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Ayoob: Is It Time to Retire the 1911?

31 yrs ago started my LE career with a Smith 5906. Few years later got a Glock 17 then upgraded to a Glock 22. Love the Glock never let me down. I'm playing catch up with the 1911. Have a Wilson CQB, A Dan Wesson Specialist and a Sa Loaded. Only 3 things stopping me from carrying one of the 45's on duty. 1 is the weight, 2 is since the PD is Union if I change what I'm carrying I'm sure a few others may wanna change as well which would cause issues within the Dept. and 3 for all this time now I've been carrying a Glock and training w it for so many years now I've become accustomed to the Glock. Wish i had gotten into 1911's sooner. Better late than never.
 
I wouldn't carry my 1911, simply because I'm not that comfortable with the platform, and it's not set up as a carry gun. I use it for matches at our local gun club. I'd have to spend some money getting it throated and tuned to be a carry gun, as well as spend a considerable amount of time training with it. Sorry, but I can't see the point at my age, when I'm happy with what I do carry, a P365.
Does that mean that I believe the 1911 is obsolete? No. It would be like saying a S&W J frame is obsolete, and I carry my model 36 on occasion because I've trained for DAO fire and I'm comfortable with that platform.
 
Bemused Berserker said:
I'd have to spend some money getting it throated and tuned to be a carry gun,
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Why? What kind of 1911 do you have? That a 1911 needs to be "tuned" to be a carry gun is a myth.

I have a Springfield Armory Mil-Spec that has been my daily carry gun since 2020. I fire between 50-100 rounds through it weekly and I've used it in several classes. During one of those classes I fired 1,000 rounds without any cleaning or any malfunctions. The only thing about it that isn't factory stock are the magazines. I use McCormick Shooting Star magazines. Otherwise it's exactly as it was when I bought it. It has around 10,000 rounds through it and it has yet to malfunction. I shoot ball and hollow point (Federal, Winchester, Speer, Remington) ammo through it. The target was shot at 15 yards at somewhere between slow and rapid fire speed.
 

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Mike H. said:
Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Ayoob: Is It Time to Retire the 1911?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/ayoob-is-it-time-to-retire-the-1911/.

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I recently purchased a Springfield Armory Ronin 4.25” in 9mm for CC. It’s my first SA pistol, I do have two M1a’s which are very high quality. I have been a 1911 fan for many years, my collection includes Colt, Remington and Kimber. In my experience the 1911 design is easily compromised by poor quality magazines. An example would be my new Ronin, these come with one Mec-Gar magazine. After stripping the Ronin, cleaning, I went to my local range. I started with some Sig JHP’s, the first round locked up the slide tight. After much finagling I finally cleared the round. I had already ordered three more Mec-Gar mags from Springfield, there going back. I understand that 1911’s can be finicky. My ten year Trophy Gold Cup feeds any type of ammo as does my thirty year old Government Model using original Colt mags. Lastly, all my 1911’s fit my larger than average hand better than most other designs. My confidence level is very high with a 1911 in hand. As far as retirement, I don’t think that will happen any time soon. Just my $.02…
 
The .45 ACP has been my traditional carry from my days in the Military through a career in LE. My first was the Colt 1911 for watch and security duty. I have to say along with the M-14 sometimes and that is well into Boomer territory. In LE, it was the S&W 645 followed by the Sig 220 and then to the H&K USP (first poly) to currently FN Tactical for Home Defense. But the pride and joy in the safe (before the boating accident) is Colt 1911 built in 1916. Still is or shall I say was the inspiration of all those listed.

You can see it in the core of their systems as just believed improvements added for the mission they are trying to accomplish. Never thought I would see a 13-15 round magazines in a .45 ACP. As the Bride recently went to the Range, firing the new FN Tactical .45 (still have to have that hammer) and asked, "Just how many rounds does thing hold?" Last time she was with me on a Range, the 8 round mag 645 was my carry and she now complained the new .45 was just too large.

For pure shooting pleasure the 1911 will always be the one, as the others are evolution's for specific tasks and lack that primal link to one of the original American auto pistol with a mission spanning from WW I to well, 100 years later it can still turn a head and be your best friend...
 
