Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Choosing Your First 1911
Xavier Thoughts aka Nurse With a Gun ^ | 7-27-08 | Xavier

Posted on 07/28/2008 2:30:24 AM PDT by Bodhi1

The first problem of choosing a 1911 is narrowing down the field of bewildering candidates. It's a process of elimination. The 1911 performs many shooting tasks extremely well, but it is often modified from it's basic format to perform some better than others. Knowing your reasons for wanting a 1911 as well as your intended purpose for it's use can narrow the field of candidates quickly.

Do you want the 1911 to have one in your collection? Yes, that's a valid reason. Do you admire the tradition and the history? Another valid reason. If these are your reasons, then a military styled 1911 is your meat. Look for parkerized Government Models with small fixed sights a lanyard loop and high ejection ports. In order of expense, these include: Rock Island Armory, Springfield, Colt, and genuine GI guns. Each of these manufacturers make a GI styled 1911, and they will float your boat if you want a GI styled 1911. Such a pistol will serve admirably as a carry gun, although the finish must be oiled, the sights are small, and it requires a bit more effort in concealment.

(Excerpt) Read more at xavierthoughts.blogspot.com ...


TOPICS: Hobbies; Reference
KEYWORDS: 1911; banglist; firearms; guns; handgun
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last
To: Bodhi1
A Colt 1911 is the only pistol I would consider having. Well, a Colt and a Kimber is the only pistol. The only two pistols. A Colt and a Kimber and a Springfield Armory are the only two. Three. And a Para-Ordnance. That's only two. I mean four. The Les Baer is a little pricey, but if I could only have one pistol it would be a Colt and a Kimber and a Springfield Armory and a Para and a Les Baer and a Smith & Wesson. And a Taurus. And a Les Brown.

That's if I had to choose only one.

21 posted on 07/28/2008 3:10:26 PM PDT by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill

The older Colts are nice, but anything after about 1985 is mediocre in my opinion.


22 posted on 07/28/2008 3:13:25 PM PDT by P8riot (I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Billthedrill
...and a Glock and a Kahr and a Sig and an HK and a Browning and a Ruger...

Now, if I could have two...

23 posted on 07/28/2008 3:22:50 PM PDT by Billthedrill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

You would settle as in you would do it? Because if that’s all you ask, it’s yours. Now there are four. We need one more.


24 posted on 07/28/2008 4:36:48 PM PDT by sig226 (Real power is not the ability to destroy an enemy. It is the willingness to do it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: P8riot

That’s a great picture of a very beautiful pistol. I have to laugh when someone posts a picture of their favorite and the picture is so poor, you can’t tell what it is.

That’s a lot of work to a gun that was supposed to be good to go right out of the box. I have the Springfields strickly for the muzzle ports and it wasn’t until later I couldn’t use them for IDPA because they don’t allow any compensators or ports. I’m still getting a designated IDPA pistol ready.


25 posted on 07/29/2008 5:09:02 AM PDT by Shooter 2.5 (NRA - Vote against the dem party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: sig226

I’ll start this Friday. It will be a gun porn thread. But I don’t know what the subject matter should be. We might have used up 1911’s for awhile.


26 posted on 07/29/2008 5:11:08 AM PDT by Shooter 2.5 (NRA - Vote against the dem party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

We can start with CCW guns. That opens the door for a LOT of gun pics.


27 posted on 07/29/2008 5:13:25 AM PDT by Pistolshot (We need a powerful remedy for NO B.O.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

How about ammo selections and CCW preferred weapons. I never see Bersa sized weapons on the gun porn threads; with the proper ammo, those can be effective self-defense weapons for CCW.


28 posted on 07/29/2008 5:19:14 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5
The trigger breaks at a consistent 4lbs, and I have never had any functioning issues, even with cheap mags, which as you know are the 1911's weak point. For personal defense I use Wilson mags, but have a variety for range work. Also, the pic shows the gun in BBQ dress with the Hakan grips. I normally carry it with a set of thin checkered cocobolo grips in a Brommeland MaxConV IWB holster.

For the purist in me, there are no plastic or MIM parts in this pistol, all parts are top of the line forged pieces. I am considering sending it back to Novak's for a check-up and to nave new sights installed (these are almost 12yrs old and are getting dim). I may also have them bobtail it, but I haven't made my mind up on that yet.

29 posted on 07/29/2008 5:52:15 AM PDT by P8riot (I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: MHGinTN

Show and tell is a great sport when it comes to CCW. Often, when the topic comes up in conversation at work, some guy will talk about his full sized, double stacked, custom night-vision equipped Eargeshplitten Loudenboomer. Suitably impressed, I always say, “Wow, I’d sure love to see that!”

Almost invariably, the response is, “Wait a minute while I go to my truck.”

Out comes my 60’s vintage Colt Cobra; they look at me funny and ask, “What’s with the pop gun?”

“That is what keeps you from getting to your truck.”

What are your solutions to carrying a gun in 100 degree heat without looking like you’re out of place?


30 posted on 07/29/2008 6:36:09 AM PDT by M1928A1 Thompson ("A policeman's job is only easy in a police state!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: M1928A1 Thompson

Colt Detective Special, Colt Mustang .380, and the eternal hammerless J-frame.


31 posted on 07/29/2008 6:39:26 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: M1928A1 Thompson

Fanny pack


32 posted on 07/29/2008 7:29:38 AM PDT by MHGinTN (Believing they cannot be deceived, they cannot be convinced when they are deceived.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 30 | View Replies]

To: Tijeras_Slim

The Dick Special is a steel framed version of my Cobra. I own and shoot lots of guns, but limit what I carry daily to two. A Commander when I can get away with wearing a jacket and the Cobra when I can’t.

When working under pressure, a half-century of habit are tough to overcome. When I go to hit the slide release, for example, I don’t want it to be the hammer drop on the SIG I happened to be carrying today. Similarly, if a do a partial load on the revolver, I don’t want a series of clicks because I forgot a Smith turns counter-clockwise.

There are few things as demoralizing as hearing a click when you were expecting a boom!


33 posted on 07/29/2008 7:30:53 AM PDT by M1928A1 Thompson ("A policeman's job is only easy in a police state!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: M1928A1 Thompson
When I go to hit the slide release, for example, I don’t want it to be the hammer drop on the SIG I happened to be carrying today.

Uniformity of controls is good. That's why I got rid of a Walther P99, I once found myself pushing down on the trigger guard of a 1911 when it was time to drop the mag... very embarassing (at the range, fortunately)

34 posted on 07/29/2008 7:54:14 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Shooter 2.5

nops .. thinking about hk.45 usp


35 posted on 07/29/2008 1:01:55 PM PDT by zeeshan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-35 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson