The SIG M11-A1 has been one of my Unicorn pistols for some time. It’s basically the latest version of the P228 that’s no longer in production. I had used a 228 many moons ago as duty weapon when I did patrol work. The M11-A1 simply adds factory night sights, the SRT trigger, and that’s about it. If you are unfamiliar with the 228, that’s a shame. But it’s what the 229 became with the addition of a frame rail. The M11-A1 keeps the lines clean by being free of rails. Now, a lot of new Shooters out there might not know anything about the M11. In the 80’s when the US Army adopted the Beretta M9 pistol as the service pistol, they quickly found that it did not meet the needs of everyone that needed a pistol. So the Army adopted the M11 shortly thereafter. The M11 was primarily issued to Investigators and other DOD Agents that needed something concealable. It also found its way into the hands and holsters of Aviators and others that the M9 was too large for. The M11 has been quietly seeing service ever since the late 80’s. During that time, the civilian P228 was gaining popularity with Law Enforcement and I remember if a LEO wasn’t packing a Beretta, it was 226 or a 228. I myself carried a 228 on duty until I switched to an HK USP, a decision that I do not regret. But I did regret giving up the 228 from my arsenal. It was a good balance of size, weight, and capacity and really worked well.
At my core, I’m a 1911 Guy. Though I have a great fondness for SIG, CZ, and Beretta DA/SA type pistols, and a love of Revolvers… my heart belongs to the 1911. I get asked about them from time to time, though not as often as I used to. Because everyone’s talking about polymer framed, striker fired pistols these days. People are generally forgetting about the amazingly wonderful 1911. When asked, I’m most often asked about what my top choices are in a 1911. And usually, I’m asked about this after the person buys their 1911 pistol and then gets their Feels bruised because their pistol isn’t on my list.
Now, as far as lists go, I’m not going to a top 5 Brands. Because that’s not just boring, but obvious. So I’m going to pick the Top 5 Pistols. The individual model version… This is a much more challenging list. Made far more difficult by limiting it to only 5 pistols when this list could easily – very easily – go to a Top 20. So if you’re baby isn’t in the top 5, it’s probably really close… so your knee-jerk reaction of “What about this?” is going to be answered with, “There Can Be Only Five.”
Also, this list is just for Production pistols… Wilson Combat, Nighthawk Custom, Carolina Arms Group, Ed Brown, Les Baer and the like, I classify as “Custom” 1911’s.
Anyways, without any more preamble, here’s my Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols: Continue reading Top 5 Production 1911 Pistols.→
I just got another Romeo 4c, and this one is now topping Project Kahlan. The Burris Fastfire, which I also like, has been moved over to Elizebeta… my late Brother Zach’s AK-47. The Fastfire is better suited to the AK, thanks to it’s more compact nature and lower mounting capability with the current rail situation. (Photos will come late)
What I like about the 4c version of the Romeo, is the Solar Powered backup to for the battery, which has a 50,000 hour run time. It has two reticle options, a 2 moa Dot or an Eotech style circle dot. Quick Detach. Insane lifetime warranty that is basically saying if anything happens, they’ll replace it, no questions asked. Which is awesome.
The optic is super clear and bright for a Red Dot, and even with my bad eyes, I can see the dot nice and crisp. I like these little optics better than the vogue T1 or T2 Micros. SIG’s Electro Optics are very good… and with that lifetime warranty? Getting one is a No Brainer. For Project Kahlan, and any future firearm that I want a Red Dot for – I’m getting the Romeo 4c’s for them from now on.
I got this Romeo 4c from my good friend Steve, who has several more for sale at his store, PrecisionRifleShooters.com. Now, if you want one too… Go there, and at Checkout enter Coupon Code “MADOGRE” for a nice discount.
I’m going to catch a lot of flak for this one. Because I know these things have become crazy popular. I know they are ergonomic, have great triggers, and are accurate in a way most Strikers are just not. And I’ve shot them plenty… They do shoot just fine.
But I hate the SIG P320.
Now let me explain why…
The P220 Combat is designed to meet, and exceed, rigorous military standards. The P220 Combat performs like no other .45ACP available. Each pistol features the military’s Flat Dark Earth finish on its alloy frame and SIG’s Nitron® over a stainless slide. Internal parts and controls are phosphated for extreme corrosion resistance and reduced friction while the threaded barrel is hard chromed and finished in Nitron® which easily passes the military’s accuracy requirements – even after 20,000 rounds. The P220 Combat also passes the military’s 240-hour salt spray corrosion test. Outfitted with a true M1913 Picatinny rail, vertical front strap serrations and SIGLITE® night sights.
I don’t know why I left SIG in the first place. Pretty much I left SIG for Glock because sometimes I go into Retard Mode or something. I should never have left. I love SIG’s and I love .45’s and flirting with smaller guns that don’t even have hammers – a mistake I shall never make again.
We’ve had this lightly used SIG 227 sitting in the gun counter for about 6 months now… I had 15 rounds of .45 Auto PMC Bronze on my desk for about that same period of time.