Enjoyed and agreed with Ayoob's assessment of the 1911. Both of my 1911's are very different. Both are blue. My oldest is a 1966 vintage Colt Gold Cup NM. I retired it 30 years ago because I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn regardless of ammo cycled thru it. However, recently a Master GS identified my problem as the rear sight which was very loose. That likely explained why the previous owner sold it to me at a barn basement price. The GSHe smoothed out the action, throated it, and replaced the rear sight with an identical Eillison replacement . It is now very accurate...even in front of my 77 YO eyes. My other 1911 is an 11 year old Kimber Gold Match. I purchased it when I retired the Colt GCNM. It is an excellent shooter and very accurate. However, the Master GS indicated it needed some reliability work and a new (better) hammer. Both the Colt and Kimber were worked to give each a nice crisp 2.5 trigger. I was advised to use the Kimber as my carry gun as the Colt GCNM is more valuable. My other carry gun is a Springfield XD, but I prefer the 1911 due to it's smooth trigger. I'm capable of shooting nearly identical group whatever handgun I choose from a .22 RF to my 44 Mag. The one lone exception is a S&W 4" 686 which proves to be far more accurate than nearly every handgun I own. If I'm ever relegated to owning only one handgun it will be the S&W 686.
 
I’ve enjoyed reading Mr. Ayoob for decades. He is one of the most knowledgeable firearms author alive today. And no, we’ll not retire the 1911 nor .45 ACP cartridge just yet.

My first .45 was a 70 series Colt MK IV, followed by a Commander. Neither served me well, nor passed the shake test. Fast forward to five years ago when I acquired a Springfield Loaded Stainless to my collection, and what a fine pistol this is to shoot! Have since added a .38 Super and 9mm EMP, all of which share range time. Can’t get enough of the Springfield firearms and now include 3 XD’s in 9mm, 40 S&W and .45 and a Scout to round out the group. Did I mention my affinity for the Springfield brand?
 
I own Les Baer and S&W 1911s, both are accurate and reliable. NOT SO a Colt Mk IV Series 70 Government Model Jammamatic I owned for a little over a year. That wretched piece of Hartford scrap metal couldn't get through a magazine of hardball without jamming multiple times. It went back to Colt's repeatedly for their laughable "warranty service" and it remained a jammamatic. Different magazines, different brands of hardball ammo, new springs - no joy. When even the factory can't make their own product work - despite multiple attempts - maybe Ayoob's assertion that 1911 malfunctions are easily diagnosed and corrected is off base.
 
HankB said:
I own Les Baer and S&W 1911s, both are accurate and reliable. NOT SO a Colt Mk IV Series 70 Government Model Jammamatic I owned for a little over a year. That wretched piece of Hartford scrap metal couldn't get through a magazine of hardball without jamming multiple times. It went back to Colt's repeatedly for their laughable "warranty service" and it remained a jammamatic. Different magazines, different brands of hardball ammo, new springs - no joy. When even the factory can't make their own product work - despite multiple attempts - maybe Ayoob's assertion that 1911 malfunctions are easily diagnosed and corrected is off base.
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A little history on Colt’s location, I grew up less then 4 miles from the Colt manufacturing plant which was located in the (Elmwood) section of (West Hartford) I remember vividly that many times during the multiple Union strikes that Colt was subjected to because of there poor working conditions and low pay the manufacturing and assembly was done by management, if your Colt was built during one of those strikes you have your answer why it was junk.
Yes Colt was for years originally located in Hartford right on the Connecticut river and the Colt plant including the iconic dome can still be seen from highway I-91 N/S they were asked/forced to move because they were polluting the river with chemicals produced during manufacturing and the city of Hartford wanted some of Colt’s property to build the highway.
 
Keystone19250 said:
A little history on Colt’s location, I grew up less then 4 miles from the Colt manufacturing plant which was located in the (Elmwood) section of (West Hartford) I remember vividly that many times during the multiple Union strikes that Colt was subjected to because of there poor working conditions and low pay the manufacturing and assembly was done by management, if your Colt was built during one of those strikes you have your answer why it was junk.
Yes Colt was for years originally located in Hartford right on the Connecticut river and the Colt plant including the iconic dome can still be seen from highway I-91 N/S they were asked/forced to move because they were polluting the river with chemicals produced during manufacturing and the city of Hartford wanted some of Colt’s property to build the highway.
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Oh yea, had a couple of there strike guns from the 1986 strike, didn’t keep them long
 
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