It looks like we’ve gone from hammer-fired guns – revolvers, predominantly “double-action” during most of the last century, semi-autos – first single action (now oddly referred to as “SAO”), then double-action – to striker-fired guns. These were mostly polymer-frame guns (in the most successful renditions), later reverting to “metal-framed” aluminum guns.
Not so fast: now we’re reverting back to the Browning designed, Colt-developed single-action hammer-fired auto. Now with a larger magazine capacity in 9mm (Browning P35 anyone?), the double-stack polymer-subframe 1911 auto is now a big deal. We have rediscovered the late-1940s Colt Commander it seems. The poly-double stack 1911, developed in the 1990s, has been tweaked, sculpted and modified before we again took the step backwards.
The proliferation of poly-double stack 9mm 1911 pistols is impressive – as is their adoption by some services. The Springfield Prodigy 1911 DS is shown.
My problem with it? Nothing, with the possible exception of the magazines. Their cavernous mag bodies traditionally showed a curious tendency to result in misalignment of the cartridge stack, resulting in failures to feed. They kept at it though and we’re seeing more and more double-stack 1911 pistols, nearly all with optics, in police holsters. And now, it seems, there are pistols of the “2011” format that accept the very-reliable GLOCK magazine.
The multiple redundant safety features are a positive thing on a gun meant to always be worn. If you are in the “handguns have no need of a safety” camp, bless your heart. I’ll explore that issue sometime later perhaps. I like the grip safety and the thumb safety. If it’s reliable and well-designed, I’m cool with the firing pin safety too.
Meanwhile, there are newer versions of these things being announced every week, or so it seems.
Stay tuned.
And now we have new “GLOCK-type” pistols. Accompanying them we have the standard chorus of “how dare they?” and “can’t they design their own?” and “this is stealing.”
Irritated by a “GLOCK clone?” Yeah, that’s never happened before – the Ruger SR1911 above (and AR-556) predate the RXM (below).
How many companies sold copies – or near copies – of the Colt 1911? Please include the various guns from Europe and South America before 1950 (and after).
AR-15s? You just accept the Colts, right?
And no one should make the classic lever action rifles and carbines of Winchester except Winchester?
The GLOCK system, already accepted by over ¾ of US police agencies, is now in the same stage of its evolution as the US Service Pistols M1911 and M9 (yes, even the M9/M92 has “knock-off” versions), the AR-15 and others. The rifle that Uncle Bill took to the field in search of the whitetail deer was likely an American version of the old Mauser bolt action rifle design.
The most recent of these, therefore the one receiving the most flak, is the Ruger RXM. I like it very much. It has thus-far been reliable. I seem to not be able to fit up the Langdon Tactical Striker Control Device slide cover plate. I’m not sure why that is, but I continue to investigate.
It’s not a deal-breaker, but the SCD would make a regular Ruger RXM the “RXM Pro Model.”
If you are averse to change, this isn’t a good time to be alive. I expect more surprises will be revealed shortly in Las Vegas.
— Rich Grassi
