Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 1911 Talk, What you have and what you like.

Mine is a Springfield Armory 1911 A1 GI WWII model pistol with wood grips, parkerized finish, small GI sights & shallow ejection port.
I purchased this more than 10 years ago. I have a couple other 1911s - both replicas and WWI style. One is a Colt Model of 1911 WWI,
The other is a Remington UMC WWI replica which was a Remington and Turnbull collaboration. Both pistols are still NIB.

I bought my Springfield Armory WWII GI replica used but like new. It's well constructed and is an accurate shooter.
It's nostalgic and I wouldn't touch or change a thing. I like it just as it is - perfect!

<> https://tacticalgunreview.com/springfield-armory-gi-45-1911a1/ <>

The above model is an olive drab finish - mine is a parkerized black.

My favorite is an old Argentine from '52, the frame and slide are original the rest has been changed. My most accurate 45. Also had a Springfield loaded, but my son talked me out of it. replaced it with a Dan Wesson PM7. Runs great and is accurate but not quite as good as the old Argentine. It is however less fussy, and runs most anything.

I saw a really nice, clean, Argentine 1911 for sale back in the early 2,000s. A lot of the finish was warn off in a natural pattern, but no scratches or dings, and the insides weren't excessively worn. This was when they were still coming in fairly regularly as surplus from Argentina. I had been thinking that if I found a nice one on a gun store shelf, I'd pick it up, as they were going for bargain prices at this time of market glut.

It was there in the glass case, with a price tag, very reasonably priced, less than $400.00. I made the stupid mistake of asking the salesman if he would take $25.00 less than the tag. He says he has to ask the owner (an avid 1911 collector, who can hardly resist keeping for himself nice old 1911s that come into the store). He takes the gun into the back for a while, then comes out and says, "Oh, I'm sorry, but this one isn't for sale." I say, "What are you talking about? It was in the glass case with a price tag." He says, "Oh, that was an accident ... This belongs to someone."

So, had I just given the guy the full price tag, instead of asking for a deal, I would have had that nice old Argentine.

Something similar happened to me regarding a really nice old Mauser 98. It was the nicest one on the rack of dozens on the floor, and had a price tag like the others. I took it up to the register, and then the owner's son happens to walk by and see it on the counter. He grabs it, examines the bore, and says, "Oh, that wasn't supposed to be on the floor ... it's got a dangerous defect," and takes it into the back. You know he just hadn't seen it before it was tagged and put on the floor by an employee, had been looking for one that nice, and now had it.

I've cut up enough 1911's that I know 50 years from now somebody will say; why would some idiot do this to such a collectible pistol? We just made them better.

Mill the slide to set a Bomar way down low & install a dovetail front sight. Grind the ears off the back of the frame & blend in a high grip beavertail safety. Mill the slide to lower the ejection port, etc. etc.

Then the Kimbers started showing up. All the mods that most folks wanted done to a 1911 were done, & done pretty well IMO. I sold off a bunch of my Colts & Springfields, kept a matched pair of Classic Stainless LE Kimbers & the only 1911 metal I've cut was a 30 LPI checker job on one front strap. I like my 2 Kimbers enough that I really didn't mind selling my Les Baer. Now I'm not saying the Kimbers are as good, but more than good enough for me at a third the cost..

P bucket is holding the twins photo hostage, or I'd be proud to show them. Note made to take more pics.

Surprised so many have had Taurus 1911's. My own first 1911 was a stainless Taurus I bought from a friend who won it as a door prize somewhere. Got it several years, finally let someone talk me out of it. Guess my "next" 1911 was a Springfield I bought to convert to .460 Rowland. Conversion went well. only reason I let it go was the damn compensator that cam with the kit made it horribly loud.

I have had a Para Expert Carry - Cmmander size, I think - for several years, and it's a good pistol.

Also have two 10mm 1911's now, n RIA and a Kimber - like them both, a lot.

Just bought a USP HK 45 to try shooting .45 Super. Wish I could put custom grips on it, like on my 1911's!

Mike Holmes

I'm not worthy. That is an impressive list by anyone's standard. I've got three Kimbers and a Colt .22 rimfire 1911. Nothing like Ethan's list.

