What is so wonderful about an 1911?

[OldEagle]

Everything I see or read compares all handguns to the 1911. What makes them remain as the standard by which all others are judged? It just seems to be THE GUN.

[JLA]

Its simple in design, powerful, and accurate. Its a tried and true design thats been around for 100 years. Kinda like single action revolvers are held to Colt SAA standards and double actions are compared to S&W N frames. The 1911 is the creme of the automatic crop

[todd51]

Well said JLA

[johnlives4christ]

one reason that the 1911 is so popular is reputation.

if it had not been a military arm it probably would not have been so popular.

while it is a good design, it is reliable and shoots a good cartridge, the gun itself isnt anything special compared to others.

what it did though, where others failed, was to get everything right all in the same package. i cannot think of another large caliber (over 9mm) automatic pistol that was american made between the ages of 1900 and the mid 1950s. when it comes down to it, americans want american guns over foreign designs.

~john

[doug66]

What isn't so wonderful about an 1911?

[carver]

What other semi-auto hand gun shoots a bigger, more powerfull bullet? And just look at how long it's been around. The fact that it's been around so long means that everything that could be done to a semi-auto has been tried with this gun. All the kinks have been worked out of it.

[hogger129]

Originally Posted by OldEagle

Everything I see or read compares all handguns to the 1911. What makes them remain as the standard by which all others are judged? It just seems to be THE GUN.

The 1911 is one of the best and most accurate pistols ever made. Of course everyone's going to compare something to a 1911.

The 1911 CAN where lots of pistols CAN'T.

Plus it's been around for 99 years.

[LDBennett]

For some of us the 1911 is a blank canvas.

With so many after market parts it can be made into anything you like. One of mine is made into a clone of a 1950's bullseye gun including all different trigger system parts, tight barrel bush, Dwyer Group Gripper, a Bomar rib with attached sight rail, and other customizing features.

And, most importantly to me, its a John Browning design. If you didn't know, John Browning designed the following Winchester rifles: 1885, 1886, 1892, 1894, 1895. He designed the Browning Auto-5 and the Browning High Power HP35. Probably the most used machine gun of WWII was the Browning 50 Caliber Machine guns (50BMG) as virtually every airplane of that period had several on-board. There are many other guns that were John Browning designs and the most famous, I believe, is the 1911 pistol. In the last 5 to 10 years America has rediscovered it and every manufacturer of pistols, it seems, has a clone of it (even SIG and S&W!). John Browning was a gun genius. Every gun he designed appeared to him in his mind before he built the prototype without the use of drawings. He sold the designs to Winchester, Remington, Fabrica National (FN) and Colt. Every one of his gun designs was near perfect, innovative, and ahead of its time.

LDBennett

[AL MOUNT]

R-E-L-I-A-B-L-E,

I-N-D-E-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-B-L-E

A-C-C-U-R-A-T-E

not to mention Ameican Invented....

[199er]

R-E-L-I-A-B-L-E,

I-N-D-E-S-T-R-U-C-T-I-B-L-E

A-C-C-U-R-A-T-E

not to mention Ameican Invented

Ditto..........................with emphasis RELIABLE..

[Old Grump]

Fits my hand good, points naturally, powerful enough to do the job and easy enough to shoot in a hurry when needed. Obscenely accurate when the gun is right and the shooter does his job. You can make bullets bigger or faster or more explosive but you can't really improve much on the basic design. Sometimes bigger and faster isn't always better, its the whole package.

[wyoredot]

Originally Posted by 199er

Ditto..........................with emphasis RELIABLE..

Plus 1 for me on this and others.... Try one and you too will see the light.... Wait, let me rephrase that, try a GOOD one not some crappy knockoff imitation one.

[jacksonco]

The 1911 platform is a good design. But then so are the Glocks, Sigs, HK, and many others. I carry a 1911 Sig or Colt Commander fairly often. I can also be found carrying a Glock. I like both styles. The 1911 feels great in the hand and has an exceptional trigger. The trigger on a Glock is a lot different but once you become a customed to it a Glock will shoot very well too. I also like the capacity of the Glocks.

The 1911 platform is flat out sexy. She is the queen of the dance. Glocks are one of those girls that get prettier close to closing time in a road house dump.

[199er]

The 1911 platform is flat out sexy. She is the queen of the dance. Glocks are one of those girls that get prettier close to closing time in a road house dump.

I completely agree...........................and a great analogy too !!

[Insulation Tim]

For many of the same reasons that Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Rembrandt, DaVinci, Michelangelo have never gone out of favor. They, along with the 1911, were perfect from the start.

[jim brady]

What's so wonderful about the 1911? Only two things I can think of - caliber and reliability. Short story, but maybe a good example: I have a little 80 acre place in eastern Colorado that I've been clearing yucca plants off of. I use an old tractor, and this kicks up an awful lot of dust.

