OK, I admit it, I'm a traditionalist. I appreciate fine design and masterful execution in manufacture. I also like history, and in my mind, no issue pistol has ever matched the 100-year record of the famous Model 1911, one of the crowning achievements of the master, John Moses Browning. The culmination of this design for our armed services was the M1911A1. I first became acquainted with these pistols at age 14 when I entered high school ROTC. The gun was legendary, and when I finally got to hold and examine one back then, I was hooked. The Army master sergeant who was Commandant of Cadets for our unit then had served in WWII and Korea, and had personally witnessed these guns in action, testifying to their effectiveness. He was almost religious with the amount of reverence he showed for them. One of them had saved the bacon of a close buddy in Korea during a "Chinese horde" attack. Pistol guru Marine Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper also saw this gun as the best available sidearm for combat.

This particular piece left the Colt armory in 1943 and remains in excellent condition. Other examples of the breed can be found here:

Smith & Wesson Forum - PALADIN85020's Album: U.S. Models 1911 and 1911A1 .45 pistols

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

I totally agree. As I've told all of my kids, everybody needs at least one 1911.







By the way, the history on each of Paladin's 1911's shown is his album is extremely interesting, especially on the 1911 belonging to his late stepfather-in-law, Col. John J. Peattie. Thanks, John, for sharing that.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

1911's are like cracker jacks, you can't have just one.
Springfield Armory (with a little work done to it)


RIA Compact (45) just a little worked over.


Colt Gold Cup


RIA Compact in 9mm.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Richard, where did you get those grips from? Gotta have me a pair. I have the RIA Compact 45, love that gun. Thanks

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Dick

I've loved them even as a kid and had a pellet gun that was in the form of a 1911A1.

I not only believe every man and woman should have one, I gave my three sons a 1911 of some sort or another for their 21st birthday, along with holster, 2 spare mags in a belt pouch, G.I. cleaning kit and 200 rounds of ammo. My personal favorites are a matching set of 70 series Commanders in both real calibers; 45 and 38 Super. Ivan

"9mm is OK for killing Europeans. For truly dangerous characters you need a .45."

I have two entry level models, RIA & Ruger. My next will be an older Dan Wesson.

Was down to the most excellent Springer. Then someone made me a deal I couldn't refuse on my first Colt 1911. Bought used, they sometimes come with the "reassembly scratches." Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

YIKES! That's a goodun!

I agree, even though my only auto is an M&P 9.
I don't understand the disdain for the 1911 by the younger crowd. Maybe it's the superior spray and pray ability of the new plastic hi-caps? It surely can't be the lack of double action? No sarcasm here.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

Does a Glock Model 21 qualify. It saved my bacon TWICE! I have, at last count 27 Colt 1911's. Some I shoot, some are NIB and collectors. Wth.

Hi, my name is Grayfox and I'm an addict.



Since John's original post featured a G.I. 1911, take a look at the 5:30 position.
U.S.G.I. Colt built in 1914. Arsenal rebuilt most likely during WW II as evidenced by the two tone slide. The pistol was parkerized and several A1 parts added. Oddly enough, they reused the old style long trigger. Which suits me just fine as I like the long trigger.
While rebuilt pistols aren't exactly high in collectability, It is a fine example of military issue guns. This one looks like it never got re-issued after the overhaul.

Definite must haves...great photos all

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Cheers, Charles
SWCA #2442

Shot my first one, a DCM Remington Rand, in 1959. Still have that gun, plus a few latecomers. Not quite state of the art, but I'd take it to war tomorrow without a second thought. Same with the others, including a 1913 produced one.

(Uncle Jeff's little book, "Fighting Handguns", for a whole 75 cents, was what got me started on all this a lifetime ago...God rest his soul.)

I like 'em and have a few. Don't shoot them as well as some other types, but still...

