So here I am, teaching a class of mostly high-tech polymer pistol shooters. Glocks, S&W M&Ps, Springfield XD series, and the very popular and very cool new Heckler & Koch VP9.  And what’s on my hip but that old WWI relic, the 1911 pistol?

Well, hell, I’m a relic myself. I try to change guns every training tour to stay current with everything out there. But the still-popular 1911, even though it happens to be the only one on the firing line this week, is like the proverbial handshake of an old friend.  Been using one since I was 12 years old, and frankly, still shoot the old .45 as well as I do anything else.

My significant other, smugly flaunting polymer pistolry on her hip, considers it a symptom of fogeyism.  I suppose the diagnosis is confirmed.  Still, there’s something to be said for the old, proven hardware.  It isn’t fair to teach with one of the fancy custom ones – it gives the student the false impression that you need a Ferrari to drive skillfully, when a Chevy can still get you where you’re going perfectly well.  So this week’s .45 is an out-of-the-box Springfield Armory Range Officer, which I think is as nice a 1911 as you can buy new for under a grand today.

How about y’all?  Is there any corner in the world of the gun where you cleave to the old-style stuff instead of the latest and greatest?

 

Springfield Range Officer

92 COMMENTS

  1. While it’s not a pistol , the old Winchester model 12 12 ga, pump gun will get the job done as good now as it did when I got it back in 1950 at 9 years old for Christmas.

  2. Nothing beats the basis, both in training and hardware. A revolor is also a great way to work on the basis .

  3. My go-to shotgun is an 870 Wingmaster that my grandfather bought new in 1952. I use it for everything from clay shooting, deer and duck hunting, and even 3gun matches. Most of my rifles and pistols are modern, ARs, glocks, and so forth, but I like my classic scatter guns.

  4. I shoot at a “combat league” at the excellent range at Blueline Tactical in Elmsford NY. My go-to: Kimber 1911, in .45 ACP. I wouldn’t shoot anything else.

  6. I’ve got more than my share of Glocks, M&Ps, XDs, Colt .45acp, etc. When at the club range you will usually find me with a Glock because I need all the practice I can get when shooting GSSF. Sometimes people say I must really like Glocks, I will usually answer with a ,” no I hate them”. Lousy trigger pulls and not all that accurate. But for me the single action revolver is lotsa fun. The .45 colt cartridge is a hoot and when cocking the hammer and you hear and feel that click, click, click, it brings to mind the 1880s west and the golden age of the TV westerns. In long guns I have a couple ARs and an FN-FAL. But I love my bolt guns. In shotguns, yes I have a couple semi-autos, but, I also have a double barrel “coach gun”.

  7. As I write this I’m wearing a Colt LW Commander XSE, a production gun with some modern upgrades to an old design. And it was less than a grand; albeit not by much. I find this balance between old and new to be quite comfortable; as nothing feels as good in the hand or packs and conceals on my frame the way a good GM or CDR does. But, I want good modern sights, reliable performance across a wide spectrum of bullet types, and to avoid hammer bite. Old and new don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

  9. I have to ask….have you ever taught with, or had a student bring a single action revolver to class? Would you kick them out? Is a SAA so archaic is is verboten for self defense pursoses?

  10. My EDC has been my Kimber PRO CDP since 2004. Been on my hip for so long I don’t even notice it. Did put CT grips on it in about 2010.

  11. I think your attachment to Taft-era technology is quaintly charming. I prefer McKinley-era technology (K-frame Smiths). The 1911 contains design features that haven’t been repeated since before the Titanic sank (swinging barrel link, for one), and has been superseded by post-Volstead Act technology such as double-action and hammer-dropping safeties. The Smith K-frame, however, is perfection (even after the post-World War II changes). (The N-frame is also perfection, but it’s too big to carry concealed.)

  12. Thanks Mas, for reaffirming my belief that a weapon, and it’s cartridge, aren’t reliable, and well tested, until they have been in service for at least 50 years!

  13. I must be a relic too then. The newest firearm design I own is a Ruger 22/45. I’ve owned polymer and EBRs, but my current rifle is a simple lever action Marlin. My next pistol is a Ruger SR1911. After that, it’ll be a Ruger GP100. I like steel and wood. It’s mechanical art that’s time tested and timeless all at once.

