cmgee67 wrote:And friend of mine used to work for Dallas PD and he said when he was there 1911's were banned because two officers he knew at Dallas were in a gun fight and both got killed because their 1911's jammed. I' don't remember if it was two separate gun fights or the same one but nevertheless ,That's why I don't, I won't, and I will never trust a 1911 to save my life. Every 1911 I've used or handled have all jammed or malfunctioned in one way or another. Ruger, kimber, colt, Springfield, and a couple others. I have handled. All messed up. Ill stick with my Glocks.
It's a training issue. I've owned Kimbers, Springfields, and others, and my experience is the exact opposite of yours. The two and a half reasons I
don't carry 1911s any longer are: (1) capacity; (2) weight; and (3) caliber. Caliber is the "half a reason", because I know you can get 9mm 1911s, but most of them are .45s, and the two that I still have in my safe are utterly reliable. One of the two that I have is the one that my own father staked his life on in the Pacific in 1945.
But, the 1911 is a precision instrument, and if your technique is not good, it will betray you. My youngest brother has a 1971 Jaguar XK-E V12, one of Great Britain's supercars of that era. It is fast as heck, and an absolute thrill to drive; and it feels like there is a direct connection between the steering wheel and the tires' contact patch with the pavement. Some would say that it feels rough, but it is actually telling you everything that is happening at the pavement level. That's what supercars do. If you are even slightly ham-handed with the steering, you'll be constantly fighting the car - because it
will go
exactly where you point it. There is zero slop there. if you're not precise with your inputs, you will be rewarded with imprecise reactions from the car. Everything about that car is like that. Press on the gas pedal, and there's no delay between the pressure on the pedal and the acceleration. Ditto with the brakes. But, drive it like it was
designed to be driven, with skill and commitment, and you'll find yourself enjoying one of the all time great driving experiences.
That's what a 1911 is like. There is no room for slop. Your technique must be good. It is my experience that 1911s can be
made to jam by limp-wristing them. But if you don't, they'll run like a top.
Now, all of that said, I too carry Glocks. But like I said above, it's a matter of weight, capacity, and caliber. I like Glocks. I didn't used to so much. I
always thought they are good guns, but I just didn't think they were for me, and I carried 1911s. The first polymer-framed non-1911 pistol purchased for a carry gun was a HK USP Compact .40. The reason I bought it - other than wanting to try .40 S&W (turns out I don't like that caliber myself) - was that the grip angle was similar to the 1911, it had higher capacity, AND it could be carried cocked and locked in single action. (I could also carry it hammer down with a double action.) I eventually sold that pistol, but I continued to carry 1911s. My next foray into polymer framed pistols was a M&P45 - another gun that emulates the 1911 grip angle. It was lighter than a 1911, but even the full-sized M&P only carried 10 rounds in a mag, compared to an 8 round 1911 magazine. It was accurate and soft-shooting, but it wasn't enough of an advantage over a 1911. I still have the M&P, but I don't carry it anymore. My next foray into polymer-framed .45s was a XD(m)-45 Compact 3.8. I still have that one too. It's primary magazine holds 9+1, but the backup mag is a 13 rounder. It's a great gun - the softest shooting .45 I own, and it is VERY accurate. But...it has a
massive slide, and fully loaded, it weighs a ton. I eventually bought a Glock 17, which fully loaded with two spare magazines, weighed less than the XD(m) fully loaded with two spare mags........and offered 58 total rounds (all three mags have +2 extensions on them) compared to the XD(m)'s 36 total rounds.
I started EDCing the G17, and that led to buying the G43 for deep concealment, then the G19, and most recently, a G26. So obviously, I like Glocks, and I do stake my life on them. But my choice of a Glock over a 1911 has nothing to do with whether or not I think the 1911 is unreliable. It is not. It served our military well for 74 years. Millions of people around the world have relied on it to protect themselves and their families. It has as good of a track record as any pistol ever made. The reason I carry Glocks isn't because I think they are better pistols - they're not. It's because they make sense for my particular carry needs. But they don't make sense for
everyone's carry needs. In fact, 1911s make perfect sense for the carry needs of more than one of my friends - who are indeed
very experienced pistoleros. You could even further say that I don't carry one because, in part, I'm not as experienced a pistolero as they are.