Good handguns

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I simply don't trust the 1911. I have owned the nicest (supposedly) 1911's on the planet short of the 6-month-1-year custom jobs out there. They sucked. Kimber is far FAR below a Supergrade Wilson Combat regarding the QC it goes through. I don't think anything was technically out of spec on my Wilson (as 1911's have some things that a specification doesn't exist for, per se, such as the profile on the extractor, how it is tensioned, where it is bent exactly, etc.), it just wouldn't run for beans. 1911's are like that. You can take something like a Kimber and have great luck with it, or you can buy something hand-fitted that has all forged parts, etc. like a upper-model WIlson, and have all sorts of trouble. The 1911 requires a dose of chance to get running I think. The extractor is hand-profiled (or should be), hand tensioned, etc. "it's all in the wrist" with a 1911, so to speak. I don't find that comforting. I would rather a Glock where you install the parts that are to spec, and it runs like a top.

Just because LAPD swat uses something doesn't make it that great. The USSS and the FAMS use SIG. Does that mean SIG is the end-all, be-all since it is trusted to guard the president? No, I don't think that, either. It just means they are the ones that won the contract.


No thanks, Glock for me when it counts.

All those polls I was linked to included trigger (the 1911 wins here) ergonomics (I think it is very ergonomical, but I can shoot Glocks just as well, many others cannot), etc. Reliablity was just ONE of the factors in those polls. The poll wasn't even TITLED "reliability".

Listen to Hilton Yam and many others who are proponents on the 1911--they go down more often than the Glock. The reason that they are issued to people like LAPD SWAT is because LAPD swat can afford to support the weapon, there are more than 1 person on the team who can take a shot, and they need something accurate that has a great trigger that is easy to train someone to shoot accurately--that is the 1911, I agree.

What the user of that pistol ISN'T tasked with is: maintenance (they have an armorer), replacing and filing/fitting parts (again...armorer), and if their weapon jams/malfunctions, they have a teammember who can cover their arse (I don't.).

I am not LAPD swat. I am just another guy who wants to be able to defend himself, and 16 rounds of 9mm vs. 8 rounds of .45 in a weapon that is proven to be less reliable in every experience I have had with it, isn't the way for me to go.

The point being, when compared objectively, the 1911 just isn't as reliable as Glock. How could it be? It has more parts. It has parts requiring hand-fitting and hand-tensioning instead of spring-tensioned (Extractor), and it has a lot closer tolerances all the way around that, in my experience, don't do a whole lot for accuracy considering a bone-stock Glock/SIG from a ransom rest will shoot 1" groups at 25 yards just fine, at least, mine does (well, hand-held off a sand-bag it produces reliable groups of 5-shots under 1.5" at 25 yards using bonded bullets, which are not known for being the most accurate). A 1911 has a better trigger, although I can shoot a Glock trigger just fine, and some find it more ergonomic, but as far as "going bang", no.

SmoothZ

Interesting. My neighbor loves the 1911 and has several. Then again, I know he hasn't shot thousands of rounds through them.

I agree about the guns and contracts. I used to carry a Glock and really liked it. Now I have to carry a Sig, which is fine since they're all 'tools in my toolchest.' However, I don't shoot as well as I did with the Glock. Maybe I'm getting older, maybe the gun just doesn't fit well with me.

I hope we go back to the Glock, and so do many others I work with.

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"Once you go Asian, you never go Caucasian."

"I talk to myself, and when I do that, I know I'm talking to an intelligent person."

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I find that I am most accurate with whatever pistol I have put the most time in with lately. I prefer the feel of the glock, though. The SIG has a more verticle grip, the 1911 feels too thin, but the Glock fills my hand and points naturally.

I have put thousands of rounds through one of my SIG's, and it was a lemon. It broke the take-down lever (bad batch, the lever part pivoted around the "bar" part, not a true "break"), and would FTE anything that was nickle-plated (Ranger-T, Gold-dots, etc.) Sig fix both problems for me, free of charge. It was one of the first P226 Elite's, and in 9mm, I don't feel the SIG is that good in the stainless platform. It ejects lazily, slide-mass is a bit much for the 9mm, stainless has a higher coefficient of friction, etc.

My next SIG was an Elite ST in 357SIG. This one felt a lot better from the word "go". NEVER had ANY failure of any sort, and after GGI worked it over, it shoots amazing. THey didn't touch the barrel/lock-up and it shoots better than most X5's they have had in their shop. 1.25-1.5" groups at 25 yards was what they were getting out of it with boring regularity.

The Glocks I have owned and shot have all just been boringly reliable.

The HK's, the same, except for one USP that had an unknown amount of rounds through it/the mag, that would fail to lock back on the last round. Common issue with USP 45's and a weak mag-spring.

The 1911's, well, I could write a book about the fail between the Les Baer, Wilson, and Colt.

I really like HK, but Glock does just as well for me, for less money, and it carrys well.

PS. Check out Hogue's new G10 grips for the P226, if that is what you are carrying. They are very grippy/nice and transformed the feel of mine. Still a bit "verticle", but it feels better.

SmoothZ

I forget which grip I installed on the gun, but it does feel a bit better than the stock one. I have the .40 Sig.

__________________
"Once you go Asian, you never go Caucasian."

"I talk to myself, and when I do that, I know I'm talking to an intelligent person."

dad

That large magazine may soon be out lawed, with that Congress woman and 17 others getting shot today!

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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

SVTNate

I've never had an issue with a 1911 aside from the KZ45 I mentioned, but I prefer Glock as well. My buddy's CQB has about 10,000 trouble-free rounds through it and the original Armor-Tuff still looks nearly new.

Bruce Gray did my Sigs too. My P226R and P220R are both two-tone with Nills grips from Germany, GrayGuns competition packages, and Warren Tactical rear/Dawson front sights.

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Bruce Gray and his outfit do awesome work. The best you will find on a SIG. It just takes a while sometimes. Torie is the one who worked over the sear/hammer in that SIG, and it feels great. About 95% as good as that Wilson Supergrade's trigger in SA. I went with the hogue G10's and had the meprolites swapped for Trijicons. Had the Combat takedown lever installed as well. Not going to risk snapping it with the 357SIG round.

The armor-tuff on my Tactical Supergrade was the black color (I have heard the gray is weaker?). One case-ding, and it was gone down to the parkerizing. They re-finished it once when they re-tuned the extractor. It only hit the slide once after that (although it was then only 90% reliable on the last round). That, too, nicked down to the parkerizing. Armor-Tuff < QPQ. That is why I had my P226 Elite ST done in QPQ. No scratches, and it looks great!

370zproject

io went and shot a sig xd-9 compact only problem i had is it was kinda hard to load >.> maybe im just a newbie lol

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SmoothZ

It's good stuff, Cliff.

__________________
"Once you go Asian, you never go Caucasian."

"I talk to myself, and when I do that, I know I'm talking to an intelligent person."

dad

Thanks , Dave

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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

370zproject

so i shot the xd-9 40 cal so what else in the 500$ would i need to go try?

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Brake Upgrade Package ate blue, hawk hp ceramic pads, and slotted rotors

dad

.45, the 9mm, you need to be sure of what you want.

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We can do without any article of luxury we have never had; but once obtained, it is not in human nature to surrender it voluntary.

370zproject

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Brake Upgrade Package ate blue, hawk hp ceramic pads, and slotted rotors

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Glock, S&W M&P, FNP

370zproject

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Brake Upgrade Package ate blue, hawk hp ceramic pads, and slotted rotors