Not to stir up a hornet's nest, but....

The first 1911 I owned was a basic Springfield Armory GI model. It never functioned reliably and ended up going away.
Second was a Colt stainless steel Series 80 Commander. Shot great, and was reliable, I had the trigger reworked and it was even better.
My son has that one now and loves it.
Third is a S&W stainless 1911. Gritty trigger which was re-worked by a local gunsmith and is great and also very reliable.
Fourth is a Kimber stainless Eclipse II 1911. Well used but the trigger was reworked by the same gunsmith and is great and again, reliable.
A decent trigger is a huge benefit to any 1911. Having reliable function is a must.
A skilled competent gunsmith that really understands 1911s can be the difference between a so-so pistol and one that is a joy to own and shoot and the cost involved is often not that much.

I do enjoy shooting my colt.

The basic model of the M1911 is 113 years old and still going strong. Can the others begin to say that?

1911. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I have a few 1911A1's that have been reworked for combat reliability except for two. One is a target gun based on a Caspian frame and Colt Colt Cup slide. The other is al almost strictly stock Colt Combat Commander that I polished the feed ramp and throat of, plus replaced the grip safety for one with a beavertail type. I didn't like the way the slide kept chewing up the web of my hand. The trigger has been just fine as is so I never messed with it. No need.

The fact of the matter is I've probably carried a 1911 of some type for more years than most of you here have been on this planet. Most of that time I wasn't all that legal but lucky enough to not get caught. Unfortunately, San Francisco has never been very gun friendly. I tried to get a permit when my Grandmother had a business and made her deposits late at night at the Day and Night branch of Bank of America. Permit denied, carried that 45 anyway. Came in handy more that once. There is something about the sight of that large hole at the muzzle that seems to grow even larger when you're see it staring you in the face. I worked midnight shift at a stop and rob in Las Vegas for a while. Company had a no guns policy.

The only 9MM I ever really saw much use for was a Taurus PT92 or PT99. I call it my Brazilian Beretta. Two strikes against it though. One, it's too damn heavy with a full magazine and two it has the worst trigger pull I've seen on any handgun. Smooth but extremely heavy. It's only redeeming factor is one can carry it just like a 1911, that is in condition one, cocked and locked. I guess one can't have everything.
Paul B.

gunzo said:

Some basic opinions on just the full size, as my opinion on all chopped down versions of any design can /will cause a new set of problems. I won't judge an original design by major alterations of that design. A proper 1911 is very dependable. The number of manufacturers that make them can lead to good or bad things.

The basic design.
To my knowledge, no semi auto pistol can be tailored to the individual as well as the 1911. Glock is working on it with their interchangeable back straps, but those make the large grip circumference even larger. The 1911 is slim, but dimensions can easily be altered buy a simple grip change.

The 1911's mainspring housing can be changed to a different shape that will alter the natural pointability to suit the individual. There are at least 3 shapes available, & there have been more. Maybe still.

The 1911's trigger can be changed with choices of at least 3 different lengths & multiple face shapes.

The 1911 still, & will likely continue to have vast aftermarket & spare parts support. The Glock aftermarket is big & growing. But that doesn't take anything away from the 1911.

I don't think the 1911 is the have all handgun, but I do think a lot of them and if one was all I had I'd be more than well served.

Click to expand...

Ha! self serving? Maybe, but some of my best writing. Maybe not for English lit class but on a handgun.

Times change, demographics change, but the 1911 has attributes that are still, undeniable.