After months of carrying one or another Glock, I recently went back to my old favorite 1911 .45 for a while, if only because I missed it. It’s not just about tradition and nostalgia. It’s about habituation, too. I’ve been shooting Glocks off and on for 25 years…but I’ve been shooting 1911s for more than half a century. A hoary cliché seems appropriate here: “It fits like the handshake of an old friend.”
Do you ever find yourself putting the modern, high-efficiency firearm back in the safe or the gun case, and heading out to the range or the field with something more “traditional” instead?
Skipping over the high-tech, minute of angle hunting rifle for something like an old Winchester ’94 or a Savage ’99?
Deciding to take an old double-barrel shotgun bird hunting instead of an ultra-light, more “sensible” autoloader?
Strapping on a six-shooter instead of a state of the art semiautomatic pistol because…well, just because, dammit?
Your thoughts on this are solicited.
I’m very envious of those who have a large collection of firearms to choose from for carry because I also admire the beauty and engineering that went into the creation of them all.
However, I prefer to own only a few similar guns (all Sigs); one for concealed carry, one for open carry and one for the home with a light attached which allows me to be more proficient and feel more comfortable with the firearm, should I ever have to use it.
Since I will most likely have less than 2 seconds to access/draw and present my weapon, I think that time would be better spent assessing the situation than fumbling or thinking about which brand/model/features/gotchas I happen to have in my hand at the time.
I never carry it, for reasons that I hope are obvious, but I have an Italian replica Colt SAA that I cannot get over. Honestly, I seldom shoot it. But every time I think about selling it, I can’t bring myself to do it. There’s something about the heft, the solidity, the click-click-SNAP when you cock and dry-fire it. It just screams HISTORY and AMERICA at me, and I oil it, put it back in the case, and move on. Maybe it’s all those old cowboy movies I watched as a kid…
There is a lot of value to “getting back to basics”. I’m sure your readers on Backwoods Home understand this better than most.
The 1911 is my preferred carry. The Glocks, XD’s, M&P’s, etc. (all of which I own) are great guns…but they never gave me the fit, ergonomics or the (dare I say it) confidence that the 1911 platform gives me. The only thing that comes close is my 4″ 586 that was made in ’82. Yes, I still make it a point to carry that at least once a month.
As for rifles, I will pick up either of my Marlin’s (both 1895 models…one in .357 and one in .44 Mag) for casual shooting or “just to have” with me on a trip. Generally, I will match up the rifle with it’s wheel gun counterpart (586 with my blued Marlin .357 or 686 with my stainless Marlin .44). Yes, I like to match my rifle with my handgun…
The “latest and greatest” usually are quite good. I’m happy for the advances in technology. I’m happy for the modern incarnations and I’m happy for the hardware advancement in our sport.
That said, I tell all my students the same thing…”Guns are like shoes. You have to find one that fits you well. All the stats and the Internet/Gun-Magazine talk means nothing if it doesn’t fit you.”
Not long I keep a loaded model 94 by the bed.
Despite owning a very nice 12 gauge 18″ barrel pump action shotgun, I have been considering an 18″ coach-style (“hammerless”) double-barrel for home defense. Why?
As I pointed out to Number One Son, the double-barrel is the ultimate point-and-click interface. You point, and you click. There’s no reloading mechanisms to jam, and your only worry is a misfire. Two shots should give me time to get to the gun locker to get to the “big guns”, at which point Milady can switch from her pistol to the double-barrel or a rifle.
Stoeger’s current coach guns really tempt me. The only thing I don’t like for self-defense is the “automatically on” safety feature. That would be the first thing to *cough* quit working on a gun I owned.
I find that my 1987 CZ-75 is the “modern” gun I choose most often. I have newer, but that CZ has some soul to it. I can also comfortably and reliably get multiple shots on target either strong or weak handed with it.
I find that my trusty old 30-30 Marlin lever gun is what I like carrying in the woods more than anything else. Lots of families were fed with one… figure it’ll do me just fine.
all the time. put the glock back in the safe a couple months ago, pulled out the s&w 649. it feels good, it carries good, reliable, and it was plenty of power for law enforcement for many years, so it’s a great carry piece. took out the m1 carbine last week, and smiled all afternoon shooting it. i also like that it’s an actual piece of history.
