9mm 1911 platform guns. What's so special?

[skorittnig]

Alright fellas-- this isn't a caliber war. My question is-- why are guys buying 1911 style guns in 9mm? Why not a reliable Glock for a fraction of the price? I always saw the 1911 as a slim .45 gun, in comparison to the boxy thicker glock .45.

In addition, I thought shorter slides and smaller calibers were a recipe for firearm failure? Are 9mm 1911's as reliable in terms of function?

Are the less expensive manufacturers' offerings as reliable as Wilson Combat-- or are you pretty much obligated to spend big bucks if venturing into the 9mm 1911 arena?

Thanks

[sn8kedoc]

They shoot really soft. For me it was more of a collectors thing. I have a colt xse done by Mars armament and I wanted one in 9mm done by Steve as well. In cali my options are limited so I ended up getting a springfield in 9mm. Both are joys to shoot, but the 9mm is just super soft. The 9mm is finicky with ammo has to be factory or very well qc'd handloads. Mags for the most part wc, tripp, chip, and a dawson.

I would say out of the box the less expensive ones are as reliable as the ones around the WC price range, but then ymmv. I mean in general if you're really getting into 1911's your gonna spend big bucks. Nature of the game I guess.

[Gödel]

9mm is the new hotness. Having "won" the caliber war, it is now legit to chamber 1911s for it.

Short slide 1911s were actually designed for smaller calibers in the first place, so that's a good combination. 5" slides might be fussy and not like all 9mm target ammo even though it is SAAMI spec - it's a lot of slide mass for 9mm to push around.

Let's hope you can get a reliable 9mm 1911 for less than a Wilson. People have reported reasonable reliability even in $400 ATI guns, so it really is more a question of getting an in spec gun, having your extractor working right and buying quality magazines. With a Commander size gun it should be no harder to find a reliable enough 9mm 1911 as it is to find a 5" .45 that works well. Do your homework before you buy.

[seb5]

In my own case I carried a Colt 1911 as a duty weapon for many years til my agency bought us all Glocks and made it mandatory to carry them. Because of logistics, cost, and modern ammo, 9mm is my preferred round. I recently bought a Springfield EMP 4 and was hesitant about it as it seems they either run great or not at all. Mine has been to the range 3 times and over 500 rounds without any issues. I paid about $1,000.00 for it. It's just a nice toy but with a holster, mag pouch, and another 4 mags to add to the 3 it came with it seemed like a fair deal to me. I simply like it. It's also a thin 9mm with a 10 round+1 capacity so it's got the potential to be a carry gun if I wanted it to.

[donlapalma]

Bought a Dan Wesson Specialist in 9MM because I'm fond of the 1911 platform, controls and ergonomics. Add to that the decreased cost of shooting 9MM and the decision was a no-brainer. The pistol ran very reliably and was silky smooth to shoot. I've got my Glocks for no frills shooting and EDC purposes, but the 9MM 1911 easily filled the role of cheap, fun, and enjoyable range shooting.

[CAVDOC]

One of the few guns I regret selling ( I tend to swap out guns like dirty socks!) is a lightly customized series 70 Colt 9mm. It ran great and was delightfully accurate. Only reason it went away wa during the early days of New York's safe act they were telling us we were not going to be able to buy magazines over 7 rounds after a certain date, and couldn't bear to have a gun with only 6 mags that I could not replace if they went down. Later NY back pedaled on mag capacity and I later moved to a free state. A decently tuned 9mm 1911 is an absolute delight to shoot

[glocktogo]

I have a Dan Wesson PM-9 and after shooting Glocks, M&Ps and both steel (Colt) and polymer (Wilson Combat KZ-45) 1911 .45s in competition, the 9mm 1911 is the closest thing to cheating I've shot. I really want a DW Guardian 9mm for carry, I just can't justify the cost right now.

[wetidlerjr]

My 9mm Colt Commander is soft shooting and accurate. What's not to like? As for being "legit", 9MM 1911s have been around for years so that makes no sense along with the perpetuation of so-called "caliber wars". As my nieces used to say when they were young, "Save the drama for your mama."

[Gary1911A1]

As I get older and my arthritis starts to hurt more especially after high round counts I find shooting my 1911s' in 9MM and 38 Super to be a joy not to go home with hands hurting.

[beschatten]

After my first 9mm 1911 purchase in 2013, a DW Pointman 9, I've been on a quest to get one with parallel reliability as .45ACP under optimal conditions (street carry, range time, competition) - not a sandbox or swamp. The ease of shooting and pleasure of shooting it was a completely different experience.

I believe I've experienced the full spectrum (just about), from an entry level SA RO 9mm, 1991 Colts, Dan Wesson, full Custom from a well known shop, and a Wilson Combat. My experience in sizes include Commanders and Government.

I kept some, sold some, but consider the Wilson CQB the pinnacle example, and will probably never let it go. It's slick as butter which is something I greatly desire in this platform in 9mm, and they are set up to work with my magazine of choice. I also admire the quality of the pistol and meaning behind it.

My findings are the following:
- Wilson ETM Gen 2 / Vickers are my magazine of choice. Chips, Dawson, Cobras, etc. etc. work well too, but make sure you extensively test your magazines in your gun as a number of things can play into the reliability of the magazine for your gun.

- It's easier to find a consistent round that works with your gun with a ramped barrel (my Colt does not have one, but it also does not like certain brands as well - mostly junk brands).

- Select the hottest round in 9mm you can, 124g and 147g tend to work the best. Aluminum cased 115g requires a spring change, reducing it by 2# or so. You want your Government sized 9mm 1911 to slide as quickly as possible in the event there is carbon or
muck buildup which will slow the slide down.

- Entry level guns do work when the manufacturer sets it up correctly.

- If the feeling of a 'slower cycling slide' bothers you - opt for the Commander size. The .75 inch reduction really does make a difference in how it 'feels'.

- Keep it relatively clean and well oiled if you want to carry it (test it first though).

Just my own personal findings in the past 4 years or so. As always, take everything I say with a grain of salt and test things out for yourself. I find myself too invested in the 1911 platform to really step away, and have found it my go-to. I understand the limitations and capabilities of it and work with it.