Search Results for: 1911

Pat Cascio’s Product Review: Springfield Armory’s Loaded Operator 1911

…shoot the 1911 faster and better than any other handgun I’ve ever tested, bar none! I’m not aware of any other style of handgun that is customized more than a 1911, nor any other handgun that has its own entire parts catalogs, like Brownell’s 1911 parts catalog. To be sure, there are also more gunsmiths who specialize in the 1911 than any other handgun in the world. The world is awash with polymer handguns and more new models seem to come out every week, but none are as popular as the 1911. The 1911 is as American as American can be. Enter the Springfield Armory 1911 Loaded Operator, which is a new model for 2015 that I received about a month ago for this article. I’m here to tell you that this factory 1911 is absolutely a top-of-the-line 1911. It has everything you may want and nothing you don’t need….


Pat’s Product Review: Springfield Armory “Loaded” 1911

It is no secret in my family that my all-time favorite handgun is the good ol’ 1911 – in some shape or form. A 1911 was one of the first (not the first) handguns I ever owned, and my love affair only grew over the years. I have lost count of the number of 1911s I’ve owned in my lifetime, but I’m sure its a safe bet, that I’ve probably owned a couple hundred 1911s. I’ve had everything from plain old Mil-Spec 1911s, to custom made guns from big-name makers, and well as building a good number of custom 1911s for my own use over the years.   John Moses Browning, the designer of the 1911, was truly a gifted man, when it came to firearms. However, I believe, his crowning accomplishment was (is) the 1911 – no other handgun is as famous, or as copied, or customized as the…


Colt Combat Elite Enhanced 1911, by Pat Cascio

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It used to be that Colt 1911 handguns were pretty much the only 1911 game in town, but many people thought they were out of business the past few years. Today we’re looking at the enhanced Combat Elite Enhanced 1911 .45 ACP handgun. Colt 1911 Handguns For the longest time, if you wanted a 1911 pistol you had to take a look at the Colt 1911 line of handguns. For the most part, they were the 1911 to own. However, today, there are more companies manufacturing 1911s than I can list. Most companies are producing some high-end 1911s while some are producing bare bone basic 1911s. Of these 1911s, most are very well made handguns, and the sky is the limit. This is true as well about how much leaves your checking account because of prices on 1911s. In my humble opinion, Colt has recently fallen by the wayside, when…


Kimber America Pro CDP II 1911, by Pat Cascio

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It’s difficult to keep up with all the various 1911 handguns that Kimber America produces these days. However, they produce and sell more 1911 handguns than any other maker – or so I’m told. However, there are several 1911 makers in the Philippines that produce a lot of 1911s. For the sake of argument, we’ll say that Kimber is the largest producer of 1911 handguns in the USA. I still remember when Kimber first came on the scene, and their very first 1911 was a full-sized Government Model. This pistol had all the bells and whistles than 1911 lovers wanted, and paid gunsmiths to perform on a stock-box 1911. You can check out the history of Kimber on the Internet for more information, or their web site. The only thing I didn’t care for, and everyone else wondered about, were the cheap rubber grips Kimber was putting on those guns…


Taurus 1911, by Pat Cascio

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Let me begin by assuring you: This review article is not a repeat. Today I’m reviewing a Taurus 1911 that is a different 1911 than the one that I gave a sternly negative review, in April, 2019, also here in SurvivalBlog. Taurus USA apparently has taken a new approach to their line of 1911s. The first thing I noticed is that, this is not labeled as a Taurus PT1911, instead, the slide is simply stamped “1911”. Technically, this is a 1911A1 version, some slight changes over the original 1911, that was produced in well….1911. Around 1927 there were modifications done to the frame and a few other improvements and it was called the 1911A1, however most folks still simply call this design a “1911.” I won’t go into the history of the 1911/1911A1 because so much has already been written about this grand handgun, that you can research it for…