At the end of 8 or 10 hours of tractoring, both me and my Beretta 92FS (in a shoulder rig) are coated with dust. I use a shoe brush to remove the majority of dust from the pistol before a good cleaning and oiling. The last time I did this (last Sunday) I had to strip it all the way down to lots of little parts and pieces and clean it before it would function properly. The primary malfunction was in the trigger group.

My 1911 just gets wiped off with a rag and the bore swabbed out. Then she's ready to go back to work. That's what is so wonderful about the 1911.

[Bubblehead]

For me it's all about ergonomics. The 1911 fits my hand, points well, and I shoot it better than anything else I own; Glock 23, Sig P220.

[yellerdawg]

Originally Posted by OldEagle

Everything I see or read compares all handguns to the 1911. What makes them remain as the standard by which all others are judged? It just seems to be THE GUN.

Good post OldEagle....good answers....A take I think about per your
question..to simplify....


Movies.....What makes Bette Davis ...Jimmy Stewart....John Wayne

Autos ...... What makes the Mustang......The Corvette..The Nova...

Progress.....What makes Alexander Bell.....Henry Ford.....Edison....







regards,

[old semperfi]

if you have to ask then i know you dont own one................old semperfi

[techoca]

Originally Posted by old semperfi

if you have to ask then i know you dont own one................old semperfi

You got that right.

[johnlives4christ]

i find it a little humorous that some of you, well, most of you cannot come up with an actual reason that the 1911 is the standard by which others are judged. some said it is reliable, but it is not any more reliable than a glock, or a ruger for that matter.

sure john browning was a genius, but just because he designed something doesnt mean it couldnt be better, the remington 17 for example, it could have been designed so the stock didnt have to be removed to disassemble the action.

i think instead of the discussion turning into praise for the 1911, or jmb that the question should be addressed with more thought.

i think the answer is that from 1911 until 1954 (if i recall correctly) there wasn't another american made design for a semi automatic handgun of a substantial caliber. so for 40 years the 1911 was the standard for not just us, but for the world.

so now that there are others to compete with the 1911, the reason that it is still compared to all the new comers is because for a period of about 40 years it was not only the best choice.. but the only choice for an american semiautomatic handgun of a substantial caliber.

~john

[larryh1108]

The 1911's design may be 100 years old but if you look at it, in this day and age of computer design and improvements, it is still basically the same.

When they (other gun makers) compare any pistol's trigger they always compare it to the 1911's. It has an incredibly wonderful trigger.

When they compare grip angles they compare it to the 1911's. It points all by itself.

When they compare ease of field stripping they compare it to the 1911's. Maybe the BHP is easier but not by much.

When they compare caliber they compare it to the .45ACP. Wait, where did the .45ACP come from? Was it the chicken or the egg?

What is so wonderful about it? It has withstood the test of time, pure and simple. There are hundreds of guns out there and they all want to be the next 1911. The 1911 is already the 1911. Modern computers and engineering can't really make it much better. How many products developed 100 years ago can say that?

[Eddie N]

Originally Posted by larryh1108

The 1911's design may be 100 years old but if you look at it, in this day and age of computer design and improvements, it is still basically the same.

When they (other gun makers) compare any pistol's trigger they always compare it to the 1911's. It has an incredibly wonderful trigger.

When they compare grip angles they compare it to the 1911's. It points all by itself.

When they compare ease of field stripping they compare it to the 1911's. Maybe the BHP is easier but not by much.

When they compare caliber they compare it to the .45ACP. Wait, where did the .45ACP come from? Was it the chicken or the egg?

What is so wonderful about it? It has withstood the test of time, pure and simple. There are hundreds of guns out there and they all want to be the next 1911. The 1911 is already the 1911. Modern computers and engineering can't really make it much better. How many products developed 100 years ago can say that?

And if it ain't broke, don't fix it. There's nothing wrong with a design that's been around for that long and still working.

[larryh1108]

Seriously, though., think about the progress made in all walks of life since 1911. Take a few examples like the automobile. Model T to a 2011 anything? When was the first airplane flown and today we can go to the moon. Computers are maybe 50 years old but look at them in 1980 and today. Phones from then till now. TV from the late 40's until today. The list is endless on improvements we all benefit from but in the last 100 years the 1911 has basically remained the same. That is mind boggling if you look at it in terms of the industrial revolution and modern computer designs.
The revolver falls into this same category but, to me, the semi-automatiic was an improvement on the revolver.

You're right, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

How do you perfect perfection?

[techoca]

John,
Were you hoping for an essay?
• Accuracy of the platform
• Ergonomics
• Reliability (Yes, you must use good magazines)
• Finest trigger pull, period
• Attractive
• Easy to field strip
• Easy to work on (beyond field stripping)
• Ability to be customized or tailored to individual preferences
• Wide range of calibers from the same platform (I’ve heard there was more than .45ACP)
• Single action
• Ease of control manipulation
• Longevity of the platform

I could think of more but I’m still having my first cup of coffee. Go try and make a Glock or a SR9 unique.