The "Does It Take Glock Mags" 1911 - Alpha Foxtrot S15

[Mooner]

I'm not a 1911 guy, never shot one, but the more I look more I'm interested. I thought about building 1911 from 80% and decided not to at this time

Checked a lot of boxes... for ME.

Let me hear your opinion from those that love and carry 1911.

Pro:

• the lowest entry to the 2011 market
• 15+1 capacity (I already have a bunch for my 43X)
• concealable
• reliable
• aluminum 7075-T6 frame with steel inserts for lightweight durability
• interchangeable 1911 parts
• It is a production model, not a custom-made/fit
• Has the pedigree for making OEM products

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RK8cWKY74Kk

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOJMjMo6w3A

 

[Grr]

1911 with a Glock grip angle?

 

[Bobster]

If you've never had a 1911, might I suggest you "start" with a 1911? Plenty of Turk or Filipino offerings in the $400 or less range that will perform well and let you experience the true light. And it must be in God's caliber--none of this pussy 9mm BS...

 

[Mooner]

And it must be in God's caliber--none of this pussy 9mm BS...

I hear ya loud and clear. Here's my thoughts...

• I am interested in potential conceal carry 2011 style
• Most are out of my price range
• Prodigy is close 2nd but i feel like it would be different to conceal.
• Never got indoctrinated in God's caliber, have no emotional attachment.
• Do not need different caliber for carry
• Do not want to stockpile another caliber
• Have plenty of pussy 9milly

 

[Notshawn54]

If they made this with a commander size barrel (4.25”), I’d consider one myself. In the past 1911’s shorter than that would experience feed problems due to the angles of the parts. Shorter barrel equates in shorter slide travel, faster slide speeds. Colt recommended recoil spring replacement at 400-500 rounds. No I didn’t forget a zero. This was prior to flat wire springs so that should be remedied. I’ve had a few Officer sized (3.5”) guns and got rid of them. All my 1911’s have been 45 and my edc for the last 8 years has been a commander. I prefer full sized grips and a 1911 is thin so it conceals easily. Now all this may be anecdotal as there are a ton of guns all the way down to 3” barrels. Maybe they’ve finally figured it all out. I am intrigued by the Stealth Arms Platypus. Five inch and 4.25 inch guns that use G17 mags at a similar price to the Alpha.

 

[bkbrno]

My very first handgun purchase was a Colt Light Weight Officer Model. Alloy frame, 3.5 inch barrel, 6 round mag .45ACP. I got it used from a LGS. It looked like it had one mag through it and the owner traded it in because it was too much. I got a set of Lee dies and started reloading. I was poor and reloading was the only way I could afford to shoot more than 2 rounds a week. I look back on my brass scrounging then and it was comical. I would search for 30 minutes to find one spent case because I didn't have any more to replace it. I would shoot 20 rounds, go in the house and reload them, shoot 20 more. I am partial to the Colt 1911 and .45ACP it was my first love.

If I had no other pistol left I would carry the 1911. There are much better tools in the tool box now. The only way I ever felt safe carrying it was hammer down and only on a series 80 or newer or an empty chamber. There is a reason Colt designed the firing pin block. For me, the safety is too easily clicked off. Hammer back, safety on, concealed was not an option I was comfortable with, too many ways to click the safety off and not know it. While I lusted after the simplicity and safety of the Glock, I could not adapt to the grip angle. That's me, if you started on a Glock, you know nothing different. The Glock grip angle is more ergonomic. The 1911 grip angle is a classic that almost everyone else copies it closely.

The less expensive 1911s out there are more true to the original. Get one of those and a thousand rounds of ammo. If it turns out you don't like it, you will have no problem moving it along. There is no way on this earth I would drop $1400 on a Glockified 1911.

 

[Bobster]

I hear ya loud and clear. Here's my thoughts...

• I am interested in potential conceal carry 2011 style
• Most are out of my price range
• Prodigy is close 2nd but i feel like it would be different to conceal.
• Never got indoctrinated in God's caliber, have no emotional attachment.
• Do not need different caliber for carry
• Do not want to stockpile another caliber
• Have plenty of pussy 9milly

I can't really think of a good analogy of what you are trying to achieve, but I get your points. Maybe like wanting a G19 Glock but buying a G44 (.22LR)? Or wanting a S&W Model 29 (ie: Dirty Harry gun in .44mag) but buying a Taurus .38 with longer barrel? The experiences will not be the same as the real thing. That is the point I was trying to make facetiously above.

