OT: Your Thoughts on COmpact 1911 .45s

[Ninety Caliber Al, 50218]

Wow, always amazes me how many Cowboys ccw 1911's. I'm a revolver guy all the way(S&W 638) daily. I love shooting 1911's but think they are not the best choice for civilian self defense. In my opinion it is the best "fighting pistol" ever devised. Really shines in the full size combat format! The way JMB intended. Just my two

[Bat Masterson SASS#2919]

Hey King, how ya been?

If you take a look at the bottom front of that holster it
has a pocket the front sight slips into.
The gun will not come out if someone is pulling on it from the
front. The straight up draw is your only
option and the holster almost forces you to cant the gun to the back with the
muzzle forward at the end of the draw.

[Shooting Bull]

I've been shooting double stack 1911s for so long I can't even hold a single stack anymore. If you're build will allow you to conceal a slightly wider grip fram I'd suggest looking at either the STI VIP or Para Ord P-12. (For the P-12 you'll have to look for a used one. The newer version is called P-10 and I've seen mixed reviews.) I've been carrying a P-12 .45 for about 20 years and absolutely love it. Both will probably be a bit out of your price range but, as the saying goes, what's your life worth?

[Terry Lane, SASS #12257]

I've carried a Colt 1991A1 Officer's Model for the past 5 years and practice with it a lot. No problems with it from the start. I wouldn't part with it.

[Leadville Lefty SASS 87631]

I've carried an Officers Model for years with no problems. My last acquisition was a Glock 36. After a Zev trigger and a Bar Sto barrel I can shoot either lead or jacketed. I like it because being left handed I sometimes hit the slide stop and lock the gun open. With the Glock I don't have to think about these things, just aim and pull the trigger.

[Slowhand Bob, 24229]

Always have been and always will be a COLT 1911 fan 'BUT' a couple of years back I decided to play with some other styles before that last tick of the old heart, we all have one built in you know! For many years I would not even try a Glock, on just general principle but finally broke down and tried a rental Model 34 9MM. WOW, I liked it and decided to buy one as a toy. When I went shopping, I found a whole new world of guns and in that new world I even picked a S&W M&P PRO9 over the Glock and have not looked back. I really like this big S&W light, fast and accurate, no wonder the Three Gun guys are starting to take to it, but no way does it ever go with me for anything other than play, YET!

 

For many years it was always either the SS Colt Mustang or even more likely my SS Colt Officers Model. A few years ago I picked up a Colt New Agent because it just looked small and more svelte than the OM, to hell with the numbers. In the end I just can not make the transition on those funky sights, the old dog syndrome I guess. Many rounds of ammo later, all of these Colts have been dead on reliable and if the door ever gets breached one of my Colt 45s is what I will have at hand (right now, but)??? In the last year I find myself reaching for something totally different for those occasions that I feel to be low threat and high concealment needs, a little Kahr P380. It has not had the time to gobble up as much ammo as have the Colts but it has, so far, gone through several hundred rounds without a glitch.

 

What is scary for me is that sometimes as I lay in the quite darkness of night, the thought crosses my mind, would a HI-CAP S&W PRO in 40cal be a valid replacement for the big Govt model on the night stand?? I am planning to start shopping for a new one after the first of the year BUT it will get a lot of trigger time before I even consider making any change over.

 

PS: For some reason the S&W PRO just feels more natural than the Glock grip but I do enjoy trigger time on the Glock 34 also and actually have fired them side by side on a couple of occasions (just to be sure).

[royal barnes sass #5792]

I have a serious lust going on right now for the commander length bobtail scandium Smith. But for the $1200 price I would have one already.

I feel your pain. I have carried my New Agent for several years but this week I tried a Smith Performance Center Round butt Commander. Liked it so much I bought one. It has been totally reliable for 500 mixed rounds and will become my EDC. The New Agent still has a place but the Smith just feels good and is very accurate. It doesn't need a trip to the smith because it's already been there! This post is a real admission for me since I haven't owned or carried any 1911 but a Colt in 30 years and still own about a dozen.

