Thinking Man's Corner

Article by: William G. 

Special Note: This article comes to you by way of the South Pacific, where I am sitting on a beach, reading Jeff Cooper’s “Shotluck,” and writing articles because Leo H. urged me to write years back. In the same area, during another uncertain time in our Nation’s history. A time where we, as the Greatest Nation on Earth, were hated, and under attack for our values and way of life. It was a time when young American boys acted more like MEN than some males today. They were damned proud and thankful to have a chunk of US made steel in their hands that launched half ounce, half inch bullets, and worked in the mud and the blood. The 1911 didn’t win the war, our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents did with grit, determination, boldness, ruthlessness, coolness, surprise, extreme violence of action, and God on their side. No, pistols don’t win wars, men do. Those men were glad they had that old piece of battle tested Americana by their sides, because it made a difference to them, and a big difference for some. Yes, I am on a beach in paradise, reading the wisdom of Jeff Cooper, on my birthday, because of some men I never knew personally, who carried a 1911 into certain death for the future of an idea, and to fight pure evil. I’ve carried the 1911 into harm’s way, and it holds a special place in my mind and heart as well.

Leo H. is my friend, he is a mentor, a colleague, and has a lot of hard won experience; but we do not have the same views on everything. Isn’t variety such a great thing? This is my view, which is different than his, and I am right – as usual………

In the right hands, there is no better close quarters fighting pistol than an in spec 1911 chambered in 45 Automatic. It combines, reliability, accuracy, speed, power, ergonomics, durability in harsh conditions, and an intuitive manual arms that can be used under duress. It was designed at a time that guns were built with the purpose of stopping fights. Many myths circulate on the internet and in gun shops about the 1911, both for and against. 

My limited experience with them is only several decades long. It consists of carrying it into harms way, mostly alone in remote areas with no backup in a meaningful amount of time to be had, sometimes with a partner in the city, and sometimes with a team in either setting. I have carried it to protect myself, and for close in protection of very at risk persons, and to protect people I hold the dearest to my heart. It was the gun I was first formally trained on, and by Col. Jeff Cooper himself, at that; though what he could possibly know about the 1911 escapes me. I went through the academy with it. Mario Martinez took me through the looking glass of special operations with one in my hand. I would say a good 70% of shooting classes I ever took, I did so with a 1911. It is the gun that I have carried the most, shot the most, competed with the most, taught the most with; and the one I tend to reach for (along with a Remington 870) if I am particularly concerned about impending doom. 

You will hear that the 45 Auto is a legendary man stopper, and others say it is just like all other pistol cartridges. The truth lies in between. More mass, with a larger frontal area beats the opposite, if you hit the target squarely, and fast enough. That is where the problem is; context. Not everyone can control the impulse of the 45 Auto, so if you cannot control, you have no confidence. Nor are you likely to acquire meaningful skill. In that case a smaller caliber may suit you better. However, given a hit in the same place, the 45 does tend to have an edge as bigger holes do more damage, how much so is up to the hand dealt at the time. 

The 1911 holds half as many rounds as a wundernine, and weighs twice as much! You got me there, except that more rounds tend to be a military benefit over a domestic law enforcement action, or off duty situation. That is not to say that more rounds are not better, but they may not be as critical as one would have been lead to believe. Super Dave Harrington once told me that on the battle field, capacity was king. Dave came from the extreme side of military special operations, and that was true for him (though he tended to be fond of the 1911 as well). What works in the jungles of Central America doesn’t equate well before the grand jury in Los Angeles. Can you conceal an Sig P226 as well as the trimmer, slimmer 1911? Can you hit as well, or as hard with it? Maybe, maybe not. I know the answer for me, and a lot of others though, on both sides. 

The 1911 is not a delicate piece of porcelain that requires white gloves, and a maintenance schedule of a twin turbo charged Ferrari, and it is not a 1989 Toyota Corolla either. Use the right lube, clean it after you shoot it. Add lube at least once a month, oil (not grease) and good mid viscosity stuff at that. For a Government Model, replace the recoil spring (16-18.5lb every 5k rounds or so, and the mags once per year. With a Commander, change the recoil spring (18-20lb) every 2-3k rounds. Magazines once a year. Change the firing pin springs when you change the recoil springs, and use XP springs for them. For an officer’s model, well you don’t want to go into the desert with an officers model……

If you start having problems, chances are a part is worn, or maybe has come out of spec, you know, just like on plastic guns (no manufacturer is immune from human error of parts control, not a single one). If a problem occurs, fix it. If it occurs again, replace it. Same with anything, or it used to be before we lived in a disposable society. 

What does a 1911 need? Col. Jeff Cooper said: 

1. Sights you can see.
2. A trigger you can manage.
3. Complete reliability.
4. Smooth edges, dehorning job.
5. A rust resistant finish if you live in a tropical climate. 

I will expound, and then expand. 

Sights you can see: for me that is a high vis orange dot outline front with a tritium insert, and a serrated black rear with or without tritium (preferably in subdued vials). These days, it may be a pistol mounted optic (has Leo H, ever told you about how extremely well that a PMO on a 1911 gets on target, quick? He was muttering something about ergonomics, grip angle, grip circumference, trigger reach and feel. It was hard to understand him, but it sounded important, and he seemed dismayed it was quicker to pick up the dot than when he used his Glo….)

A trigger I can manage is between 3.5-5 lbs, depending on who set it up for me. However, I need a short trigger with a serrated face. It needs very little free play, and then a crisp break, with a forceful, short reset. 

If the gun, when clean and lightly lubricated, will go through at least 3 full magazines, or more if you carry more on you, and it doesn’t have a malfunction with either your carry or practice ammo, then it will generally be fine. Leave the endurance testing to the Olympics, and the fretting to the old southern women. We should aim to conquer mountains, not trip over mole hills. 