Well, today I put them to work. HOLY CRAP! The 227 is absolutely one of the nicest shooting .45’s I’ve ever fired. It’s smooth, super soft recoil, and dang is it accurate. That is 15 rounds at 25 feet. No… seriously… 15 rounds. I put 10 rounds in the mag, ran the target to 25 feet, fired 10 rounds, reloaded with the last 5, fired them and brought the target back in. HOLE-LEE-CRAP.
I’m an okay shot – but not this good! That’s the GUN. The only other gun that’s on par with this is the CZ 97B… or $1800+ 1911’s.
This made me just fall in love with SIG’s all over again. So much… There’s a used SIG 220 Carry that I’ve been very tempted about. This might be pushing me over the edge.
I really wish SIG had an M-11 Legion edition. I’ve been thinking about SIG’s more and more lately. I sold a P229R the other day and it’s just reminded more and more how much I enjoyed shooting my 229R and how much of a mistake it was selling it.
I admit to be very smitten with the M-11 pistol (P228) and that itch to get one is getting very… itchy. The new 229 pistols and the M-11 are the same pistol, the M-11 just doesn’t have the frame rails.
The enhancements on the new Legion series – I really dig. And quite frankly, I need. I love the color of the finish, and grips are just cool. The extra checkering, yes, I’m a fan of it. But most importantly is the big bright front sight post.
I need that.
Any SIG 22X pistol (Any SIG model that starts with 22) is a Shooter’s Pistol. They are exceptionally accurate and reliable, hammer fired and made of metal, the way I like it. The double action pull on most any SIG 22X is very good. Not too heavy, not too long for DA’s. It’s good. But what’s even better is the SA pull. In Single Action mode -maybe I’m just used to them – the trigger is divine. And the stability of any of the SIG 22X guns is incredible. They handle the recoil, with no drama. Sure, there’s a bit more muzzle rise during recoil than say a Glock thanks to bore axis… But the SIG’s come back on target perfectly. And no matter what trigger package I put in a Glock, I can get better accuracy out of the SIG’s.
And I like the fact that the hammer is set up in the Rebounding configuration so manual safeties are not a bother. You don’t need them. Just take your finger off the trigger and/or decock… the weapon is perfectly safe. It’s probably the only semi-auto pistol that I’d feel perfectly comfortable packing Appendix. I trust the SIG safety more than any other semi-auto pistol out there. I just do.
There’s a thing there… that word. Trust. I trust SIG. I trust several gun brands… but SIG is probably at the very top of that list.
Glock’s dominance in the LEO market is epic. Over 68% of the market is staggering. But that’s actually not that surprising to me.
What is, well, not so surprising, but disappointing… is the complete falling of SIG and Beretta. 22.6% and 8.5% respectively. As bad as that is… is the results of the question “What would you like to carry?” Those numbers being only 21.3% and 4.6%.
No longer the Choice of Professionals.
This very clearly tells us that the time of metal framed guns fired with hammers is going the way of the Flint Lock. This saddens me. I prefer the metal-hammer guns over poly-striker guns. The feel, the weight, the superior single action pull… and that I can pull more accuracy out of a hammer fired gun.
As unpopular as Cream of Wheat.
What saddens me the most about this though – is that it tells me that Law Enforcement is no longer a Profession of Shootists. Like the FBI, Municipal Law Enforcement isn’t a Gun Culture anymore. They no longer want fine guns of refinement and craftsmanship… they only want Shooting Appliances. They want guns – and this is the secret to Glock’s success – that are simplified down to the lowest common denominator. Yes, I’ll say it.
Glock is the Common Core of handguns.
Most LE Agencies are not hiring shooters anymore. They want guys with education in Psychology and Human Development… They want Councilors. We saw this trend starting 20 years ago. I think this is why we see so many questionable police shootings… so many cops shooting dogs. I think a lot of these COP 2.0 guys may be power tripping… because the guys that come from the Gun Culture don’t get worked up or feel the need to power trip and flex their authority so much as these C2.0 guys and gals.
Huh… Oddly enough, all my LEO friends are from the Classic Old School variety. Good Cops that use Common Sense before using Ego. Damn good Cops. Many of them carry Glocks, because of Policy, not by choice. Some choose the Glocks… and that’s fine. They can’t shoot that well anyways. (j/k)
The Sidearms used by the most astute of shooting professionals remain hammer fired, metal framed guns. The US Navy SEALs, I must point out – having the freedom of using anything they want, use SIG 226’s. I don’t know any single group that personifies a Gun Culture more than the SEALS. They take Pistol Craft more seriously than any other group… with US Air Marshals being a close second. And they want that SIG. They want a stable shooting platform with as much accuracy as you can have in a Semi-Auto handgun.
In the Consumer Market – sales of SIG’s and Beretta’s are down. Regardless of quality, and regardless of special offers and marketing efforts, you just can’t sell them like you used to. The first choice is Glock… followed by the S&W M&P and the Springfield XDM series guns.
I’m not counting 1911’s – that is a market unique to it’s own, and I’ll talk about that in more detail at another time.