I find that “traditional” is relative. I’m now in my mid-forties and I cut my teeth on a P226 back in 1987; so for me that’s a more traditional piece than Glock and the like. But since I didn’t start shooting until the rise of the ‘wonder nines”, my frame of reference for traditional is very different from those who have been shooting much longer.
In January of this year I went back to the SIG P series platform after packing and shooting a G19 exclusively for about four years. Not only did it feel like a reunion with an old friend but I’ll be dammed if I don’t shoot much better with it.
Now when it comes to hunting shotguns, I started with a double and I’ll go out with one. Why any one would want to hunt with a repeater escapes me. 🙂
Am still a fairly new shooter. My first pistol was an S&W459 purchased as a used gun about 1998. Used a few times, it was then put away during more than a decade of caring for our elders. Only in the last 6 months have I resumed target shooting. Have since purchased a couple of revolvers (Ruger LCR and a Taurus Judge), as well as a Glock 17pistol. Do not enjoy the glock, nearly as much as my old S&W. Recently ordered a Ruger P59, over a more “modern” style Ruger, S&W, or other Glock. The Ruger seems a more “old fashioned” gun. In checking out rifles, a Ruger 10/22 and a Henry lever action 22. The Henry wins hands down. There is definately something “better” about these older style guns.
Sir, I agree. I enjoy 1911’s and really like Colt. Currently I have with me my HK p30(ok its not a 1911), if I had standard 1911A1, I would have no problem carrying with me. All to often simple is best.
Sir, I really want to shake your hand someday. And to learn something.
Eh, yeah, kinda. For me, it generally just depends on the situation.
I use an old(er) Rossi sxs 12 gauge (left barrel full choke, right barrel modified) for bird hunting- for three reasons: 1) I don’t have to worry about that stupid tube capacity thing in case a warden comes by, 2) external hammers and two triggers = shooting fun and 3) it’s a danged good scatter-gun overall and I always get my limit with it.
When I travel I always take a Glock (21, 17, and/or 19) with me, but my “garrison gun” (for use whenever in my home town area) is a 1911 (in .45 ACP, of course). The higher reliability and mag capacity of the Glock is quite a comfort for me when I’m away from home.
My trunk gun is an Ishy Enfield in .308, kept there because it’s relatively cheap (in case, God forbid, it gets stolen), shoots great (200yrd shots at a 16″ gong can be hit off-hand easily), and is potent. I mainly keep it there in the possible-but-unlikely case I have to perform the role of a Mark Allen Wilson (RIP) versus the next David Hernandez Arroyo Sr (probably burning in hell right now), or some similar happening.
Oh yeah, and sometimes I do carry a Security-Six instead of the Glock or 1911, just because. =)
I much prefer my SP-101 or S&W 696 to my M&Pc.40. Something about a wheelgun that gets me excited, polymer elicits no such effects on my soul. Wheelguns just point so much more naturally for me.
After many years of procrastination, I finally attended a CHL class yesterday. In Texas, if one uses a revolver to take the proficiency portion of the class, the issued permit restricts one to only revolvers for concealed carry. These days I am a confirmed wheelgun user, although I have owned and used an assortment of semiautos over the decades. Therefore, I borrowed a 1911 from one of my associates and found myself falling back into my old bowling pin competition days. It was loads of fun to revisit an old friend, and I easily outshot the kids with their “modern” 9s and 40s.
When I get the license, rather than some new fancy schmancy auto, I will most often travel around with my old faithful Colt Detective Special .38 spl. It really is the operator, not the equipment.
I found myself at the range with my Swiss K31 the other day would be the closest I could claim lately, very different feel than what I came up on in the millitary.
Occasionally I will take something old to change things up, but for me I want to carry the best tool for the job.
I don’t understand the desire to carry something just to carry it.
Occasionally I carry something small because I have decided either the risk of needing it is so small that I can carry something more comfortable or that the risks associated with being caught carrying are high enough to warrant a small gun.
