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PPQ 5 vs 1911

5K views 20 replies 13 participants last post by  MMA10mm 
#1 ·
I shoot my Q5 better than 1911 I acquired a couple of mos. ago. I thought the 1911 trigger was supposed to be so good....but I like the trigger on the Walther better. Maybe it is as simple as not having shot the 1911 as much, but I'm not sure that's it.


would appreciate comments- advice
 
#7 · (Edited)
I have a Ruger SR1911 with a worked over trigger. There really isn’t any comparison to a 1911 Trigger other than maybe a CZ75 in SA only.

But the Q5 is really good too. Top trigger.

A 1911 will have really no tackup at all. That might be an issue for many shooters.

My Q breaks around 3.5 lbs I suspect. My 1911 around 3 to 3.5. I am soon to have a CZ Shawdow 2 that will break around 2 lbs. I have a 22/45 that breaks under 2 lbs. And a worker over GP100 Match Champion.

I just dropped a trigger in my Ruger PCC....that one is now around 2.5 lbs with no take up. I carry a Bersa BP9. Stock. But has a notoriously light trigger.

Nearly every gun I own has trigger work. I am trigger stingy 🙂
 
#8 ·
We can't tell you which gun you should like more Katie5805. There is no universal answer. It is like food or music, personal preferences apply.

Just keep shooting and keep practicing. Maybe take a class or two if possible. In time as you gain more experience you will trust your preferences and opinions more.

Now that that is out of the way...

I'd say in general the PPQ will be more reliable and less maintenance intensive than a 1911.

The 1911 has a short straight pull trigger that a lot of shooters find to be the gold standard in semi auto triggers. When it comes to something like formal bullseye shooting where extreme accuracy and precision are required, most experiences shooters will favor a 1911 trigger.

The PPQ will hold more rounds than the standard 1911s.

The PPQ will probably weight less.

When shooting the 1911, you are shooting a piece of history and there is just something plain cool and classy about that.

The PPQ is modern and cool in its own way but it is still a plastic gun. It is highly efficient, cost effective and just works. Kind of like a Bic pen.

The PPQ grip has a different feel than the 1911. Depending on the size and shape of your hand and just general preference, you may favor one or the other.

Once again, it just comes down to preferences and what attributes you place more emphasis on. Both are great but different.

The PPQ is like a modern kind of sporty but still practical car filled with all the latest technology. Safe, reliable and a surprisingly good driver.

The 1911 to me is like a late 60s muscle car. Lots of fun to drive. A little more work to take care of. Really cool but not as practical for as many people as a modern gun like the PPQ.
 
#11 ·
If you can shoot a PPQ better than a 1911, consider yourself lucky. As a defensive pistol, the PPQ is arguably going to be less maintenance intensive, and more likely to be more reliable and durable with different types of ammunition. It also weighs less, and holds more rounds in the magazine.

I'm not as lucky. I believe the only pistols that were originally designed as defensive pistols, to have triggers close to being as good as a tuned 1911, are CZ's Custom models. 9mm 1911 pistols also have the softest recoil impulse over any other 9mm defensive pistols that I've shot. The PPQ is on the other end of that spectrum.
 
#20 ·
If you can shoot a PPQ better than a 1911, consider yourself lucky. As a defensive pistol, the PPQ is arguably going to be less maintenance intensive, and more likely to be more reliable and durable with different types of ammunition. It also weighs less, and holds more rounds in the magazine.

I'm not as lucky. I believe the only pistols that were originally designed as defensive pistols, to have triggers close to being as good as a tuned 1911, are CZ's Custom models. 9mm 1911 pistols also have the softest recoil impulse over any other 9mm defensive pistols that I've shot. The PPQ is on the other end of that spectrum.
Except the HK P7... I'm sure you know, balance, but a lot of people don't differentiate between muzzle flip, and recoil. The incredibly low bore axis of the P7, combined with the angle/shape of the grip and weight of an all-steel pistol make shooting the P7 a dream. It has a really good trigger too. A bit too much creep, but breaks early and light pull. Reset is a little weak on mine, but I'm not sure if that's original, or because mine is a 33-yr-old police pistol...
 
#12 ·
I love my squishy PPQ Q5 Trigger...

IMHO, each pistol (even sequential serial number case mates) has its own personality. I preferred a Wilson 1911 trigger to a Cassavant, but a Cassavant K-Frame trigger to a Power. Liked Power's barrel cones and fitting better....


