Springfield TRP 1911, and why I should...

[bjenkins]

I've been battling with this thought for some time now while I consider my first 1911 purchase and I've come to this conclusion for myself...

For practical matters, there's really not much the Glock 21/41 can't do better than a 1911... Weight, capacity, reliability, ease of use and care, durability, accuracy (somewhat), no real gun smithing skills needed, etc...

However, there are a few things modern pistols like the Glock can't do...which is to look so darn good doing everything 1911's do while carrying forward such a rich history.
1911's pretty well win hands down in pure handgun sexiness and over 100 years of being loved so dearly by so many.
These things are what has attracted me to the 1911 and why I can't wait to buy one.
The only answer I can find to the Glock/modern pistol vs 1911 debate is to own and enjoy both.

I enjoy both on a regular basis! Now looking at the Sig 226 Elite SOA and an FNX 45 have to say just think I am addicted to them all!

 

[NyleRN]

When I was well practiced, I was faster and more accurate with a 1911 then anything else. Will it matter? Maybe. No one ever complained they were too fast or too accurate in a gun fight. Range matters, too. Reaching out past 50y or so the longer sight radius and better trigger make the long shots much easier for me.

I'd hope in a self defense situation you'd never have to take a 50yd shot. That might be a hard sell in court.

But my take on the 1911 vs "X" is this; (and I'll probably gets flamed for this). I believe for SD purposes that there's an abundance of better pistols out there. The 1911 to me is almost a novelty gun now. (I said almost) Exception would be hand fitted and tuned 1911s. But then you have a $2000+ carry piece that still only holds 8+1 and weighs half a metric ton. Proper round placement is key in a SD shooting and with training and practice you can be proficient with something of smaller caliber that holds more rounds and is lighter.
Disclaimer: I own 3 Springfield 1911s btw

Edit: I see OP was talking strictly 45 fighting pistols. I'd still take any reputable double stack poly gun for SD over any 1911. You could throw a Sig P227 in there too

 

[churchmouse]

I'd hope in a self defense situation you'd never have to take a 50yd shot. That might be a hard sell in court.

But my take on the 1911 vs "X" is this; (and I'll probably gets flamed for this). I believe for SD purposes that there's an abundance of better pistols out there. The 1911 to me is almost a novelty gun now. (I said almost) Exception would be hand fitted and tuned 1911s. But then you have a $2000+ carry piece that still only holds 8+1 and weighs half a metric ton. Proper round placement is key in a SD shooting and with training and practice you can be proficient with something of smaller caliber that holds more rounds and is lighter.
Disclaimer: I own 3 Springfield 1911s btw

Question.....what if you were taking fire from 50. Should/could you return fire. LEO could find himself in that situation in these crazy times.

Novelty.......
Saved by the disclaimer.....

 

[NyleRN]

Question.....what if you were taking fire from 50. Should/could you return fire. LEO could find himself in that situation in these crazy times.

Novelty.......
Saved by the disclaimer.....

First off I'm not LEO, so I would only return fire at 50yd IF I NO WAY OF RETREATING TO SAFETY.
And I said almost a novelty.

 

[churchmouse]

First off I'm not LEO, so I would only return fire at 50yd IF I NO WAY OF RETREATING TO SAFETY.
And I said almost a novelty.

...As I am looking at your avatar.

We shoot 50/75/100 regularly with 1911's. It is fun.

 

[NyleRN]

...As I am looking at your avatar.

We shoot 50/75/100 regularly with 1911's. It is fun.

Yeah, I love my springer operator that in avatar. I'll never part with it. Sorry I gut punched you with the 1911 comment

 

[halfmileharry]

Yeah, I love my springer operator that in avatar. I'll never part with it. Sorry I gut punched you with the 1911 comment

He can take it. He's got Kegger abs

 

[churchmouse]

Yeah, I love my springer operator that in avatar. I'll never part with it. Sorry I gut punched you with the 1911 comment

No worries. All in good fun.

 

[churchmouse]

He can take it. He's got Kegger abs

 

[halfmileharry]

I've been looking at a Dan Wesson full of Ed Brown steel for the same money....I think I like it too much.

 

[NyleRN]

I've been looking at a Dan Wesson full of Ed Brown steel for the same money....I think I like it too much.

Last year I was REAL close to buying a Dan Wesson Specialist stainless. I would have pulled the trigger had I not been in the middle of building a new home.