  14. I carry an old Ruger Security Six in 357 Mag. Unless it’s been totally misused and abused, wheel guns always go “bang” and the 357 Magnum is a proven cartridge.

  15. I still have all of my 1911’s and carry them, but this hot weather I have dressed done to the minimum and carry a little LCP. Better than nuthin.

  16. Showing my age and bias here, but when I was a kid the only plastic “guns” available were the crude toy versions. I never could understand the attraction of black polymer (plastic) handgun frames, which in my opinion are clunky and tawdry-looking. And judging by the resale value of used plastic firearms, they don’t hold their value well, either. But the firearms manufacturers love ’em because they are so cheap to make.

  18. Recently purchase my first 1911 (Tisas GI) Love at first sight/ shot. After a range trip with my son (12), he stole the ol girl away – (after taking the heart out of the target). So thus I head downtown and bring home another (Rock Island Tactical). (yes- lower cost versions- single father of a teenage boy that likes to shoot .45ACP… Oh and he eats alot too. ) I find myself dressing in such a way that I am forced to OC. As I explain to folks that ask, She’s just too beautiful to hide. 😉 The polyguns have taken a backseat to Old School Cool.

  19. Ran the Springfield XD for a while, but went back to my old Sig 229 DA/SA as my carry gun. It just felt “right” even though the technology is consider “older” and “out dated”.

  20. I agree with the Evil Princess. Your a fogey. But as I am approaching that and the people I work tell me I will be one also.

  21. Most of the time I carry my S&W model 10-6 with a 4″ barrel. I have had it since the late seventies when I was a young deputy sheriff. I find that I shoot more accurately with it than with my wife’s subcompact polymer Sig.

  22. I really like my old S&W Model 19, with 4 inch barrel. My concession to the passage of time is a set of Hogue grips. Black rubber isn’t as nice as checkered coco bolo, but they’re much more practical.

  23. Any corner? How about the entire gun world?

    My collection amassed over several decades is a tribute to relics! Pinfire English fowling rifle, the “Fabriken Berlin 1917” straight-bolt Mauser, H&R 9-shot .22 and my 1911 clone (and others) all bear witness to tried-and-true firearms tech of bygone days.

    The only plastic/polymer firearm I own is a Bushmaster “black rifle”; no Glocks need apply to my gun locker! Hard wood and steel has worked since the matchlock days (have I also mentioned that in my spare time I burn powder in historic cannons?) so I see no need to change it. Heck, I feel so strongly about this that should we ever cross paths, I *might* be brave enough to tell the Evil Princess she’s wrong. Maybe…

  24. Nothing wrong with a proven classic! I usually carry and shoot a 1911 for IDPA. This year I decided to gain some proficiency with a DA/SA trigger so I’ve been shooting SIGs. Will likely be back to the 1911s come next year though. Only problem I ever have is when some non-gun people are over. I carry even at home but rarely bother concealing while at home. The cocked hammer has bothered a few until I explain it (education is a wonderful thing).

  25. I’ve been carrying a 1911, either government or Commander style since I was 21. The 1911 works and is like the old saying, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. I’m 66 now and I’ll carry a 1911 til the day I leave this world.

  26. I enjoy shooting and own many examples of poly firearms. My favorite is still the 1911. I totally agree that it feels like the handshake of an old friend. It may be because that was the handgun I started with as a younger man. The first Glock I ever fired (which I still own) took a while to get used to. Once that happened the “word of plastic guns” through open it’s doors and I purchased many different makes and models. When I’m shooting for fun at the range, or carrying for personal protection, I still feel more at home with my trusty ‘ol 1911! (My fav happens to also be a Springfield, full size “loaded” model). Maybe I’m just old fashioned, but a firearm that is still going strong after it’s century mark says something to me!

  27. Look at my name. When I saw the title, “Packin’ Old Style,” I thought you were going to write about revolvers! Combat is one area where a person really wants to be up-to-date, so they can triumph. But frankly, I don’t mind being on the trailing edge of technology to some degree. I would be comfortable defending myself with cowboy era weapons; SA revolvers, double-barrel shotguns, and lever-action rifles. However, I would not try to use any single shot, black powder, flintlock type weapons for defense. That would be going too far onto the trailing edge of technology.

