... and why?

Caj's post about scratching the 1911 itch got me wondering what style/brand .45 people prefer?

PLEASE, this is not intended to be a caliber war ... AND please be respectful of other posters' opinions. Just because your favorite .45 is a Taurus or a HiPoint doesn't mean we'll think any less of you. Well, maybe a little less, but ....

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Don't need no stinkin' sigline

No question about it. I love the S&W 1911 way above anything else I own or have owned.

SIG 220 Elite. Very reliable, fits my hand well, like the bar-dot sights, and it is scary-accurate for me. I like the double action on my Elite because it is so similar in feel to a revolver.

My second choice is my Kimber Target, great feeling gun that is also quite accurate. I like the .22 lr conversion kit I have for it also.

Third would be a 25-2 with 6 1/2" barrel. It is an N-Frame, don't need to say anything more!

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I hope I copied that right

I mostly have Colt 1911's but for sheer shooting enjoyment I grab a Les Baer Premier 2.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

For me, #1 is a Colt Lighweight Commander. Perfect balance of weight, power and size. #2 would be my Sig P220, the one I use on duty because of the DA feature. It is solid, reliable and high quality. Now for wheel guns, N frames of course in whatever pre model or model you pick. They are all great. That 1950 model though had me pulling my hair out until I found out what she really liked in bullet selection.

Great caliber

Mine is a Series 70 Gold Cup.

Uh yeah ... seems like I've seen pictures of that closet ... I mean safe of your 1911s.

What is it about the Les Baer that you like better than the Colts?

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Don't need no stinkin' sigline

Series 70 Colt Government Model hardball gun, tuned by Jim Clark for EIC matches. . .a real .45 for real competitors. . .




Bullseye

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.

Every LB I've had is 100% reliable and extremely accurate. I can't say that for any other brand of 1911 I've owned.

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Lynnie, Professional Pest

The 1911.

I've owned several different brands. Wilson Combat is my favorite followed closely by Dan Wesson.

I have been shooting a USGI 1911A1 for about 45 years. I have been under the erroneous belief that is a Colt, because it has a Colt slide. Just in the last few days, I have discovered that the serial number on the frame is within the range of guns manufactured by Ithaca in 1943. That makes my gun what 1911A1 collectors call a "mixmaster." Still, it has been a good shooter and a reliable companion in all the years I have had it. I intend to give it to my nephew this Christmas, because I traded his Daddy (my brother) out of it, and have refused to trade it back to him. It has been a good'un.

Now, I have a couple of new favorites. Back in the early 90s, I had the itch for a new 1911. I looked, and talked with my pusher. Somehow, probably because it was very reasonably priced, I bought a Norinco. Soon afterward, the Clinton Administration banned import of a lot of Chinese stuff, including the Norks. Anyhow, I shot it a good bit. Recently, though, I have decided to check it for reliability, including testing some magazines for reliability. I have fired about 250 rounds through it, including about 40 rounds of some kind of hp ammo I got in a trade. No jams, no failure to feed, no problems whatever. I can tell that the initially rough trigger is smoothing out somewhat. Last Spring, I saw another one listed on a state s&s forum. I bought it with 90 rounds of factory ammo for $400. It had a trigger job.

Anyhow, research on these guns has revealed that they have turned out to be pretty desirable. They are made entirely from forged steel. They are supposedly an exact clone of the wartime 1911A1 pistols.

I took stock a couple of weeks back and discovered that I have accumulated (hoarded) about 4500 rounds of factory .45ACP hardball over the last 17 years. I intend to consume about 1500 rounds of that within the next several months putting these pistols to the test. I hope they turn out as good as my old USGI pistol.

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Georgia On My Mind

If there are any S&W M&P or GLOCK fans out there, try to not let our 1911 friends intimidate you, I have no dog in this fight, and am genuinely interested in what and why. Thanks all for the replies so far.

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Don't need no stinkin' sigline

Ok, since you asked.

I really like the XD 45. Not the XDM, but the XD 45 Tactical.

