I've carried/shot 1911s since 1978. 1911's (mine was made in 1917), 1911A1s (courtesy of the US Army), Pre series 70 Colts (my Combat Commander), Series 70 Government Model (my satin nickel Colt) and a Series 80 Government Model (my stainless steel Colt).
I've never had to put my thumb on top of the safety. I use it to hold the grip, so it doesn't flop around and actuate the safety till I want it to.
My 1911 jammed once - a commercial reload that was swelled (taught me to look my rounds over before I put them in the magazine.
The GI 1911A1s we had rattled like a can of nuts/bolts but went bang every time and I was knocking down pop ups at 50 meters the first time I'd ever fired a 1911 type pistol.
My Combat Commander has never jammed, it'll feed empty cases one after the other out of the magazine.
My Series 70 taught me that there are Colt's that don't like short rounds. Gives me a nose up stovepipe instead of chambering. So I seat even the light bullets out to the same overall length of 230 grain fmj ammo.
My Series 80 has never jammed.
None have ever broken parts. Did have a magazine puke one time. The bottom welds gave up and the bottom, spring, follower and remaining bullets dropped to the ground at my feet.
I have magazines from all over. GI surplus, CMC, $3 gun shop specials (from back in the 70's and 80's) and magazines I traded some S&W magazines for a few years back. They all work. In every 1911 I own.
When I got into the plastic guns a few years back (Glock first, then XDM, now M&P) I would carry a 1911 to the range with me. When my son or nephew would ask what was wrong with me (when looking at the groups on paper) I'd pick up the 1911 for the next group and shut them up.
Does it really matter how old the design is? It works. The 1911 works just as good today as it did back then. The new models didn't make it more reliable or more accurate, they just changed things to respond to people who complained (someone always complains about something/everything). In 2017 me and my boys are going to the range and we're going to shoot my 100 year old Colt and it will shoot as well as any of my new plastic pistols, if not better.
People who complain things are old and no longer good are usually looking for the new things to compensate for some issue they have.
My Glock and my M&Ps have had more failures to fire, chamber, etc. in the last 3 years than my Colts in over 30 years. And the Colts have many thousands of rounds more ammo through them. The XDMs have been flawless, in functioning anyway.
I now have more plastic guns than Colt 1911 guns. They carry more ammo. When I go outside to work in the yard or the garage I take the plastic gun. When I go to bed at night, a Colt is by the bed. From over 30 years of carry/use I know it will work. You've got to use it long enough to "know it" and you've got to have faith in it through that use.
Do you know the what the fastest single jet engine airplane in the world is?
A hint: it set the record in 1963. That's right. The single jet engine speed record is over 50 years old. In those 50 years no new fighter/interceptor built by any country in the world is faster than an airplane designed and built in the 1950's.
An airplane replaced by the F15. But when they were removed from front line duty and relegated to ANG service the pilots that got them delighted in "jumping" the new F15's in exercise and winning. That's right. The ANG pilots were using 20 year old airplanes to win against the newest jet fighter in the US Air Force at that time, the F15. Now the F15 is a super airplane, even today and has been developed into the best airplane out there since its introduction.
Anyway, the F106, long gone from service as anything but drones, still holds the world single engine speed record. Faster than F16's.
Old stuff can be pretty cool. Sometimes. Its a good thing not everyone likes Colt 1911's or I wouldn't have gotten mine as cheap as I did.
