Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “Ayoob: The 1911 at War” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/ayoob-the-1911-at-war/.
Ayoob: The 1911 at War
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Annihilator
Hellion
Pretty good article, thanks Mike
Annihilator
Hellion
1911 is, has been, and will remain a fantastic pistol for self defense. Say what you will, big, heavy and slow will do the job, even with ball ammo. Always has/always will. Many wax eloquent about the 9 and “improved ammunition” making it somehow equal-never mentioning the same “improvements” apply to other calibers as well. As has been said, a nine may expand, a .45 will never shrink. I usually carry a 9, but only because it’s a smaller, lighter piece. If I knew, without doubt, that I’d need to use a handgun for SD, the caliber would be .45, the pistol a 1911.
HayesGreener
SAINT
Love those SIGS
Jester: You may laugh, but I'm 71.5 years old, and served in the Navy as an Aviation Machinist's Mate at the USNAS Whidbey Island in VAQ 129 beginning in 1974 during the final days of the Vietnam Conflict. Our Marine Guards carried the 1911A1 at the gate and in the brig. I was working on the J52-P-408 Pratt and Whitney engines on the EA6B "Prowler" (Tactical Electronic Attack Warfare) aircraft. VAQ 129 is a Returning Air Group (RAG) Squadron that trains pilots for carrier duty.
The "tunnel rats" in Southeast Asia used the 1911A1 to great effect along with the rest of the ground troops.
Older & Uglier
Alpha
My father's brother was with Patton during part of World War II. Very little was ever spoken about his combat experiences around my brother and me. My father once commented on a letter he received from his brother. This was during the Battle of the Bulge. My uncle said in the letter (this might be a quote or paraphrase), "I never expected to put to use the pistol training I received during ROTC." I never heard any amplification or further comments about that statement.
Running Mystic
Alpha
"Congressional" Medal of Honor. There is no such animal. It's a mistake journalists have been making, likely since the Medal of Honor was established during the Civil War.
Welcome to the 1899 Philippine-American War. Upon adopting the 1911 (before The Great War), they couldn't make enough of the pistols. A nice DA/SA single-stack pistol in the venerable .45 ACP would still work.
ValorTrooper
Alpha
Great article and proper emphasis on the use of the 1911 pistol in the military. Assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment with service in Vietnam, I carried my 1911 while assigned to the tank company and later to the recon troop. My life and survival was in part dependent on my use of this pistol in combat. 11 January 1969 involved an ambush by NVA regular army soldiers which was a battle that included effective use of the 1911 pistol. More information regarding this battle available on the MOH website. Needless to say I am a strong supporter of the 1911 pistol.
Attachments
Welcome home, blood!
We'll never forget. Those SOBs were hard and relentless. Praise God Almighty, you made it back. While a lot of the older 1911 pistols were a bit "clapped out", most were in fine shape and served well in Southeast Asia.
May God be with you, brother.
While I have some 9mm pistols for economical practice, including a Wilson Combat, my concealed carry units are always 1911 .45ACP, with heavy, 230 grain loads.
Even with the quality 9mm ammo police use today, seeing repetitive, poor performance in firefights, makes the .45 look better all the time.
Even with the quality 9mm ammo police use today, seeing repetitive, poor performance in firefights, makes the .45 look better all the time.
By all that's good and Holy, the .45 ACP still works. My father was a Boatswain's Mate 1st Class, sailor. Underwater Demolition Team/Navy Rifle Team kept telling me the old 1911s he ran across were generally "clapped out" from constant use.
A good 1917 .45 AutoRim/ACP Smith & Wesson revolver would get the job done. (Dad had one with a 7" barrel).
Never been in combat but always knew there was a reason why the 1911 was and is still in service with the US Military, albeit in a limited specialist role. My brother had a 1911A1 in the 90's and I was always intimidated by the locked and locked condition 1 carry. For my 50th birthday in 2021 I purchased a commander length 1911 with night sights, bobbed grip for concealed carry and checkering on the front and rear of the grip with VZ grips G10 grips, ambi safety and forward slide serrattuons. As it turns out this pistol is a point and shoot dream, and is legal in all 50 states for magazine capacity. It is my favorite carry pistol as while more rounds are considered "better", bigger holes in a target that you hit get the job done.