How could you not like 13 + rounds?

The 1911. I prefer and own mostly Colts, but the one I shoot most is a Springfield.

Kimber Ultra CDP II.. Easy to carry and accurate..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Current favorite is a new made Colt 01918 version that I found very gently used.

rayb

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"cumplo pero no obedezco"

I would normally say anything made by Ed Brown, but since I just got this, its my current favorite. 70 series Colt customized by Kings Gunworks in the late 70's. Old scool cool!

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Nothing to see here,move along

Colt 70 series Gold Cup. It's pretty finish, tight fit, great trigger, perfect sights, and the fact it's a Colt makes it the ultimate 1911 in my opinion.

Here is the latest Colt I picked up.O1918
Dick

Hmmm ... two pages, and not a single M&P or GLOCK ... should I infer something here?

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Don't need no stinkin' sigline

I have a closet full of Glocks and I carried either the 17 or 22 for over 8 years daily. Now I will only carry a S&W1911.

There are two types of shooters in the world. Those that own 1911 pistols and those that will.

My favorite 1911 is a Colt built to the same standards, ie accurized, like Bullseye's gun. Since mine is built for carry, the Bomar Sight is melted, the front sight ramped, and the front strap is checkered instead of stippled.

IMHO there is no finer Pistol than an Accurized 1911 with Bomar sights.

We just had our 19 year anniversary on the job together. Next year I'll have to buy it something.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Sir, like many here, I'm a 1911 guy. I'm partial to Colt, though I did have a Baer that I really liked. While I prefer full-size all-steel guns, I wouldn't turn up my nose at a nice Commander.

I had a Smith 645 briefly that I did not like at all--too big, too high a bore line, safety in the wrong place, etc. The Sig P220 doesn't suit me, either, for similar reasons. Haven't shot any of the Glock .45s, though I'm curious about the G30 and G36.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

I own a Colt Combat Commander in 38 Super that would have to be my favorite. Its just the sweetest, handiest, classiest 1911 I own. However, my Springfield SS Mil-spec shot its first 500 rounds new out of the box, without a single failure to feed, eject, or extract. I'd probably risk my life on the Springfield with factory ammo. Good gun.

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beaver

OH, I forgot to say "why"...

Well, a properly Acccurized 1911 will shoot under 3" groups at 50 yards,[which means around an inch at 25 yards], it will have a trigger that breaks like a thin glass rod, and be as reliable as any man made product can be..

I was forced to carry a Glock 17 for several years, and I will say they are very reliable, my 1911's were and still are just as reliable.

If I was buying a new 1911 today, I would take a look at Clark, Wilson, and Les Baer.

Thompson submachine gun.

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NRA Benefactor Member

I grew up shooting 1911's. I still like them but my favorite .45's are 3rd Generation S&W's. I have a most DA/SA models but want a CS45 and wouldn't mind a 4586. Why? They fit my hands better and I like the decocker/safety.

Bullseye,
I love this gun. Nothing beats a hardball gun. I sure miss shooting bullseye. The skill involved is so little appreciated.
My own choice in .45's now is my 1991 Commander (really a Combat Commander).
Chris

I had a ColtCommander and fed it a steady diet of hardball. After about 1500 rounds it was full of rattles. That was a long time ago. I also had a Glock 22, but found it too big for my hand.

My current 'shooting' 45 is a Series 70, lightly tweaked. It has a Clark trigger at 4 1/2 lbs, and Bo-Mar sights. Love the Clark stippling on the front strap (I saw that for the first time about 1960 and said 'I'm going to have one of thsoe someday". Now I have). Note that none of these mods increase accuracy, since any increase in accuracy usually results in a decrease in reliability. I also have another slide for it with tritium sights for night use. Right now it's in one of those trick holsters that goes between the mattress and box spring. It's very comforting to reach over the side of the bed and feel you hand close around the grip of a 1911.

