I began shooting in 1950 at the age of 11 with a Winchester Model 69A rifle my dad and I bought 50-50 for $24.00. I learned a lot about guns, shooting and elementary ballistics from that gun. Here's a shot of me shooting it in 1954:
Coincidentally, 1954 was the year that I was introduced to John Browning's masterpiece, the Model 1911 pistol. I was then a freshman in high school, and had joined the school Army ROTC battalion, primarily because I had always admired my uncle, who had served as an Army officer during WWII. It was one of my goals (later achieved) to become an Army officer, and Army Jr. ROTC was to be my beginning. You just don't get lower on the totem pole than as a freshman cadet private, but I was a quick learner.
I remember very clearly the first day I held a Colt 1911A1 in my hands. M/SGT "Bart" Bartholomew, a WWII and Korean War veteran, was our Commandant of Cadets, and he tought the introductory class on the .45. He began by saying why the .45 was such a man-stopper. He told us that the high-velocity bullet thing was over-rated. He asked us to visualize an open bank vault door, and told us to think about what would happen if you tried to close it by hitting it as hard as you could with your fist. Of course, the answer would be a broken fist...
Then, he said, visualize what would happen if you placed the palm of your hand against that vault door, put your body behind it, and gave it a shove; the answer being that the vault door would then move. In a nutshell, it was a dramatic way of explaining the heavy, large frontal area bullet moving at a moderate velocity vs. the lightweight, small frontal area bullet moving much more quickly. I wasn't much on physics then, but it seemed to make sense.
We learned to clear the pistol properly, its controls, its nomenclature, and the difference between a 1911 and a 1911A1. Both were in service at that time. The gun I got to handle was identical to this one, a standard service Colt 1911A1:
We were then instructed on how to field strip the pistol. I was amazed at its simple takedown, and got to practice it again and again over my 4 years in high school - I could do it blindfolded. Sgt Bartholomew assured me that I could take the gun completely apart, just using the parts of the gun and a cartridge to do it. He demonstrated that to me at his desk after school one day; he could do it in less than 5 minutes. I tried it myself, and with a bit of instruction and help, I could do it too. Browning was a genius. No doubt about it. I muse today that the task would be impossible with the current issue wonder-nines.
In college, I joined the ROTC pistol team, and got to shoot some match-grade guns. Again I was impressed at how little work it took to make a .45 shoot cloverleaves in the target. I could hardly wait to turn 21 so I could buy one for myself.
In my senior year in college, I found a war-surplus Ithaca Model 1911A1. With my previous experience on these guns, it fit into my hand like a handshake from an old friend. It was in just "good" condition. I traded my first pistol, a Ruger standard .22 handgun, for it, together with a bit of cash. In 1960, surplus .45 ammo was plentiful and cheap, and I busted a lot of primers with that gun. It worked every time.
When I went on active duty with the Army, I had that Ithaca .45 accurized and re-blued. I still have it today, and it will still shoot rings around almost any target gun. I carried it on active duty in place of my issue pistol; I had utmost confidence in its accuracy, reliability, and my ability to use it effectively. I read Jeff Cooper's writings in Guns & Ammo, and followed his lead on how to best employ it in a defensive mode. I became damn good with it, and sealed my love affair with the 1911.
I have collected 1911s and 1911A1s; some of them are illustrated in the "Pictures and Albums" section of this forum. I wrote an article for the 2003 Gun Digest on issue .45s; I was proud that it won the John Amber award for that year.
Still, I wanted to put together a personal battery of 1911 pistols that would serve me in any capacity - holster carry, concealed carry, and "hideout." I thought long and hard about what I wanted, and put together a battery of custom guns that for me, was "just right." First, I wanted stainless steel - easy to maintain and rust-resistant. I wanted reliability. I wanted good sights. I wanted accuracy. I wanted a "bite-proof" grip. I wanted to be able to take each gun down without special tools, right down to the last part. I acquired three guns and began work on them. Here they are:
At the top, a custom Colt Government Model Series 80. On the advice of Colonel Cooper, I took out the series 80 "safety" parts for a couple of reasons. First, I could achieve a much better trigger pull, with a good overtravel stop. Second, the chance of a malfunction in the firing pin area was virtually eliminated. The gun was treated to a reliability job, a beavertail grip safety, great sights, a G.I. mainspring housing with a lanyard loop, an adjustable trigger, and "paladin" grips. This became my field gun, designed for holster carry.
In the middle, a Kimber with the compact frame and 4" barrel. Not much needed to be done with this one. I favor the shorter triggers on my guns, and this one, like the others, has it. This is my "go to" concealed carry piece. Really reliable and accurate. I equipped it with night sights for low-light work.
At the bottom, a Springfield Armory V10 Ultra Compact; 3.5" barrel, aluminum compact frame. Very lightweight, and compact enough to tuck it anywhere as needed. It has a ramped barrel, which saves wear and tear on the aluminum frame, and with the ported barrel, shoots as easily as the larger guns with moderated recoil. The flash is a downside, so it's pretty much a "daytime only" gun.
