Since I have both Glocks and 1911's I thought for what it's worth I'll throw my 2 cents in.. That was a good post Col. and I agree with most of what you said.
First the Glocks.. on the postive side,they are accurate, strong, easy to care for and maintain, easy to operate, and second only to 1911's in terms of avaiable accessories, and modifications. The overall winner of the Pa State IDPA Championship used a Glock 34. Cost is also a plus, the average Glock can be had at a much better price than the average 1911. On the down side.. I agree with the Col. on the reliablity issue. Glocks, as a general rule are extremely reliable, as long as your shooting the "right" ammo. Try some semi wadcutters or some other sharp shouldered bullet design and see just how quickly the Glock locks up. I have a G21, a G19 and just sold a G30 and all three of them acted this way with ammo they didn't like. Also, Glocks do not have fully supported chambers, not much of a problem with 9mm, but with .45 and especially the .40S&W, you must be careful when reloading or using "hot" factory ammo. I don't believe for one minute that Glocks are any more prone to KB'ing than any other pistol. But I have personally seen 2 G22's that KB'd during IPSC matches... in both cases the shooters were using hot reloads.. on the other hand I also know people who've fired thousands upons thousands of rounds in .40 cal Glocks without a hitch... just something you need to be aware of. Overall, the Glock is a reliable and accurate service pistol that will serve you well.
As for the 1911, I will again agree with Col. Colt in that the single action trigger is without a doubt the easiest to shoot both quickly and accurately. 1911's have more available options and accessories than any other pistol, anywhere. That means you can make the gun your own. The 1911 in the right hands is still, I believe the best platform for a combat or competiton pistol. As the Col. mentioned they are easier to conceal, at least as a general rule, and like Glock, maybe even more so than Glock, there are so many different models and configurations of 1911's, you'd be very hard pressed indeed to not find one that'd suit your needs. I also believe, just like the Col. mentioned, that a properly tuned 1911 is every bit as reliable as any other handgun, including revolvers. On the downside, the 1911 is not a beginners gun. If your not going to take time to learn it's "code of arms" then you should'nt use it as a carry or defensive pistol. That doesn't mean it's overly hard to operate, on the contray, I have a 14 year old daughter who handles the 1911 quite well. Just, it does take alittle dedication to "master" a 1911. And on the MIM parts, here's where the Col. and I see things a bit differently. I look at the MIM part breakage "scare" as another urban myth. The same general process that's used to MIM parts for pistols is used to make parts for jet engines. Are they as good as tool steel parts? of course not, but the MIM thing is way overblown in my humble opinion, probably started by people looking to make alittle extra cash changing out parts that really didn't need to be changed. I shoot an IDPA match just about every weekend, and between that and practice and whatever other shooting I get in.... I've seen exactly zero MIM parts break in the last 3 years.. I don't know, maybe your experience is different, but that's how I see it.
All that being said, its you who has to make the final decsion. As others have already mentioned, you should try to spend alittle time with both a Glock and a 1911 and see which one better suits your needs. Good luck with whichever you choose.. cheers !! mavrick
First the Glocks.. on the postive side,they are accurate, strong, easy to care for and maintain, easy to operate, and second only to 1911's in terms of avaiable accessories, and modifications. The overall winner of the Pa State IDPA Championship used a Glock 34. Cost is also a plus, the average Glock can be had at a much better price than the average 1911. On the down side.. I agree with the Col. on the reliablity issue. Glocks, as a general rule are extremely reliable, as long as your shooting the "right" ammo. Try some semi wadcutters or some other sharp shouldered bullet design and see just how quickly the Glock locks up. I have a G21, a G19 and just sold a G30 and all three of them acted this way with ammo they didn't like. Also, Glocks do not have fully supported chambers, not much of a problem with 9mm, but with .45 and especially the .40S&W, you must be careful when reloading or using "hot" factory ammo. I don't believe for one minute that Glocks are any more prone to KB'ing than any other pistol. But I have personally seen 2 G22's that KB'd during IPSC matches... in both cases the shooters were using hot reloads.. on the other hand I also know people who've fired thousands upons thousands of rounds in .40 cal Glocks without a hitch... just something you need to be aware of. Overall, the Glock is a reliable and accurate service pistol that will serve you well.
As for the 1911, I will again agree with Col. Colt in that the single action trigger is without a doubt the easiest to shoot both quickly and accurately. 1911's have more available options and accessories than any other pistol, anywhere. That means you can make the gun your own. The 1911 in the right hands is still, I believe the best platform for a combat or competiton pistol. As the Col. mentioned they are easier to conceal, at least as a general rule, and like Glock, maybe even more so than Glock, there are so many different models and configurations of 1911's, you'd be very hard pressed indeed to not find one that'd suit your needs. I also believe, just like the Col. mentioned, that a properly tuned 1911 is every bit as reliable as any other handgun, including revolvers. On the downside, the 1911 is not a beginners gun. If your not going to take time to learn it's "code of arms" then you should'nt use it as a carry or defensive pistol. That doesn't mean it's overly hard to operate, on the contray, I have a 14 year old daughter who handles the 1911 quite well. Just, it does take alittle dedication to "master" a 1911. And on the MIM parts, here's where the Col. and I see things a bit differently. I look at the MIM part breakage "scare" as another urban myth. The same general process that's used to MIM parts for pistols is used to make parts for jet engines. Are they as good as tool steel parts? of course not, but the MIM thing is way overblown in my humble opinion, probably started by people looking to make alittle extra cash changing out parts that really didn't need to be changed. I shoot an IDPA match just about every weekend, and between that and practice and whatever other shooting I get in.... I've seen exactly zero MIM parts break in the last 3 years.. I don't know, maybe your experience is different, but that's how I see it.
All that being said, its you who has to make the final decsion. As others have already mentioned, you should try to spend alittle time with both a Glock and a 1911 and see which one better suits your needs. Good luck with whichever you choose.. cheers !! mavrick