However, I would never carry something bigger and heavier, with lower capacity or a less familiar manual of arms than another gun that meets my needs.
I just don’t like the feel of a Glock or one of its cousins. I only carry a 1911 in .45 or, in summer, a .38 snubby.
You know me Mas…the Glock is my “go to ” but I do find myself carrying my lightweight commander from time to time, and competing with a 1911 sometimes too! I just feel like i’m cheating on my Glock when I take another precious out 😉 Much love…Bubba
When Wisconsin elected Scott Walker as it’s Governor, I went out and celebrated by purchasing a Kimber 1911. There is just something about a 1911 that is almost magical. I instantly fell in love with the thing. It has since become my primary CC gun. Occasionally, I’ll switch over to my Springfield XD9 Subcompact if the situation demands it. I know, I know, other guns can carry more ammo and weigh less, yadda, yadda, yadda, however, however, I just feel better with the 1911 on my hip.
The same goes with my hunting shotgun. For years I’ve carried a Remington 870 Wingmaster when out for grouse. Last year, though, I finally found a very nice, affordable, SxS double and it has become my weapon of choice for the uplands.
Why would I forsake modern technology for its antique brethren? Why, it’s just as you said Mas…because!
I carried the Kel-Tec 9’s for a while, but have gone back to a J-frame; that simplicity and reliability (especially if I were injured/weakened) thing.
I do indeed. Sometimes there’s a comfort factor in something that just feels good in your hand, shoots well for you every time, and carries well. For me, that’s been an early 80’s Model 38 (the original bodyguard). That and a 2nd generation S&W 459. Big, heavier than poly, not “modern” or flash-wiz pretty but has never had a hiccup of any kind whatsoever.
Took my WWII era M1 Garand (from CMP) to the range yesterday along with my latest AR that I built for 3-gun competitions. Main reason was that a friend was bringing his newly change and scoped topped AR to do some longer range work getting ready for a match and bringing his son. Neither had ever fired an M1 Garand, which to my mind was a shame!
Even with our newly built ARs there, what rifle was fired first? The Garand, and last? The Garand! From the bench I started with hitting out to the 400 yard gong and at the end of the day finished up hitting the 12 inch plate at 300yds from prone 2 of 4 shots. Then we all finished with hitting the 300yd gong offhand unsupported. I bet CMP will be getting an order or two soon.
The ARs were of course great, but that old M1 brought just as many smiles, if not more. On the other hand, have to say my carry guns tend to be plastic anymore. I compete with a Glock a lot, another version just feels right in my holster.
I did that, then undid it. Bought a 4″ 1911, invested time and money on a firecontrol group, extractor, grips, mags and holster. Then I bought a Glock 26 because I looked at my family, looked at the criminal attacks in my local papers and most of them were unsolved but involved multiple attackers. I added up how many double taps were in a 1911 and the Glock and as much as I love the 1911 it came up short compared to the Glock with 12 round magazines.
Actually, for me it’s the other way around. Usually I carry a .45 1911 (Kimber Pro) but every now and then strap on a Springfield XDm or Glock. I feel that the 1911 conceals easier for me and allows me a greater variety in what I wear.
Yessir, sure do.
I carry a Kimber Raptor at work, instead of the issue Glock 22, because my Sheriff allows it, and it just feels right to me. I’ve carried 1911’s as a CCW for the last 25 years. Other than the Browning Hi Power, it feels better in my hand than just about any other gun.
When I first returned to work after a 16 month hiatus due to injuries sustained in a vehicle accident, I carried a Model 19-3 in a Bianchi X-15. Got a lot of “old school” comments, and not a few odd looks. But it carried easy.
I just don’t sweat the hi-cap arguments. I think, and this is just my opinion, that the advent of hi-cap service pistols has been a leading factor in the “spray and pray” mentality.
I went to a five shot smith in 357. Just because .
Carried a auto for years. No real answer for why I changed.
Im a new.shooter and legally armed citizen. I carry my Commander length Bobtail 1911 because It feels better in hand conceals well enough.And I’m most accurate with it over my M&p it has proven to be just as reliable as most DanWesson are…
These days I just miss being able to legally carry in my area of residence. NYC carry laws being what they are, irregardless of whether you work for the coty or not.
