What do you want in a 1911?

[1986s4]

The clan elder (a WWII vet) who showed me the 1911 takedown/reassembly process did it in a way that an "idiot mark" was pretty much a given. For a long time, I assumed that any 1911 which was actually used to any extent would have at least a bit of finish wear in the area.

I don't think the most fastidious gun owners in my extended family really cared that much about such things; looking back, I think I may have been the first - or maybe second - of the whole lot that felt compelled to keep a firearm looking new as long as possible.

I think for guys like dad it was just a "pistol", not a collectors item. One's choices in his day were pretty much a Colt Government, Browning HP or a Colt/Smith revolver.

[gaijin]

I think for guys like dad it was just a "pistol", not a collectors item. One's choices in his day were pretty much a Colt Government, Browning HP or a Colt/Smith revolver.

That’s for sure.
I got my first center fire pistol in High School with bucks saved from a part time job.
It was a “T Series” BHP.

[markm]

My dream is for Toyota to make a 1911. I also wish Toyota made the Jeep line of garbage too. And my shitty new new Maytag that's broken down twice... and my shitty weed whacker...

I'm so tired of American mediocrity in design.

[Corse]

My GE washer and dryer have been great, my F150 is running awesome after 11 years with no issues. There are a lot of well made American products and a lot of crappy ones too. Although anecdotally, I feel Japanese products have a much better reputation.

[G woody]

My dream is for Toyota to make a 1911. I also wish Toyota made the Jeep line of garbage too. And my shitty new new Maytag that's broken down twice... and my shitty weed whacker...

I'm so tired of American mediocrity in design.

AMEN, brother !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Northridge]

This is going to sound a little goofy but I don’t trust any NEW 1911 out of the box at any price point.

Having said that, my go to gun if the chips are down is a SA custom shop gun with worn finish and over 10k rounds on it.

So what I want in any 1911 is lots of quality time with many rounds down range and the character that comes with honest hard use. To my eye nothing looks better or gives me more confidence.

[gaijin]

Before I even shoot a new gun-1911/2011, I detail strip, examine parts (wear patterns) and make any necessary “adjustments”; extractor, trigger, barrel hood/feet, thumb/grip safety, etc.

A production gun (Staccato as example), is virtually never “right” from the box. This doesn’t mean it won’t function, it means it won’t function to its true potential re. accuracy and EASE of function.

[theorangecat]

This is going to sound a little goofy but I don’t trust any NEW 1911 out of the box at any price point.

Not goofy at all. In fact, I don't trust ANY new gun out of the box.

Knowing that a gun manufacturer probably doesn't have any better employees than the various places I have worked - and assuming that their QC standards are also similar - doesn't fill me with confidence. That being said, the more I pay, the more I expect... and the bitterer the pill when some problem shows up that puts a carriage trade gun into the same reliability bracket as a loss leader.

I'm no 1911 expert and never will be at this point, but one of the things I have come to appreciate is how often a problem can be corrected relatively easily and/or cheaply due to the number of separate components. I used to rail about how between John M. Browning and the Ordnance Board(s), the 1911 had too many parts. I don't complain so much about it any more.