I'm not sure if an aluminum-frame, Officer's-sized pistol would be the best choice for your very first gun. If you insist on a 1911, you'll have LOTS more fun learning to shoot with a full-sized, steel-frame model.
This is probably the biggest urban legend about 1911's. They're some of he most reliable pistols on the market. Stories of unreliable 1911's can almost always be explained by one or both of the following variables:
If you use a proper hold and avoid the temptation to "mod" the gun, a 1911 will be dead reliable. Even a compact model: I've got a cheap Springfield Compact that feeds everything from 185gr LSWC target loads to 230gr JHP defensive loads without a hiccup. If you know 1911's, you know that these are the loads that are notorious for failures to feed (especially the 185gr LSWC, which barely has enough power to cycle the slide).
This is probably the biggest urban legend about 1911's. They're some of he most reliable pistols on the market. Stories of unreliable 1911's can almost always be explained by one or both of the following variables:
- amateur "gunsmiths" who try to "tune" their pistols with a Dremel in one hand and a Brownell's catalog in the other
- limp-wristing
If you use a proper hold and avoid the temptation to "mod" the gun, a 1911 will be dead reliable. Even a compact model: I've got a cheap Springfield Compact that feeds everything from 185gr LSWC target loads to 230gr JHP defensive loads without a hiccup. If you know 1911's, you know that these are the loads that are notorious for failures to feed (especially the 185gr LSWC, which barely has enough power to cycle the slide).
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