[ssb73q]

Hi 45K20E4, I'm delighted that the Marines finally figured out what we all already knew, the .45 ACP is superior to the 9mm! 101ys old and still kicking, long live the 1911.

Regards,
Richard

 

[bmcgilvray]

I'm also delighted that the USMC's going for 1911s and Colts at that. Personally, I'd have to take a grinder to that light rail though which is an abomination to the eye and just so much baggage.

I like owning and shooting Colt .45 Automatics. All of mine are Colts save for one Remington Rand 1911A1. The Colts have gone the distance for me. I still have the first one, a 1918 Colt 1911 that was 60 years old when I purchased it.

 

[45K20E4]

Well, it's not about aesthetics to the Marines.

 

[ssb73q]

I read the links and it seems like what they are saying is that the heavier bullets will hit higher because of the recoil is affecting the bullets travel? I'm not sure how that is possible because the bullet has left the barrel before recoil effects the shooter.

NO matter what the "experts" say, this is not my experience. I'm with 45, its just my personal experience.

I believe it is because the 230's are bigger and have less powder, so they impact lower.

However, the 185's are smaller and have more powder and impact higher.

Now, this was only between two brands of ammo. I havent shot it since then with any other to see if that holds true for me with other types because I need back surgery so shooting isn't something I can really do right now.

Thats just my personal experience man

Hi Pet-Rock, yes it is because the recoil of the heavier or slower bullet raises the pistol more before the bullet leaves the barrel. It's basic physics. Put a laser bore sight into your pistol and compare the location of the laser dot compared to the iron sights. The laser dot is always lower than the sights. .22s that don't recoil much have both the bore and sights very close.

Today I shot my Colt SAA using both my .45 LC and .45 ACP cylinders and did some careful testing. The 230gr .45 ACP is faster than my .45 LC handloads (250gr, 8gr Unique). At 10yds (where bullet drop isn't an issue) I need to hold the position of the front sight 1/2 the front sight blade height to achieve the same poi of the .45 LC sighted right on.

Regards,
Richard

 

[qwman68]

Opinions are like assholes. I have a para g.i. and its a very accurate gun. Not as pretty as the kimbers and it doesnt have the name recognition of the colt but its 100% reliable and shoots like a dream.

 

[mcblack]

Yes for every man his 1911.

That's how I roll :

Peters Stahl 1911 in .45 ACP
Bi-color
Linkless system

A hand-fitted beauty

 

[p35bhp55]

Colt or junk? Really? Colt has a decades old history of labor and q.c. problems and has just about been out of business a number of times. Do they even make mass produced products for consumers now? I never see any new Colts at a store. Mine had stuff like plastic triggers and recoil spring guides that had to be replaced. (They are both from the early '90s) and as far as fit and finish could best be described as "ok". I bought mine back when used ones were more of a bargain and because I wanted the original name, but had no illusions about the quality.

 

[XR750]

I had a Colt IV series 70 that was Combat moded by Jim Boland. I had to sell her to move to Phoenix AZ. I have always regret it.
Joe R

 

[jsimmons]

I don't care what's engraved on the side as long as it's reliable and accurate. I have RIA and Springfield.

 

[arjunkie]

Still on the lookout for a Colt w/o a firing pin safety in .45acp. Hard to find a nice used one.

My current 1911 family - Clockwise, L to R Ruger SR 1911, Colt Govt. 22 LR, Sig-Sauer 1911-22, Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 45 acp, and center, Kimber 1st model Ultra Carry .45acp.

 

[wlhawk]

I have 1911 pistols made by Colt, Wilson Combat, Springfield Armory and Kimber. All of them have been reliable and accurate pistols. I don't expect my less expensive models to perform as well as my more expensive models. I've never fired a 1911 that I didn't like!

 

[whoa]

I've seen many a Colt 1911 that wasn't reliable, before extensive smithuing, back in the 70's, guys.

 

[Fackler Rebel]

Colt, Browning, etc. over priced over rated. In my opinion.

Reb

P.S. Just because Colt won the contract, doesn't mean they are the best. As Pink Floyd sang, Money, money, money.

Reb

 

[snowbird]

The Colt name goes a long way with folks. I never have owned a 1911, but now that I am getting older I want one. And I want a Colt.

Having said that, I hear nothing but good about the Rugers, and cost a lot less then a Colt.

 

[grumpy_old_man]

The Colt name goes a long way with folks. I never have owned a 1911, but now that I am getting older I want one. And I want a Colt.

Having said that, I hear nothing but good about the Rugers, and cost a lot less then a Colt.

FWIW, I've had Colts, Springfields, Remington R1's, and those new Regents from Turkey. All have worked and worked well, though the Regent needed some TLC out of the box to fix a couple of issues (weak recoil spring and clocking extractor). Springfield is a little flaky in that the front sight tenon is an "in between" size (Colt has narrow tenon and wide tenon, with GI guns being narrow tenon). If its not a Colt its not junk, so long as they didn't deviate from the grand original 1911 design. Most 1911 function problems I've seen are due to going too far afield from John M Browning's masterpiece design, or the use of no-name junk magazines.

Get a 1911. You'll love it for a lot of things that don't show up on paper if you're like me. When you grip it, its like shaking hands with John Wayne - its heavy, a part of yesteryear. If you like tradition you'll love a 1911. I've had some guns where non-shooters handle 'em and ask "is this real - it's so light and plastic it can't be real!" No one has ever done that with one of my 1911's. Pull the mag, clear the chamber and hand it to someone. They know its real.

