A darned honest question-anyone else switch from 1911s to 3rd/2nd Gens?

[oldman45]

It is all in the mind of the person as to what is best for them. I carry a 1911 but have other type guns I could carry. For me, I have not ran across any other gun that out performs a quality 1911 in .45acp. Some have shot against me and then switched to 1911 format. Others enjoy their choice of guns and that is ok.

A surgeon and I was on the range Monday and he brought a few guns but mainly shot his 1911. To him, the recoil from the 1911 was less but then that is just an individual perception as is the choice of weapons, calibers, finish or whatever else.

I also have noticed that people will buy a new gun (toy) and it is the best thing since sliced bread. Months later, they are back to what they carried before the new toy.

I will shoot other guns but I will seldom carry any other than a 1911, cocked and locked. Which other gun can one carry cocked and locked safely?

 

[Kavinsky]

In reality the 4506 isn't that great of a departure from John Moses Brownings original work. All they did was improve a time tested proven design.

well actually you can thank the germans for that, not smith and wesson as the 39 was designed after a bunch of WW2 era veterans asked smith to make their own double action pistol based off of the walther P38 and PPK after getting their hands on one during WW2, hence the placement of the safety and the DA mechanism

the other thing was that they simply made the slide stop and the plunger that holds it in place part of one simple piece with a spring in and plunger it along with a small metal piece to hold the plunger in, making reassembly a hell of alot easier than the 1911 where its two separate pieces that have to be forced in to properly work together, hence why so many 1911's are marred up in that spot, yet you seldome see that on any 39 derived gun like the second and third gens like the 645 and 4506.

actually I'm still wondering why more manufactures havent adopted that piece for their 1911's, I mean they've modified the original design with full length guide rods, external extractors, firing pin blocks but why not that as that would make take down far easier and far more plesant on the 1911.

 

[Cyrano]

I don't carry my Colt Series 70; too darned heavy. But it has the place of honor in a holster that hangs from between my mattress and box spring. It's cocked and locked with one round in the chamber. I shoot it a lot and am comfortable about getting it into action quickly if needed even when half asleep.

Neither slide with it is the original one; of the two, one has adjustable sights, and one has tritium sights. The tritium sights are on the pistol normally. It's stone cold reliable with anything I put down it, and I shoot it mostly with 180 gr cast SWCs, and a mild dose of W 231. It's real comforting to have in the hand when I'm uncertain about what's happening out there. I guess I'm eclectic. Of the four guns scattered around my house, three are 45s: the Colt, a Glock 36 and a S&W 625 Mountain Gun in 45 Colt. The other is a 357, beside me now at the computer.

 

[Arik]

Just this summer I found out about these s&w steel pistols. Through reading these posts I see that most of you guys are a lot older then I am and have been exposed to a wider variety of guns. I was old enough to buy a handgun towards the end of the AWB (2001) by then most guns the dealers around here had were polymer type or revolvers. Up until this point the only steel guns I owned was a s&w 629 Classic 44mag w/6'in barrel and the Desert Eagle .50! Both were bought for their "tough and powerful" persona. When I realized that they were not practical for my needs I sold them off. Otherwise I mainly had Taurus guns, a PT145 and a 40s&w Beretta copy.

This summer I went on a little bit of a buying spree in order to find the best all around gun that fits me and my needs. Bought a 1911 Citadel (re branded RI). Nice gun, not a tack driver but accurate and seems to be reliable most likely because every part is not .0000000001 tolerance of each other. Feeds all ammo and I just cleaned it after several thousand rounds and only because I was bored one day and decided to clean them all. What I dont like about the 1911 is the safety. I prefer guns with no safeties, like Glocks Kahrs and M&Ps. Anyhow by September I had
2 M&Ps. 9mm and .45
Citadel 1911
Glock 19
Kahr CW9
Browning Hi Power 9
CZ85

And Im probably forgetting some. And one day I walk into a local dealer who sells a lot of surplus and police trade ins and there up on his was are a bunch of cool looking steel guns. I asked to see them (5906 and 5946). Right away I noticed how "right" the feel in my hand. Good weight and balance, grip angle was good, Im a lefty and yet I could reach all the controls without shifting the gun around in my hand, good capacity mags and....$300 for a gun that was like new!!! I was sold! Bought the 5946 marked CLVDOHPD because Im not a fan of safeties. Since then Ive been doing research and have been trying to buy as many as I can remember about . So far I have the original 5946 another 5946 with no mag safety from the factory, a 1006 on layaway. Unfortunately I let a few slip by as well. 457 for $250 and a 4506 for $400.

I love these things! Solid, reliable, cheap price, and over looked by most people my age who are looking for the next XD with a 3.64in barrel or a Glock with textured grip or some other weird S#^t like that. So the Smiths end up sitting on the used shelf for me to grab up. Thanks you Mall Ninjas everywhere!!

