Why the 1911?

Properly built Miller Custom 1911 with Tripp Cobra magazine in .45 ACP. This was my carry and competition gun for many years. Current round count around 75K. Barrel replaced once. Still the original fiber optic rod...

If you're reading this, it's probably no surprise to you that I am a huge fan of the 1911...(Spoiler Alert!!!)  It is what I prefer to work on as a gunsmith as well as what I prefer to use as a shooter. I carry one in some shape or form everyday.  What you may be asking yourself is "Why?"  We are living in a plastic world, so why would I chose a gun designed before the 1st world war!?!? Well, I'll tell you;

1: STEEL.

All of my 1911's are either stainless or carbon steel framed guns. In a world predominantly driven by polymer framed guns with metal rail inserts, there seems to be some forgotten bonuses of steel that have been lost to time. Steel is heavy. We keep being told that lighter guns are better for carry and concealment. Sure, until you actually have to shoot them. Steel frames add weight to a gun (a Glock 34 weighs in at 35 oz while my 9mm Gov't 1911 is 43 oz). This added weight aids in reducing the muzzle flip of the gun when balanced properly. Don't believe me? Ask anyone who shoots a 9mm 1911 what their recoil impulse is like. Chances are, they will say something akin to “It’s like shooting a .22!” (It’s not, but that’s what you’ll hear). Certain companies, and shooters for that matter, are starting to rediscover the benefits of steel (cough..every poly gun manufacturer..cough).

2: SINGLE STACK

When I say this, immediately someone complains about mag capacity. I get it, 8-10 rounds is not the same as 17-21 in similar sized guns. Yet, the most common guns we see being carried are Glock 43’s, 48’s, S&W Shields, etc. For the longest time the industry "begged" Glock to release a single stack gun. And they eventually did. Yet, we've had the 1911 for over 100 years. So why is single stack a good thing? I'm glad you asked! Single stack guns are thinner than your traditional double stack guns. Generally not by a ton, but enough to make a difference when trying to conceal one. Where we see the benefit is really the trade off in shootability. Full size guns are easier to shoot, for a myriad of reasons we'll get into in a later article. While we may give up the extra 6-8 rounds, we've gained a huge advantage in shootability and concealability.

3: TRIGGER TRAVEL

There are few, if any, guns left today other than the 1911 that uses a straight to the rear trigger travel. Most “modern” guns utilize a hinged trigger system. While this system is perfectly acceptable, it is not as optimized for speed or precision. Any movement in the trigger can affect shot placement, especially when one’s grip is compromised. The straight pull of the 1911 style trigger is parallel to the bore (mostly), which when pressed, allows for the least amount of deviation. Hinged triggers are married to the frame at the top with a pin, creating a pivot point. While the movement is to the rear, it is not parallel to the bore, moving in an arching motion.  While you can learn to shoot this well, much like a revolver trigger, it is not a mechanical advantage like the 1911. Along those lines, hinged triggers, even when set up properly, require more take-up/pre-travel (the amount the trigger moves before engaging the sear) than the 1911 style. Though minuscule, this can have an effect on speed. The longer it takes to press through the trigger, the more time from shot to shot.

4: MECHANICAL ACCURACY

There is currently no semi-automatic handgun that can out shoot the mechanical accuracy of a properly built 1911. I should really just end this section here...but let me tell you why. It has to do with the tolerances present within a well built 1911 vs. your average handgun. A properly built 1911 utilizes multiple locking lugs with a barrel resting on a saddle in the frame controlled at the muzzle by a bushing (on a cone/bull barrel the slide acts as the bushing). Almost every other gun utilizes a variant of the Browning High Power locking system, which while similar is not the same. The key becomes how the barrels are fit. When John Moses Browning (Ave Maria!) built the 1911, it was not capable of the things we see today. Pioneers like Jim Clark Sr., Armand Swenson, and Jim Hoag made it into what we think of today by welding, cutting, and at times manufacturing new parts to get every bit of performance they could out of the platform. This has not occurred with the rest of today's guns. The majority of today's guns are built so that anyone can service and repair their gun by dropping in parts. When they try to get the most accuracy out of the guns, there is often a trade off in reliability. The 1911 experienced all these growing pains as well, and perhaps someday the other platforms will figure out how to get both.

5: RELIABILITY

Yes, you read that correctly. Reliability. I have yet to find a platform as reliable as a PROPERLY built 1911. Several years ago I tested a Miller Custom 1911 against a Glock 17. No maintenance was to be performed, including lubrication, and the guns were to be run until their first malfunction attributed to the gun. The results: the 1911 went 2100 rounds before the first malfunction. The Glock choked at 1700. I have since done this experiment with multiple guns under various conditions and shooters. Across the board, the 1911's went an average of 2100-2700 rounds before their first malfunction. The Glocks, 1700-2100 rounds. There is a lot that has been done to the 1911 to make it a reliable platform. I am not saying the other guns are not reliable. They are. Plenty reliable, and sometimes more based on special use conditions (sandy environments, places lubrication is not possible, maritime operations, etc.) But for normal, every day use, there is not a gun I have come across that is as reliable as a properly built 1911. And for everyone saying Kimber's, Colts, old STI's choked all the time: read my statements again about being properly built. No, your $500 1911 is not properly built.

So there you have it! These are my top five reasons why I prefer the 1911 platform over others. The 1911 is not for everyone. It requires a much higher level of end user to maximize its capability. A real shooter. It is an easy gun to shoot well and a hard gun to master. But that is why it is the gun of Masters and Novices alike.