I also have a Glock 36, the single stack magazine pistol. Light and flat; it's very nice for concealed carry. Not much fun to shoot with +P loads, though; I save those for 'serious social purposes', although I've shot a few just to make sure they function.

Both pistols run well with the 175 gr SAECO swc bullet and 4.0 grs of W 231. Great practice ammo. With the Glock, you can actually see the spent case amble out of the ejection port and fall by your feet.

I have carried a Remington Rand 1911 A1, Colt Combat Commander, Fire Star .45, Glock 30 and a Glock 21, in the last 35 years. I like the Glock 21(still own it) the grip is a bit large for my hand but I shoot it well. I have come full circle you might say and I now carry a Rock Island Armory Government Model. Great shooter, reliable and seems to be a good knock about "working gun".

De Oppresso Liber

This I can and will stand behind. I've got a CQB by Wilson that is nothing short of incredible. I also have a four digit (1958) Colt National Match that is wearing a set of malagassy rosewood grips from Craig Spiegel. This is my all time favorite invention by J.M.Browning. My Dan Wesson is a 10MM Commander Bobtail.

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Go big or stay home

I too have a G36 for concealed carry as well as a Glock 21SF for home duties, that's when I'm not relying on my 686's, which I usually do, to fill those roles.

Throughout the 70's, 80's & 90's I ran 1911's, usually surplus pistols from South American Armies but switched over to Glocks for the simple fact that they usually go bang everytime I pull the trigger and I can easily fix anything that can go wrong with them myself.

The reason I never owned a "good," or brand named 1911, is that a very close friend told me that it was a waste of my money and he would always go with me to a gun show and pick out one for me. This friend had spent almost 4 tours of duty in Vietnam with the 5th Special Forces before becoming a "freelancer." Every surplus 1911 that he picked out for me was always as reliable as any handgun I've ever owned.

In 1977, while in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, serving in the Rhodesian Light Infantry (RLI) he was killing some of his free time at the Marlborough Pistol Club in Salisbury with his 1911 when a right proper British gentleman approached him and asked if he could look at his pistol.

The conversation went something like this;

Brit: Oh my! This is just a piece of sh.. four-five.....

My friend: Yeah, what's your point?

Brit: It's just that I've never seen anybody do what you just did with a four-five before............

My friend told me later that this Brit probably didn't get out much.

After that conversation the Brit asked if my friend would be interested in shooting in the World Practical Pistol Championships (I think that's what it was) that was going to be held there at the Club in the not too distant future. My friend jumped at the chance and placed 25th, he would have placed 3rd but had a malfunction and missed only one shot because of it. He said he was happy with 25th, adding "It's a big world."

Here he is at the Marlborough Pistol Club with his *** four-five around this time frame.



Here he is below, at left, at the Pistol Championship Awards Ceremony.
With him is, "Vidar", a Norwegian who was also serving in the RLI.
Vidar did come in 3rd that year...........



And last but not least, on duty with the RLI waiting for the "horn" to go off after a "Terr" attack had been reported in the Bush.

Mine is a Series 80 Gold Cup with numerous modifications, to make it accurate and reliable.

I sure wish the Internet had been around, so I could have bought something better to begin with.

Now that the pistol is 20 years old, and since I sunk a bunch of money in it, and runs extremely well, I'm very fond of it.

I have an older Sig P-220, and it eats ANYTHING I put in it, every time.

It's not as accurate, or as much fun to shoot as a 1911, but it's hell bent for reliability.

I just shoot for fun and am a relative new comer, but have a few guns. I love my M&P's, all of them including my 45FS, what an awsome gun. It's very accurate, seems pretty easy to handle, easy to clean and to be honest after my obsessive cleaning habits and reading otherwise on different sites, I am letting these guns go without cleaning to check on reliability.. I also have an old US Gov, Colt 45, nice gun but not my favorite. I love my Performance Center 945's, those are just a beautiful gun to shoot. I just purchased one of the 1st 1911's S&W made in 2004-2005, a 1911SC... now that is fun.... I'll be shooting it tonite, had a little trouble out of the box with it, then I learned how to hold the grip safety.. it has now fired flawlessly for about 400 rounds, I'll run another 50-100 rounds through it tonite.. along with a few other guns I'll be taking to the range.