 

[John3200]

A 4006 recently replaced a 1911 as my home defense gun, if that counts. Those who know me are aware that I'm basically "Mr. 1911" on most forums, but I decided that a DA pistol with a safety/decocker was probably the better thing to make a panicked, half-awake grab for at 3am in the morning. But for EDC a 1911 is still my preference.

Basically the same reason I went with a Sig Sauer P220R for a light mounted have ready at home gun.

 

[John3200]

I honestly feel that the 1911 platform is way overated. There are way too many that aren't reliable. A good design shouldn't need to be turned so heavily to work properly. Ergonomically they are fine.

If I had to choose one handgun it would be a Sig Sauer P series gun. The only reason I bought a S&W 1076 was because it worked just like a Sig Sauer, and I couldn't get one of those in 10mm.

 

[alde]

I love my 1911's and shoot them better than any other handgun. My primary carry gun is a 3" Kimber Ultra. That said, of 5 3rd Gen Smiths that I have owned (still have 3) they have never failed. They are also plenty accurate for anything I would use them for. The 908 is a fantastic carry gun.

 

[mjb99]

86]I honestly feel that the 1911 platform is way overated. There are way too many that aren't reliable. A good design shouldn't need to be turned so heavily to work properly. Ergonomically they are fine.[/QUOTE]

The 1911 remains popular because 1) it's a classic, 2) it's ergonomics are nearly perfect, and 3) its trigger can be worked to perfection. What's amazing about it is that 100 years later it is still a viable platform for a combat auto - the same can't be said for other old platforms, like the Lugar.

The downside of being an old design is that a lot has changed. Original 1911 only had to feed ball ammo - today we require hollow points. Back in the day most guys might only put a few thousand rounds through a pistol in their lifetime - today many put those kinds of round counts through their guns annually. And, as 1911 gunsmith Hilton Yam has said, the 1911 was designed at a time when technology was expensive and labor was cheap - today it is the reverse. So, a good, reliable service 1911 can be had...it will just cost you a lot more than a used Smith, and require more maintenance to boot!

Matt

 

[Pote]

I carry what I shoot best and its this (but to the OPs comments, it's highly customized even though it was uber-reliable from the box) I've had good luck with all my 1911s as they ate everything and were accurate from word go:

 

[Badkarma 1]

I got my first 1911 at the tender age of 15, my Dad signed for and I mowed about 30 acres worth of grass that summer, but I finally had an Ithaca 1911A-1! It was a headache!! It never once made it through an entire magazine without jamming and eventually I did sell it. I moved in too the more modern stuff and eventually joined the Navy just as the Beretta got adopted, which went to all the front line troops and we ship dwellers got ancient 1911s that were for the most part DONE! The Beretta was a fine piece but the next pistol I was issued was a SIG P226 which was nothing short of phenominal!
One day though I found myself in a pawnshop in Virgina and spotted an 469 for the price of $250, I needed a personal piece and liked the little guns size, I bought and took it shooting the next day. Lo and behold this little blue Smith hung right in there with my issue SIG accuracy wise and reliability wise! I carried it till the finish wore off had it refinished and continued to carry it till a friend needed it more than me.
Now I own at least 4 Smith autos, 5906,5946,669,& 645, they're all reliable as taxes and accurate enough for their intended purpose! And their just a damned good lookin pistol in a world of ugly polymer! Next on my list is a 1006. Dale

 

[cololab]

As someone else said, I've augmented my stable with S&W autos; primarily because my agency went back and forth with the single or double action auto thing. I've just kept them all as I find they each have their desireable characteristics.

 

[goldenbb]

My agency predominatly carried Glock and 1911s, but we're beginning to see other S&W 4506s on the range. I credit films such as Training Day, Street Kings, and the series The Shield for the resurgence of S&W in my department.

I hardly think that anything Hollywood produces, no matter how realistic it may be, should be a reason for people in real life to adopt a particular firearm. I'm not saying it doesn't happen (Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon) I'm just saying that's reality imitating art right there.

 

[Rastoff]

The one thing the 1911 has over every other auto loading pistol is the trigger. I can't think of another design that has the same quality trigger that the 1911 has. Even the inexpensive 1911s have better triggers than all of the DA/SA or DAO guns I've tried.

Sure, some of the other designs have OK triggers, but none of them are as crisp or creep free like the 1911.

 

[GaryS]

I don't know if this qualifies as an on point answer, but I own several 3G semis and never had a desire for a 1911. I've fired some 1911, including some very high end custom models and they are fine to shoot. One I shot had about a 3 pound trigger pull, although officially it had a 5 # pull. That was incredibly accurate, especially considering I'd never shot it before. For what it cost, upwards of $3K it should have been. Still, I like my 3G Smiths more.

I know to some that's heresy, but there you have it.

 

[Leiden]

I hardly think that anything Hollywood produces, no matter how realistic it may be, should be a reason for people in real life to adopt a particular firearm. I'm not saying it doesn't happen (Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon) I'm just saying that's reality imitating art right there.

