How is a 1911 different from any other pistol?

[gilraen]

Well, that's my stupid noob question of the month.

How do I know I'm looking at one?
Why are people crazy about them?
What makes them better than other types of pistols?
Do they ever come in compact size?

Ok, hit me!

(And thank you.)

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Echo_Four]

From one of our own:
YouTube - 1911 Part 1: How to recognize a 1911 handgun

[Ram Rod]

How do I know I'm looking at one? They are usually all metal, and you can find images of them on the internet....you'll know.
Why are people crazy about them? Some are, some were, and some have managed to stay on the wagon even though they still have the urge.
What makes them better than other types of pistols? Solid, time tested, battlefield approved, and 45acp.
Do they ever come in compact size? 1911's? They are all the same size, but there are different variations on the 1911 design that come in compact and even smaller options
The beating will come later when you try and decipher all of the replies to follow over the next 12 hours.

[Colin]

Generally a lower mag capacity, unless you go double stacked, but offset by one of the most forgiving triggers on a handgun.

[G96X0]

It's one of the first and best designs for a reliable auto loading pistol. They are rugged, easy functioning. You can run over them with a tank, dig them out of the dirt dust them off and fire them. You look at the majority of autos and you will see some similarity in one of or more of the following; the slide, rails, recoil mechanism, or some other portion of the design.

I would wager there are more 1911 style autos on the planet, than any other type of auto in it's class.

[AZ Husker]

Spend a weekend on 1911Forum - Powered by vBulletin

[chuckE]

Is it just because my dad used to come home with a 1911 strapped on and a M16 (from the army) that I just knew what a 1911 looked like?

[Juggernaut]

The 1911 was also featured in one of this summer's European Car "Icon" articles. Unless you've got "1911" in your blood, you probably won't get it until you shoot one. Easy to shoot, easy to clean, easy to modify, easy to screw up by kitchen table 'smithing.

[Echo_Four]

I go on and off the 1911 bug myself. I wouldn't mind having one now. If we get a new ban that limits us to 10 round mags, I will be picking one up. I do not think that pistol designed reached the zenith in 1911 though. Modern pistols are often more accurate, more reliable, blah blah. But, nothing reaches the cool factor of a 1911.

[AZ Husker]

There's a reason the vast majority of competition shooters use them...

[pirate]

John Moses Browning is the greatest firearms designer that every lived and the 1911 is his greatest handgun design.

[retsupt99]

It's one of the first and best designs for a reliable auto loading pistol. They are rugged, easy functioning. You can run over them with a tank, dig them out of the dirt dust them off and fire them. You look at the majority of autos and you will see some similarity in one of or more of the following; the slide, rails, recoil mechanism, or some other portion of the design.

I would wager there are more 1911 style autos on the planet, than any other type of auto in it's class.

You can do this with a Glock...10x...

I have two EDC (every day carry), My 1911 Kimber Utra CDP II, and my Glock-36. I use them both, and I trust them both...but nothing has the feel of a 1911.

[ICTsnub]

John Moses Browning is the greatest firearms designer that every lived and the 1911 is his greatest handgun design.

But not one 1911 in your signiture line?

[Colin]

1911 are a good pistol but not perfect, they can be very picky about ammo, some just hate SWC. A very tight gun will have stoppages and you are better to get the right gun for the use, a race gun will not be a great CCW gun, a CCW gun will be more reliable and can do IPSC but not as well as the race gun. You will also have to decide if you want a 70 series or an 80 series, the latter having a firing pin safety.

John Browning would have likely made a better gun than the 1911, but died. His last design the P35 was finished by someone else.

[big gary]

the 1911 is near 100 years old and the most gunsmithed, customized handgun out, how could you not love what has been done with this piece of history. biggest question i got is, what flavor 1911 do you have? and what have you done to it.