The 1911 style .45 auto pistol is one of the most popular pistols on the planet. The reason is very simple; they work and work well. When someone speaks of a ".45 Auto", it is understood that they are referring to the 1911 style pistol as designed by John Browning, and first manufactured by Colt. It has been almost 100 years since the world was introduced to that weapon. It has stood the test of time very well. The .45 ACP has an excellent reputation as a man-stopper. It gets the job done without excessive noise, blast, or recoil. It is a very efficient cartridge. It and the 1911 are the perfect marriage of cartridge to pistol.
Just picked up my first Dan Wesson, the Commander Classic Bobtail. Fit and finish are outstanding as expected. I love the feel of this gun in my hands. I know these aren't slim grips, but something is slightly different from my other 1911s. After field stripping it and using Militec 1 on the rails I took it out to the range. I only have Winchester White Box for factory ammo. I used both of the Checkmate magazines that came with the gun as well as four Wilson magazines with the Tripp Super 7 kit installed.
The Model 1911 pistol will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2011, and it has never been more popular. Colt Firearms first manufactured the result of John Browning’s design genius, and the semi-automatic .45 ACP pistol was adopted by the United States Army on March 29, 1911. Today, Browning’s masterpiece is produced by dozens of firearms manufacturers.