Kimber Ultra Carry II Two-Tone 9mm by Pat Cascio

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…was required at that time. I found a 1911 Government Model in .45 ACP on his table of handguns and did a deal – traded him something for it, along with some cash. My first, but not last 1911, was mine. To this day, I don’t know what happened to that 1911, but its been a lot of years since then. For those new to firearms, or to the 1911, just a little bit of history on it: It was adopted in 1911 – and was designed by John Moses Browning. He is still a legend, when it comes to many of his gun designs. It wasn’t until 1985 that the 1911 was replaced by the US military, with the Beretta Model 92 (M9 in military form). And, to this day, there is still controversy over the 9mm replacing the .45 ACP. And, also to this day, there are still…


Kimber America Stainless LW 1911, by Pat Cascio

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Long-time SurvivalBlog readers will know that I’m a sucker for a well-made 1911 – in any configuration. However, my thinking has changed over the years. And, with the current climate all around the world, meaning political, and of course, the many wars taking place. I wouldn’t pick any 1911 as my one and only handgun for an End Of The World situation. As I’ve mentioned before, I’d go with a handgun with a larger magazine. Still, I love the 1911, and have carried one on and off duty in law enforcement, and as a civilian. Even to this day, I’ll strap on some kind of 1911 for a day or two – just because! I remember when the first Kimber guns came on the scene, and they had everything most savvy 1911 owners wanted, and at a price point, that was only slightly more than a bone stock basic entry-level…


Rock Island Armory 1911 CS FDE, by Pat Cascio

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Imported from the Philippines, this Rocky Island Armory 1911 CS FDE is one hot-selling, Officers-style 1911 handgun. And, it is a a bargain to be had. More Than a Little Familiar With 1911s Long-time readers will know that I’m a real sucker for a good 1911-style handgun. They also know that if a gun isn’t a bargain, a real bargain, I’ll pass it up. I’ve owned more than a few custom 1911s over the years, and they were fine pieces of work. They were super-accurate, with more accuracy than I could begin to squeeze out of them, and just a genuine work of art and a work of love. I’ve also owned more factory-made 1911s than I can begin to remember. Most were really good guns and well worth the money. So, I’m more than a little familiar with 1911s of just about every make and model. Additionally, the 1911…


Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite Operator 1911, by Pat Cascio

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Once again, another new and very exciting 1911 from Springfield Armory is under review today. This one is a winner and a bargain as well. Range Officer 1911 From Several Years Ago Several years ago, Springfield Armory came out with the Range Officer 1911. It was meant to be all set up so the user could enter various shooting competitions, and it worked quite well in that regard. However, it wasn’t 100% suitable for street carry, if you ask me; it needed to be refined, updated, or “something” needed to be done. The All-New SA Range Officer Elite Operator 1911 Name Enter the all-new SA Range Officer Elite Operator 1911. This baby has everything you’ll ever need and nothing you don’t need on a carry gun, or one for shooting competitions. So, I have to ask myself, why didn’t Springfield Armory just give it a completely new name instead of…


Ruger SR1911 – 9mm Compact, by Pat Cascio

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Ruger’s newest 1911 handgun is under review here. Ruger sure did it up right. Check out our findings. The 1911 Handgun The 1911 handgun has been around since, well 1911, in one guise or another. I don’t have the facts to back this up, but I suspect it is the best-selling model of handgun of all time, based on how many different companies have produced a version of it over the years. And, just when you think we have saturated the 1911 market, a new maker comes along or an established maker comes out with more models. There seems to be no end to what can be done with a 1911 platform. Ruger and the 1911 Ruger was slow to jump on the 1911 bandwagon, for a number of reasons. First off, they have kept extremely focused on producing guns of their own design that have been great sellers. When…