Colt 1911 from 1918


38 Super from 1948


New Para Elite Commander


Almost 1911...Argentine Ballester Molina

I know Gen Patton said the M1 Garand was the best battle rifle ever invented, but I agree with the OP that the 1911/1911A1 is the best military handgun ever invented/issued. lee

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You surprised my John. When I saw the title I was expecting to see a Colt, but a SAA. The first 1911 I shot was at MP school at Fort Gordon in 69. I shot one some in Vietnam, but only at targets. I now own 3, a 70 Series GC, a Commander and the new one is a Ruger.

1911's what I learned with, carried every day in the Army. First gun I bought when I got out. Much as I like my revolvers and newer auto-pistols, if I could only have one, it would be my Colt series 70 Mk IV.

One of my favorite quotes:

Of course the 1911 is an outdated design, by Rosco S. Benson

"Of course the 1911 is an outdated design.

It came from an era when weapons were designed to win fights, not to avoid product liability lawsuits. It came from an era where it was the norm to learn how your weapon operated and to practice that operation until it became second nature, not to design the piece to the lowest common denominator.

It came from an era in which our country tried to supply its fighting men with the best tools possible, unlike today, when our fighting men and women are issued hardware that was adopted because of international deal-making, or the fact that the factory is in some well-connected congressman's district.

Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt, the 1911 IS an outdated design.... and that's exactly what I love about it."

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CSM, U S Army(Ret) 1963-1990

I just have these plus a ETO Colt.
Dick

A lot of people add triggers that look like pieces of an Erector Set and other bells and whistles. I like the basic gun, but in stainless.

I do like the older ones with wide hammer spurs and checkered non-slip surfaces. Once owned a Super Match from the 1930's. Beautiful gun, but lousy accuracy. It took Colt decades to learn to headspace the Super barrels on the case mouth, not on the small semi-rim. That improved accuracy a lot. (This doesn't apply to .45 models.)

Some really nice guns in this thread, I especially like the real issued 1911's. If they could talk, the stories they could tell. Since it turned into a picture thread here are mine.

Here is my 1939 National Match with a Swartz Safety. Both the pistol and my Randall dealer special carry that handle material that will soon be illegal thanks to an "executive order".

It all started with this pistol, the model of 1905.


...and evolved into this GM serial #406

Sick, you are all just sick!

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Still Running Against the Wind

My favorite is still my 1913 "Model of 1911 U.S.NAVY". Took me ten years of looking to find one available when I also had money to spend.
Except for bluing loss and wear on the grips it is unaltered by any rework. Even has the two toned lanyard loop magazine.
The story I got with the gun was that it was in the armory of a ship at Pearl Harbor on 12/7/41. Given to a young Ensign along with a courier bag. He became the official courier for what ever group his ship belonged to until order was restored at Pearl.
After he retired from the Navy as a Commander in the Medical Service Corps he sold the pistol to a collector in San Diego in the 1980s.
I got the pistol from him at a show in Phoenix in 2002.
He told the collector that the reason he still had the pistol was "They never asked for it back".
Wish that I had gotten the Commander's name and could reconstruct his WWII service.
At any rate it is now safely in the Possession of a Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer and will remain there until it is retrieved by one of my sons or grand son after I am buried in a National Cemetery some day.
Thom Braxton
SWCA #1474

How about a picture of that Navy model, Thom? Pretty please?

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Oh well, what the hell.

My favorite pistol as well.
Here is the 1911A1 my father carried on Okinawa and Korea along with his compass, jungle kit and case knife. His CO gave him the pistol when he took over the Company. The pistol served in the Aleutian Islands campaign before my father acquired it.
Ken

Thom,

You should get a Colt letter on your Navy. Some of these went to specific battleships and the Colt records would corroborate this. Below is my 1911 Navy also from 1913. Wouldn't it be cool if they were shipped together!

I get, having one compact for carry, and one bigger for around the house or target practice. But after that, are we not getting into woman and earings?

I wouldn't buy 6" 586 and 686. But I also believe you can't have to many guns, and I like to leave them in strategic places. But there are just so many guns out there to have.

But I don't have one yet, so I have to hang my head down. It is on my someday list.

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Beware the man with one gun.

It's as much the history as it is the pistol.

Berserker : When you do finally get one, you'll understand.

When I was getting ready to deploy for Desert Shield, my battalion got its first shipment of Berettas. They all got left in Germany when we shipped out.