For me – I will remain a fan of the SIG’s and the Beretta’s. I prefer the triggers. I prefer the safeties. Now, if you are going to go Glock – get a new trigger system from Lone Wolf. Get some new sights from Lone Wolf. And you can make the most out of that Glock, if that’s what you prefer or have to live with. And I do appreciate the Glock for what it is… and do like them with LWD triggers. But given my druthers, I’ll take my Beretta over any Glock.
Oddly enough, the guns I want the most are all metal framed, hammer guns of the Revolving variety. With only a couple automatics. A SIG M11A1 is one the autos. The other are Browning/FN Hi-Powers and a SIG P210. But my beard is grey and I don’t like the music these kids listen to these days. Oh… and get off my lawn.
No, I didn’t go to SHOT. And I really don’t think I missed out on much this year. Looking at all the new Products that came out at the 2015 SHOT Show – very little impressed me.
SIG’s new Electro-Optics – Very cool. But damn, the market really doesn’t need another 1200 ACOG Alternative. Granted – this Bravo 4, is nicer. Better glass, better field of view, yada yada yada… But it’s 1200 bucks. And then there is the Leupold D-EVO. Which is cool and different, but for hell’s sake it’s a 3 thousand dollar package.
What the Market really needs – are some new good, solid AR type Optics in the 200 to 400 dollar range that don’t suck and are not made in China. Is that too much to ask? Has the Gun Industry not realized that we’ve had a losing economy for the last decade?
You know what I’m sick of?
Teases. Companies that Show us something cool and here’s the next SHOT SHOW, and you are still pimping it – and still not taking orders because it’s Vapor Ware. Show us what we can order. I want to see what I can have. That being said – I’m also really sick of all that MILITARY LAW ENFORCEMENT ONLY crap. Stop making Fantasy Guns for Storm Troopers and make some Available Guns for the Sheepdogs. What can I buy that I can use to defend my Liberty with? So me THAT. That’s what I want to see. Something new and innovative and cool and not too expensive and something that I can place an actual damn order on. THAT’s what I want to see.
Glock’s new CORE MOS line is nice… Finally that Longslide 10mm we’ve been wanting. That’s cool. But not really cutting edge.
The SIG P220 10mm’s are awesome. We’ve only been asking for that for a Decade and a Half. FINALLY! That’s almost the coolest thing at SHOT… but we’re not there yet.
That Taurus Curve – Stupid. The TCP with Wings – Stupid. The View – Stupid. Taurus – instead of trying to come out with new stupid shit, how about you start making good, simple, solid guns? How about you try that?
CZ I think has nailed it with that new Scorpion Evo pistol. Make it a simple Carbine and it would be a real home run. CZ remains a steady climber in quality and consistency and making guns I would be willing to spend my own money on.
Speaking of spending money… Beretta’s 92 Centennial looks amazing. But it’s 3 grand. Make a regular Bruniton finished version that’s… oh… say… Not more than 1200 bucks… make it a regular production item… WINNER.
You know what – That frame mounted safety would sure go a hell of a long way to help silence a fuckton of critics. But it’s only on the Centennial and was on the Billenium. The A3 should have had that. That with a Vertec frame… Damn. I’d buy two. Seriously.
But you know what the coolest thing at SHOT show was? For me that is… This. The Crye Precision Six12, with the Salvo Suppressor on it.
I want that Six12. That’s the coolest damn shotgun – but even then the thing came out last year. But that Gun Muffler packaged like that… Damn. That’s cool. So there’s that. The coolest thing at SHOT.
Over on WeTheArmed.com, the subject is being discussed. This is something I’ve been wanting now for – let me check – about 15 years. And it’s finally happening. SIG is going to release some variants of the P220 in 10mm Auto.
This isn’t just good for us 10mm fans. This is really good for us 10mm fans. Really, outside of custom 1911’s that cost the same as a decent used motorcycle or even a car… There have only been two options for a production 10mm pistol.
1. Glock.
2. EAA.
Let’s look at Glock. The Model 20, and the Model 29 have been it. Luckily for us, Glock is also bringing out the Model 40 MOS in 10mm so we have another decent option… the Model 40 sporting a long slide and being optics ready. I’ve handled this gun and it’s going to be great.
EAA on the other hand… While they make a great gun in the Witness series, I still have a hard time taking EAA seriously because of their past marketing. At least they’ve finally dropped the embarrassingly sexist crap with girls that look like they came from the Red Light District of Richmond, VA. Looking at the new Witness line up, I see that EAA is taking great strides to be actually competitive in their offerings. They are making some new models now that I’d be very interesting in trying. But a lot of guys I know refuse to even look at an EAA for various reasons. And EAA is not considered a top tier provider of service handguns. Not like Glock, not like SIG…
With SIG finally breaking bad and throwing down 10mm, this legitimizes the 10mm cartridge even further. If these guns have any degree of success, like I think they well… I will expect to see the likes of Beretta and S&W jumping on board with 10mm service pistols down the road. I can even see Ruger offering a few variants of their 1911 in it…
I’d still really like to see CZ-USA offer a 97B in 10. The 97B and the P220 have been my dream Tens. I am very happy about this.
