I dont have much experience with pistols, but I've fired a few.
My friend has a springfield 1911, and I absolutely love it. It fits in my hand better than anything else. I love the single action. Simple and always ready. The safety does block the hammer (but please correct me if Im wrong) so it's relatively safe to carry cocked.
Rob Burke of Robs guns in denver just retired at the begining of the summer. He was a sniper working under the office of the president in Vietnam (yes, independent of military branch). He swears by them and has been competing with them for years. His primary carry is a combat commander.
A few trinkets of 1911 wisdom he shared with me and my friends (some basic some a little less) :
Always double tap mag to make sure its seated well.
Never pull hammer with your thumb. Use slide to rack it. Over time it will wear and you'll get wobble in your hammer.
Always dry fire, never ease hammer back with thumb. Over time it will wear the sear pin and eventually you will load a mag, hit the slide release and find your mag emptying itself! He was particularly adamant about this. If you want to carry loaded with the hammer down, take care not to let parts rub slightly when lowering the hammer. Also, and this is me questioning, what are the chances of a hammer that is sitting on the firing pin discharging if it is knocked or hit with something?
Some day I hope to be able to afford a 1911 of my own. For the simplicity and number on the market they are still quite expensive, but the quality is awesome. Nothing fits my hand better. Still, 9mm is cheaper ammo, and that's a factor in my budget too. 10 years from now when I can afford it I'll post a picture of whatever I get.