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Jack C

Sig P220. A lot depends on your intended use.

I have 4 1911 variants, a M&P, a Glock 30sf, and a Glock 21sf, I never would have touched a Glock but the M&P is so inaccurate I tried a friends Glock 30. The grip was way to big, but it out shot the M&P, so I bought a 30sf, then a 21sf. I carry the 21sf the most, but my favorite at the moment is a Remington-Rand 1911A1, in 95% condition that I picked up for $425.

4566. Looks just like a 45 should. Accurate, reliable and durable. Regards 18DAI.

One built by Lou Willing, a retired Air Force armorer who built many of the match guns used by their pistol teams in the 60's. It was a superbly built match gun with Bomars and it would shoot with anybody's .45. I used it in countless hardball matches and later in local 100 yard silhouette matches. I passed it on to my nephew.

My colt combat commander followed by my 4566

I've owned more than two dozen from a Norinco 1911A1 clone to full blown customs of Colt & Springfield in .22LR, 9mm, 38 Super, 10mm, and 45ACP.

I always tried to keep decent quality revolvers or autos and strive to be comfortable and proficient with whatever is handy. Having said that, I guess if I knew it was a serious social situation and all I had was a handgun, a plain old Colt government model .45 would be what I would have in my hand. Most likely because I've just shot so many rounds through them they are like an extension of my arm.

When hunting a heavy revolver is my choice.

A nice reliable custom 1911 is indeed a thing of joy, but the old girl designed pretty much as-is is hard to beat for everyday business for me . . . . . .

The last .45 that I regularly carried was a Colt Combat Commander that had been customized by Bob Griffin. It was an XSE model, with a Wilson trigger, hammer, beavertail grip safety, and a Series 70 thumb safety. It was topped off with CT grips. It was a great gun that I sold on this forum as I just don't shoot .45 anymore.

My first handgun, a Colt Series 70 MkIV that I bought right after Christmas of '79. It's now my wadcutter gun.

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ASA/NSA 67-71
NRA Benefactor

Yep, that's the ticket.

Here's mine, originally built by Mike Curtis former head of the USMC WTB gunsmithing program, and then totally rebuilt by David Sams, former head of the Army's AMU gunsmithing program. . .probably the only gun in existence with that lineage. When David rebuilt it, I had him replace the UD with the Bomar rib. I don't shoot it as well as when it had the dot, but it makes up for it with "old skul kewl" IMO. That heavy steel rib really tames recoil during rapid fire strings.




Bullseye

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Five screws and 3-1/2 inches.

That's my gun!!!!! I have that one hangin on my side as I type this!! CCW now that I have a new holster for it.... are we close neighbors Pilgrim. I live 10 minutes from S&W..

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Jack C

Here it is.... excuse me for using the cell phone pic...

Attached Images

1911SC.jpg (63.9 KB, 86 views)

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Jack C

When I pack a 45 it's one of these.
Carried a Colt Combat Commander as a duty gun near 30 years.

All time favorite is my AMT Hardballer built in the early 90's. Extremely accurate pistol. Years ago when I belonged to a gun club that had combat pistol matches this is the gun I shot all the time. Don't recall ever having a stoppage, only problem is when the rear sight lauched and smacked me in the forehead. Ouch!

The other .45 is my M&P. I really like this pistol. A friend shot this one a bit and went out and bought his own he liked this one so much.

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Mike
USMCR 84-87, USAF 87-07

I have three S&W 1911s: 5", 4.25" Compact ES, and 3" PC. My nightstand gun, and also the gun I carry in my car, is a SIG P220R Carry model. I have a Springfield EMP 9mm, and I am going tomorrow (12/24 as of this edit) to get a SIG P239 for EDC (my wife's Christmas present to me.)