The best way to experience a 1911 is to fire one. Full-size (5" barrel) and in .45ACP using 230gr FMJ "ball" ammo. That is what the US armed forces used for 3/4 century. Maybe go to a range and rent one and burn a box of ammo to get your ya-yas out. Then move on... But then again, you might get hooked!

The following statement may be blasphemous but I don't think .45ACP would be anywhere near as prolific if it hadn't been in the US issue side arm for so long. "Boomers" I believe have helped keep it alive and as they (we) die off, sentimentality will also die off. No one is sentimental about .40S&W so it is going away more quickly. I joke about "god's caliber" but my collection plate and cabinet are full of offerings, currently more so than 9mm... (note to self: order more 9mm ammo) I've even thought about doing a steel plate match with .45ACP but I currently don't have enough magazines to get through a stage--well Glock I do but not 1911. Then I'll need the mag holders, etc...

While both calibers are over 100 years old, 9mm clearly holds all the cards as to capacity and concealability. Even though a "flying ashtray" will go in at .45" and come out at .90", there are many 9mm loads that perform just as well as to killing ability.

PS: IF I carried a 1911, I would be a "Condition 1" guy (ie: safety on, hammer back, round in chamber)...

 

[One Ping Only]

“pu$$y 9mm”. While a huge .45acp/1911 fan and proponent myself, I’m honest enough to accept that today’s self defense 9mm loads & modern bullets are impressive- equal to many of the .45acp loads we cut our teeth on. I prefer more capacity for CCW. Self-defense shooting is not “day at the range” target practice, where you have control of all the factors.

And with today’s criminal element you may likely to encounter multiple attackers if you have to produce your weapon in defense; whereas say, 40 years ago it was generally one perp working alone whereas oftentimes now there are 2, 3, or 4 working together. Now that 7rd .45 isn’t as attractive when we can have 12-14+ rounds of 9mm. Massad Ayoob discusses this subject very honestly, candidly, and realistically.

45ACP? Be still my beating heart!!
9mm? Yes please.

I’d rather have more cash than I need in a given situation rather than have a deficit; and I apply that to carry capacity as well. Especially when the predatory number of peeps in a given crime is determined by THEM, not me, and after letting them know I’m onto them if I have that luxury (like Racer88 described a few weeks ago), and they still decide to proceed….I hope and pray I never have to go to that final mortal decision but have already made my mind up that if I need to, it will happen.

Me? I have chosen to expand my thinking beyond the .45, and embrace both, understanding their limitations; and will be rotating back ‘n forth between the two without hesitation.

 

[Stephen G]

I prefer 1911 over all. The issue with shorter barreled 1911 isn't geometry. Nothing changes except barrel length +/- . The speed at which the slide travels and how quickly it begins motion does change. This can be addressed by recoil spring and/or firing pin stop.
I have 1911s from 3 1/4 to 6". I prefer the 4s, but couple 3.5" make the favorites list.
Ive went 9mm since my accident, mostly because its easier for me shoot left handed. Once they finish putting my right arm back together I may stick with 9mm, but its hard to give up on 45.

 

[Notshawn54]

The issue with shorter barreled 1911 isn't geometry. Nothing changes except barrel length +/- .

I’m gonna have to beg to differ with you. When the chamber lowers, the pivot point of the barrel is essentially the end of the barrel. A 3” barrel pivoting down is going to have a greater angle than a 5” barrel if the chambers are dropping the same distance. Does a 3” gun use a shorter link than a longer barrel? Honestly, I don’t know as I’m not a smith. Regardless, the shorter guns have come a long way over the past 30 years or else they wouldn’t sell so many.

 

[Bobster]

You have me thinking about the angles as well... Pics courtesy of Numrich.

 

[Notshawn54]

Also with the shorter guns, is reduced slide travel. A commander has .10” less travel than a government slide and an officer model is .125” less. This can lead to ejection problems as the breach is open for fractionally less time. Timing is everything. Proper tuning of mainspring, angle on bottom of firing pin stop, and recoil spring can be crucial. If you’ve never shot a competition gun set up properly for a particular load, it’s damn cool. Feels way different than an off the shelf gun.