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Did we reach the pinnacle of semi-automatic handgun design 109 years ago?

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March 30, 2020, 03:45 PM
.38supersig
Did we reach the pinnacle of semi-automatic handgun design 109 years ago?
quote:
Originally posted by jimmy123x:
quote:
Originally posted by .38supersig:
looks great!
quote:
Originally posted by 92fstech:
...and buy more 1911s in various calibers. Has anybody else experienced this problem?

Yup. At first there was a 10mm, followed by a .17, then a 2011 in 10mm and I also had to have another one of those in .38 and then a .40...

Now you need one in 9mm! Big Grin

Yup, also been floating around the idea that I'll need to get one in 45 Auto someday...




March 30, 2020, 03:54 PM
golddot
quote:
Originally posted by dehughes:
It's nice when you find something that works for you, that just "clicks". That feeling that you've found "your" gun. That's really what drives a lot of my gear quests...some of it is taste-testing, but really it's the search for that tool which speaks to you and is nearly effortless to use.



THIS 1000% , def true for some guns I have owned


thanks, shawn
Semper Fi,
---->>> EXCUSE TYPOS<<<---
March 30, 2020, 04:07 PM
low8option
Been carrying one for over 50 years. You gotta go with what works best for you and I'm too old to learn anything else well enough to bet my life on. I own many different autos in all styles and calibers but none gives me the confidence my old friend who has served me in good and bad times still does. You either love it, hate it or just enjoy shooting it but it lives on and enjoys a large following for one reason. It is a great gun.



Freedom comes from the will of man. In America it is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment
March 30, 2020, 04:13 PM
TheFrontRange
quote:
Originally posted by dehughes:

I just wanted to repost what is, IMHO, the best looking 1911 I've ever seen.

So good, it almost makes me prefer the 1911 over the 1903 in terms of looks. Wow.



Hey, thank you. This one’s definitely a favorite of mine. The gentleman who originally ordered it from LB really did a great job with his specifications to them. I was really surprised that he was selling it; alas, he was, in turn, having something even nicer crafted by another 1911 artisan.
March 30, 2020, 04:15 PM
TheFrontRange
quote:
Originally posted by pedropcola:
That is one of the reasons I love Dan Wesson. They roll the model number on slide, very small and tasteful, and that is it.


Ditto that - DW does a lot of things right, and this is one of them, for sure.



"The sea was angry that day, my friends - like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli." - George Costanza
March 30, 2020, 04:55 PM
YooperSigs
Hmmm.... The pinnacle? Well, maybe not. Since JMB was designing the FN/Browning HP just before his death, maybe he saw the 1911 as a first step in the design of auto pistols.
And the evolution of the 1911 into the modern version we have now would likely amaze JMB.
Browning did not invent the auto pistol, but he made it practical and reliable. Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he made it practical and reliable. Browning is the Henry Ford of the auto pistol.


End of Earth: 2 Miles
Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
March 30, 2020, 05:34 PM
bendable
Ok,ok, The Springfield Ronin ,5 " 1911 claims to come with a "G.I. style" recoil system. Is that the optimal system? And does it most likely possess the swinging barrel links and barrel bushings that Para mentioned?





Safety, Situational Awareness and proficiency.



Neck Ties, Hats and ammo brass, Never ,ever touch'em w/o asking first
March 30, 2020, 06:48 PM
Phred
quote:
Originally posted by YooperSigs:
Hmmm.... The pinnacle? Well, maybe not. Since JMB was designing the FN/Browning HP just before his death, maybe he saw the 1911 as a first step in the design of auto pistols.
And the evolution of the 1911 into the modern version we have now would likely amaze JMB.
Browning did not invent the auto pistol, but he made it practical and reliable. Henry Ford did not invent the automobile, but he made it practical and reliable. Browning is the Henry Ford of the auto pistol.


I could be mistaken, but I believe JMB designed the FN/Browning HP to work around the 1911 patents, which were owned by Colt. I don’t believe it was intended to be an improvement over the 1911.
March 30, 2020, 06:49 PM
92fstech
quote:
Originally posted by bendable:
Ok,ok, The Springfield Ronin ,5 " 1911 claims to come with a "G.I. style" recoil system. Is that the optimal system? And does it most likely possess the swinging barrel links and barrel bushings that Para mentioned?


Yes, the Ronin has a swinging barrel link and a barrel bushing.

As to whether the GI recoil system is better that the full-length guide rod is up for debate. I've never had a problem with either system, I simply prefer the GI system because in my experience it's easier to takedown and I like that it's what the gun was designed with. But I wouldn't say someone is wrong if the prefer the full-length guide rod, either.
March 30, 2020, 06:55 PM
car541
Pinnacle, no.

But it is pretty amazing that a 110 year old design still does everything you need. It is more finicky and heavy, but it definitely gets it done.

It cannot be underestimated how much of a genius JMB was. Just loo at the M2 .50 cal HMG, which has been the world standard Heavy machinegun for 100 years


*****************************
"I don't own the night, I only operate a small franchise" - Author unknown
March 30, 2020, 07:27 PM
maladat
quote:
Originally posted by car541:
Pinnacle, no.

But it is pretty amazing that a 110 year old design still does everything you need. It is more finicky and heavy, but it definitely gets it done.

