LOL, fair enough. There are certainly more parts in a 1911, which isn't necessarily a good thing.
I guess my SA 4" 1911 commander is an exception... I have fired close to 1000 rounds of every kind of ammo I could find with zero failures... It has only been field stripped twice and just a simple Break Free spray in between the cleanings...
I hope I never run into the problems others have had with theirs being unreliable...
I never plan on field stripping my gun after a self defense shooting so that wasn't an issue in my decision... [Broken External Image]
I hope I never run into the problems others have had with theirs being unreliable...
I never plan on field stripping my gun after a self defense shooting so that wasn't an issue in my decision... [Broken External Image]
1. Butt sweat doesn't corrode plastic.
2. Concealing a full-sized 1911 is prolly easier than the double-stack M&P.
2b. Having the extra 2 rounds might very well be worth it when it counts.
3. If you ever surrender your M&P as part of a self-defense shooting, you haven't just given away a family heirloom to an evidence room.
4. If you accidentally drop your M&P, you've just dropped $575. If you drop a Colt 1911, you crap your pants.
5. No matter the elite bloodline of your 1911, crappy mags can turn it into a paperweight. The factory M&P magazines are designed with wider magsprings and less-tempermental mag lips, and are very reliable out of box.
6. Adjustable palmswells on M&P facilitate a more natural point of aim. (Although for you that wouldn't be a problem.)
My vote is for the M&P, but the decision is like choosing between radical and awesome.
2. Concealing a full-sized 1911 is prolly easier than the double-stack M&P.
2b. Having the extra 2 rounds might very well be worth it when it counts.
3. If you ever surrender your M&P as part of a self-defense shooting, you haven't just given away a family heirloom to an evidence room.
4. If you accidentally drop your M&P, you've just dropped $575. If you drop a Colt 1911, you crap your pants.
5. No matter the elite bloodline of your 1911, crappy mags can turn it into a paperweight. The factory M&P magazines are designed with wider magsprings and less-tempermental mag lips, and are very reliable out of box.
6. Adjustable palmswells on M&P facilitate a more natural point of aim. (Although for you that wouldn't be a problem.)
My vote is for the M&P, but the decision is like choosing between radical and awesome.
Buy both and be done with it!
I like this idea...
This may be silly, but I'm thinking I need something to go along with the M1 Garand. The M&P doesn't fit with any rifle I have...
I was mulling over the same issue, but between a 1911, FNP-45, Sig P220 and S&W M&P45, and here's some great advice:
Originally Posted by DocGKR
A properly customized 5" steel-frame single-stack 1911 in .45 ACP is a superb, unparalleled choice for the dedicated user willing to spend a significant amount of money to get it properly initially set-up and considerable time to maintain it. Keep in mind with 1911 pistols that calibers other than .45 ACP and barrels shorter than 5" induce increasingly greater problems. I personally will not use any 1911 with a Schwartz firing pin safety (like on the Kimber II pistols) as I have seen high numbers of them fail; the Colt Series 80 firing pin safety is the only one I might trust for urban LE use, but they have also been known to fail in harsh environments (particularly surf zone and high dust) so I generally prefer a standard USG style 1911 pistol w/o firing pin safety. However, I personally would not choose to carry most stock or even semi-custom 1911's on duty without making sure they were set-up properly with reliable function, durable parts, and ergonomic execution. I firmly believe that if you want a 1911 for serious use, the minimum level of quality for a duty/carry weapon is the SA Pro model (either PC9111 or PC9111LR if you want a light rail); if you’re not willing to invest that much into the weapon system, don't get a 1911... I write this after being around quite a few 1911's over the past two decades of military and LE duty, including GI, commercial Colt, SA (Milspec, Loaded, MC Oper, Professional models), Wilson, Kimber, Nighthawk, Les Baer, and Para Ord, as well as custom pistols by folks like Bill Laughridge, Wayne Novak/Joe Bonar, Ed Brown, John Jardine, Hilton Yam, Larry Vickers, and Chuck Rogers. I'd strongly recommend anyone contemplating a 1911 for serious use read all of the material on 1911's here: http://www.10-8performance.com/Articles.html. For folks who want a .45 ACP pistol, but don't want to invest the funds and effort into getting a good 1911, they would be better served with the S&W M&P45 or HK45.
Originally Posted by DocGKR
A properly customized 5" steel-frame single-stack 1911 in .45 ACP is a superb, unparalleled choice for the dedicated user willing to spend a significant amount of money to get it properly initially set-up and considerable time to maintain it. Keep in mind with 1911 pistols that calibers other than .45 ACP and barrels shorter than 5" induce increasingly greater problems. I personally will not use any 1911 with a Schwartz firing pin safety (like on the Kimber II pistols) as I have seen high numbers of them fail; the Colt Series 80 firing pin safety is the only one I might trust for urban LE use, but they have also been known to fail in harsh environments (particularly surf zone and high dust) so I generally prefer a standard USG style 1911 pistol w/o firing pin safety. However, I personally would not choose to carry most stock or even semi-custom 1911's on duty without making sure they were set-up properly with reliable function, durable parts, and ergonomic execution. I firmly believe that if you want a 1911 for serious use, the minimum level of quality for a duty/carry weapon is the SA Pro model (either PC9111 or PC9111LR if you want a light rail); if you’re not willing to invest that much into the weapon system, don't get a 1911... I write this after being around quite a few 1911's over the past two decades of military and LE duty, including GI, commercial Colt, SA (Milspec, Loaded, MC Oper, Professional models), Wilson, Kimber, Nighthawk, Les Baer, and Para Ord, as well as custom pistols by folks like Bill Laughridge, Wayne Novak/Joe Bonar, Ed Brown, John Jardine, Hilton Yam, Larry Vickers, and Chuck Rogers. I'd strongly recommend anyone contemplating a 1911 for serious use read all of the material on 1911's here: http://www.10-8performance.com/Articles.html. For folks who want a .45 ACP pistol, but don't want to invest the funds and effort into getting a good 1911, they would be better served with the S&W M&P45 or HK45.
The wife has an M&P40 that we enjoy shooting. It goes bang every time without fail. I have 3 1911s. 2 Colts, a Defender and a MKIV Enhanced from the 90's(looks like a GC), and then a Kimber EclipseII fullsized. My Defender has been rock solid reliable with anything it has been fed. The Enhanced took an upgraded slidestop(old one chipped off) and one size longer barrel link to make it shoot. Slide rattles like a good Colt will and shoots good groups, rivaling the Kimber. The Kimber had one reliability issue, the slidestop was getting caught by bullets in the mag making the slide lock open prematurely. Small filing fixed that. Using Wilscon Combat 47D mags got rid of the occasional jam I did experience. Less then $100 on either of them total and they are reliable now. Right now I'm shooting 200gr lead SWC thru them on the light side. Lesson from this is, you dont have to blow $2k for reliability. A $500 used Colt can be made to shoot reliably if you address the actual problem or pitch some of the cheap MIM parts. Use the best mags, ie Wilson Combat. From that, your mileage may vary!
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