Smooth edges, yes, everywhere but the front and back strap. The Colonel liked a smooth front strap, and a serrated rear. I prefer a checkered front of 30×30 LPI or 25×25 LPI, that stops about a quarter inch before the bottom of the frame, and stops about a half in before under the trigger guard. Back same checkering, though I heavily lean to 30×30 LPI or serrations. Either way, I like them to stop about a quarter inch before the bottom, and the bottom to be beveled or slightly rounded to help keep from snagging on the draw, or picking the concealment garment. 

I live in a hot, humid place, and a rust resistant finish is mandated, especially with my diet of pure salt, and acidic foods/drinks.

What to expound on, then? 

The grip safety needs to fit YOUR hand, and yes it *MAY* need to be pinned. I know many will clutch their pearls at that statement, and they can disagree, though there are many defensible and valid reasons for doing it for some people. The Thumb safety needs to be Goldilocks, just right. Not too wide, not too thin. Not too long, not too short. Ambi safety? Make it a rugged design that hooks on a pin on the right hand side, and press on. 

Tool steel internals. No MIM, leave that for the plastic guns, they go together. Though some of the new Springfield Ronin models I have seen are getting along fine with MIM. So, maybe an old dog can learn new tricks. 

Titanium firing pin, if you use a Series 70 design. Drop safe and all that jazz. 

Match grade barrel? Ok, once I shoot the factory one out. Sometimes just a factory barrel and a National Match bushing. If you get a match barrel, have it fit to work as a combat piece, inside and outside so it is not too tight. 

Tighten the frame and slide? After it rattles when you walk, not really needed before then.

Extended ejector? Maybe, depends. Half mine do, half don’t. Just get the Commander one, and not the extra long one. They can cause issues you don’t realize until an open breach detonation occurs during the unloading process, and you get to learn to shoot one handed. (And, yes, and infamous design currently is on its latest iteration, can – and has done the same thing.)

Magwell? If the entire bottom is welded, so a hard fall doesn’t keep you from getting a magazine in or out. Just make sure it is set up where you do not have to have special baseplates for reliable operation. 

Full length guide rod? In a true Commander if you are going to use a flat wire spring, ok. In a Government model, a full length guide rod reduces reliability, and overrides a critical safety feature JMB designed into it. 

Adjustable sights? Hard pass. Too fragile, too much to remember, too many small parts that get banged around into doors.  

The stocks (what you “grip”) need to be textured to your liking. Wood (double diamond checkered) is my preference, or something newer like the ones from VZ are practical and serviceable. Stay away from rubber which catches on loose clothes, and can be a little slippery in the hand. 

Colt, Springfield, Dan Wesson,  Wilson Combat, *Some Sig, Kimber, and Smith & Wesson’s may also work. Anything in life is luck of the draw. Some really high end guns I have had or seen were less reliable than Jennings JA-Nines. Some highly sought after “gunsmiths” tried to get me to believe that substandard, shoddy “work” wasn’t the problem, just how I lubed the gun or what magazine I used; which was funny because other 1911’s I had worked fine with the same lube and mags……

What about trying to get the best of both worlds with a double stack 9mm, 1911 (I don’t like the 2011 moniker, but it is what it is)? Well, a certain really special unit tried that with a 40cal variant many years ago, and they didn’t have them long. Some gunsmiths bought vacation homes with a side business just tuning the magazines back in the day. The best way to get a reliable double stack 1911 is to get one that takes Glock mags, like the Staccato HD or Platypus.  They defeat the purpose for me, since they bulk up the gun, and one of the 1911’s strong points is being trimmer than more “modern” designs. 

In Leo’s article he talked about high precision accuracy. The accuracy of the 1911 comes more from the trigger than the barrel. A really good trigger beats a match grade barrel. If the barrel is fit right, and the trigger is tuned; then yes, it is a winning combo. However, I do not think a match grade barrel and tight slide to frame fit is necessary, and never found it to be. I will take a 1911 with an acceptable trigger and stock barrel in an accuracy competition in my hands than a slicked up special trigger on a plastic fantastic. 

Shoot several models. Try different configurations. Read up on basic preventative maintenance. Get good steel parts (though this is somewhat less true with some models today). Use good lube and magazines. Use good ammo, and shoot it – a lot. With the right training, more than likely, especially if you are a gun guy, you will see it works better for you than anything else, breeding confidence, which yields unparalleled success. 

I have written about leaning more toward a striker gun with a dot over the last few years, and that tends to be the school solution these days. I am starting to see a flip in the perceived reliability and durability of the current en vogue crop of duty guns, and a resurgence of 1911esque guns. If you have to maintain a new model like you do a 1911 (clean it, lube it, and use good mags – apparently that is labor and time intensive these days….) why not have the many advantages a 1911 gives? 

So, do as you feel is best for you, and make your own choice. There has to be a reason the 1911 has been around for 114 years (Two World Wars!!), and the jump out boys are still pushing for it on their teams (like actual enhanced performance, and winning fights). For a first gun? Yes, that is a wonderful choice, as it is what I first started with, and I turned out more interesting (and a better shot) than Leo (even though he has better hair)………….

Sorry for all the inside jokes (Leo is old and bald, but a pretty good shot). Seriously, we all get too wrapped up in this stuff. If the gun works it is fine. Some are better than others, and we all have personal preference. I do ❤️ my 1911’s, and have a long history with them. People get attached to things that have kept them alive, but the 1911 seems to have kept lots of people alive. It may be an “old gun,” but it served my country well, for a long time; from Mozambique to those Memphis nights, and still does……