Mas,
like you I got my first 1911 as a teenager, long, long time ago :<). It's unfortunate I cannot find a concealed rig I'm comfortable with because the 1911 .45 is up to the job, nothing else to discuss, period.
For concealed I carry either my S&W "J" on my belt or my .380 in my iwb or ankle rig, depending on how loose my trouser legs are.
Kinda tough trying to hide the old 1911.
Maybe someday we'll get open carry here…
I bought all of my firearms because I liked them and wanted to carry and shoot them – I’ve tried to accomplish that over the years, but worry about trying to spread out too far and end up without enough proficiency if and when the time should ever come that I need to use one. It’s not an easy thing to balance, but, i try to practice more with my carry piece, and hope i never have to use it.
I carry a 1960s era Charter Arms 38 90% of the time and a Sigma 40 VE in the winter. 870 shotgun and a 94 in 30/30 and 760 30-06.
Mas,
I completely understand and relate to the article. Sometimes there is no substitute for good ol’ wood and steel in a rifle. I suspose it is a connection to a different time. One with good memories or to something that is comforting….just because it feels right.
Tom
I often migrate back to browning hi Powers and or S&W third gens.
A selection of carry guns can be a nice problem to have! Which one, which one. But I think most important will be what gun can you use with the most proficiency? Which gun do you know inside out, in the dark? I too cut teeth on 1911s, but for the most part I’m all about small revolvers due to user friendliness & reliability.
Which gun have you developed the highest level of skills with?
Interesting you should write this just now. I just pulled an old S&W Model 15 2″ out of it’s normal resting place found the Bianchi holster that it was paired with and have been carrying it for the last few weeks. For me it’s just spending time with an old friend. I spoke with another old friend a couple of months back. I asked Reeves Jungkind what he was carrying these days and he told me it was a Sig in town and an old S&W Mod 25 in 45LC when he’s on the ranch.
I have a Series 70 Mk IV I bought off a Corpsman in my unit before I left the Corps in 1983, I have a Browning Hi-Power 9mm, purchased in 1977, and my favorite shooter is a S&W Model 19 .357, inherited when my father passed on. I really like all three. I purchased a S&W M&P .45 acp for my son when he turned 23 after he graduated from college. He now lives and works in the quagmire of Washington D.C., so the pistol is here at home. I didn’t want him to go through the hassle nor have any problems. His is a good pistol, but I still prefer the older weapons. But the M&P has its’ pluses and is also very quick and easy to break down for cleaning.
Rifles, M1 Garand, and a Mak 90-Chicom, and a Chicom SKS, but the Garand is tops, once you shoot it, you get hooked. All time favorite are Winchesters, Inherited an 1873 w/ 30″ Octangal barrel, and a .30-30 1894 Saddle Ring Carbine, good shooter, but needs some parts. Have an 1892 Rifle that my dream is to restore.
I shoot to enjoy, late father built flintocks (really getting back to basics), have three that he built, one is beautiful. I also enjoy archery.
I only care about having my weapons ready when I need them rather than need them and not have any. Most of them work, and if I have to defend home and family that is what matters most.
I practice with what I may someday be allowed to carry in Illinois…A Para Ordnance .45 Stainless Longslide. One heavy gun to carry, but at 20 yards I can consistently put 5 shots into a 1 1/2″ hole with factory ammo. Nothing like a 1911 that shoots like that.
I live in the middle of nowhere, and for some aspects of my lifestyle, getting dirt and juniper berries in a carry firearm is a real concern. In that situation, definitely carry a revolver. I fell in love with the first Savage 99 I saw, but can’t see taking one anywhere because, again, it seems too easy to jam it up with dirt and juniper berries, when compared to a detachable magazine bolt action.
One of my Glocks is my first choice, weather permitting here on the Texas Gulf Coast. Last year, my girlfriend bought me a SIG M1911 Scorpion, and I have carried it a couple of times. It often goes with me in the Jeep when we’re going somewhere, along with a S&W lightweight in .38 for carry in summer. As for rifles, my SKS carbine that I bought for $90 about 15 years ago is still my all-time favorite rifle, since I can’t afford an M14.
