After high school and before I went in the Navy, for about three years all I did was go to work and then spend all my money on a 56 Chevy with a 327 engine that was putting out 350 HP that I drag raced every Saturday night. In 1970 I bought a Chevy Camero SS 396 putting out 375 HP. It was a good performer, but it needed someone with several years of driving and racing cars in that power to weight catagory. When a friend heard me say that, he seemed pissed about a casual remark, but I didn't know that he had ordered one just like mine except for the color.
It came in 10 days later and he drove it straight to my house to show me that he had one too. He was 9 years younger than I was and had never raced anything nor had he ever owned a car with more than 300 HP. I warned him that the light Camero and that much HP could be difficult to control when your foot was down on it.
Two weeks later we were headed to a drive in on Highway 90 on the gulf coast to meet some friends and then go to the drag strip. I was right behind him when he decided to pass the car in front of him. As he was turning into the passing lane, he got on that 375 HP 396 and it broke the rear tires loose and spun him sideways in the highway. He actually made a pretty good correction and got it straightened out but he over corrected and his new Camero jumped the curb and after throwing up sand for about 40 yards, stopped in the neutral ground hard against a 14 inch palm tree. I made the block and waited with him for the cops and the wrecker to come and then I took him home.
On the way home he said, well now I know why you said those 396 Cameros are not for everyone.
Some firearms have a manual of operation and maintenance that requires a practical level of knowledge and familiarity. The 1911 is one of them. We used to get that level of training and shooting experience in the military in boot camp. We don't get it anymore and now some people have problems because they are not as familiar with the firearm as they need to be to operate and maintain it properly. Then it becomes just like that light weight 375 HP SS 396 Camero. Although you may have one, if you don't know how to drive it, you probably aren't going to have it long.
You cannot substitute a You Tube video for practical, hands on shooting and maintenace experience. You can't learn to drive a low weight, high powered car by watching racing films. You can't become an Army Ranger by watching Rambo movies.
Those who are not willing to learn how to properly operate a 1911, or those incapable of understanding how the pistol works well enough to keep it running ought not own one for the same reason some people ought not own a low weight high powered car and some people ought not attempt to become Rambo. And that's just the plain truth.
Sounds like operator error and lack of maintenance are the key issues.
Thanks.
DINK, you getting all this?
Dave
