If Porsche 911's are so good, why are people always modifying them, when people don't seem to modify a Prius or any other car that much?:p

Speaking for myself, one of the only reasons I bought a 1911 is just so I could modify it. I bought a rock bottom, basic mil-spec Springfield, parkerized finish and all. It was a "blank canvas" on which I could do whatever I wanted. Now, here I am 20 some odd years later, and I haven't changed a thing. Oh, I lowered the ejection port and ramped the breach end of the barrel to enhance feeding and ejection, but those things are pretty much standard now on all 1911's. Other than that it is untouched.

I guess that is my way of saying that none of the bells and whistles are necessary. Fun, but not necessary. Your money is probably better spent on all the ammunition you can afford, and your time better spent doing your level best to shoot it all up. Nothing screams "wanker" more loudly than someone who shows up with a heavily modified 1911 who then cannot shoot it. Come to think of it, the same applies to 911's...

Guys don't mod 1911's because they're poor guns in stock condition. They mod them because they are great guns. Like Porsche 911's, we just cannot seem to resist the temptation to 'customize' them. It is our love for 1911's that makes us want to mod them, not disappointment.

The 442 is a .38 special. I'll probably "upgrade" to the .357 M&P (340?) version, as they weigh the same.

It's been done (Robert Mika). See: http://www.frontiernet.net/~akim/

Actually, none of those are what I'm describing.

This is outside the waistband. Think what the geeks looked like in high school with the calculators on their belts.

Ah, OK.

I like the hi-ride "pancakes" (if that's what you call 'em). Holds the gun up and flat.

http://www.holsters.org/j3030.jpg