My 1943 Springfield M1 rifle; 1943 IBM M1 carbine; and 1943 Ithaca M1911A1

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- Change it back -

In the 1950s, I was a young lieutenant in a Nike Ajax battery around Boston. Junior lieutenants get all the good details. One of mine was pay officer. We all had M1 carbines except the BC, (Battery Commander) who had a 45. I'd get up early, draw the 45 from the arms room with a magazine of ammo. My driver would have a carbine and a magazine of ammo for it. I often thought that if someone could have waylaid all the battery pay officers on the way home after drawing their money, they'd have made a considerable haul.

In RVN I was a Major. I had to go out in the field a lot on inspections, and had a 45. Once in 4 Corps, I was going down a big canal in a little boat not very much wider than I was. There were reeds growing on the bank, and they had hollow tops. I thought "If one of those is the muzzle of an AK 47, I'm dead meat". When I got home I gave back my 45 and drew an M 16 and was happy with it the remainder of my tour. Most of my loaded guns around the house now are 45s, but they have their limitations.

My favorite is of course the 1911, but I'm also fond of the 1917 revolvers, both the S&W and the Colt, the 1909 Colt, and even the Single Action Army.

I was issued a Beretta in both Kosovo and Afghanistan. I shot both of them well, but never warmed up to them. Didn't fit my hand well and were too big for a 9mm IMHO.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

I like them too! Here's one I don't shoot often enough.

Cyrano-

I don't get it. Why couldn't you carry the .45 and a M-16? They don't fill the same role.

In WW II, officers below field grade seemed to routinely carry both a ,45 and .30 carbine. Maj. Gen, Gavin carried a .45 and an M-1 rifle.

I think that the 1911 is a great weapon. I take mine to the range and it shoots better than I do.

For self defense, I would rather have more capacity. In .45ACP a Glock model 21 has almost 2 times the number of shots before reloading and 4 times the shots with 2 mags.

It is hard to beat a 1911 for targets.

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Corripe Cervisiam

T-Star: It just never occured to e to carry both the 45 and an M 16. The M 16 was somewhat more cumbersome than the 45, but carrying both would have been even worse.

I was happy with the change. I'm a fair pistol shot (by the standards of this forum, the emphasis would be on 'fair'), but most situations would have been far beyond the range capability of the 45, while being easy targets for the M 16. I was confident in the ability of the M 16 to handle any situation I might encountger, while the 45 was limited to fairly short range; it's no match for an AK-47.

I wore a pistol belt and a magazine pouch that held four of the 20 shot magazines; the 30 round mags had'nt been issued yet. I heard of a trick, probably read it in PS Magazine; I got some tracers and loaded them as the 17th and 18th rounds from the top. When they came out, I knew a magazine change was imminent.

After all that, the only time I ever fired it was shortly after I got it and went to the range to zero it.

A lot of years ago I did a swap with a guy at work. He'd been in tanks and had a 1911A1 Ithaca made in 1943 and I had a Saur 38H in 32 auto. That pistol had some dings from when he had climbed into his tank. Still have it and will until they shovel the dirt over me. My other one is a tricked out Springfield Armory (not the arsenal) that has a love affair with 230 grain hard cast bullets and 4.8 grains WST. Frank

Finally got another 1911, I saw one of the new Ruger Commanders and fell for it, traded a couple of long guns I didn't use for it. I love the sites, my biggest complaint about the Colt I had and foolishly sold years ago was the sites, couldn't see them for squat. The Ruger seems to be a quality piece...

Agreed. Colt (and other) sites, not so good. This S&W site is OK as is, however.

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Not in jail.

I have two but both are late models. The WWII 1911 in the family went to my younger brother. My uncle (retired Navy E-8) had acquired it somehow or another and gave it to my brother while he (my brother) was home on leave once.

My Ruger SR1911


My Colt Series 80 Combat Commander


I still need to get a set of Esmerelda stocks for the Ruger.

CW

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I have yet to own one. But I can see the allure, and I remember the ones I fired in the service with fondness.