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AndyC wrote:

AndyC wrote:I'm going to claim that I invented that meme a year or two ago - I didn't write that specific one, though, I know when to use "it's"

Found it:

Ta da!

flintknapper wrote:When I was in college I had a '69 XKE Roadster, 4.2 six with Dual Strombergs. Really enjoyed that vehicle for all the reasons listed above, but it was not a particularly reliable car and required an incredible amount of maintenance. But....lord was it worth it!

So you're another one who made a less-than-practical vehicle decision in college. Mine was a used '68 Vette fastback customized with a 427 Offenhauser engine, a 4-barrel quadjet carb, and a radical cam that made it sound nastier than any Harley.

Miracle I didn't kill myself, and that I got only one speeding ticket. Also a miracle that it didn't fall to pieces from vibration when I got it up to 130. But it did get "the need for speed" out of my system. I stuck with manual transmissions for the next 20 years simply because I preferred the control it gave, but I succumbed to the dark side and went automatic when driving in big-city commute traffic became simply too much as I grew older.

Does any car manufacturer still offer a manual transmission anymore? Paddle shifters are way-cool, but don't count.

Wait; it's all germane to TAM's metaphor. The 1911 vs. Glock thing is very much like caliber wars: ain't no single answer, and anybody who says there is, well, is wrong. And I almost never chime in on the issue because I own and shoot all-steel 1911s, hybrid 1911 formats, Glocks, other plastic striker-fired guns, and some others. Even own one DA/SA (auto-decocker) handgun, though those are generally my least favorite.

Abraham wrote:Yes, many like to place the 1911 upon an altar, but it's had it's day and overstayed it's welcome.

Much like guys who clamor to trot out their beloved old putt-putt cars while smiling and waving in geezer filled parades, bald heads and white beards shining, the 1911 will always be loved by the diehard.

A souped up, muscular, high tech, semi-auto it ain't.

It's a tired, old has been and should be given a dignified pasture to die in...

Abraham...wait a minute. Aren't you and I both geezers, bald heads and white beards aside? Don't know about you, but I'm not ready to be given dignified pasture.

Let's consider what we actually shoot.

Where are the ray guns predicted in Heinlein's generation, the phasers of Start Trek? True centerfire, self-contained ammunition was invented in 1829 and eventually "perfected" in 1855. The primers in almost all our centerfire ammo are either Berdan or Boxer, both of which were patented in 1866.

Until we get laser blasters or a "phased plasma rifle in the 40 watt range," we're still delivering ammo that was designed over 150 years ago. And it's still working pretty well for us. Mind you, though, that the ammo has been examined, researched, tweaked, and improved to the point that--though it is still essentially of the same design--it might be unrecognizable to Hiram Berdan or Edward Boxer.

As has the 1911; I think Browning would be proud.

Wiley Clap, well-known firearm editor, in January 2016 wrote:Long years have passed since the patents for the M1911 pistol expired. Any builder may produce the gun as long as it satifies federal statutes as a manufacturer. That, and the gun's popularity, explain why so many makers crowd the field and why such a wide variety of grades is available. There is demand not only for average-price-point models but also for .45s in the high-end range. I don't mean custom pistolsmiths building up highly specialized guns on otherwise plain platforms or from disparate parts, but rather companies that create guns from the keel up as elite fighting tools.

Shooting Times, May 2013 wrote:For more than 10 decades the Colt Government Model 1911 has been without challenge the most recognized, most imitated, most influential, and most used semiautomatic handgun in the world... If anything, the Model 1911 pistol--in all its forms, chamberings, and variations--is more popular today worldwide than it has been at any time since John Browning applied for the basic patents under-lying its design. No other firearm on earth can match its record for longevity, versatility, and performance.

Townhall Magazine, July 2014 wrote:And the legacy continues: The U.S. Marines (Special Operations Command) recently adopted a modern Colt 1911 to serve as its close quarters battle pistol... Go to any major pistol competition today and you will find that the 1911 not only remains the most popular but also the most successful design to date.

Yep, it costs more, often a lot more. But today's 1911 is no more like your great-grandfather's 1911 than are the circa 1866 centerfire cartridges it shoots.

Now, to be realistic. Is a 1911 my preferred EDC? Yep. Have I performed over 10,000 reloads to get a mag change to the state of unconscious competence? Yep...at least I trust myself on that point. I carry 22 rounds on my person and, no, I can't do it nearly like Travis Tomasei does in this clip...with a single-stack 1911, BTW.



But the whole argument about "low" capacity magazines is specious, whether from the political side or shooter. You need to be only modestly proficient to reload in one second or less.

If you ask me to become a military advisor to a fictional nation fighting the war on terror, would I recommend it outfit its troops with 1911s? Nope. I'd be all about the Glock.

If you're in a KIA Sorento and I need to chase you down, then yeah, I'd choose the Vette I unfortunately sold way back when rather than an identical Sorento. If it's the zombie apocalypse and I need a vehicle, I'd ditch the Vette and grab the Sorento.

If all I have is a handgun and I need to decide whether or not to take a headshot at 20 feet to save a hostage, I'd be confident with my 1911, less so with any of my Glocks, even the tactical lengths.

It is absolutely true that the probability of defensively needing to do anything but hit a large COM or even pelvic area at more than 10 feet is about the same as winning the Powerball. But if you trust your 1911 to run, and you train with it (there is zero time delay between a 1911 manual safety and a Glock, BTW) I'll take the Vette over the Sorento.

To each his own. I also prefer an AR-15 as a home-defense gun. Another controversy, no doubt.