I agree with you, but I see guys mimicking TV all the time...

Sad, but there it is.

I don't really care how they get there, but more 3rd Gens on the street isn't a bad thing.

 

[VAdoublegunner]

I went the other way. I had a number of 3rd gen S&Ws, my first being a 4006 way back in 1991. Never had owned a 1911, and frankly never cared much for them. It was certainly not a gun I would have considered carrying as I did not like the cocked/locked concept. Also, it seemed common in the 80s to hear what a great gun the 1911 was...all you had to do was buy one (expensive) and get a lot of custom work done on it (very expensive) to make it so. Nope, not interested.

However, my girlfriend decided she wanted a 1911 for the range and bought one of the early S&W 1911 target models. It is a great pistol, I like it, a range/target gun that has always run perfectly, with great sights, ergonomics and trigger. It turns in excellent groups with about anything at 25 yards, and especially likes 185gr LSWCs loaded with WSF which consistently produce <2" groups.

But I'd choose among a 3913, 4053, 4006, 1006, 4516, 4586, or 4506 for purposeful carry if needed.

 

[Kavinsky]

I hardly think that anything Hollywood produces, no matter how realistic it may be, should be a reason for people in real life to adopt a particular firearm. I'm not saying it doesn't happen (Dirty Harry, Lethal Weapon) I'm just saying that's reality imitating art right there.

plus you dont really see any 645's in anything, nor any of the second gens for that matter, probably because they all get their blank firing guns from the same people who bought their conversion guns from the LAPD or something which all seem to be latter model third gens.

plus hollywood would make you think you'd need a tank to walk outside to put mail in the box for crying out loud judging by how many shows have gunfights in them nowadays

hell makes you yearn for an episode of a cop drama where there is no gunfight or guns show in it at all just once.

plainly put thats fantasy, this is real life and no one likes to get shot.

and when it comes to liking things from TV and film well I like what I like and if it just so happens to be a quality product ill buy one

a nice car is a nice car and ditto with a gun.

 

[oldwolf]

My first centerfire autoloader was a 1969 Colt National Match that I've had for 20 years now. I bought it used, it had been refinished, but I got it for a great price. Shot that for many years at some local matches. The 1911 points easy, trigger is great, and is very accurate with reloads using SWC. I can’t see myself ever selling that one.

But I had also wanted a 9mm and have always liked the look of S&W autoloaders. So ten years ago, with some money in my pocket, I bought a nice 559 still in the box. That gun is so reliable, never has jammed on me. Later on I bought a nice still in the box 659, which strangely I think fits my hand better. The 559 and 659 grips are different I found, and have measurements to prove it.

Now I am looking for a decent 645, having read so much about them on this forum. If I find a nice one locally, I will buy it!

 

[mod.19]

I shoot and carry 645's, 539's and 559's. I carry 230gr. ball in th 645 and standard vel. 147gr. jhp in the 9mm's. They are heavy...but have correspondingly low recoil. They don't have the best triggers.....which is offset by PRACTICE. They do do one thing, that no other handguns I own.....or have shot......or have seen shot by friends...very well: they go bang every time, all the time. I like 1911's a lot....but just will not carry one as long as I own a 645 for that reason only.

 

[amazingflapjack]

I was first acquainted with the 1911 in the Army in 1969. The ones we had were junk; people got hurt. I guy I knew had one go off in the holster-went through the right side of his leg-through his knee at a down to the left angle, and out of the left side if his lower leg. He had 13 days left in country. They were noisy, and rattled loudly just being carried. I developed an aversion to them. I had an MOS that called for 1911 carry, but all of the guys in my little detachment carried .38 SPL Revolvers, cross draw. Then about 3 years ago I found out the the very last 1911's that the govt bought when I was in was in 1943! So-those would have been the "newest" 1911's that would have been available to us, and theorheticly, we could have had guns going back 30 years or more than that! This says something very bad about the gov, and something good about the 1911, in my view. Anyway, I had gotten my first 1st Gen-a mod 59, back about 25 years , and many-many rounds ago, and was totally confident in it; accurate, ate anything, and never fumbled. Since then I have added a 4506 no dash-a4006 heavy barrel, and a 1006, all marvelous pistiols, but still had no 1911. But I had addmired the Para Ord Super Hawg, and found my self in a trade oppurtunity to get one; 6 inch barrel, with the whole load-match everything, and FO front site, a beutifully made gun-hi cap-14 rounds of ACP-world class fit and finish-very accurate. They require a 500 round break in! When that was (finally) done, I had ocassion to have it and my 4506 at the range at the same time, and I had loaded the same ammo that I was using in both guns. Well, the Smith was just much easier to shoot-more comfortable, with less perceived recoil, shooting the same ammo. The Para is a nice piece-and I am not looking to sell it, but it probably won't see as much use as my S&W's-and, oh yeah, there is that thing about field stripping the 1911. Flapjack.