That would highly depend on the 1911...one made to actual drawing spec shooting ammo for which designed from a magazine with feed lips to spec is a mighty reliable machine, and the military tested the 1911 numerous times in its service life and nothing ever came close that they ever tested as a replacement. The problems today are sloppy guns and magazines modified to feed hollowpoints. On my 2016 Colt, which was suprisingly perfect for Colts of the last 25yrs, it easily puts two magazines into 2.5"/25yds, and I have tried and failed to induce jams annually since purchase....ditto in all respects to my 100% GI parts WWII gun...it's kinda hard to fault that manner of accuracy and reliability...will not claim any manner of superiority in terminal ballistics compared to 9mm with modern reliable hollowpoints at nearly magnum handgun velocity which starts at 1200fps, but will point out the .45 has over 60% more frontal area without any expansion at all, upon.which expansion the 9mm must depend to work, and the .45ACP duplicates the most common military .45Colt loads used where nobody ever accused the .45Colt of being underpowered against anyone. If you have a properly made 1911 it lives up to the rep...if you have a crap "1911" made to whatever spec and materials feasible to a modern company, or a shot to pieces military rattletrap with a 50-100yr old worn frame and maybe original slide, all bets are off.
My 2011 Colt Rail Gun has over 4,500 230gr JHP’s through it with with Wilson 47D 8 round mags and NO malfunctions. It is definitely not a “match grade” gun but I’d trust my life with it.
I paid $800 for it used at 2A in Tulsa. Still one of my better buys!
Not trying to be rude, but all those are reasons I believe the 1911 is in general is over rated. I didn't say it was a bad gun, or garbage. To get one out of the box that resolves all those, your spending $$$. When all the moons align, you have an awesome pistol. In general I do prefer the hi power. Stock sights are excellent, more rounds in a pistol roughly the same size, and very modifiable. I will say one aspect of the 1911 that exceeds all pistols is the trigger pull out of the box. At the end of the day good versus bad is subjective. I don't fault anyone for liking any firearm or disliking one. Gun owners are a diverse crowd and have different tastes in firearms. Are there junk guns? Absolutely, I think there are many junk guns most firearm owners would agree on. My favorite 1911 is Commander sized which is subjective to say the least!
Yup, H&K has made some pretty impressive handguns.
Nah, you're just painting with too broad a brush...you want to say most 1911s made in the last 20-25yrs, and maybe 15-20% of the Colts since then are a crapshoot, you'll get no argument from me at all...but, saying "1911s are overrated" only because of the last quarter century out of a 112yr run when the prior years set the standard for reliability and excellence yet to be remotely equalled, is to simplify to the point of gross inaccuracy. And just because it looks sorta like a 1911 does not make it a 1911, most sold today are about as equal to the real deal as an Italian single action is to an original 1st generation Colt Single Action Army.
I like my over rated HK for several reason,
3 which Glock and most others can't touch,
1 hammer fired,
2 hammer to thumb (or thumb to hammer)when holstering,
3 ambi PADDLE mag release.
For those alone I appreciate HK.
Others positives are ambi slide release but i don't use that as much, ambi decocker/ hammer drop with guns that have safeties.
3 which Glock and most others can't touch,
1 hammer fired,
2 hammer to thumb (or thumb to hammer)when holstering,
3 ambi PADDLE mag release.
For those alone I appreciate HK.
Others positives are ambi slide release but i don't use that as much, ambi decocker/ hammer drop with guns that have safeties.
Last edited:
Sure, but I believe H&K has shown some superior engineering in their handguns. I dunno if I can find it, but there was a guy that had like 150K through his USP 45 or something like that.
This one didn't impress me, USP 40. Sent it to HK, they of course blamed the ammo and asked not to post anywhere, I need to find the letter they sent, been about 20 years and can't remember the ammo, Copper eagle, maybe? But cracked the frame and slide, my buddy was shooting and just got a small piece of brass in his wrist, LUCKY. Always made me wonder, if it's the ammo why ask not to share?
Whoa nelly!!