Springfield Armory Range Officer 1911 – Gov’t Model, by Pat Cascio

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We’re taking a close look at an updated classic 1911 with some enhancements, making it ready for the range, competition, or self-defense. It’s the Springfield Armory Range Officer 1911 in .45 ACP. Thanks for Reminding Me I think we have some of the smartest readers out there, and you all have a great memory. I promised to review the Springfield Armory Range Officer, full-sized Government Model after reviewing a different model Range Officer. Somewhere along the line, this gun review was pushed back. My bad! I have more than 30 products on hand awaiting their turn on our editorial page, so I manage to keep extremely busy all of the time. Thanks for reminding me to review this handgun! Far From Ordinary 1911 The Springfield Armory Range Officer 1911 comes in different flavors, from the smallest to the full-sized .45 ACP handguns. We’re checking out the full-sized gun this time…


Para Ordnance Elite Pro 1911, by Pat Cascio

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…[80] weighs equal loaded down to my kimber super match [70]. My size 11 linesman hands operate all aspects perfectly (even one hand break down of slide). I’m glad for anyone who owns a gun, but if the 1911 was good enough for Patton….. Montana Rancher I just had to say something, Actually Patton rarely if ever carried a 1911, he overwhelmingly carried revolvers, with ivory handles as I recall. Just saying. Earnán If you want a toy to play IPSC games, get a 1911. If you want a weapon to protect yourself reliably under all conditions, get a Glock. The 1911 is obsolete as a serious weapon. And for something that will be carried every day, in all weather, with no access to a skilled gunsmith? The last thing you want is a 1911 that requires hand-fitting of parts — something even the loose rattling GI M1911A1s often require….


Pat’s Product Reviews: Springfield Armory’s Range Officer 1911

…offered to buy it if I didn’t want it. And he doesn’t buy a lot of guns for himself, so that said a lot! If you want custom 1911 performance and accuracy from a production 1911, at avery affordable price, then get yourself a Springfield Armory Range Officer. I can honestly say, that I’ve had a couple big-name custom 1911s that didn’t shoot nearly as accurately as the Range Officer does – and they cost thousands of dollars more than the Range Officer does. Whenever I run across a 1911 that is priced fairly (and the Range Officer most certainly is), is well-built, with quailty parts,  and is more accurate than I can be with it and 100% reliable – I’m snapping it up! The concept behind the Range Officer is that of a 1911 ready for competition. However, I believe it is equally well-suited as a carry gun for self-defense, survival,…


Kimber Ultra Carry II SP – By Pat Cascio

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…required, and MIM is stronger than cast parts, too. Needless to say, Kimber caught the 1911 buying public by storm and every other 1911 maker by surprise, too. Everyone had to play catch up or get left behind. So, we have Kimber to thank for bringing all the other quality 1911 makers on board with similar 1911 products. I was trained as a military armorer, as a secondary MOS, and learned to really work on 1911s, as well as M-16s and even the grand ol’ M-1 Garand, so I know my way around a 1911 and love working on them. I’m more than a little aware of the work involved in customizing a plain Jane 1911. It is painstaking work; yet here comes Kimber, turning out custom-grade 1911s from the factory at a price that was insanely low! Wow! Partial To “Commander-Sized” 1911 I’m more than a little partial to…


Pat’s Product Review: SIG Sauer 1911 TACOPS

It’s no secret that my all-time favorite handgun is the M1911 in .45 ACP. I can often be found carrying some type of 1911 on my hip, when I’m not carrying a Glock of some sort – or another handgun that I’m doing a Test and Evaluation. However, given my druthers, when the chips are down, I’ll reach for a good ol’ 1911 stoked with some .45 ACP ammo. The gun under review here is the SIG-Sauer 1911 TACOPS in .45 ACP. A couple of years ago, I wrote a review about a similar gun from SIG, and it was their 1911 in .45 ACP that they called the “Blackwater” special edition – named after Blackwater Security – the private security contractor firm. However, shortly after SIG came out with the Blackwater 1911 (and a P226 Blackwater Special Edition) there was a lot of negative press about Blackwater. At that…