    I wonder what gun people said when repeating arms made their debut. I can imagine luddites (like me) saying, “Who needs more than one shot?” “That Henry rifle is a waster of ammunition.”

    If you notice, firearms went through lots of changes in the 1800s. Since then, there have only been refinements. Same thing with automobiles since the 1950s or so. It’s a good thing that not every item in our lives changes as fast as computers did in the 1980s and 1990s. As a prepper, I believe the future will probably be more in the direction of the Flintstones, rather than the Jetsons. I hope I’m wrong. One area of life I don’t want to turn back one bit is modern medicine!

  29. Long Island Mike, we actually have had a very few students show up with single action revolvers, maybe one every ten years or so. A few years ago in Sierra Vista, we had a Cowboy Action shooter who did very well with a pair of single actions. Still ain’t optimum for the times, though…

  30. You just can’t beat the trigger of a 1911!

    But then my latest acquisition is a P-220, also considered a relic.

  31. Not a huge fan of the 1911 carriage, but find my 1911 PM-7 Dan Wesson 10mm the most accurate pistol I have ever shot.
    That said, it is heavy, and I prefer to carry my trusty S&W M&P’s and Shield.

  32. Mas, I personally don’t think that the 1911 is a Chevy, I think it’s more like the 1941 Dodge 1-ton flatbed I used to have. The steering was a little (a lot) loose, it shook and rattled a bit, but it always started and got me where I needed to go. This was c.1999 when I owned it by the way, not 1948!

  34. Mas, My everyday carry is a 1911. Like you said: Comfortable. I trained with it starting in Boot Camp in the 70’s. Feels comfortable like an extension of my arm. But there was another in later life… My first issue duty pistol was a S&W Model 10 in .38 Special. Blue, 4-inch barrel. Bone stock until I put a set of Pachmayr grips on it. Saw one in a Pawn Shop a few weeks ago. Got nostalgic, and almost purchased it. (Not enough Beer & Pretzel money to spare.)

  35. Favorite carry piece is my 1911A1 SS Springfield. Favorite rifle is a 1959 JC Higgins Lever Action. Favorite vehicle would be a ’72 Chevy pickup or ’66 Dodge Power Wagon. (I’m 49 and totally old school.)

  36. Mas, that’s a mighty purdy Springfield ya got there. I’ve owned many 1911s from my first when I was about 14 years old, I’d give my left whatchamacallit to have back a few of the GI ones I’ve owned. My current one I bought in 1984, it’s a Thompson Auto Ordnance. The day I bought it I took it straight home and gutted it, put all Colt innards in it, had it throated. I could not be happier unless it weighed a lot less. My .45 ACP stays at home while I carry my Sig P232 .
    No more NEW 1911s for me, my old Thompson is all I need.

  37. The Browning HP is the only pistol that I think even slightly improves on the M1911, but it is not found in 45 ACP, so the 1911 is it. I own about a dozen with each set up for different uses. My EDC is a Colt CCO in an old Galco SoB holster. My duty weapon was a custom 1911 loaded with total fragmenting 2500 FPS RBCD ammo. Now days my carry ammo is Hornady Critical Defense. A pair of Kimber Customs (one Compact) originally made for Johnny Rowland in 460 Rowland work in bear country. A Series 70 (modified) Gold Cup and my own custom race gun work for showing off.

  38. My EDC is a S&W Model 60 pro series, 357 mag. I did add a CT laser grip, even with out the laser I would use that grip because it positions the hand perfectly for me. Everything else is pure factory, with 5,000 pulls on the trigger it’s silky smooth. Carry what you shoot best AND have a high comfort level with.

  39. At 68 and a fellow member of the “Geezer Brigade” I remember carrying the M1911A1 during the Kontum siege in 1972. Worked for me then, and the pair of Kimber Gold Combat Stainless 1911 clones still do the work now in Galco Avenger IWB leather gear. But as a reserve LEO I carried a Glock 35 and also like the “poly pistols” too as we have five different Glocks here for Mary and myself. For “close encounters” defending our southeastern Colorado ranch, our Colt 1928N TSMG with C or L drum remains the firearm of choice. Be safe Mas.

