[CA357]

The sights on an A1 are small and not easily acquired. I believe that the age thing means as our eyes age they become even harder to pick up.

[General_lee]

The sights themselves don't go bad, your eyes do, and the older you get, the harder it is to see the tiny military style sights.

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by CA357

The sights on an A1 are small and not easily acquired. I believe that the age thing means as our eyes age they become even harder to pick up.

+1 Don & GL, it was an eye-sight joke.

What I look for (or change to) on my working 1911s:

• Lowered and flared ejection port.
• Metal Arched Main Spring Housing w/Mag Well.
• Long Trigger.
• Forged or Tool Steel Slide Release. (NO MIM)
• Commander Hammer.
• Carry Melt Sights.
• High-Ride Beaver-tail Grip Safety w/Palm Swell.
• ISMI Recoil Spring.
• Tripp Research Gen II Cobra Mags.

[danf_fl]

I like Cane's list (and that is said without trying to get a brown nose). Most changes people make to M1911a1's are usually based on their experience, or their fancy. Some aftermarket stuff could be compared to fuzzy dice on the rear view mirror. Some stuff is changed for reliability. The nice thing is that you can make the M1911a1 "one of a kind" if you so desire, and still have a practical weapon.

[NGIB]

My perspective is the 1911 is the best shooting pistol ever made. I'm down to 4 of them and 3 are Springer's. A couple of reasons I like Springer is they have forged frames and no firing pin block - so they are truer to the original design. The Mil-Spec (not the GI) is a great place to start as it has usable 3 dot sights, a flared & lowered ejection port, and makes a great base gun if you want to "build" one up.

Nothing wrong with high capacity (I have an XD .45 Compact), but I've never felt under-gunned with 8+1 (or 7+1). I have yet to meet a shooter that did not have a life changing experience the first time they shoot a 1911 - they are that special. I post this often but it is an indication of just how well these things shoot. This target was 25 rounds at 25 feet in 45 seconds with 2 reloads. The gun is a no-name, a Foster frame, a Caspian slide, and Wilson innards - that I have $400 invested in:

[NGIB]

A note, I don't post this target to prove I'm a pistol expert - I post it to show just how well a 1911 shoots. I'm probably a notch above "average" but with a 1911 I'm a "good" shooter. It's the ONLY pistol I can shoot well instinctively and without working hard. Some days I can shoot this well with my Sigs and XDs - but not that often and I have to really focus. With a 1911, I can pick it up, point it, and it hits where I point...

[DrumJunkie]

I have never felt like I was not holding enough ammo carrying a 1911. But I also don't see many Hollywood situations where a civilian had to protect home and family nad used up 30+ rounds to get themselves into a safe situation. So to me the added capacity is just not something I need . Couple this with the better groups I get from a sweet 1911 SA trigger and the added capacity means even less to me. I wont say the higher cap weapons are not worth having. They are just not much use to me unless I'm poking holes in pape4r and I don't have to reload mags as often. THose out there that like any weapon for what ever reason they choose is just fine for them. Whatever works I guess. For me I can have 17 rounds with an extra mag and truth be told I don't have an extra on my all the time. There's spares in the truck and at home but not always on me.

From the first time I shot a 1911 I was hooked. I've had and still have other types of pistols around and I do carry them from time to time. But there's just nothing like a 1911 for giving me that loving feeling.

[CHLChris]

I am really pumped on the 1911 platform!

BTW, I feel like a dolt not "seeing" the joke. Drrrrrrrrr

[CA357]

You aren't a dolt Chris, you just aren't old enough to have had to deal with it yet.

[danf_fl]

30 - single lens
40 - bifocals
50 - trifocals
60 - They all look the same.