Happy Birthday

[BarryinIN]

Happy Birthday 1911!

I got an email this morning from a Sheriff/Gunsite instructor friend:

Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Browning designed Colt 1911 today.

What better place and method of celebration than at Gunsite with the 250 Centennial Class.

Colt is here today (including General Keys) for a historical presentation first thing this morning. We finish with a presentation this afternoon and display from the NRA Museum on the Military Trials.

That greenish glow some of you might see today is from my envy.

[G-MAN]

Yep, March 29, 1911 was when the .45 Auto Colt Pistol was officially adopted as the U.S. military sidearm.

[BarryinIN]

I just came in from my own little commemoration of the blessed event.

I took a few 1911s out, with one round of ammo for each year of M1911 existence (that would be 100 rounds for any liberals reading).

I started with my Colt WWI Repro and ended with a custom Springfield Operator having all the popular alterations of 2011. While it was easier to do, and more comfortable doing it, I didn't shoot the gee-whiz one any better than the one that duplicates how they were 100 years ago.

Not many things age that well.

[BarryinIN]

Well I celebrated and honored the event by shooting this in the IDPA match today. It isn't an original made in 1911 gun, but is as close to original type as I have- a Colt WWI Reproduction, made just six years ago. I got it used and the sights had been replaced by the prior owner, but other than that it's like they started out.

I had to tape my hand up to keep it from being eaten, but it was worth it for the style points.

I don't shoot this gun much, usually on special occasions like Veteran's Day, and only had 319 rounds through it before today. But as always I found that I did not miss the magazine well without a funnel welded on, or failed to release the tiny thumb safety, or failed to disengage the hump-less grip safety.

And it never malfunctioned either. What do you know, the gun in it's original form worked fine. Just fine.

That Browning guy knew some things.

[BarryinIN]

Seen at today's IDPA match:

I like.

[BarryinIN]

Prescott (AZ) Daily Courier:

Gunsite honors 1911 Colt on its 100th anniversary

http://www.prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1086&ArticleID=92347

PAULDEN - One hundred years ago this past Tuesday, the U.S. Department of the Army adopted for standard military service the Colt 1911 semi-automatic, .45-caliber pistol, a firearm that would go on to become the most copied in the world.

All last week, Gunsite, a 2,100-acre, privately operated gun training site in Paulden, celebrated the milestone with a Centennial Pistol Class in which several dozen participants from law enforcement and the military exclusively fired the 1911 Colt during simulated training runs.

It's not the most technically accurate article I've ever read, but at least it's a gun-positive one.

[wwillson]

Barry,

I would have loved to celebrate the 100th anniversary, but I was in Mexico where they don't have a 2nd amendment as we do.

Sometimes when I take a 1911 completely apart (an I mean completely) I just sit there an look at all those parts and marvel at what John Browning accomplished. How many pistols in the last 100 years have borrowed ideas from the 1911? I find the 1911 to be an amazing example of engineering and human ingenuity.

Wayne