  40. Still like the 1911 steel frame and even revolvers. I have to admit my son in law brought over his Glock and it felt nice. I can’t carry open or concealed in MD so weight isn’t an issue when I go shooting.

  41. I love my XDM and XDS, but nothing beats that comfortable, natural feeling of the 1911. The old, reliable friend that won’t let you down.

  42. Way back when our nation’s President had just sold a canal that ran through a zone, I was assigned (with no notice) to report for temporary duty to the relevant Command’s J2 Section. I was a fluent speaker of the local lingo and I had secured in my Military Duffel Bag not only my personally owned (well hidden) Colt Series 70s Model 1911A1 45 ACP Pistol as well as twenty brand new Swiss Army Classic Knives to catch the eye of the local “Aduana” (Customs) and “Policia Transito” (Transit Police.) I said not one word about my pistol as I, smiling, handed over the SAKs to totally delighted customs officers and transit police officers. My companion told the same customs officers and transit police officers that he had a Colt Series 70 Model 1911A1 38 Super Pistol in his Military Duffel Bag that he wished to declare and register. The customs officers and transit police officers confiscated his pistol to conduct “ballistic testing” and gave him a receipt for the gun. You are way ahead of me. He never saw his pistol again, despite complaining to every political body under the sun. My pistol? I carried it daily and nightly in beyond scary cities that make the South Side of Chicago look like Greenwich CT. It was incredibly comforting. Comforting, not comfortable. When it came time for me to redeploy to the USA via a commercial airline, I first broke “mi pistola” down and sent it home to my legal USA address in many, many pieces. All pieces arrived safely and both my piece and my peace were reconstructed. God helps those who help themselves! Nothing beats a Model 1911A1 45 ACP Pistol. Nothing.

  44. Yes I love older high polished heavier steel guns in the home defense hand gun cagagory.
    I have a Smith Wesson Model 19 on my nightstand two model 10 bull barells and a Colt Government Model which all were purchased in the 70’s. I won numerous revolver matches with these guns their accurate and reliabilty is second to none. For EDC it’s GLOCK time.

  45. 1911s are all I own in sidearms. Don’t think that will change anytime soon. M14/M1A is the go to rifle. That won’t change either.

  46. I must be an old-timer I guess. I am a father of 5 and can’t afford much but what I do have is:

    S&W 686 .357 bought when I was 15.
    S&W 29 .44
    Super Blackhawk 10 Inch in .44 with a B$L scope. Drives tacks at 300 yards.
    Citadel Compact .45ACP

    I carried both the 686 and M29 as primary weapons when I was a deputy sheriff. The Citadel is my concealed carry weapon of choice now. It cost me under $550 and keeps them in the 10 ring at 25 yards if I do my part.

    I am old school Navy and love my 1911’s. If I could only keep one of these it would have to be the M29. It has to be one of the sweetest shooting pistols ever made.

  47. I’ll bring out the 1911 when the Model 60 .357 needs a day off. I enjoy my plastic options when playing at the range … Yep, age has something to do with it – tone deaf to hype and marketing. But then, I’ve only carried for 46 years; lots to learn yet.

  48. I’d still be packin’ a 1911 if it hadn’t been for my experience in a force – on -force class in which everyone with a 1911 airsoft forgot that it had a safety. So I carry a Glock 26. I hate the feel of the thing compared to the 1911. It feels like a brick. Only thing that feels better than the 1911 is a S&W J-frame revolver.

  50. I got a “new” old rifle from my older brother for my college graduation. Though I graduated in ’72 the rifle was manufactured in 1955 with a low serial number but was in new condition, appearing unfired. Several thousand rounds later through this Remington 740 .30-06 and having shot dozens of other rifles in between, this is still the single go-to rifle if I have an important shot to make. And although this is the carbine model of the 740 with an 18 1/2″ barrel, I have made clean 1 shot kills on northern mulies in excess of 850 yards and can consistently ring an 8″ plate at that distance. With my handloads I can regularly shoot sub-MOA groups, which makes me laugh whenever I hear people explaining why semi-autos are inherently inaccurate.

    I’m a fogey now and perhaps my rifle is too, but any rifle that shoots like this doesn’t need to be replaced.

Newer Comments »

Comments are closed.