While I appreciate a good S&W revolver as much as the next guy here, my first true handgun love was a 1911.

This is a new one in 9mm, lightweight frame.

It immediately got custom grips, an alloy mainspring housing devoid of the ILS, and the competition sized thumb safety cut down to size.
20151219_083424 by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr
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I can't shoot it quite as well as the full size 45, but it's no slouch, either.
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It doesn't carry considerably better, but does present a much smaller footprint when dressed normally. The full size gun would hammer my back in a sprint where the light weight keeps this one more settled.
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Nice choice! My RO Compact is the.45 version and quite honestly has a bit of a kick to it. The 9mm would be much more controllable.

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Even older, even crankier....

One of my criteria is being fun to shoot. If I'm not having fun practicing with it it's kinda pointless to keep around.

My belief is that a 5" steel framed gun is an ideal compromise for power and controllability. It was surmised that the lightweight 9mm would have similar shooting characteristics and I was right.

Yup. Wanna buy a .45?

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Even older, even crankier....

I'll be picking this up this Saturday. Colt 1991 Combat Commander, 45. I've already got the new furniture for it, I have rosewood w/medallion or elephant ivory w/medallion or VZ.

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That is a thing of beauty. The 1911 platform chambered in 9mm is a fantastic pistol. Accurate, acceptable recoil and cheap ammo. I went with the smaller EMP. Springfield makes a quality arm.

Not long ago I picked up this Les Baer Thunder Ranch, a model I've owned in the past but did not keep. I have not spent a dime on it, just slicked up the trigger pull a bit to help it settle in. Loaded up some duty level reloads (200 grain SWC with 4.1 grains of Vit N310) and broke the gun in as recommended by Baer. By the time 300 rounds were down range it was as slick as any 1911 I'd ever owned and now with 500 rounds down range it's even better. The safety was initially very hard to engage and now both on and off are perfect. Bought is NIB for $1750.




Keith

Congrats on for newest!

That is a nice one.

I thought it was time for some old and new pics.
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Well, I see that I'm not the only thinks believes some of these newer style 1911s have a way too big safety. Last year, I bought a Ruger SR1911 for a range toy, and cut down my safety, too. I'm very used to and have no problems with the standard style safety that comes on Colt 1911s, and I really don't like that huge safety digging into my soft fleshy bits when carrying IWB. I've used 1911s for over forty years, and think a good stock 1911 that's been broken-in is about perfect. The only addition I would make to 1911 "Government" style is to add a beaver-tail grip safety, but that's only for comfort when firing lots of rounds. Otherwise, it can rattle all it wants to as far as I'm concerned.......

Incidentally, nice gun......

They all rattle with enough use. I at least want that barrel tight to start out with.

The first started out devoid of any fanciness, but rubbing the flesh raw every shooting session gets old quick. Looks be damned, the beavertail sure makes them comfortable.

Oh MAN! What GREAT lookin' guns!

Colt GM Series 70G with wide hammer ambi safety and beavertail.jpg
Here's my first, a series 70 I got in 1972. Installed Novak sights, Colt Beavertail, Colt wide hammer and Ed Brown ambi thumb safety.
Thousands and thousands of rounds through it. Carried it through decades all over the world. Broke it in on Super Vel. Wish I still had some of that ammo.

Picked this bad boy up last year. Colt New Agent with Crimson Trace grips. Handles, carries and shoots very well.

If there's one bad thing about 1911's...they make any other type of gun tougher to shoot well!

My 5" gun I've had since 21 years of age. Still the favorite, though I've got plenty of love for all of them.

Nice, very nice! A few years ago I got the urge for an all steel 9mm 1911, wound up trying a RIA Tactical. Wow, talk about controllability! shoots great with no problems. However as you noted they are a bit sharp and bitey and those "flying wing" safeties are a bit much. Trimmed and reshaped the safeties a bit and dehorned the sharp edges and such. Of course those awful stock grips had to go along with the full length recoil spring guide. I liked it so much I bought one in .45 ACP. Here's a pic of the stock gun except for grips with a target. Enjoy that one!

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Stay safe people!

With some rounds through it I checked the trigger pull on a gauge. Averages 4-3/8 lbs. About perfect for my purposes.

Those RIA's are quite well respected and seem to shoot quite well for most.

This was my shooting on a smaller target. First was 32 rounds at 5 and 7 yards, then 32 more at 10 and 15.


I then tried a few different types of hollow points at 7.


One of them was right on the money, but in my haste I did not note which.

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When I feel the need for a change, I strap on one or the other of these two.
Dan Wesson 10mms.

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Eccentric old coot

That's quite a pair!

After some trading I realized my Glock 26 was the only 9mm I owned. Had to remedy that. Had heard how good a platform a 9mm 1911 is. Having become a recent 1911 freak I picked up this Springer R.O. in said caliber. Finally get a chance to break it in this Saturday.



Hope you guys weren't lying about how good they are.

Congrats, and we're not lying.

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-John

This model is the exact model that turned me on to Custom 1911s back in the late 1990s. I was looking at a Kimber, and I really liked it (I ended up getting one) and the guy behind the counter was like, yes that Kimber is good but Ck this out, it is a Les Baer Thunder Ranch. It was very, very tight, as all Baers are, but holy heck, did this thing feel like a Catchers Mitt on my hand, and point unlike anything I have ever held. It was excellent.

Maybe someday I will get one.

Two of my 1911s.

My Kimber that I mentioned earlier. It is a Stainless II that I bought stock, shot some, and have had some custom work done along the way. I had it dehorned for carry, night sights added (I just don't pick up the black front and black rear sights at all), I had the back strap and front strap milled with ball serrations. It has the stock trigger, barrel bushing and guide Rod. I believe the trigger is a match grade trigger in stock form. Even thou it is a Series 80/Schwartz, the stock trigger is excellent.

It is too much fun to shoot.

The other gun is a Custom Caspian build done by a very respected shop up here in CT. It is an older build that they actually got back in, I saw it and had to have it.

First the Kimber.









And here is my Custom Caspian.







And this is an earlier pic of it with different grips, and a flat MSH

Iggy, why am I not surprised you have a couple of 10mms?

How is the recoil on the Commander?

Don't think I've ever held or shot a 1911 I didn't like. Every enthusiast should have one in their collection.

This has been my EDC for the past 15+ years.

Tom, the lower gun is a CCO version.

Recoil and blast is more "pleasant" than a Model 19 snubbie.
Both guns are quite manageable.

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Eccentric old coot

I've had ONE person shoot my 45 and not like it. He said it shot well, but wasn't his thing.

Some people are prejudiced to their brands. I have an open mind.