The 4″ model 66 seems to always be my first choice for carry. Sometimes a 1911. The tactical 870 sits in the safe and the Stoeger coach gun is close at hand.
I have lots of more modern options to choose from, but always end up in the same place. I don’t know for sure why, but there is something reassuring about those guns.
Springfield Armory Lightweight Commander 1911, .45ACP, all the time. I like it, I can conceal it, I can shoot it, and I trust it. The end.
Hi from South Africa…
I have a 3″ Taurus .357, and have owned it for nigh on 25 years. It is my carry of choice, and well it does just “fit like a glove”
I had access to various “wonder nines” as a shooting instructor during my time in our Air Force, but the pistol bug just never bit me.
I’ve always just loved the .357, and particularly the 3″ barrel on my Taurus.
I understand what you mean,Mas. I’ve kidded with you more than once about those plastic guns. I have and carry some myself. But you know how I love my 1911s. They just fit the hand so well. Some skeptics poo poo that but it’s true. Plastic and stainless have a place but being a traditionalist at heart there’s nothing quite like blued steel and nice wood. Got more soul.
I did pick up a wheel gun last week. Got a good price on a really nice 4″ GP 100 that my gun guy got in used, too bad they don’t come in blue.
My main Carry-Gun is a Glock 23 (40 cal) / While hunting, I carry an old S&W 44. mag mountain Gun. / Fast trip to town, I carry an LC9 by Ruger (9mm.) But my Old stand-by, is a S&W mod 60 357 mag. / Range-Fun…I shoot an WW-2 M1 Garand, and a WW-2 M1 30. cal carbine. Also if I can find Cheap-ammo, I break-out the AK 47. I do agree with what the other people on here said about the M1 Garand; It’s One Fun gun to shoot, And it will turn Heads when you take it out of it’s case, at the Range. NOTE: A little on the Fun-side, A young AK. state Trooper asked me not long ago, Why I’m carrying Two pistols, I said Because I didn’t have a Hand-Grenade ! Wishing All a Great Day on the Range (Or where ever you shoot).
Here on the farm in Kentucky, I find revolvers suit my needs better than autoloaders because I can load a round or two of snake shot. Thus my S&W Model 65 and 637 are always nearby in case I suddenly encounter a timber rattler (as I did at my mother’s house two years ago) or if I need to discourage a stray dog.
For larger stuff, I still like my Marlin 336 and Win 94 better than an AR or AK. I’m a lefty, and autoloading rifles tend to throw brass in my face.
Colt M1911 is my sidearm of choice. For rifles, the M1 Garand, M14, M1903, or Lee-Enfield suit me. Call me old fashioned, but I’ve owned and later sold my Glock and AR.
I carry a Kimber daily and have never felt under armed.
Absolutely straping on an old friend is something I do frequently. To add to that, the only time I would shoot my revolvers is when I was being too lazy to pick up brass. Thats all changed now for we are holding ICORE matches being a affiliated club of ICORE monthly and what a blast shooting ICORE and knocking the dust off the revolver.
I own a few “modern” guns, a S&W 9mm and a Sig P220, but when it comes to what I like to carry, on the ranch, it’s my Ruger GP100 always and when I venture into town, more often than not, it’s my 1911A1. It just feels right.
I’m a bit old fashioned I guess. I came of age at a time when the fleet navy still carried .45s, M-14s and 12 gauge shotguns. That’s what I carried into Desert Storm. When I worked for a sheriff’s department I carried first a S&W686 and then my most favorite S&W model 29. I have added a 4 inch 1911 back into my toolbox with the hopes that one day Illinois finally gains some sense and allows me to protect myself outside of my house.
I have never even held a Glock, let alone fired one. To be honest I really have no desire. Tradition is more than just a word for me. If it works stick with it and the old timer weapons work perfectly for me.
I do not have G.A.S.(gun acquisition syndrome) and no budget anyway. So I shoot what I have. But I do have lots of great friends with a nice variety of guns they let me shoot. The 1911 would be my favorite gun that I don’t own. The M-1 Carbine is another favorite of mine.