SIG We The People 1911 .45 ACP

SIG SAUER's full-size "We the People" 1911 has some distinctive features. I don't know which is more distinctive, the "distressed" finish or the star-studded metal grip panels. Both jumped out at me when I got my first glimpse of the special Model 1911.

The "We the People" 1911 is chambered for .45 ACP, and it comes with a 5.0-inch, blackened carbon-steel barrel; a blackened barrel bushing; a standard recoil spring guide rod assembly; low-profile dovetailed night sights (6.5-inch sight radius); a skeletonized combat hammer; and two seven-round magazines. The slide has cocking serrations at the rear only.

Other excellent features include the checkered frontstrap, the beavertail grip safety with memory bump, the checkered flat mainspring housing, the ambidextrous thumb safety, and the ventilated trigger with overtravel adjustment screw. My sample pistol's trigger pull averaged 5 pounds, 6 ounces on my RCBS trigger pull scale. There was the expected amount of take-up and just a hint of creep, but the break was consistent.

The gun's stainless-steel slide and stainless-steel frame are what SIG calls "distressed." This is a proprietary finish process, and SIG spokesmen are keeping very quiet about it. The slide bears "WE THE PEOPLE" on the right side, "1776" on the left side, and 13 stars in a circle on the top.

The metal grips have 25 raised stars on each grip panel (one for each state in the Union). The grips are attached to the pistol with hex-head screws.

After putting 200 rounds through the "We the People" 1911, I can report that it functions reliably and shoots well. During my function testing, shooting for accuracy with the pistol mounted in a Ransom Rest, and offhand shooting at swinging steel plates, it didn't miss a beat. There were no malfunctions whatsoever. While it's not an exhaustive test, it is a good indication that the pistol is reliable.

In the accuracy department, the "We the People" 1911 averaged 1.11 inches for three, five-shot groups at 25 yards with the factory load it liked the best. That was the HSM 230-grain XTP loading. The load's best single five-shot group measured just 0.93 inch. Overall average accuracy for all five factory loads was 2.19 inches.

Two things stood out during my shooting session. One was the checkering on the frontstrap and mainspring housing. It was extremely effective and provided a very secure grip. The other thing that stood out was how comfortable the pistol was to shoot with all loads. On the same day that I shot the "We the People" 1911 I also fired a .38 Special medium-frame revolver with standard and +P ammunition, and the 1911 felt almost as soft shooting as that .38 Spl. revolver. In case you're wondering, the stars on the grip panels were not the least bit uncomfortable.

My good friend David Faubion, who is the Media Relations Manager and Senior Copy Writer at SIG SAUER, says, "This pistol serves as a fitting tribute to both the Second Amendment and the most storied handgun in history. While it honors the past, the 'We the People' 1911 is fully equipped for modern-day use."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

MSRP: $1,481

sigsauer.com

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