2 Months with a 1911

[Fastcat]

Like most guys my age(early 30s) I am a Glock guy. I own many, shoot USPSA Limited with a 35, and carry a 19/26. A couple weeks ago I won a local pistol league and spent my store credit winnings plus cash on a like new Colt LW Commander in 45.($750) I have a Colt 1991 I tinker with. But that is the extent of my 1911 knowledge. So I decided to take my new Commander and existing Colt and dedicate the next 2 months to practicing, competing, and carrying nothing but a 1911.

At this point I have 657rds though these guns. I have had 7 malfunctions. 3 were due to possibly limp wristing with light loads during the first 200rds with the Commander. (Side note the Colt duel recoil spring was stupid stiff at first.) 1 was due to a bad mag(last round) 3 were due to my exaggerated grip with my weak hand locking the slide open mid-mag.

So far I’m really enjoying this experience. Hitting at distance is stupid easy compared to a Glock trigger, and my reloads should improve by necessity going from Limited to SS major in matches. I will continue to update this thread as I go.

Colt LW Commander @ 25-75yds

Colt 1991 USPSA SS major.

[1986s4]

I have often thought about getting a Colt lightweight commander in 9mm. As far as reliability goes my go to is currently a 2012 made Colt .38 super auto. It was good right out of the box but it had some issues when dirty and with certain ammo. Modest polishing of the feed ramp and breaking the edges on the throat cured the issues. It's now on it's 3rd 2000 round no cleaning, no extra lube test. The first two were quite successful and the third is going well too. Now I'm just lazy with it, shoot it and put it away, shoot again... Put it away.. I'm also making good hits at 50 yards with the right ammo. I now have expectations to hit the A zone at that range.
Lube it up well, use quality mags, eliminate any mags that give it problems and use good ammo. It'll run.

[usmcvet]

Keep us posted. As VT has a looming mag ban that will limit's pistols to 15 rounds and rifles and shotguns to 10 rounds. We can keep what we have but I now I am going to want something new sooner or later. I found myself thinking about a .45. I was looking at the FN Tactical with a just legal 15 round magazine!

[gaijin]

Good looking 1991 FastCat; everything you need, nothing you don’t.
Might consider 25 LPI frontstrap checkering if you get really serious about the 1911.
Heck, I’d carry that one now.

[Fastcat]

Good looking 1991 FastCat; everything you need, nothing you don’t.
Might consider 25 LPI frontstrap checkering if you get really serious about the 1911.
Heck, I’d carry that one now.

Thanks! It is a special pistol to me. When I was a kid my dad carried it doing UC work. It was stock then. 9 years ago I got it as a wedding present. Instructions were given to wear it out.(I doubt I ever will but I think the intention was for me to get good with it.) Everything on it was done by me with the exception of the Novak milling. It’s my USPSA Single stack rig. There is nothing that brings back memories of learning to shoot like a well worn 1911. One of my shooting mentors had a 1911 Colt that had countless rounds through it; starting when he was a kid. I’m not sure if any of the parts on it were still original when he died but it represented a life’s work of shooting. He was military and LE. If I ever cross paths with one of his kids I’d love to see that old pistol.

[Sam]

I have often thought about getting a Colt lightweight commander in 9mm. .....

There is one for sale in the Handgun section

[crossgun]

Now I am wondering why I am playing with all these plastics toys when I have a few 1911's collecting dust. Probably the silly games I play and the need for hi-cap mags.

[Fastcat]

Now I am wondering why I am playing with all these plastics toys when I have a few 1911's collecting dust. Probably the silly games I play and the need for hi-cap mags.

I don’t know what games you are playing but some unintended consequences/benefits of this are:

1. I am gonna get way better at stage planning. If you don’t run your plan w/ SS it’s a disaster.
2. My reloads should improve across the board. I’m doing a lot more under pressure.
3. Going 1 for 1 on targets is way more important. This will really show once the weather is nice enough
to go outside and steel gets mixed in.

I went from USPSA Limited to Singlestack major. 20+1vs 8+1. Last Monday I was within .2 Hit factor of a M/GM level
Limited guy on a 18rd stage. I was pumped!

[1986s4]

I don’t know what games you are playing but some unintended consequences/benefits of this are:

1. I am gonna get way better at stage planning. If you don’t run your plan w/ SS it’s a disaster.
2. My reloads should improve across the board. I’m doing a lot more under pressure.
3. Going 1 for 1 on targets is way more important. This will really show once the weather is nice enough
to go outside and steel gets mixed in.

I went from USPSA Limited to Singlestack major. 20+1vs 8+1. Last Monday I was within .2 Hit factor of a M/GM level
Limited guy on a 18rd stage. I was pumped!

I hear ya! I like the challenge. When I first started shooting 2 gun [pistol-carbine] I had been competing in IDPA revolver division. So that's what I went with in 2 gun. I saw guys blow through magazine after magazine on the plate rack then I get up there and go 6 for 6 because... I had to. Now I'm using a 10+1 round Colt .38 super and I don't feel disadvantaged, at least in the game we play at the club level. IDPA went away leaving USPSA and 2 gun. If I ever do USPSA I'll probably go production with my Beretta M9.

[17K]

When I used to shoot single stack it was no big deal to take match most accurate. I don't think I ever took an overall with a single stack, but I have done it with a stock Glock 19.

1911s are still better.

I'm a mid to high A class shooter with whatever I practice with.