Or so it seems. The gun controllers just may get a victim in the venerable 1911. When laws couldn't get it banned, age and technology might do the legendary weapon in. The fact is that the 1911 is obsolescent, at least as a self defense or concealed carry weapon. Sure it has superb ergonomics and lightening quick lock time, but is it enough to keep it alive? A base weapon that is reasonably reliable will set you back about a grand, even with modern manufacturing. Some of the higher end will cost you thousands. If you think a Wilson is expensive a Gun Crafter will go at about 4 grand. The weapons has twice as many parts as a Glock and it's prone to small parts breakage. For maximum reliability the weapon's ammo has to matched to its mainspring and this needs to be replaced every 1000 rounds. It needs to be cleaned and "properly lubed" every month or so. It also needs a DETAILED cleaning every 6 months or 1000 to 2000 rounds. In addition the weapon has to be matched to the best magazines available. Even Chip McCormick thinks they should be replaced every 3 years or so. Contrast this to a Glock that will go boom reliably with a fully loaded magazine after a decade in an end table. Why write this? One of my "security" guns is a well hidden 1911 Combat Commander, that was gutted for the best aftermarket work and parts I could get. I decided to shoot and test it. What I got was click and nothing. A broken plunger tube was the problem. It won't take much to put the 1911 out to pasture. If the antis get a gun tax, the 1911 will be first to go.
I disagree but how do you feel about military veterans retaining the same firearms with which they qualified Expert?
Gun Control advocates like the 1911 much more than other handguns because it normally only has a 7-8 round magazine. Unless their police and security guards are using guns to protect them, they could care less if a gun fails to fire, and the gun owner gets killed or injured as a result. The most unreliable handguns are always semi-auto .22's. The most reliable I've had is an HK USP.
Actually the 1911 is a "former" weapon of war. All of them have been withdrawn from service. An attempted reintroduction by the USMC was not successful. The new weapon of choice, the Glock 19.
Are you familiar with the BATF's "C&R" License (Curio & Relic). For $30-, firearms collectors can get a C& R License with which you can buy certain older firearms from wholesalers through the mail. Some of the firearms include semi-auto pistols like the 1911, Tokarev, Makarov, CZ-52 & semi-auto rifles like the SKS, M1 Garand and a whole range of revolvers & bolt action rifles. C&R License holders can also qualify for discounted ammunition from the same wholesalers. Enjoy
Could it be all of those aftermarket parts? My favorite is a stock Springfield Armory 1911A1, but I also have an Ithaca 1911A1 and a Rock Island GI Standard HC 1911 (plus a few others in 45ACP). No problems here.
Doubt it. Plunger tube malfunction is a common with the small part breakage problem in 1911's, no matter who makes them. The bottom line is that there are a lot of ways a 1911 can fail and the mid-levels one will. The 1911 was originally designed to fire a specific 45 ACP round through a 7 round magazine. Change ANYTHING and it affects the weapon. GI weapons will do well with GI ball. Change the recipe and you have no idea. Manufacturers like Wilson test their weapons with specific ammo and tell you this on purchase.
Anything 'blowback' operated is problematic. Even holding it slightly wrong while firing can cause failure and/or extra wear and tear on parts that lead to future failure. I go piston cycle or manual cycle (like a revolver). If I get a blowback operated auto, it'll be a glock. Glocks are, thus far, the least dependent autos on such subjectives as ammo type and muscle control.
Depends on the specific weapon and the model. For 1911's this was considered standard. Some of the mid-level guns ( Colt. intro level Double Star, higher end Springfield and Kimber, you probably don't. HOWEVER, you'll never get the same degree of reliability as a Glock. Plus you still have the ammo problems along with the magazines and basic maintenance including selecting and changing the recoil spring. Screw up the detailed maintenance and a 1911 might go click on a snap cap, but not fire the weapon.
I don't know too much about 1911's. Have on old Colt Ace .22 from the 1970's that jams frequently on the rare occasions I shoot it. Also have a S&W 1911 that's pretty reliable. The hammer spring is so stiff that it's hard to charge without pulling the hammer back first. I rely on neither for life & death matters.
Huge. Blowback pistols have fixed barrels and recoil operated pistols barrels move in what's termed a lock breech. They are very different with both having a number of variations. I'm unaware of a piston driven pistol, though Walther uses a variation in a blowback design. You're thinking about rifles
Yes, I meant firearms in general- piston for long guns. Piston rifles can be cut down to legal pistol size, but they're not typically suitable for CCW. I was not aware of 'recoil operated' pistols. Thx for the edu (after looking it up) So blowback and recoil operated both simply harnass the recoil to cycle a new round, but 'recoil operated' uses a cam mechanism to delay the more powerfull round from pushing the slide back too early instead of simply relying on the weight of the slide to delay operation until the bullet exits the muzzle. So blowback and recoil arent really all that different in concept and function, recoil is just a bit more complicated. Both still rely on a fairly subjective (by human perceptive standards) combination of powder charge, burn rate, bullet weight and muscle control to cycle properly, in comparison to piston drive which relies solely on a minimum prerequisite of pressure to operate properly.
Probably not Tom, if you look at recent NEW gun sales. There are a number of big IF's here. If the 1911 can be made cheaper with polymer frames and investment casting parts that produce a reliable weapon then maybe but probably not likely. What's keeping the 1911 alive is resale of older weapons for cash to acquire newer weapons. The other thing is if the Dems are able to pass a high capacity weapons ban. It helped a lot during the Clinton years. But the Ruger P series in 45 ACP gave it a run its money. Lastly if/when the CMP weapons will be available for sale. At least 100K will go up for sale. However, prices for these are likely to be very high, reportedly starting at a 1000 bucks. It may generate more interest. The 1911 will stay alive as an expensive comp gun and for SWAT teams that use it. You're right in that the 1911 will never entirely go away, it just will mostly.
You mean the end of the 1911 has appeared, and Trump was elected president, all in the same year? Why go on?
And then there's this which could hurt 1911 sales and excelerate its demise: Why Donald Trump Is Bad for Gun Sales President Donald Trump really, really likes guns. To the extent that his April speech to the National Rifle Association (NRA) made him the first sitting president to directly address the gun lobby group since Ronald Reagan in 1983. But that pro-firearms attitude may actually be a double-edged sword, as sharply declining 2017 gun sales suggest—a phenomenon that the industry is informally dubbing its “Trump slump.” Gun giant Smith & Wesson, which has renamed itself American Outdoor Brands, said that its quarterly net sales had declined nearly 40% in the fiscal quarter ending July 31. That’s $78 million in fewer overall sales, and the drop may be closer to $100 million year-over-year if you’re only taking firearms revenues into account. http://fortune.com/2017/09/11/trump-gun-sales-decline/
Not being able to count on military contracts, the 1911 will need civilian customers. In a climate of low gun sales, that could most certainly excelerate the decline of a firearm you say is on the way out as it is. Therefore, the election of Trump could hurt the 1911 just as you say the Democrats helped support it. QBL: "The other thing is if the Dems are able to pass a high capacity weapons ban. It helped a lot during the Clinton years."
