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Doubs · 08-25-2002, 01:27 PM

[quote]Originally posted by Aaron:
<strong>I don't understand how you can compare the 1911 to the Luger when it comes to reliability. The German engineering mind could not accept the idea of the loose tolerances which John Browning designed into the 1911. They were far more concerned with precise machining and fitting of parts.</strong><hr></blockquote>

My comparison was intended to be between combat pistols and the 1911 is one I have some statistics on.

Perhaps it was a poor illustration for my point which was that the US Army would never have adopted a pistol that failed to function every 10th round. Neither would the German Imperial Army.

Here is, I think, a better comparison; the 1907 test results of the US Army using a .45 Colt (1905 model?) and a .45 Luger. In 959 rounds the Colt failed to function properly 27 times for all reasons. That's a failure rate of 2.8%. The Luger failed 31 times in 1022 rounds or 3.0% of the time. Neither pistol was accepted for military service following the tests.

The bottom line is simply this: IMO, the military services of the world would not adopt a pistol that failed every 10th round on average which would almost be once each magazine for the Luger.

08-25-2002, 01:27 PM	#7
Doubs User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Byron, Georgia Posts: 1,671 Thanks: 771 Thanked 1,617 Times in 526 Posts	[quote]Originally posted by Aaron: <strong>I don't understand how you can compare the 1911 to the Luger when it comes to reliability. The German engineering mind could not accept the idea of the loose tolerances which John Browning designed into the 1911. They were far more concerned with precise machining and fitting of parts.</strong><hr></blockquote> My comparison was intended to be between combat pistols and the 1911 is one I have some statistics on. Perhaps it was a poor illustration for my point which was that the US Army would never have adopted a pistol that failed to function every 10th round. Neither would the German Imperial Army. Here is, I think, a better comparison; the 1907 test results of the US Army using a .45 Colt (1905 model?) and a .45 Luger. In 959 rounds the Colt failed to function properly 27 times for all reasons. That's a failure rate of 2.8%. The Luger failed 31 times in 1022 rounds or 3.0% of the time. Neither pistol was accepted for military service following the tests. The bottom line is simply this: IMO, the military services of the world would not adopt a pistol that failed every 10th round on average which would almost be once each magazine for the Luger.