typically the 1911 requires ALOT of gunsmithing & practice to attain any degree of accuracy - originally designed to stop Moro dissidents in the Phillipines, where the .38 cal pistols failed to stop often drugged-high fanatics - Army wanted stopping power at close range

personally perfer my SW .40

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I agree about the practice part as that applies to ANY firearm upon which one stakes their lives but the gunsmith part is not necessarily true. I think modern 1911 pistols are pretty much accurate out of the box as a defensive pistol. I think they are mostly more accurate than the shooter operating it like how most cars are more capable than the driver's at the wheel. I have always bragged about how my Sig P220 has a test target from the factory that is dead on with the first rounds out of it ever but I think quality 1911s can be just as good.

I think the bigger issue with 1911s is reliability. There is much discussion about 1911 reliability packages from gunsmiths, magazine and ammo selection affecting reliability, and which brand/model 1911s are reliable and which are junk. My opinion is much of this discussion is perpetuated because guys like to tinker and the 1911 is a much tinkered with platform. There are so many manufacturers of 1911 magazines and they have been around so long there are bound to be junk ones out there and that leads to reliability issues. As with any gun, certain guns can be finicky with certain ammo.

.40S&W is great and you can get a 1911 chambered for it.

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Slightly OT, on dissimilar 'older guns':
No gun xpert, and some of you have forgotten more than I know about them,
but I learned to shoot on my maternal grandfather's 300 Savage; it was a great
gun then, and it still is, as I inherited it. Decent old Weaver scope, and on a range
rack/table, the sumbitch goes exactly where I aim it, if I aim it well.
Smooth as silk, and it just 'fits'.

My gramps, (the original hero in my life, and still one of my 4 heroes), bought it new in '57. Beautiful rifle...

So, PNG/K's posts, and preceding ones, just made me think about 'older guns'.
Back to gun Pron Peruse. Very enjoyable thread, imo.
BR, mD

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Hey MD! Old guns are great and ones that come with a story are even better. The older guns are sometimes like pieces of artwork. All the kids want the cool "black rifles" and Glocks but there is so much to be said for the artistry and history of firearms. Like I said, ones that have a story, particularly a family history, are the best. I don't have any like that but one day I'll have some to pass along to my family.

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Speaking of old guns, here are some pics of 'my' 10 ga Damascus steel dbl barreled shot gun, made by my great-great grandfather, (on my father's side), Gideon K. Pheatte, ~1830-1880, a master gunsmith who lived during the Civil war period, and beyond.

I got this gun from my father, passed down through him. Never shot by me, only shot a few times I am told. He made dozens, but this was one of his masterpieces, as I have seen pics of others and nothing I've seen compares to this piece. I love it, and its family history. The Ol'great-great shows up on GOOG searches, too. Hope I didn't bore you all; I'm just proud to have it!
GL, mD

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MD, that is gorgeous!!! You are a lucky man to have that piece in general, and to know that it was created by an ancestor makes it cooler exponentially!

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No bore at all md, unless you are referring to the 10 gauge bore.

That is an incredible firearm and the history it represents is priceless. It reminds me of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC and the arms and armor section. That piece could on display there. It is really is a priceless family heirloom. Thanks for sharing.

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Finally got a chance to break-in the Nighthawk... no issues through 500 rounds. So now she joins the rest of the family:

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That is an unbelievably perfect collection of modern 1911 goodness. You've got the big boys represented well with four of the top names in high end 1911s. I don't know if I'll ever own a 1911 of that level but if I could, I think I'd go Nighthawk. Their guns are .

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