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Ayoob: Why I Don’t Want a Custom 1911

He is correct. I own a Les Baer 1911, the realization of a lifelong dream to have the Ultimate, to me anyway, 1911. But the prospect of it sitting in an evidence locker rusting away while the legal side is sorted out after the, Heaven Forbid, justifiable defensive shooting occurs leaves me cold. A Springfield Armory Mil Spec was my carry gun for years for that very reason, knocking the Colt Gold Cup off my hip. The Mil Spec has good sights, livable trigger and everything else I required in a defensive firearm and nothing I didn't need. Back in the day, I carried a Colt Gold Cup because it was throated by Colt to feed 185 grain semi wadcutter target loads. Which meant it fed the hollow points of the day. For a kid just out of school, a custom pistol was a far off dream but the Colt, while expensive, was within reach. (I can close my eyes and still smell the Ramen Noodles)
 
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I carry a fourth-generation Glock. God forbid it should ever end up in the Evidence Locker but if it does, so what? It's a Glock there's a million more just like it.

All that said I don't do handguns with manual safeties. I seem to remember a long long time ago Dan Wesson made a 1911 that was chambered in .40 Smith & Wesson.

If I could ever find one of those and afford it I would buy that in a heartbeat but I'd never carry it.
 
Ha Ha. That is the Generational Gap. I finally went to a Glock 19 as a daily carry gun because of my Cop buddies. I resisted because I didn't shoot it quite as well as my good ol' 1911, but it was close enough. And it had over twice as many bullets. And it would not rust. And it could be run almost dry, lubrication wise. It was a superior pistol by any reasonable measure. Still when I drew it I swept down the non-existing safety. I thought that would change over time. Nope. Today, with my low risk lifestyle, I am generally armed with a Sig 1911 Fastback in .357 SIG because I am loving that caliber. But sometimes when my back is bothering me, it is a Scandium S&W 1911 Commander length with an Ed Brown Barrel fitted by Bill Lauthridge at Cylinder and Slide and slicked up. Or a Sig 365 XL with a Holosun and a manual safety. It was my first straight trigger pistol and I like it. It replaced my RMR Glock because it had the sweep down to fire safety. I grew up with it. My Ruger standard model 22 pistol at age 9 or 10 was a sweep down to fire. I can't fight my muscle memory.
 
I can’t help myself, I’m going to comment. I had, as an SSG/Army in the ‘70’s, a 1911 and was happy for it. I loved that SA trigger. And I was fairly well trained. But, I am however going to disagree a bit with the 1911 Adulation Society which according to my sisters boyfriend, is akin to heresy (Navy; Masterchief). As a discount to my opinion I will admit to being left handed, and the 1911 safety was not designed for my 10+% of the population, but as you see, they let us serve anyway. But I didn’t like the M16 either, preferring my M14, having been brought up in the “hit what you’re aiming at” ethic and of course in Vietnam, no one aimed; city kids you know. The new AR pattern rifles are way better.
120 years ago, the 1911 was a great gun and still is; not to say that it couldn’t be improved as nearly every gun and cartridge has been. So, improve it.
Today, we don’t have an experience-rich cadre of pistol owners anymore, although the author certainly is and for him, his observations are great; I also bet he’s right handed and the R thumb could easily hit the safety. Me as a lefty: no. I can work around the mag release and the slide lock just fine but not the safety. Getting back to the vast untrained group who are shooting at ranges, pistols need safeties for that hazy gap between combat engagement and wandering around with one in your belt. If you keep a pistol for home defense, there are several steps between waking up fuzzy eyed and engagement; you need a safety.
Another point; DA/SA is a form of safety. I have DA/SA .45 with ambi decocker/safety. Both those together provide a buffer between fuzzy-eyed belt carried piece and actual firing, which comforts me that wife or my 30 year old aren’t going to forget trigger discipline and shoot me. Accidentally that is.
 