It cannot be underestimated how much of a genius JMB was. Just loo at the M2 .50 cal HMG, which has been the world standard Heavy machinegun for 100 years


And the Auto 5 shotgun, which was the first commercially successful autoloading shotgun and was produced continuously from 1902 to 1998.
March 31, 2020, 08:47 AM
ruger357
Hardly the pinnacle. Today you can buy a gun that’s twice the capacity for half the price, half the weight, half of the number of parts, that is easily maintained, can be taken down to every last little part in 5 minutes with just a punch and they are 100% reliable out of the box.

I like 1911s and think they are some of the prettiest, especially the one front range posted, but they are better suited as game guns or bbq guns in today’s world.


-----------------------------------------

Roll Tide!

Glock Certified Armorer
NRA Certified Firearms Instructor
March 31, 2020, 09:00 AM
RogueJSK
A great semiauto design, to be sure, but not the pinnacle.

Heck, Browning himself didn't even think it was the pinnacle of his own designs, as he continued tweaking and trying new thing as he continued designing up until his death.
March 31, 2020, 09:10 AM
Abn556
I like a 10mm 1911, but the single stack, single action 45 ACP is not the pinnacle of semi-autos. Its not even the best John Browning design. The BHP is a better weapon IMO.

+
March 31, 2020, 01:22 PM
92fstech
quote:
Originally posted by ruger357:
Hardly the pinnacle. Today you can buy a gun that’s twice the capacity for half the price, half the weight, half of the number of parts, that is easily maintained, can be taken down to every last little part in 5 minutes with just a punch and they are 100% reliable out of the box.


Not that I disagree with your points at all, but just for the sake of argument:

quote:
Today you can buy a gun that’s twice the capacity


I don't know about TWICE...at least not in .45. The P320 full-size in .45 hold 10, which is only 2 or 3 more than your typical 1911. The Glock 21 holds 13...still not quite double, and at the end of the day you're stuck carrying a Glock Razz.

quote:
half the price


You can get a brand new RIA 1911 or a Springfield Defender for under $500. Less than a Glock or a P320. But to be fair, then you're stuck with an RIA!

quote:
half the weight


You've got me there. All steel gov't 1911 comes in about 40oz. Glock 21 is 26 oz...but when you load it up all the way it gets heavier Big Grin. And I will contend that the single-stack 1911 fits the hand better and carries better than a blocky G21.

quote:
that is easily maintained, can be taken down to every last little part in 5 minutes with just a punch


You can do that with a 1911, too, except for the grip screws. That's one of the coolest things about the design, IMO, especially considering its age. It's field-serviceable.

quote:
are 100% reliable out of the box.


I'll concede that a Glock or a P320 have a better reputation for reliability, no doubt. But My personal 1911 has been just as reliable as my Glock. I've had 3 malfunctions, and all of those were within the first hundred rounds. I've got close to 1500 though it now, with no further issues. My Glocks and P320s have been very reliable, but I've had a few FTFs with them over the years as well.

Once again, not disagreeing with your points or trying to single you out...I just liked the points that you made (and actually agree with most of them). But considering the years that elapsed between the development of the different platforms, it's amazing to me that the 1911 comes as close as it does, and is still a legitimate contender as a fighting weapon.
March 31, 2020, 01:42 PM
jljones
I have to agree with Ruger357s points.

We did not reach the pinnacle 100 years ago. I'd say that we reached it 25 years ago.




www.opspectraining.com

"It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for them"



March 31, 2020, 01:49 PM
DirectDrive
quote:
Originally posted by jljones:
I have to agree with Ruger357s points.

We did not reach the pinnacle 100 years ago. I'd say that we reached it 25 27 years ago.

When the first 2011 was brought to market.

Smile
March 31, 2020, 02:09 PM
jljones
quote:
Originally posted by DirectDrive:
quote:
Originally posted by jljones:
I have to agree with Ruger357s points.

We did not reach the pinnacle 100 years ago. I'd say that we reached it 25 27 years ago.

When the first 2011 was brought to market.

Smile


Something something something 1911 hate something something something complete.




www.opspectraining.com

"It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Let's see if it works out for them"



March 31, 2020, 02:17 PM
Ryanp225
1911's are carburated hot rods in a fuel injected era. Still very cool and can be effective but more of a collector piece and a novelty.
I really like them and I shoot them well. Just prefer more efficient technology.
March 31, 2020, 03:02 PM
sns3guppy
I like 1911's, and have had them for a long time, and will buy more. I'm lusting after a Wilson EDC X9, though even that isn't really a 1911, any more. It's similar.

The finest 1911's still have their issues, and when that finely tuned extractor begins to go downhill, another must be installed and tuned. By comparison, I can take almost any P320 parts and throw them together and I have a functional firearm with an outstanding trigger at a fraction of the cost. A glock, too. I like 1911's, but I don't carry them any more. The Wilson might make me rethink that.

I'm not an experienced competitor like many here are. When I'm home, I shoot some local matches each week, and that's about it. Some of those shooting at those matches, however, are high-level competitors, and some of them do run 1911's. Many of them, in fact. It's rare I see a malfunction on the line that isn't a 1911. I find that interesting. I think the only pistols that I've seen break on the line were 1911's, too. It may be that those using them just run them harder and longer and more than other firearms: the experienced competitors do shoot a LOT of ammunition. But the malfunctions I see are largely confined to the 1911's.

I wouldn't say pinnacle. Some excellent firearms have come out in the last few years and continue to come out. I really like my 1911's. I don't view them as the pinnacle of anything, be it design, function, features, or anything else. They're not my first choice to grab. I really like the .45 acp, but it's not what I'm carrying.

Personally, for a .45, the P220 is an outstanding firearm, and I'm partial to the Glock 21.