1911 Obsolete

[FLINTNFIRE]

Well its your groin , but it does not hate your gonads so doubt it wants to blow them off , pretty safe pistol really , it is the fact that you see it cocked and locked where others are cocked also but you do not see it , your revolver is ready to just needs enough pressure to pop a cork so to speak .

[JohnH]

What the hell.. *I* am obsolete!! LOL.... I grow more obsolete-r every day! My 1911s don't seem to be aging a bit!

After a discussion I was in on a board elsewhere on the net, I'm not obsolete, I'm antiquated

[fn1889m]

I don’t think I understood the 1911 until I built a couple. My first was a mess. The second is very reliable. After that, I understood how they worked, which matters more with 1911s than Glocks. They are a design that begs for hands on involvement, unlike a Glock or CZ. They are more of a 1972 straight six Chevy pickup than this year’s Honda SUV. Some people see that as a good thing, and some don’t. I can maintain my 1911s. And I appreciate their role in history. I seldom carry, but when I do, I carry a 1911.

My friend likes loud women of accentuated stature. I appreciate a thoughtful woman with a more subtle figure. I am not going to say he is wrong. I don’t criticize his girlfriends. But I think mine are nicer….

[Idaho45guy]

I don’t think I understood the 1911 until I built a couple. My first was a mess. The second is very reliable. After that, I understood how they worked, which matters more with 1911s than Glocks. They are a design that begs for hands on involvement, unlike a Glock or CZ. They are more of a 1972 straight six Chevy pickup than this year’s Honda SUV. Some people see that as a good thing, and some don’t.

If you've built one, then you should know that they are closer to the new Honda SUV in terms of complexity, than the more simple Chevy straight six; the Glock.

The typical 1911 has 41 parts...

Attachment 289252

The Glock has 34 parts...

Attachment 289253

I have carried or owned Glocks since 1998. So I was used to their crappy triggers. I also learned that improving them greatly took about a half hour, some metal polish, and a couple of Q-Tips.

When I bought my first 1911, I was surprised by it's 5.5 lb trigger that was a bit gritty. I went online to see how to lighten and improve it, and found out it is a very complex process requiring a high level of competence and experience. The changing of just about any part on the 1911 requires custom fitting and gunsmithing skills, and even then, it may not work correctly.

Comparing the 1911 to a simple and easy to work on engine from the `70's and the Glock to a new and complex SUV is the exact opposite of reality.

[FLINTNFIRE]

It may be true that glocks are drop in ready and 1911 do take fitting but it is not that big a issue for the mechanical inclined and those who have the ability , I do not own all the jigs and tools but have had my 1911's apart to bare frame to repair or replace parts as needed , and the tools are out there for those who wish to buy them and do the more detailed work .

Came home to find my nephew had borrowed a 1911 and obviously had shot a high pressure event most likely due to a squib , though his explanation of why he was entitled to use my firearm without permission and obvious lack of proper grasp of if it does not sound right do not fire till after checking it out .

Never got the full story of what transpired , but the frame needed some attention , and the slide and barrel were toast , so new barrel and link and fit and new slide replace pieces and good to go , one thing I think every 1911 thread needs is the warning do not load single rounds without them coming out of the magazine , have seen enough issues caused by bad extractors from people who should know better loading single rounds .

It may be a old design , but it is tried and true and still a great design .

[Idaho45guy]

It may be a old design , but it is tried and true and still a great design .

But you preceded that statement with an example of how the design failed and required special care and handling. Not exactly a testimony to "tried and true"...

The Glock design is clearly superior to the 1911 in nearly every single category when it comes to self-defense and combat.

I love my 1911, but to think that it is a better self-defense weapon platform is just nonsensical and borders on the delusional.

[FLINTNFIRE]

Oh I beg to differ your glock would have been a total failure , sorry plastic may be easy to manufacture but it does not take sudden pressure well when it goes boom it is the famous Glock Kaboom , so it is a tried and true design , made to function and be repaired , your glock may be drop in parts but a pressure event any part from any gun will fit .

I do not see the glock as better equal as a weapon yes , but then pistols are for the last resort or handy to carry to have a weapon , I have not seen the military awarding glock a contract , and as for police agency use glock did what apple did with the schools , give them and hook them .