So, as I get on in years, I have accumulated the best personal battery of my beloved 1911s that I can. In 58 years, I still like the rugged old .45. It's always worked for me, and I guess it always will. Not bad for a 101-year old design.
John
Coincidentally, 1954 was the year that I was introduced to John Browning's masterpiece, the Model 1911 pistol. I was then a freshman in high school, and had joined the school Army ROTC battalion, primarily because I had always admired my uncle, who had served as an Army officer during WWII. It was one of my goals (later achieved) to become an Army officer, and Army Jr. ROTC was to be my beginning. You just don't get lower on the totem pole than as a freshman cadet private, but I was a quick learner.
I remember very clearly the first day I held a Colt 1911A1 in my hands. M/SGT "Bart" Bartholomew, a WWII and Korean War veteran, was our Commandant of Cadets, and he tought the introductory class on the .45. He began by saying why the .45 was such a man-stopper. He told us that the high-velocity bullet thing was over-rated. He asked us to visualize an open bank vault door, and told us to think about what would happen if you tried to close it by hitting it as hard as you could with your fist. Of course, the answer would be a broken fist...
Then, he said, visualize what would happen if you placed the palm of your hand against that vault door, put your body behind it, and gave it a shove; the answer being that the vault door would then move. In a nutshell, it was a dramatic way of explaining the heavy, large frontal area bullet moving at a moderate velocity vs. the lightweight, small frontal area bullet moving much more quickly. I wasn't much on physics then, but it seemed to make sense.
We learned to clear the pistol properly, its controls, its nomenclature, and the difference between a 1911 and a 1911A1. Both were in service at that time. The gun I got to handle was identical to this one, a standard service Colt 1911A1:
We were then instructed on how to field strip the pistol. I was amazed at its simple takedown, and got to practice it again and again over my 4 years in high school - I could do it blindfolded. Sgt Bartholomew assured me that I could take the gun completely apart, just using the parts of the gun and a cartridge to do it. He demonstrated that to me at his desk after school one day; he could do it in less than 5 minutes. I tried it myself, and with a bit of instruction and help, I could do it too. Browning was a genius. No doubt about it. I muse today that the task would be impossible with the current issue wonder-nines.
In college, I joined the ROTC pistol team, and got to shoot some match-grade guns. Again I was impressed at how little work it took to make a .45 shoot cloverleaves in the target. I could hardly wait to turn 21 so I could buy one for myself.
In my senior year in college, I found a war-surplus Ithaca Model 1911A1. With my previous experience on these guns, it fit into my hand like a handshake from an old friend. It was in just "good" condition. I traded my first pistol, a Ruger standard .22 handgun, for it, together with a bit of cash. In 1960, surplus .45 ammo was plentiful and cheap, and I busted a lot of primers with that gun. It worked every time.
When I went on active duty with the Army, I had that Ithaca .45 accurized and re-blued. I still have it today, and it will still shoot rings around almost any target gun. I carried it on active duty in place of my issue pistol; I had utmost confidence in its accuracy, reliability, and my ability to use it effectively. I read Jeff Cooper's writings in Guns & Ammo, and followed his lead on how to best employ it in a defensive mode. I became damn good with it, and sealed my love affair with the 1911.
I have collected 1911s and 1911A1s; some of them are illustrated in the "Pictures and Albums" section of this forum. I wrote an article for the 2003 Gun Digest on issue .45s; I was proud that it won the John Amber award for that year.
Still, I wanted to put together a personal battery of 1911 pistols that would serve me in any capacity - holster carry, concealed carry, and "hideout." I thought long and hard about what I wanted, and put together a battery of custom guns that for me, was "just right." First, I wanted stainless steel - easy to maintain and rust-resistant. I wanted reliability. I wanted good sights. I wanted accuracy. I wanted a "bite-proof" grip. I wanted to be able to take each gun down without special tools, right down to the last part. I acquired three guns and began work on them. Here they are:
At the top, a custom Colt Government Model Series 80. On the advice of Colonel Cooper, I took out the series 80 "safety" parts for a couple of reasons. First, I could achieve a much better trigger pull, with a good overtravel stop. Second, the chance of a malfunction in the firing pin area was virtually eliminated. The gun was treated to a reliability job, a beavertail grip safety, great sights, a G.I. mainspring housing with a lanyard loop, an adjustable trigger, and "paladin" grips. This became my field gun, designed for holster carry.
In the middle, a Kimber with the compact frame and 4" barrel. Not much needed to be done with this one. I favor the shorter triggers on my guns, and this one, like the others, has it. This is my "go to" concealed carry piece. Really reliable and accurate. I equipped it with night sights for low-light work.
At the bottom, a Springfield Armory V10 Ultra Compact; 3.5" barrel, aluminum compact frame. Very lightweight, and compact enough to tuck it anywhere as needed. It has a ramped barrel, which saves wear and tear on the aluminum frame, and with the ported barrel, shoots as easily as the larger guns with moderated recoil. The flash is a downside, so it's pretty much a "daytime only" gun.
So, as I get on in years, I have accumulated the best personal battery of my beloved 1911s that I can. In 58 years, I still like the rugged old .45. It's always worked for me, and I guess it always will. Not bad for a 101-year old design.
John
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