 25 yards. (could have been meters, my memory doesn't say).

[The Pack Knight]

I think the issue ammo was a big part of the problem in those days.