[Jeff Higgins]

Interesting assessment of the 1911, Rick. I hate to say it, but it sounds like you have bought into some of the latest Madison Avenue hype concerning the 1911. Heavily modified, decked out 1911's seem to be all the rage these days, with everybody and their brother offering their own examples. Some are damned expensive. Some are over the top pimped out. The bling seems to impress, though, especially among those who think they can make up for a lack of shooting skill with a fancy gun. Not saying that's you, but I do see a lot of that. Guys who spend a fortune on every latest bell and whistle and still can't shoot the damn thing. They would have been better off spending that money on ammo and range time.

As a point of reference, I have a mil spec Springfield that I purchased new in about 1985 for the princely sum of $380. It will out shoot the vast majority of "race guns" I have ever seen, from both an accuracy and reliability standpoint. It's easy to shoot, easy to maintain, and took no more "getting used to" than any other gun.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 1911 as a first centerfire handgun, or as a first concealed carry gun. Condition one carry seems to scare a lot of folks, and it really should not. With a proper holster, designed for such carry, it will never be a problem. In this "cocked and locked" condition, there is far less to do than on may autos to bring it to action, and the trigger pull remains constant for every shot. Both are exceedingly important under duress. It's a wonderfully simple auto loader to use and to learn.