[Ramjet]

Let's see....

Dad has one from his old West Point days and I only shot it once when I was a kid. Scared the crap out of me! It's ironic that Mom and Dad kept their firearms in the closet in their bedroom and my brothers and I would never have dreamed to go there at get one. No gun safe, no trigger locks. It was forbidden.

When I was 8 or 10, Mom and Dad got me a Johnny Eagle Lieutenant M14 and .45 toy pistol that I played "Armyman" in the woods with the neighborhood gang. Do kids do that anymore? Look on ebay how much these puppy's go for. Seessssh.

Now, 35 plus years later. I purchased my first M1911A1 (1944)last year. If you can love a inanimate object, this comes close.

I'm also a history buff with an intense interest in WW2. Especially aviation since I fly.
My wife and I have a library room in our house filled with subjects we are passionate about. I have some of the U.S. rifles of WW2 but I'm searching for the 03. Springfield next.
If you have a Garand or a Carbine and need to know something, I'm the guy to ask. I'm pretty dumb on the .45's so far and DSK is the guy to ask.

 

[M1991A1]

I like them because first of all they are Colts and in .45. But considering the contract makers also I still like them. The WWII history era is of great fascination to me. I can't seem to stop watching the History Channel because of this! I like to think I know alot about WWII and all the weapons used by both sides, especially the US. I like to think I know alot about the 1911 and its many variants. And I'm learning more and more everyday on here. I've learned more in a few months on these gun related forums than in the past couple of years just reading magazines. I used to have a '43 Colt 'A1 and hope to get another one here soon to make up for gettin' rid of the first one. I do love just lookin' at these pistols and thinkin' of where they have been and all that they have done. Maybe they have taken lives, maybe not. Thats the fascination about these old pistols. I do still have a wartime produced Walther PPK in .32. It has the Nazi proofs and acceptance markings on it. Its still in excellent shape, shoots ungodly accurately. The best part, in a morbid kind of way, are the blood stains it has on the right side of the slide. I used to think of how the Nazi owner probably was wounded or killed and this PPK managed to find its way to the US with a G.I. But I had a friend of my ex who said it could just as easily be from shooting a Jew in the back of the head. Hey, I know this is a horrible think for someone to say, and it made me pretty pissed when she said it. But it could be true, I just tend not to think about it that way. Unfortunately, horrible things like this are a part of our world's past, and we must remember them so we can try and prevent it from ever happening again.

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"They all fall to hardball!"

 

[dsk]

I like 'em because they're the real thing. No other explanation needed.

 

[Ramjet]

Awww..gee dsk, I was expecting some kind of eloquent story from you. Not just a single sentence

I can add to mine.

During WW2 I was flying my Eurcoupe at 30,000 feet when I was jumped by four ME-109's hell bent on knocking me out of the sky. No matter how I turned, weaved or rolled, they had the jump on me and no amount of speed was going to pull Ramjet out of this mess.
I shot my last burst of 50 cal into the engine of one ME-109 and he started to flame. That left only three Germans and me without any ammo.

But inside my cockpit, in my leather shoulder was my trusty .45 with four mags of ammo.

I pushed my Plexiglas canopy back, rolled my Eurcoupe on its back and lined up on the tail of number three ME-109. He didn't see me but felt the sting of .45 cal shells filling his cockpit. He starts to smoke and falls away. ME-109 number two sees this and in alarm dives away.

The German flight leader lines up on me and with a quick burst put my engine cooler on red alert. Two seconds later my engine seizes and I roll on my back to hit the silk.

I drop like a brick and pop my chute. The jolt causes my two remaining full mags to fall to earth. That just leaves me with the seven in my .45.

The flight leader executes the most beautiful Cuban eight I have ever seen and aims his 20mm nose cannon right for my forehead as I swing helplessly in my parachute.

What he hasn't counted on is my 1911A1 .45 Colt and with careful aim and allowing for deflection I empty my clip into the oncoming flight leader. The hardballs blow off the spinner and a tip to his three bladed prop, which causes his engine to vibrate so badly that he can't get a shot at me.

By this time, I'm in the trees and I see the flight leader waggle his wings and head for home.

 

[225ACP]

I assume you were flying a P-51 Ramjet my Moms dad flew those. He retired from Luke AFB in Phoenix. My dads dad flew B-17's. The P-51 was the only liquid cooled engine of the era,so I knew thats what you were flying. Good story and just when I thought the GI45 was limited to ground duty.

 

[dsk]

Sorry, I would've said more but I'm at work right now and closing out when somebody stops by.

Speaking of using the M1911A1 in the anti-aircraft mode, anybody here heard the story of the Zero shot down by one?

 

[225ACP]

Yea DSK thats where my story comes in. Back in 1984 we were flying a sortie. I was wingman in an F-14 Tomcat. My lead one Major. Vinny Voom Bots said continue loose formation flight just as Hawkeye reported bogies near the task force group. Vector 219 for the bogies task force. Roger that Hawkeye vectoring 219 and decreasing speed to 515 knots for 3 minute intercept at 4,500 feet. As we neared the Mig 21's we notice at the same time both aircraft were not loaded with live 30mm ammo in cannons and missiles were pinned to racks. Damn those mechanics. Anyway I got the idea to shoot them down with my trusty hidden 1911 45. I raised the speed brake decreasing speed to 185 knots, lowered flaps, hook, landing gear. I then motored canopy open and wind chill and blast caused me to shake fearcly. I aimed my trusty 1911 and fired a couple rounds. When Carrier Tower Control came on and said. So guys how is the drill going and at what point did you realize you had no weapons? I called back Bravo one this is Tomcat 317 I will confirm aircraft shot down is zero. Oops

 

[Dave Severns]

Let's see:
Authentic
American
Legendary
Military
.45ACP
Handgun
Yeah, that ought to do it.

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Make It Hot!

 

[dsk]

You know, I think a lot of people would agree with me that these things come in phases. In my youth I could only think of getting one just like my dad's commercial Colt. Once that need was satisfied I figured I had to have the ultimate custom carry pistol. That was the expensive part of my phase. Lots of money invested in guns that were worth no more than a stock gun come trade-in time. Then I migrated back to the "less-is-more" theory and began carrying and shooting commercial guns that were mil-spec in appearance. Finally, I decided if mil-spec is what I like then TRUE mil-spec is what I should be looking for. Now I have guns that are truly GI, truly expensive, and which sit in the safe all day because they're too nice to shoot. So I now just went and got a beater GI. Ooooooonto the next phase...

Oh, somewhere in there was a very brief love affair with hi-cap 1911's. I say "brief" because the stupid heavy thing wanted to pull my pants down all the time...

[This message has been edited by dsk (edited 01-07-2001).]

 

[ociebell]

I suppose we all worship different graven images and entertain ourselves with childike fantasies to some degree or another. I am guilty too