I would say the weakness of the 1911 is the fact that it is copied so much that there is no way to control the outcome of manufacturing. Clearly, the design works well.

I personally own several 1911's with my favorite being a s&w 1911sc. I have put a lot of ammo through it and have no memory of a failure. I bought it used and have no idea if it has had any work on it, it appears stock.

Originally Posted by BrentD

I would not buy something that runs on any kind of primer given the possibility of primer shortages and even regulations. In fact, why not buy a flintlock? Really. Rocks aren't going away anytime soon.