If you have the $$$ get a Colt by all means. I just took delivery on one of the new Colt Combat Commanders yesterday and its a sweet piece. There is a bit more plastic (mainspring housing, trigger) than I remember from my old MKIV Series '70's but that's life. Its a quality piece and I can't wait to get to the range to try 'er out. Those wood grips straight from the factory are gorgeous!

You'll be mighty pleased with a Colt is my guess. And if $$ is tight, there's nothing wrong with a non-Colt 1911 so long as it stayed true to the original.

Best,
Grumpy

 

[ssb73q]

The Colt name goes a long way with folks. I never have owned a 1911, but now that I am getting older I want one. And I want a Colt.

Having said that, I hear nothing but good about the Rugers, and cost a lot less then a Colt.

Hi snowbird, I started this thread with the outrageous title just to draw some interest. As previously said, if money is the limiting constraint, get a good lower cost 1911 if just used for self defense and target practice. However, if you have the cash, there isn't anything nicer to have, fondle, shoot, and own than a real Colt 1911. Many years ago I purchased a new Colt 1873 SAA and even with owning a nice collection of other revolvers and pistols, the Colt SAA is my most favorite handgun. The quality and history is great, but mostly, it's a Colt. The older you get, the more you will appreciate fine firearms. Fine firearms appreciate with time, an investment for your heirs.

Regards,
Richard

 

[grumpy_old_man]

Hi snowbird, I started this thread with the outrageous title just to draw some interest. As previously said, if money is the limiting constraint, get a good lower cost 1911 if just used for self defense and target practice. However, if you have the cash, there isn't anything nicer to have, fondle, shoot, and own than a real Colt 1911. Many years ago I purchased a new Colt 1873 SAA and even with owning a nice collection of other revolvers and pistols, the Colt SAA is my most favorite handgun. The quality and history is great, but mostly, it's a Colt. The older you get, the more you will appreciate fine firearms. Fine firearms appreciate with time, an investment for your heirs.

Regards,
Richard

+1000! What he said!

Nice to see you're a SAA fan too, ssb73q. I sincerely regret selling my beloved Colt 1873 SAA (first gen) something like 20 years ago when rent money was scarce and I was out of work. After I take care of that Security Six I've got laid away, its the next big project to save for, probably 2014 time frame at this rate. I figure that even obozo won't dare go confiscatory on those, though he'd like to.

What was your favorite bbl length? I had the 4-3/4" and found the balance to be just about perfect, but have been tempted by the 5-1/2".

Best,
Grumpy

 

[ssb73q]

Off topic 1911 post, sorry.

Hi Grumpy, I have the 4-3/4" barrel Colt .45LC SAA. I fitted a .45 ACP cylinder that adds some versatility and investment value to the Colt. The short barrel allows for a fast draw. A good western holster rig transports the Colt SAA and user back to earlier days faster than any Star Trek transporter ever could.

For the cash poor historical handgun hobbyist, one can sometimes find the .44 1858 Remington or 1860 Army on sale for ~$170 at Cabelas. I bought 5 in the last year, 5-1/2" & 8" barrels. IMO there's no more fun than shooting steel with a black powder revolver. A conversion cylinder allows using those pistols with .45LC. What's nice about black powder revolvers is that most states consider them as antiques where there are no firearm regulations. Cabelas ships them directly UPS. Since I live in the Socialists Republic of New York State and fire them, they must be on my permit to be legal.

While I love fondling and shooting my Colt SAA, shooting the cap and ball revolvers is a hoot. The quality of the current crop of cap and ball revolvers is almost as good as the Colt SAA that costs 7 times more. .45LC conversion cylinders adds some versatility and fun to the 1858s, but they cost more than the revolver, ~$230.

Regards,
Richard

 

[grumpy_old_man]

Off topic 1911 post, sorry.

Hi Grumpy, I have the 4-3/4" barrel Colt .45LC SAA. I fitted a .45 ACP cylinder that adds some versatility and investment value to the Colt. The short barrel allows for a fast draw. A good western holster rig transports the Colt SAA and user back to earlier days faster than any Star Trek transporter ever could.

For the cash poor historical handgun hobbyist, one can sometimes find the .44 1858 Remington or 1860 Army on sale for ~$170 at Cabelas. I bought 5 in the last year, 5-1/2" & 8" barrels. IMO there's no more fun than shooting steel with a black powder revolver. A conversion cylinder allows using those pistols with .45LC. What's nice about black powder revolvers is that most states consider them as antiques where there are no firearm regulations. Cabelas ships them directly UPS. Since I live in the Socialists Republic of New York State and fire them, they must be on my permit to be legal.

While I love fondling and shooting my Colt SAA, shooting the cap and ball revolvers is a hoot. The quality of the current crop of cap and ball revolvers is almost as good as the Colt SAA that costs 7 times more. .45LC conversion cylinders adds some versatility and fun to the 1858s, but they cost more than the revolver, ~$230.

Regards,
Richard

Thanks much for the info ssb73q. Sorry, my bad that it went OT!

'Course we can look at this as the first chapter in the 1911 story, so its not really OT - after all, it was dis-satisfaction with the .38 LC revolvers in the Moro rebellion that caused some US troops to get re-issued SAA's on an emergency basis and for the Army brass to insist on a new .45 caliber that would work as well as the old .45 Colt. Otherwise our beloved .45 ACP M1911 would probably be a .38 ACP M1911....:blink:

So we can credit the SAA with being a part of what would become the .45 M1911, that big beautiful .45 slug moving at modest velocities.

Best,
Grumpy

 

[crockett007]

Happiness Is a genuine reproduction WW1 1911 Colt with all the trimmins':