The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: fightingquaker13 on May 27, 2011, 08:51:45 PM
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I just got my latest copy of "The American Rifleman". There was a feature on all sorts of commemorative 1911s for the one hunded year anniversary. Many were fancy pieces done up in gold and ivory. A few were plain in appearance, but tweaked to supposedly be high performance. Now I know my preference, but that's all it is, just MHO. I'm curious about the rest of you. Do you want/value a gun with gold engraving or prefer Plain Jane? There is no right or wrong answer here. I'm just curious. Let's leave aside questions of SD or money.The gun fairy will give you a 1911, price no object, but you can't sell it. Do you want the inlay, or do you want plain, boring and practical? Why do choose your option? Just curious.
FQ13
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Plain, blued the old timey way....with good internals. I really don't care for stainless steel though I understand the reasoning.
It's about the mechanism for me, not the aesthetics. A fine piece of machinery needs no decoration. It just needs to function well and without fail.
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I believe the phrase is "gilding the lily."
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If well don, inlays can and are beautiful but they don't make a gun shoot any better. I'd take a fancy gun as a bbq gun but for a working gun give me a plain ol' well working gun every time. Ambiguous enough for you, FQ?
Pecos
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If well don, inlays can and are beautiful but they don't make a gun shoot any better. I'd take a fancy gun as a bbq gun but for a working gun give me a plain ol' well working gun every time. Ambiguous enough for you, FQ?
Pecos
I'm not into ambiguity, just don't want an argument. Me, I traded a Weatherby Mark V with a gold bolt handle and burled hi-gloss monte-carlo stock in on a straight stock Ruger M-77 just because it I liked the aesthetic better, and they both shot about the same. I'm not judging those who like the fancy stuff, I just want to hear how many of y'all like it and how many don't. Its something I've always wondered when I see the ads for these things, and the board seems a pretty decent sample of gun guys. So what would your free high dollar 1911 look like?
FQ13
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If you're giving away 1911s I'll take an engraved one with only a bit of gold inlay. I like how they did the 75th anniversary PPK and would want it like that.
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[If I ever get my May and June issues....."well no I didn't go to the 'digital issue' web site. I didn't want the digital issue." Grrrrrr.]
I prefer stainless only for revolvers. My Colt 1911 is blue and looks real attractive (to me). But I kinda like the flat matte color of Springfield's RO. If I bought another 1911 that would be my choice.
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I would like some tasteful engraving done on the outside and 100% reliable on he inside.
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We are really talking about 2 totally different subjects here. One is a shooting tool, Blue or stainless ,( prefer stainless) Basic, functional, reliable shooter.
The other is a multi media art project that shoots.
Would you wrap camo tape around a Purdy shot gun for hunting ?
But it works pretty good on an H&R.
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I agree with Tom on this one. One is an everyday tool the other is a master piece. I do not have the money for art. I only buy what is useful. If I had the money to burn I would buy both.
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I have plenty of tools built the way I want them. Now I'd like one with just a touch of glitz! Engraving and fancy grips will do me just fine and I would shoot that one also.
JMHOFWIW
Richard
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I have plenty of tools built the way I want them. Now I'd like one with just a touch of glitz! Engraving and fancy grips will do me just fine and I would shoot that one also.
JMHOFWIW
Richard
But I would be more interested in the workmanship than in the accuracy or reliability, those can both be improved but it would never be a carry gun so they are irrelevant.
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OK. Since I tend to be a practical sort- notice my online moniker ( ;) )- I would go for a stainless/blued 1911 along the lines of Springfield TRP, STI Trojan/Spartan, or even a RIA. I value reliability, functionality, and aesthetics in that order.
There's nothing wrong with a custom stylized 1911 but that isn't my style. For goodness sake, I drive around in a 1991 Toyota (no power steering) pickup, 5 spd manual, has over 200K miles, gets around 20 mpg, and has working AC that blows cold..... ;D
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A Kimber Stainless or an STI. None of the glam. Want something functional and practical. Don't want the headache of the firearm getting scratched and having to worry about it. Pretty guns are for the better off that can afford to case them and show them off. If I was part of that social class then fine. But sense I am not, I would prefer something that would go "bang" everytime that I could carry daily. Glock ;D
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Like Tom said, two different functions here.