I have plenty of glocks and I have more then a few 1911 and in different calibers , most range or plinking toys , and for serious work I still like the revolver , or of course my m1 Garand .

I also have Springfield xdm and mod2 in 45 acp , May like them more then a glock also .

[M-Tecs]

Any firearm can be damaged under the right (or wrong) circumstances. It is true that a Glock has fewer parts and they are all drop in. After that I see zero advantages of a Glock. I am mostly around 1911's yet I have seen more blown Glocks than 1911's but that is mostly due to the newer lesser experienced reloaders are shooting Glocks with the exception of the Glock Kabooms related to the excessive chamber undercuts https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-...ction-lawsuit/

I have never seen an example of a 1911 Kabooming with factory a load yet I have seen several Glock do just that. I also hate Glock brass with the Glock smiley



Personally for me the 1911 is a superior choice for combat or self defense. For my wife that is not a gun person the Glock would be a better choice since it's truly a point and shoot with any safeties other than the trigger design. She prefers a 4" HB M10 for home defense.

For me my double stack fully ramp 1911's are a perfect of combat guns as ever designed. That being said I no longer wear a uniform going into combat zones so that mostly is a moot point. Even when I did it was a most point since I only could carry a Berretta M9 or M16/M4.

For my low threat level daily carry a Sig 365XL with a Holoson 507X X2 is my first choice over the 1911's or Glocks since it extremely compact and light weight with one of the better striker fired trigger pulls. The Red dot is for my older eyes.

For self defense I started with 1911's and revolvers than was forced to carry M9's. I tried the Glocks for awhile but my Glocks are one of the few guns I have ever sold. Today for SD I still have revolvers, 1911's and Sig 365XL but no Glocks so for my use that would make Glocks obsolete.

[pettypace]

My shooting mentor for over 50 years (may he rest in peace) had a way with words. He had a simplistic answer for most everything and it usually turned out to be right.

He disliked most anything "automatic" -- perhaps most especially in cars and firearms. I'm all but certain he never owned anything with an automatic transmission or any semi-automatic firearm.

Once I pressed him for his opinion of the 1911. His answer: "No one who ever needed one has anything bad to say about them."

[Bill*B]

Of course it is obsolete, and was 30 years ago - but still - I love it so! I use the 1911 still, and always will. Kids can shoot the modern stuff.

[AZ Pete]

of course it is obsolete, that is why so many manufacturers are still turning them out and they are selling like hot cakes.

I cannot count the times that some "gun writer" has published similar tripe. They run out of meaningful stories and have a deadline, so here we go again.

[M-Tecs]

of course it is obsolete, that is why so many manufacturers are still turning them out and they are selling like hot cakes.

I cannot count the times that some "gun writer" has published similar tripe. They run out of meaningful stories and have a deadline, so here we go again.

Agreed 100%.

Obsolete has a very specific definition none of which is applicable to the 1911.

obsolete adjective

ob·​so·​lete | \ ˌäb-sə-ˈlēt , ˈäb-sə-ˌlēt \
Definition of obsolete
1a: no longer in use or no longer useful
an obsolete word
b: of a kind or style no longer current : OLD-FASHIONED
an obsolete technology

Considering there are several dozen current 1911 manufactures and several hundred aftermarket part manufactures coupled with fact that the 1911 for still king for the hill for NRA Bullseye matches . Same for the racegun crowd that are purchasing their own firearms.

The 1911 may be a lot of thing but obsolete is not one of them.

[tazman]

No firearm that functions as designed and you can still get ammo for(discounting current shortage) is ever obsolete.
It may not suit your purpose or your hands, but as long as it fires and hits the target, it is not obsolete. It may be that there is something that does the job a bit better or faster out there, but that doesn't mean the first one doesn't work properly any more.
When firearms will no longer penetrate the vitals of animals, humans, or targets, then they may be obsolete but not before.

[Daekar]

I have never been able to shoot a Glock worth a hill of beans, but the first K-frame that hit my palm was like coming home, even with full-power 357 loads. If a 1911 works for you and you're OK with the power density, I wouldn't think twice about it.