This one has more sentimental value to me than you can imagine...

I currently own four 5" stainless 1911's and rotate them going to the outdoor range a minimum of once a week (weather permitting) and run 100 rounds each time through them......I'm not much of a paper puncher kinda guy and I always shoot at the steel gongs at 25 yds. with my 230 gr. FMJ (not plated) ball ammo.

Ruger SR1911
Springfield Armory Mil-Spec
S & W E Series
Remington R1-S

I like all four and I can't really say that I favor one over the other.

Springfield Officer's (special edition "Night.45")
Springfield Micro Compact
Colt Delta Elite
Kimber Stainless II
Kimber Custom LW Midnight (Wife's)

Fun story about the Kimbers...My wife has always wanted a Kimber. She's been using the Springfield Officer's sometimes, but really likes a full size 1911 better. We had an Auto Ordinance full size that we had bought used, but after the front sight flew off one day at the range, she never liked it even though I had it fixed. Well, her birthday was coming up and I was in the gun shop where we bought that Auto Ordinance and they had the Kimber LW Midnight edition on sale. So, I traded in the the Auto Ordinance and got the the Kimber. It sat in my gun closet for a couple weeks in the box in plain view, but she never noticed. Then, last week I was in another shop that frequently gets police trade-ins, and they had a few full size stainless Kimbers in the case for a really good price. I was still sitting on some mad money, and convinced the wife that a full sized stainless would be great for carrying on our boat, so I bought one. When she got home I was showing it to her and giving her crap about how this nice stainless Kimber was mine, and not hers...all the while the box with her new gun that I've had for weeks was sitting on the table, kind of insinuating that it was the box this used police trade-in gun came in. She took the bait and said, "Is that where my new Kimber is?" When I opened it, I thought she was going to cry. We took them to the range on Sunday and put over 100 rounds through each of the Kimbers and they both ran great.

Nice, I could talk myself into one like that. What's it chambered in?

blindshooter... It's a 9mm that belonged to my Best Friend Tom. He was my Best Man at my wedding to the "Home Commander" and he passed away last year after a short bout with cancer. This Valor was his favorite pistol and he wanted me to have it after he passed. It needed a special rig, so I had Tim Thurner of TT Gunleather build up a full elephant commemorative carry rig for it a few months back. Other than the VZ palm swell grips and a fancy set of Dragon Spine scales from Griff's Grips for weddings, BBQ's and such, I haven't changed a thing on it.

Here's the holster and another couple pictures of the grips...




I had never held/handled a V-Bob 1911 until this one and I have to say, I'm sold... especially on this Commander sized platform. The palm swells on the VZ's make the bobbed frame even better. The whole set-up is a daily reminder of how much I enjoyed and appreciated Tom's conversations, visits and friendship. I miss him.

Mike

A damn cool pistol with an even better history, God Bless, Happy Hunting, Carrying and Remembering your old Friend.

Stump Buster....great back story and that is THE BEST looking BBQ/1911 rig I have ever seen....but then I like black...

...and I'm also sold on the BobTail...have a Dan Wesson Guardian .38 Super that is great to shoot....

Bob

I will heartedly agree, and new to me, but NOTHING feels better in my hand than the Fusion Arms/Ed Brown bob-tail Commander 45 ACP I picked up awhile back, good lord, it's like it was custom made for my hand.

My 1911 family:
Colt WC full size government model .45acp
Colt WC CCO .45 amp
Colt Government model . 45 amp “100 years of service” rollmark
Colt Government model .38 super “100 years of service” rollmark
Colt Government model competition 9 mm
Dan Wesson Valor .45 acp

I carry a Sig ultra most of the time. I also have a Sig GSR that really shoots well. I had a older Kimber Eclipse but my daughter got that for her 21st birthday.

Current fave...until the next one comes along.
Bob

50 yards, 10 shots, Ransom Rest.

...very nice Bob and impressive shooting!!

RGK,

Obviously a well built bullseye gun with an accomplished shooter behind it.

The load that was fired from the RR wouldn't put me in your category, but would still like to know it.

That's impressive, RGK. Hats off to you.