[Crazy Mingo]

Heeee Haaaa.. Kimber Ultra Carry..3" barrel.. I carried that gun before Michigan got CCW.. I have others but this is my favorite.. I shoot 185 gold dot. feeds great.. One of my most dependable guns.. I shoot wild bunch loads thru it never any problems.. I pray I'll never need it.. But I pratice,pratice,pratice..and I'll bet my life on it..

 

Heeee Haaaa Crazy Mingo

[Dusty Morningwood]

I may have found a decent SS Detonics compact. It is heavier, being all steel, but might be easier on recoil. Also already broken in. But I can also get either a Sig Sauer 1911 Ultra Compact .45 or KIMBER ULTRA CARRY II 45 for around $800. I like the SS Detonics without the big beavertail and shorter magazine with pinky extension. Bat Masterson spoke well of his above.

[Krazy Kajun]

Always have been and always will be a COLT 1911 fan 'BUT' a couple of years back I decided to play with some other styles before that last tick of the old heart, we all have one built in you know! For many years I would not even try a Glock, on just general principle but finally broke down and tried a rental Model 34 9MM. WOW, I liked it and decided to buy one as a toy. When I went shopping, I found a whole new world of guns and in that new world I even picked a S&W M&P PRO9 over the Glock and have not looked back. I really like this big S&W light, fast and accurate, no wonder the Three Gun guys are starting to take to it, but no way does it ever go with me for anything other than play, YET!

 

For many years it was always either the SS Colt Mustang or even more likely my SS Colt Officers Model. A few years ago I picked up a Colt New Agent because it just looked small and more svelte than the OM, to hell with the numbers. In the end I just can not make the transition on those funky sights, the old dog syndrome I guess. Many rounds of ammo later, all of these Colts have been dead on reliable and if the door ever gets breached one of my Colt 45s is what I will have at hand (right now, but)??? In the last year I find myself reaching for something totally different for those occasions that I feel to be low threat and high concealment needs, a little Kahr P380. It has not had the time to gobble up as much ammo as have the Colts but it has, so far, gone through several hundred rounds without a glitch.

 

What is scary for me is that sometimes as I lay in the quite darkness of night, the thought crosses my mind, would a HI-CAP S&W PRO in 40cal be a valid replacement for the big Govt model on the night stand?? I am planning to start shopping for a new one after the first of the year BUT it will get a lot of trigger time before I even consider making any change over.

 

PS: For some reason the S&W PRO just feels more natural than the Glock grip but I do enjoy trigger time on the Glock 34 also and actually have fired them side by side on a couple of occasions (just to be sure).

While this is a compact 1911 thread I thought I'd just echo what Slowhand Bob said about low threat high concealment. I bought a Kahr P380 about a month ago and have put somewhere in the neighborhood of 300 rounds through it....Kahr says a 200 round breakin period is required. Have not had one gun caused hiccup. I am looking at the Crimson Trace laser that mounts on the trigger guard and a holster that accommodates the laser. It's striker fired and does not have the LONG heavy trigger pull like most of the .380s out there....more like shooting a Glock. It has no safety and its just pull and shoot.

 

I have several 1911s but no compact one. After reading this thread I now am Jonesing for one....end of the year sales are coming up, who knows.

[The Original Lumpy Gritz]

I can't see any reason not to carry my Colt Commander LW.

Been doing so for over 30yrs now.

LG

[John E. Law]

I have a friend who owns/is a gunshop/gunsmith. His father has been a 1911 gunsmith for 40+ years and they build one hell of a gun. He allowed me to buy all of the parts and then helped me build my very own 1911 "Officers" model. It's a Caspian frame and slide with a Wilson Combat barrel. The internals are all the "best of the best". We also hand made the grip panels, did the knurling on the backstrap, and Cerakoted the frame. It has the nicest trigger of any gun I have ever felt.

 

 

JEL

[John E. Law]

Forgot to add....I would highly reccommend this model for a CCW. Unfortunately my agency won't allow us to carry the 1911 so this one is just for fun.

 

JEL