For duty weapons, give me simple, reliable and practical.
If I were in a position where I had occasion to wear a "dress" weapon, I'd not mind some lily gilding at all.
Sort of like the Marines Dress Sword. I don't think you find any duty swords being issued any longer. But those dress swords shure to spiff up a uniform. (or a collection)
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The gun fairy will give you a 1911, price no object, but you can't sell it. Do you want the inlay, or do you want plain, boring and practical? Why do choose your option? Just curious.
FQ13
If someone is going to give me a 1911, I'll go for the gold!
Give me a nice gold eagle on the slide, fill in the 'gold' cup, and throw in some nice but not extravagant engraving. Some very pretty grips would round it off nicely.
Accuracy and reliability will be taken care of by Nelson Ford, so that's not an issue. (he has done 99.9% my revo and auto work anyway)
Do you need an address to ship it to? ;D
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Do you need an address to ship it to? ;D
Do I look like the gun fairy? I think Phil is the guy you should be sending shipping details to. ;D
FQ13
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Minimal decoration, just to mark it as a Centenial Edition, but it has to be, first and foremost, a shooter. ;)
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If I could afford it I would take the engraved one. I already have enough plain janes for the moment.
Tom,
I don't need to camo tape the shotgun I hunt with, but it is hand engraved and it is about 125 years old and going strong. When I go duck or goose hunting I use an as issued Remington, 11-87 Left Hand.
But I don't have an engraved 1911, which I would like very much. So, I am asking you all for donations to save up for it. Send your dollars to me. I will put them to good use, when I have enough. I might even learn to post the picture of it for you to admire.
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I look at the fancy guns and think "man thats beutiful" but I would be scared of damaging it so I like plain jane. I like my guns to look good but I can have a plain jane refinished without bank rupting myself. I also like stainless as long as its brushed and not shiney.
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Two points of view, with two answers.
If I win the Lottery:
Yes, get me all the fancy crap.
Since I probably "won't" win the Lottery:
K.I.S.S. method applies.....
I can see one as an investment, especially shotguns, rifles, and certain pistols,.....but, WWBD?
(What would Browning do?) ;)
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"I have no need for fancy weapons."~ Woodrow F. Call, The Streets of Laredo
The most intriguingly beautiful 1911 I ever laid eyes on (and was fortunate to be able to handle and shoot) would have been deemed, by most viewers, as down-right 'ugly'. There was hardly any bluing on it.....there wasn't a sharp edge on it and even the checkering on the grip panels was almost gone. It had 'custom' engraving all over it.....the kind that comes from dedicated and constant use.....not from an engraver. You could tell it had been cared for immensely, but it had been used severely over the course of decades. It belonged to a Korean War veteran who regularly cleaned our clocks at our gun club's monthly NRA Bullseye match.
Beware the well-worn gun.....for the man who owns it, is probably very competent in its application. ;)
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I don't mind some deep engraving on a stainless handgun. But, if it gets too fancy with all the gold and stuff, well, then it becomes a "collectable" and doesn't get shot. I don't have enough room in the safe (or my marriage) for guns that don't get shot.
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When buying "art", if it were a choice between a Rembrandt or a highly engraved, inlaid fire arm, (does have to be a pistol, let alone a 1911 ) I'm going with the gun.
The walls already have paint on them . ;D
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Tom,
Well said!
Bill
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Well, Tom what about paintings of guns?
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Frederick Remington, or old Advertising posters ?
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no safe queens for me.
The only guns I don't shoot are the ones that are not safe to do so.
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no safe queens for me.
The only guns I don't shoot are the ones that are not safe to do so.
If I had "art" guns they would be in that category.
Cuz if you got finger prints on the gold inlay I would break your arms off and beat you with them .
That makes it unsafe to shoot them ;D
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I'm talking about old damascus and twist steel shot guns.
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I'm talking about old damascus and twist steel shot guns.
Can't you shoot black powder loads in those?
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some times yes, some times no.
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Can't you shoot black powder loads in those?
At least once ;D , But not something I would recommend