Winchester67 said:
Ha Ha. That is the Generational Gap. I finally went to a Glock 19 as a daily carry gun because of my Cop buddies. I resisted because I didn't shoot it quite as well as my good ol' 1911, but it was close enough. And it had over twice as many bullets. And it would not rust. And it could be run almost dry, lubrication wise. It was a superior pistol by any reasonable measure. Still when I drew it I swept down the non-existing safety. I thought that would change over time. Nope. Today, with my low risk lifestyle, I am generally armed with a Sig 1911 Fastback in .357 SIG because I am loving that caliber. But sometimes when my back is bothering me, it is a Scandium S&W 1911 Commander length with an Ed Brown Barrel fitted by Bill Lauthridge at Cylinder and Slide and slicked up. Or a Sig 365 XL with a Holosun and a manual safety. It was my first straight trigger pistol and I like it. It replaced my RMR Glock because it had the sweep down to fire safety. I grew up with it. My Ruger standard model 22 pistol at age 9 or 10 was a sweep down to fire. I can't fight my muscle memory.
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Ah never took the knee to the Austrian Plastic Fantastic and still don't own one... Shot em and can say they shoot just fine and right out of the box. In my case as everyone gave up their .357 magnum wheel guns, for the 9mm S&W 659 (Glocks were still a naw factor, because of the plastic at that time). Heard Hollywood claimed it was metal detector proof, lol.

I went to the S&W 645, as the 9mm appeared to hit like a .38 short to me. Later carried a Sig 220 for a short time. Resisted the .40 S&W craze but saw it as a nice round. Just was concerned about getting mixed up in ammo cans with the .45 acp during training and then mixing with issue .45 acp ammo and it did... Found .40 S&W rounds in the .45 mags during inspections, plus the occasional officer getting one to fire in the 45 on the range. No crisis, but interesting knowing the average PO-PO doesn't know much about firearms and the rounds looked the same to them.

All said, I would say I got weak and ended up with a polymer HK USP in .45, as it became issue and found well, great pistol. There is now a FN Tactical taking the Home Gun assignment. However, in the end there are more 1911s and hate to say it 2011 (yes in 9mm) sharing space in the safe. Somehow a little Italy beauty (steel) 95X slipped in as well, due to mag capacities, always felt that was needed due to it being "9mm". Sharing speed duties all tricked out for that task.

Funny part is the 1911 (long slide) in 45 acp, with iron sights, is only 3/10s of a second slower on a five-target challenge. So yeah, the 1911 still holds its own over 115 years later or I am slower with all those rounds in the 9mm mag...:rolleyes:
 
I don’t disagree with Mr Ayoob but I also get both sides of the argument.
On one hand if a custom 1911 saved my life not sure if I can put a price.

However as a realist outside a competition and target shooting a Wilson Combat 1911 is not going to make enough of a difference iver my SA Operator or a Colt Competition 1911 in how real shootings go.

It’s more about the driver than what gets driven!
 
The Night Rider said:
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I carry a fourth-generation Glock. God forbid it should ever end up in the Evidence Locker but if it does, so what? It's a Glock there's a million more just like it.

All that said I don't do handguns with manual safeties. I seem to remember a long long time ago Dan Wesson made a 1911 that was chambered in .40 Smith & Wesson.

If I could ever find one of those and afford it I would buy that in a heartbeat but I'd never carry it.
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It’s sad that the competition has flew by after Glock started. Personally I rather trust a M&P over a Glock or if CZ made more affordable guns like the P series then I be more of a CZ fanboy.
 
In defense of Mas, what is your safety worth? The safety of your family? If the Wilson Combat 1911 gives you an edge, no matter how small, wouldn't you pay it? You are guilty of dereliction of duty if you did anything less than 100% to keep your family safe. Screw it. I am carrying the Les Baer from now on. It gives me the half of a percent better than the Glock 19. It is my duty to use the best.
 
Winchester67 said:
In defense of Mas, what is your safety worth? The safety of your family? If the Wilson Combat 1911 gives you an edge, no matter how small, wouldn't you pay it? You are guilty of dereliction of duty if you did anything less than 100% to keep your family safe. Screw it. I am carrying the Les Baer from now on. It gives me the half of a percent better than the Glock 19. It is my duty to use the best.
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Also should add training and how our set firearm works. Yes going to a range helps with confidence and doing drills with the set firearm.
 
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