Ok gentlemen, please excuse my ignorance but I have to ask, what is your attraction to the 1911? I am considering a .45 and I am on the fence.

Thank you in advance.

I was in the Army and carried one, shot expert and this was the first semi-auto I ever shot. I have liked them ever since.When I came out of uniform I was allowed to carry anything I wanted. I carried a 70 series Gold Cup. With a little work it was a sweet pistol.The newer ones are really nice as well. It's been around this long for a reason.

Hi David
My attraction for the 1911 is for several reasons. First it is .45 ACP which uses a nice big heavy bullet. It is a classic design,(like a Randall made knife) which is still as relevant today as it was 100 years ago. It is generally all metal, can be taken down completely without tools, easy to customize, has a great single action trigger, fits smaller hands well and with the addition of an ambidextrous safety, works well for us lefty's
I have other pistols in .45 ACP, but the 1911 and its variants still work great. There wouldn't be so many companies making them if people didn't love them.

Peter

Peter and Steven,

Thank you for your replies. I have to admit, the 1911 has withstood the test of time and the Kimbers are absolutely gorgeous. I am not surprised that people love this model.

I have owned and carried SIG handguns for the past 20 years. I am VERY partial to their DA/SA design and lack of a safety. I never fired a 1911 until last month. When I did I thought "Hmm..." My next handgun will be either a .40 or .45, almost certainly another SIG, and I am considering either the 229, 220 Carry or 1911 models. The next handgun may or may not be a 1911, but the one after that... You never know. :-)

I have done my homework and I have reluctantly concluded that I cannot get a 1911. These things are an obsession! I cannot afford another obsession. The kids have to go to college on somebody's nickel.

David,
I don't know about everybody else, but I have owned and shot all of your choices..."plus" a double handful of Glocks. My best advice to you is this: Don't dispell the old war horse!
H&K "USP" pistols are probably my favorite and the least popular of all the 45's that would be discussed in this topic. There are a number of reasons for my love for them, but the one glaring reason is the USP's ability to be carried "cocked and locked. It has an external hammer that you can manually cock and fire single-action. This decreases the trigger pull length and poundage, allowing you to shoot more accurately.
Hey...Guess what? A Colt #1911 has all of that! It is those traits that appeal to me...and a lot...lot..."LOT" of other shooters! You don't have to empty the bank to buy a 45 automatic, even of the 1911 style. Get to a range and rent one or borrow one and do yourself the favor of using one before you cast it aside. They're great pistols!..."REALLY"!!
Best, Capt. Chris

H&K USP .45 Compact is my Wednesday carry gun; nice piece.

Tom, you wrote:Here is the updated HK USP45 Compact, the HK45 Compact:



They use the same magazines, and are about the same size/weight.

Ken, looks nice but I would need to compare the grip textures. I use that same finger grip magazine. A friend came by on duty yesterday with one of the new generation Glock G22's; I really like their new grip texture.

Thanks for sharing.

The HK's look pretty nice too.
I have been looking at the FNP-45 a little and it looks pretty nice, but I need another .45 ACP pistol like another hole in the head. I'll see if I get to try one some time.

Peter