Galt's Gulch

The science of the 1911 handgun

Posted by $ blarman 7 years, 11 months ago to Science
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I love animations into mechanical things. Here is a series on the 1911 handgun's operation, including eight separate illustrations.

Enjoy!
SOURCE URL: http://animagraffs.com/how-a-handgun-works-1911-45/

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  • Posted by $ Susanne 7 years, 11 months ago
    IMO the .45ACP was one of the greatest rounds invented for all the aforementioned reasons noted. I shoot both a Colt 1911 Combat Commander and a Glock model 30, and there is nothing about that round I don't like - stopping power, ballistic accuracy, even (yes) ease of recoil. One needs to learn pistol basics but once you fall in love with it, you can't beat it.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 7 years, 11 months ago
    A warriors weapon! first of all the myths. Only seven rounds. (use a longer magazine.) Arms Room weapons inaccurate. No just lousy shooters which is why they are staff officers instead of Commanders. Not enough bullets. What need? one shot one kill no need to spray the landscape like the 9mm pussy round. however that changes with the use of semi jacketed hollow points. And here's the clincher. Regular ammunition is already sub sonic.works with the addition of a suppressor and without one still creates no sonic boom.
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    • Posted by freedomforall 7 years, 11 months ago
      Happy with home loaded +P JHP 9m. Can carry twice the ammo in the same weight/space, and more importantly I can shoot a smaller frame pistol much more accurately. .45 is great for those it fits but just too large for many people. I don't want to be on the receiving end of either;^)
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      • Posted by $ blarman 7 years, 11 months ago
        I use the 1911 because the single-stack mag fits my small hands (insert Trump joke here). The double-stack magazines of most 9mm semiautos isn't comfortable for me to shoot. As my first rangemaster told me before I ever picked out a PDW (personal defense weapon) if it isn't comfortable in your hand, you're not going to use it, and if you're not going to use it, don't buy it!

        Ballistics tests for modern ammunition, however, show that 9mm, .40, and .45 (and even .38 special) all have sufficient stopping power when using hollow-points. The only difference is when confronting someone wearing armor, and for that the bullet mass matters - not to try to penetrate, but to knock them down/out of the fight.
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  • Posted by ChuckyBob 7 years, 11 months ago
    John Moses Browning was a genius. Several of the weapons he designed are still in use today in substantially the same form as the origional design, over 100 years of constant use. 1911, Ma Duce, BAR. I have made the pilgrimage to Ogden, UT and the factory outlet store in Morgan, UT.
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  • Posted by ProfChuck 7 years, 11 months ago
    One of the reasons I like the 1911 is the grip to barrel angle. Aiming the gun, at least for me, is as natural as pointing your finger. With a bit of practice you can hit almost anything without using the sights. The knock down power is formidable. If you hit your opponent almost anywhere he is down.
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  • Posted by $ allosaur 7 years, 11 months ago
    The M1911 .45-cal. is the first pistol I was trained to shoot. I was not at all NRA qualified back then. The Marines just rolled away a target, had me yell "Halt!" twice and empty my magazine into it one whole time. I did have the satisfaction of seeing several holes appear in the hit zone.
    Old dino had a couple of 1911 .45s in the past but I sold both.
    Presently, both my "car gun" and my "pocket pistol" are 1911 configurations for "Luger" 9mm ammo guns. The "car gun" shoots ammo all day.
    Both have a chambered round with the hammer cocked back with the safety on.
    Should there every be an emergency, all I have to do is thumb down the safety and shoot.
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  • Posted by $ MichaelAarethun 7 years, 11 months ago
    Ahead of it's time and still ahead of most. Within pistol range which means out of range for most staff pukes it's very hard to miss even with a POS from the arms room.
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  • Posted by DrZarkov99 7 years, 11 months ago
    For those who believe "speed kills," the Liberty Civil Defense 45 ACP +P rounds clock over 2,100 fps out of a 4" barrel. Only a 75 grain projectile, compared to the stately 230 grain slug moving at 850 fps, but it does devastating damage to the target, and demonstrates how versatile the 1911 family can be.
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  • Posted by voodoo59 7 years, 11 months ago
    One of the most ingenious mechanical designs of all time. It is very therapeutic to disassemble my 1911 and polish the internals. Back in the IPSC days we would dress these up like hot rods. Still my favorite weapon.
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  • Posted by philosophercat 7 years, 11 months ago
    I love my real 1911 .45 because I will only use it at close range indoors defending myself and I am assured the target will cease to be a threat when hit with the hollow point police round. It causes bodies to back up whether or not they want to.
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  • Posted by Herb7734 7 years, 11 months ago
    Neat.
    This is the prototype gun for all the semi automatics to come. The fact that it is still preferred by many gun people is a tribute to its design and effectiveness.
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  • Posted by $ Radio_Randy 7 years, 11 months ago
    If you ever see the remake of "Assault on Precinct 13", you will enjoy the scene where a Thompson submachine gun repels the attackers, when heavy 9mm fire wasn't even phasing them.
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