The Model 1911 will never "DIE"

buckshot roberts · October 07, 2006, 08:12:32 PM

This lady was the last of the cowboy guns? After all she was a product of the 19th century, (as in 1911) designed as a sidearm for horse-mounted cavalry, yep from a time when handguns were designed to “WIN FIGHTS”. when this country tried to supply are fighting men with the best tools possible (unlike today when are fighting men and now women are issued hard ware that was adopted because some factory is in some well-connected congressman’s district) Yee Haw when this lady spoke it was with a “BOOM” and not any wise “CRACK” just words that were final.

Here is what a few Legends had to say about her,

Texas Ranger Joaquin Jackson, When asked why he carried Colt's .45 Government Model, he replied in typical Ranger fashion... 'Because they don't make a Colt .46!'

Texas Ranger Charlie Miller, A citizen noted the hammer back on the 1911 carried in the waist band by Charlie Miller, Texas Ranger. The Citizen asks, "Isn't That Dangerous?" Charley replied, “I wouldn’t carry it if it wasn't dangerous."
Sgt. Alvin York
On the morning of 8 October 1918, elements of the 328th Infantry, 82nd Division, United States Army, were pinned down by German machine-gun fire. Seventeen men, under the command of Sgt. Bernard Early, were ordered to out-flank the machine guns.
Shortly after they left their own lines, they came across a German officer and several soldiers having breakfast. Believing that they were surrounded, the Germans surrendered. However, before Early could detach a man to take the prisoners back through the lines, intensive machine gun fire swept the patrol. Eight American soldiers survived. Sgt. Early was killed. As the remaining non-com, Cpl. Alvin York took command of the patrol. While the remaining Americans covered their prisoners, trying at the same time to avoid enemy fire, York spotted the location of the German guns, about 30 yards away. In addition to his Enfield M1917 rifle, he also carried a Colt .45 automatic pistol. The German gunners peeked over the tops of their Maxim guns to avoid hitting their own men.
With the appearance of each face, framed in its "coal-scuttle" helmet, York's Enfield spoke. One shot equaled one dead gunner. York was from the Tennessee Mountains where firearms were used to put food on the table. Mountain folk were frugal, making each shot count.
Unnoticed by York, several Germans moved forward, locating York's position. Out of sight, they counted the shots from York's rifle, establishing the pattern of his shooting. They counted a series of 5 shots from his Enfield and rushed York to gain the advantage of the few extra seconds it took to reload the rifle.
As the Germans charged, they came into easy pistol range. York brought the .45 automatic into action, stopping the patrol in its tracks. He continued shooting and advancing, killing a total of 25 German soldiers and capturing 132 by himself. York was promoted to Sergeant and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Yep she been called an outdated design, by no means is she called a bad design; there are several companies whose sole product is the 1911 or parts for the 1911 and so many make a living out of custominizing and servicing this model. The 1911 is the most copied firearms design of all time, all most all auto’s (more or less) are made on her design even old S&W has 16 copy’s of the 1911 out, and with all the aftermarket parts out you can make it into just about anything( just like Chevy Trucks).

In 1985 the United States Armed Forces just up and replaced the 1911 with the Beretta 92F “because we were the only NATO country not using a 9mm sidearm” some can come up with more reasons, now that’s just how I see it.

“The Marines broke out the 1911’s when the fine sand was jamming the 92F’s in Desert Storm” and some still make fun of a “JAR” head.

I’m sure a lot of ya’ll grew up hearing all the old stories about how she “Kicked so bad” “Ya can’t hit a barn door at 20 feet with one” or may be even this one “A man hit with a .45 would be knocked down as if hit by a truck” Ah that Hollywood stuff, a bullet with enough force to knock a man down and fly him backwards like in the move “Last Man Standing” It would have knocked down Old’ Bruce Willis when he fired it, that’s not how it is in the real world, it’s just a move and I did enjoy it.
look people do go down when hit with a .45 because they’d dead, in an offal lot of hurt, or in shock, I shot a wild Boar back in the spring with a 45 long colt around 10 feet in the head and it never went flying through the air hog, hair an all it just fell dead, now it did do a number on that Ol’pig skull after weeks of drying it out I went to pull of the hide and it just fell to pieces.

I fell in love with the model 1911, (She was called the model 1911A1 by that time but still the same lady) when I was in the army, hey it felt so good going around with that big Iron on my hip, LOL they never had much gun leather going around for us south paws back then and it just took once for the Ol’ D.I. to hit me up side the steel pot for trying to wear a back to front 1911 on my left hip on the range, I did learn to draw with my right hand and just let my left hand take over. I found the model 1911 easy to use under stress and with the slide stop/release, magazine button and thumb safety easy to work with just one hand, I was trained to carry it with the hammer down on an empty chamber and I still do to this day, “Ah you say” I had a friend say to me onetime “what are you going to do when your being shot at, LOL get to cover man then it’s “cocked and locked and ready to rock, then again how often does one see “TROUBLE” coming, Just how long does it take to work back that Ol’ slide to get ya out of a jam?.

Colt has 9 models of the1911 for sale today, they have a nice WW1 replica, Gunsite pistol, The XSE series, Defender, Gold Cup, Special Combat, 1991 Series, 70 Series, Colt 38 Super Series, 16 years ago I took all my over-time from the state D.O.C and got me a New Colt model 1911 in 38 super, MK IV Series 80, Well my wife was about kill me over that, if she knew how much I paid for the Stag grips I had put on it she would have.
The colt model 1911 “Will” never die, just like the Single Action Revolver, Lever Action Rifle, The AK-47 or even that old Mauser Rifle Yep you can put what ever you want to on it, but it’s still a Mauser, just like the 1911.

Some pics,
Colt 1911
M-1912 Cavalry holster designed to be worn low on the upper leg “gunfighter” style maybe?
WW2 Colt 1911A1

The Model 1911 will never "DIE"

buckshot roberts