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by max129
Actually a few years ago, I seriously considered carrying a Single Action revolver for personal protection. Even now, if the law said it was a SA or nothing, I would be happy with the SA. That is what I carried for two years in Alaska and never felt under-armed. (But it was a Ruger .44 magnum.) The one time I had to use it in self defense (against a seriously dangerous feral dog), I never noticed that I had to cock it. I fired several rounds about as quickly as I wished.
(For those who want to know why it took more than one round, the first shot was deadly, but did not stop the dog. The problem with dogs is that if you shoot them anywhere other than the brain or heart, the bullets pass through them, leaving deadly holes, but not a quick stop. For those who have never been to Kodiak Island, defending against feral dogs is a real thing. People bring dogs onto the island, they get loose and never come back to humans. There are packs of them; they have zero fear of people, and they love to prowl the "Kodiak Surplus Store" also known as the garbage dump where people go to find spare parts, lumber and anything else.
I bought the new ATI 1911 for a range gun, not a carry gun. IMO, the 1911 has the wrong trade-offs for a carry gun. Too big to hide. Too heavy and not enough capacity. That is why the military switched from .45 ACP to 9mm. People may hate that decision, but the military really has a mission for their sidearms and they make choices we may not personally like.
75% of the guns I own have no 'practical use' in my life other than to shoot them for fun. My Walther PPK/S in 22LR certainly qualifies. My American Enfield 1917 could be used for hunting, but that is not why I own it. My Blackhawk .357 is a hoot to shoot, but its only practical role is as a backup firearm in SHTF.
Other than size and weight, I would have no trouble using a Colt .45 revolver for a carry weapon; it is certainly reliable, powerful and I can shoot well with one.
I do love the mechanical nature of all steel semi-autos, of which the M1911 must be considered the still viable modern grandfather. I own quite a few polymer pistols and they are fine weapons. They do not evoke the same feelings during tear-down and reassembly. I respect the design of the Glocks and my own Sig P320s. They shoot very well. They are reliable. But they have no soul. My Enfield M1917 has a soul and it speaks to me of the history, fear and heroism of the soldiers in WWI and WWII. Even my all stainless S&W 686 seems to have some attenuated soul. I could never, ever sell it. My Henry Steel Bigboy (.357) makes me cranky with its tube feeder, but it has a place in my heart.
I would trade my (wonderful) P320s in a heartbeat for something I liked more and never have a twinge of regret.
I am finding this all a complex set of interactions. It partially explains "collecting" guns to me. I knew a guy at University who collected guns. When I showed him mine, he looked down the barrel of the first and said "You SHOOT this gun. It's been fired!" Apparently he owned thousands of dollars of weapons and never fired them. That is not me. I have zero safe queens. I fire everything I own.
And when I shoot them, clean them, or repair them, I get a visceral feedback that nothing in the realm of computers, data science or mathematics can evoke.
In the M1911, I am looking for another gun with a soul, even if it speaks Tagalog.
from Kentucky!
