Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Which era of the Colt 1911 are the "best"?

Lots of people just can't seem to understand or comprehend that..................just sayin'.

I could be happy if 1911's were the only handguns that I had.

MM

This one here is a favorite that's shot...often. Built by the AMU (Army Marksmanship Unit), it'll group under 2" (10 shots) at 50 yds from a machine rest. Somewhat finish-challenged, it looks the part of a battle-scarred range warrior. It has a WW II Ithaca frame (all NM guns will have WW II 1911A1 frames, mostly Rem Rands) and a Colt NM "hard slide" from the early '60's that'll take the constant battering of 230 grain ball. It's never malfunctioned. I've developed an attachment to NM pistols like this. It's what I shot daily on and off for almost 30 years, in between combat tours, on the AMU. It definitely beat working for a living.

Obviously, I'm not a big Glock fan.
Bob

I have seen countless young fella's making the full circle from plastic guns to nothing but metal 1911 types. Some take longer than others.

I see a lot of used plastic guns for sale on the shelves. Very few good used 1911's.

I could have fun with this one for sure.

curious
who is the manufacturer of the rear sight?

Looks like an LPA sight. They have many high quality retrofit sights for many models.

I have a few. I recommend them. Study before you buy.

[/quote] curious
who is the manufacturer of the rear sight?[/quote]

That's an original US-marked Kensight. Pistol was built at FT Benning sometime in 1971. At different times during 1911A1 NM production/building, the military used adjustable sights from Elliason, Kensight, Triangle, Micro and BoMar, both early and later versions. All depends on what year of the build/rebuild.
Bob

Ah, the US stamp.
I should have read your earlier post closer.

That is one fine piece.

I'm not going to get into a big heated debate but will only tell you my experience.

When I first decided to start carrying,the gun magazines were popular and I subscribed to several. It was basically a given that any serious fighting handgun had to be a 1911. For the first 5 years of my CCW search,I tried to carry a 1911. I went through 2 Springfield's and a Kimber but they would always malfunction every now and again. They didn't malfunction often but any malfunction was disappointing to me.I went through trying to change my grip,different ammo,different mags and some slight gunsmithing by a local guy to try to get them to run 100%. I was never satisfied.

One day,I was in a gun shop that I had never been in and got to talking to the owner. He was a Glock armorer and carried several. I absolutely hated the ugly plastic atrocities. I hated the idea of a plastic gun and the triggers were horrible. The owner of that shop had a Glock I had never seen before,a model 36.Somehow he talked me intro trying it out. That little G-36 turned into the best Light Weight Commander I hve ever owned. It wasn't long until I got rid of the 1911's. That G-36 has still never malfunctioned.

Say whatever you will. It might have been my fault my 1911's wouldn't function 100%.I want to love the 1911. I love the feel,looks and trigger of a 1911 but I would still be willing to bet that most of today's plastic guns are functionally more reliable out of the box than any production 1911 out of the box. I also think those plastic guns are a better CCW choice for the average person than any 1911. They will work without the dedication and time that most people won't spend.They are easier to carry,and most people would be better served not to have to disengage a safety under the stress of a shooting event.

From your comment,it seemed like you viewed the plastic guns as training wheels and eventually,those who had good sense would come around to a real gun. That's OK,it's no big deal. I'm glad ya'll enjoy the 1911 and keep it alive. I'm just giving a slightly different view. I see today's guns as the natural evolution into a better,more reliable product,at least some of the better ones. I'm actually just glad to see more people deciding to carry,no matter what they choose.

THAT's a treasure!

All valid points for you. Well and good for you.