This is not a 1911 vs Glock Thread!!

Since I was 5 years old I have shot 1911 style pistols. When I pick a 1911 it feels like it was made for my hand. I feel utterly confident in my ability to make any shot with most of my 1911's. In the last few year I have tinkered off and on with the Glock and M&P pattern pistols. Both are great guns, and shoot both of them well. I still feel however that I have to intentionally "make" myself shoot a Glock or a M&P, where as a 1911 feels like a natural extension. I know that this is something that can be overcame with any firearms through proper training and lots of TBS. What I am wondering to myself is, is this a necessary change? Should I stay with the 1911s that I shoot so well and feel so confident with, or should I move to a lighter, higher capacity, "more reliable" gun, and learn to shoot it as well. I am not looking to start a shouting match like I did with my last thread. I am looking for someone who has had to make this choice as well. Why did you choose which way to go? What one advantage tipped you one way or the other? I am an average civilian, not Mil or LE, this is for everyday carry. Size is not a factor, I carry a full size gun in both platforms.

1. Evaluate what benefits you see in switching (you mentioned weight, capacity, etc.).
2. Evaluate how much time it will take you to become satisfactorily proficient with the new gun.
3. Evaluate how much money it will take you to become satisfactorily proficient with the new gun.

Based on that, determine whether the pros outweigh the cons.

We need to get over the romance of carrying a WWI era pistol, and get on to the business of shooting smelly bad guys in the face with a modern pistol design. :cool:

I really like 1911s.
I do not like maintaining and fiddling with high-end 1911s to keep them running.
While some say that the 1911 fits their hand, I find that modern polymer pistols fit my wallet and schedule much better.

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Originally Posted by markm

We need to get over the romance of carrying a WWI era pistol, and get on to the business of shooting smelly bad guys in the face with a modern pistol design. :cool:

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We still drive internal combustion engine powered cars, we still grill our steaks on an open fire, we still serve our country wherever, whenever we're called, I don't see it as a "romance", it's just common sense to use what works, it ain't broke yet!

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Originally Posted by dauber866

We still drive internal combustion engine powered cars,

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But we've made huge improvements in how those engines and the cars they power actually work, handle, etc. Few people would consider a 1920's vintage car as a practical everyday driver.

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we still grill our steaks on an open fire,

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But we've made improvements in what the grill is made out of, how to light the fire, how to prepare & store the meat, etc. Few people would want to eat at a restaurant that abides by 1920's era health codes.

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we still serve our country wherever, whenever we're called,

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But not using the same vehicles, weapons, communications, or even uniforms from 90 years ago. Few USAF or Navy fighter pilots would want to be tasked with achieving air superiority over a modern battlefield if all they had were Sopwith Camels.

Oh snap! :p

Go with what you feel comfortable with and has the reliability to trust your life on. I have carried a few different types of handguns in close to 20 years of law enforcement. Started with an issue S&W 3906, which was a piece of shit. Our chief at the time, fought tooth and nail not to let officers carry high capacity 9mm's, so they bought the lowest one they could find. The 9 shot 9mm 3906. As soon as I could, I switched to a 6 in. model 586. Eventually, as policy changed, I picked up a Glock 21 which I carried for years. Even used it in a real gunfight..:eek: I later jumped to a Kimber 1911, and loved everything about that gun...except its habit of failing to feed our duty rounds. I'm back to a Glock now.
Reliability is the biggest issue, remember what a handgun is for..Saving your ass. It must go bang when you need it.

I shoot my Glock 32c or my 1911 with equal skill, so for me, it's mostly about which one makes a bigger hole. I haven't bought a Glock in 45 yet, thought about it many times... but I just can't get past the fact that my 1911 works just fine. Honestly though, I had the 1911 first, and I probably wouldn't be so attached to it if .357Sig ammo wasn't an arm and a leg expensive. (I reload .45, never wanted to mess with reloading a shouldered pistol cartridge, yet.)

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Originally Posted by ToddG

But we've made huge improvements in how those engines and the cars they power actually work, handle, etc. Few people would consider a 1920's vintage car as a practical everyday driver.



But we've made improvements in what the grill is made out of, how to light the fire, how to prepare & store the meat, etc. Few people would want to eat at a restaurant that abides by 1920's era health codes.



But not using the same vehicles, weapons, communications, or even uniforms from 90 years ago. Few USAF or Navy fighter pilots would want to be tasked with achieving air superiority over a modern battlefield if all they had were Sopwith Camels.

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Maybe if we still used the 1920's era health codes, we wouldn't be the fattest nation on earth, with the most diet induced diseases on the planet, maybe if we still used "sopwith" technology, our pilots would know how to fly a plane, instead of the computers doing it and we would again be the best pilots in the world, maybe if we still used a caliber that was capable of causing large permanent wound channels, we wouldn't have so many soldiers being wounded by enemies we thought were already out of the fight.