 

[halfmileharry]

Last year I was REAL close to buying a Dan Wesson Specialist stainless. I would have pulled the trigger had I not been in the middle of building a new home.

They're about as close to a custom gun as I've seen for 1/2 the cost.

 

[churchmouse]

I've been looking at a Dan Wesson full of Ed Brown steel for the same money....I think I like it too much.

I like it and I ain't seen it.....

 

[BehindBlueI's]

50y isn't as far as you'd think. You don't reckon you could get that distance in an active shooter in a Walmart?

Weight don't bother me much. If I could go all day with a ruck or with a duty belt a steel pistol is cake. Not real worried about capacity either. Most folks run out of time before ammo, but I'm pretty good on a reload.

I still carry a heavy single stack .45. Can't carry a 1911 by regs so P220 it is.

 

[VERT]

Tom Givens tracks the stats of non-LEO self defense shootings involving his students. He also looks at plain clothes FBI uses of firearms. If memory serves handgun use was between 2 - 26 yards. The 26 yard story involved a guy getting shot at while he was in his yard from a gunman across the street. So I would not consider the need to make a 25+ yard shot completely out of question.

 

[churchmouse]

Tom Givens tracks the stats of non-LEO self defense shootings involving his students. He also looks at plain clothes FBI uses of firearms. If memory serves handgun use was between 2 - 26 yards. The 26 yard story involved a guy getting shot at while he was in his yard from a gunman across the street. So I would not consider the need to make a 25+ yard shot completely out of question.

If you can hit reliably at 50 yds. anything closer should be fairly easy.

 

[VERT]

If you can hit reliably at 50 yds. anything closer should be fairly easy.

Common sense would suggest that yes. But keep in mind that you won't run out of ammo but will run out of time. Think of distance as time. Try engaging targets fast when they are close then immediately moving to distance. It messes with your head in a hurry. Works the other way as well.

 

[churchmouse]

Common sense would suggest that yes. But keep in mind that you won't run out of ammo but will run out of time. Think of distance as time. Try engaging targets fast when they are close then immediately moving to distance. It messes with your head in a hurry. Works the other way as well.

Makes sense. Especially my head........

It is painfully obvious that training for every possible scenario is serious work.

 

[VERT]

Makes sense. Especially my head........

It is painfully obvious that training for every possible scenario is serious work.

Training for every possible scenario for most of us is impossible. My suggestion is to spend what little time and money normal people such as us have on developing solid fundamental gun handling skills. These skills should be transferable to the widest range of activities possible. Keep it simple. I know that will not be the popular answer with the tacticool crowd but my goal is to find techniques that are easy to learn, easy to master and can get a person to an acceptable level of proficiency in an acceptable amount of time.

 

[VERT]

FireBird I apologize for derailing your thread a bit. But my comments are not without context. First of all I do not recommend the 1911 to new shooters. It is a platform that lends itself to the owner who is devoted to its use. The 1911 or Sig 220 are fantastic fighting pistols. What they offer is a heavy gun with good ergonomics and excellent triggers. This translates into guns that are easy to shoot and shoot well. When I see new shooters struggling I hand them a 9mm 1911. My first priority is for them to experience success. Unfortunately it is not realistic to expect people to pack around $1500 1911s. So I am beginning to ignore social etiquette a bit and recommend those pistols that I know are affordable and work. These guns need to be reliable, light enough to carry, big enough to shoot, have good sight, usable triggers and be adjustable for hand size/ambidextrose. This describes the modern 4" polymer framed striker fired service pistol.

This is not a dig on the 1911. As I type this I am in my office with a PC1911 commander on my hip. The gun has been lightly customized (grips and trigger) and had a CM tuneup. It is a fabulous weapon capable of those 50 yard shots and light enough to always keep with me. I have also been know to carry a full size Wilson Combat. So why would a person carry a relatively expensive 1911? Because they are guns hand fit by Americans and customized to fit my hand. If the unfortunate day comes where the only thing between my family and the unknown is a gun, then I hope it is my Wilson in my hand. A custom 1911 in the hands of an experienced shooter is formidable. When the encounter has ended I will give the police my prized sidearm and return home to my family. Then I pull out the paperwork and draft a letter to the gunsmiths, thanking them for creating such a elegant and lethal piece of hand crafted steel.