$500 challenge: Which is a better real-life carry piece for those on a budget, Glock or 1911?

by Alex Hollings · February 15, 2017

I’ve always loved the 1911. The classic style, combined with its solid metal frame and hefty .45 caliber rounds made it the gun I aspired to own as a young Marine carrying a Beretta M9 as my sidearm. Then, while visiting my brother in Georgia, I got the chance to fire a 1911 and found the gun to be a perfect match for my shooting style, as I was able to manage a fairly small shot group from 25 yards the first time I laid my hands on the weapon. Enamored, but on a budget, I purchased a Metro Arms American Classic 1911, one of the countless Colt clones on the market and one of the less expensive 1911 models a guy can get his hands on.

For the low price of about $500, I had my very own 1911, and although it was plagued by misfeeds early on, I was able to remedy the issue for just a few more bucks by ditching the weak magazine that came with the weapon for a $20 Wilson Combat mag that hasn’t let me down yet. All in, I had spent $520 on my 1911 that kept pace with my brother’s Sig Sauer 1911 that priced in at twice as much. The gun is reliable, easy to clean (at least it seems that way now), and has held up to the abuse of being my everyday carry for some time.

So why the hell would I buy a Glock?

About Alex Hollings

Alex Hollings writes on a breadth of subjects ranging from fitness to foreign policy, all presented through the lens of his experiences as a U.S. Marine, athlete and scholar. A football player, rugby player and fighter, Hollings has spent the better part of his adult life competing in some of the most physically demanding sports on the planet. Hollings possesses a master's degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Corporate and Organizational Communications from Framingham State University.

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Grover H
Or buy a FN Tactical in .45 ACP with 15 round magazines.
Robert L
Good article. I'd offer the idea of the tool being appropriate for the job. I carried 1911's all my life and love them. And I have carried a variety of striker fired weapons as well. For competition I wouldn't use anything else but my STI 2011. It combines all the best attributes of 9mm and 1911 in a high capacity sidearm. For concealed carry though it is too large and that requires a different "tool". I favor the XDS (having reworked it a bit) but I just picked up the Kimber micro 9 and am pretty impressed with it. As far as printing, a dehorned 1911 will smooth out a lot of the snags, but a great holster can have more impact on comfort and concealment. It is hard to beat Milt Sparks for holsters, but the Galco king tuk is a close second at a much lower price point. The 2011 brings a new perspective on "1911" that is hard to argue with for competition, a service weapon and (should you decide to) open carry. While a striker fire is clearly easier to conceal, 40 years of (personal use of) 1911 technology, competitions and never a failure but I will admit to a higher level of care for the 1911/2011 than its striker fired counterparts.
Matt C
I finally undercut my trigger. I decided not to use a dremel. Took it nice and slow by wrapping a Sharpie with sandpaper and using finer and finer grit. Took it all the way down as far as I could while leaving the trigger guard's structural integrity. I polished it and it looks beautiful and even more important - it feels beautiful!
JS L
Why not just buy a Sig P938 aka baby 1911. That's what I did. 9mm small with the same controls as my 1911 and smaller than a G43.
Kudu GS
Pure BS. I own 3 1911s. 1 3" and to full size. All high-end Sig, Nighthawk and Carolina Arms Group. I carry them weekly in my rotation along with a Sig 938. Im so tired of hearing this BS that 1911s are unreliable and that they can't finish a course without issues. If that was the case then all the Pros wouldn't use the 1911 platform in competition. Furthermore all my 1911s are past the 3000+ round mark without cleaning only lube and I've had zero issues of any kind. The issues people like to claim are 1911 are all user induced, aka crappy fundamentals, not knowing the weapon or understanding that they need lube. I like ALL guns regardless of brand or style. I own Glock, Sig, HK, S&W, Nighthawk, CAG, Taurus and Diamondback pistols. But don't bring that BS "1911s unreliable" crap. The proof is in the pudding. Pros and recreational shooters alike can and have proven that BS false. All weapons fail from time to time. Even the mighty Glock fails on a regular basis. Hell the new Glock fall apart before you can shoot them. http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2016/08/19/breaking-glock-17m-recalled www.google.com/amp/www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/05/robert-farago/glock-23s-falling-apart I had an STI EDGE (1911/2011) that went 8000k+ rounds without cleaning only lube without ever giving me a single hiccup. Sold it and another to fund my CAG Trenton Tactical Black.