I have a perfectly tuned 1911, a SIG 1911 from the custom shop- 4.1 lbs. Just fine. Crisper than PPQ Q5? Yup, But I have learned my Q5 and became VERY comfortable with a "no-step" faux two stage trigger. I know where it will let off, and hence I am VERY happy with it. No 1911 in Production Class. Just another game to play... Errors on the target are MINE. eccccchhhh... :)



Interestingly enough I prefer other two stages (stepped or not)... P210-6 (a real two-step), P220 SAO Super Match (like the Q5 but a bit crisper). I only shoot 265-270 in Bullseye, and 10 points higher with the SAO than a 1911 in .45. So I'm not a great shooter, but at 61, I'm young and still learning...


Hence, I like the PPQ, no more than the 1911, BUT the 1911 still performs (if I do)... :)
 
#13 · (Edited)
I honestly don’t have any issue shooting either platform but prefer the Q5 but grew up on 1911s so to speak.

I am more accurate with the Q5 but it is much more tuned to my liking and I have many rounds through it. The gun has practically no recoil.

1911s are terrific though. It’s a very old platform that was way ahead of its time that has been perfected over the years. The Q5 might be the best plastic platform ever, but has limitations. But in my opinion, CZ customized guns from places like CGW are the best of the best of the best especially for the money spent. Seriously, you can spend $2k on one and it will be as gold as nearly any custom 1911 for a lot more.

But as good as custom CZs are, they are heavy...very heavy. Weight has great upsides but also limitations.

As I type, I am working on a Shadow 2 fully customized from CGW. If I am as happy with it as I think I might be, I could be dumping some other guns, but I don’t think I could ever toss the Q5.

Btw, I have won 16 consecutive bullseye matches with the Q. And furthermore, in those 16 matches, I have the top 16 scores. Even my lowest score, has not been outshot by anyone else in the league on any given week. It’s a local league and no one is a professional shooter...but neither am I. That says a lot IMO.
 
#16 ·
The Q5 might be the best plastic platform ever, but has limitations. But in my opinion, CZ customized guns from places like CGW are the best of the best of the best especially for the money spent. Seriously, you can spend $2k on one and it will be as gold as nearly any custom 1911 for a lot more.

But as good as custom CZs are, they are heavy...very heavy. Weight has great upsides but also limitations.

As I type, I am working on a Shadow 2 fully customized from CGW. If I am as happy with it as I think I might be, I could be dumping some other guns, but I don’t think I could ever toss the Q5.
I just picked up a CZ TSO today. I’m taking it and the Q5 to the range tomorrow. Should make for interesting shooting. While the TSO may be a better competition pistol, I’m going to get started with the Q5. I’ve never shot any competition so it’ll be interesting to see how it goes. Just doing bowling pins on Monday but the range (indoors) is going to start doing IDPA matches next month.

Regarding the topic at hand, I have two 1911’s and both are Springfield Armory. A lightweight champion operator and a TSP. The trigger in the TSP is a bit better but either way, I prefer my 1911 triggers over that of any polymer pistol I own. From what I can tell the CZ TSO is going to be even better but the jury is still out on that.
 
#14 ·
The weight or lack there of the PPQ/P99 makes it a great general purpose gun. One of the best IMHO. When it comes to pure target shooting, I still believe some weight is an advantage as it helps you to hold steady and is a factor in recoil mitigation.

What I'd love to see is a steel framed PPQ. I'm not holding my breath but it would be the cat's meow as a striker fired target gun.

Before someone jumps on me and mentions Angus H saying weight can be counterproductive, I agree with that.

A certain amount of weight helps. Too much weight and the gun turns into dug in field artillery.
 
#15 ·
I'd also like a steel framed PPQ. Yep, the extra weight will help soften felt recoil but could be a disadvantage for a 'run and gunner', swinging the gun from target A to target B....gun wants to keep moving due to extra weight.

I don't run and gun.....heck, I don't run. I'll take the extra weight, thank you very much. :D
 
#21 ·
There are many aspects of better shooting to a pistol than just the trigger, especially, sights. 1911s are notorious for having crappy sights, unless you get one of the adjustable-sight versions or one of the newer-generation versions with bigger combat sights.

Unfortunately, if you got a newer version, then you automatically get the version with the worst factory trigger, the Series 80.

The 1911s with the great reputations are either custom/semi-custom, a Colt Gold Cup, or one of the non-Colts which is factory-made with better sights and trigger.

1911s were the first pistols to drive custom parts and custom gunsmithing, and there are some outstanding ones out there (Les Baer, Wilson, Nighthawk), but custom parts and gunsmithing has filtered all the way down to Glocks, and many companies, such as Walther with the PPQ, are making outstanding polymer pistols from the factory at a fraction the price of a 1911. I own at least ten 1911s, but I only shoot a couple of them, and it's for nostalgia these days...

I really liked what Jimmo952 said earlier: shoot what you like. Great advice for us all!
 
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