[Master of none]

Like the title says, went and hung out at one of my friends gun shops. I'm interested in a 1911 style gun. He was nice enough to let me fire his personal hot-rodded Kimber 1911. Now that I've fired a "Cadillac", I have a few questions.


1. What made you go to .45? I currently have a 9mm and a .40
2. What made you decide on the brand/style, fit? finnish?
3. As a newb to the 1911 market what would you consider "musts" for your 1911
4. I plan on CCW this weapon, would your rather a full frame? or Commander style?


Thanks for looking and time to answer my "new guy" questions.

 

[dubshooter]

I am not by any means a "1911 guy", but I did just pick up a 1911. I did a lot of research. Keep in mind, my 1911 will be my off duty and secondary weapon at work.

1. I went to .45.... I currently carry a 9mm on and off duty. But we will be switching to .45 1911's soon. I bought my 1911 to be able to take the same mags incase, for whatever reason, it becomes inoperable.

2. Brand: I went with the Colt Defender. I didn't like the idea of the trench sights on the New Agent. I would have prefered a black/blue finish, but preferred the Defender styling sights. I also looked at the RIA handguns, but I figured if it's going to be for work, I wanted to know it was going to last my career. But I hear good things about them, and they have a much better looking price tags.

3. Musts? I don't know. I like mine stock how it is, although i wouldn't mind an ambi-safety, since it will be a back up weapon, I would like to be able to flip off the safety with left hand if my right is out of the question.

4. I'm a slim guy, so it would have to be a commander or smaller. Mine is the compact because I will have to conceal it at work. Smaller makes it easier.


Take your time, shoot a couple, see what you like. I would have gone with a 9mm except for 1. I wanted mag interchangability and 2. I was getting my first 1911, and it was a Colt, so I wanted to stick with a .45, just because. My next i will probably look at the 9mm RIA full size for ammo affordability.

 

[3482jl]

1911

Like the title says, went and hung out at one of my friends gun shops. I'm interested in a 1911 style gun. He was nice enough to let me fire his personal hot-rodded Kimber 1911. Now that I've fired a "Cadillac", I have a few questions.


1. What made you go to .45? I currently have a 9mm and a .40
2. What made you decide on the brand/style, fit? finnish?
3. As a newb to the 1911 market what would you consider "musts" for your 1911
4. I plan on CCW this weapon, would your rather a full frame? or Commander style?


Thanks for looking and time to answer my "new guy" questions.

Short answer in a nutshell--no handgun owner should be without at least one 1911 There are so many brands, sizes, variants, price ranges, etc. that it can be "information overload". Find one you like that meets your basic requirements and buy it. After all, when you really get hooked on the 1911 bug you can always buy a dozen more

 

[DEKerr]

1. What made you go to .45? I currently have a 9mm and a .40

Honestly, 9mm feels like a pellet gun to me, & .40 cal. seems half-assed & unnecessary. Quite simply I like the reliability of the classic 1911, & the sheer stopping power of the .45 ACP cartridge.


2. What made you decide on the brand/style, fit? finnish?

My first 1911 was also my first firearm purchase, a Colt 1991A1 Compact (SS). I bought it because I knew I wanted a .45, & it was the only one available in that vicinity at the time. I bought a Remington 1911R1 this past year because I also wanted a full-size, "GI style" 1911. I felt the 1911R1 offered the best combination of old & new, at a great price.


3. As a newb to the 1911 market what would you consider "musts" for your 1911

A stiffer recoil spring, quality aftermarket magazines & a comfortable, secure holster.


4. I plan on CCW this weapon, would your rather a full frame? or Commander style?

The 1991A1 Compact, while not exactly lightweight, is a great carry pistol. It's also Stainless, which helps a lot in a carry weapon, esp. in warm weather. Shooting the .45 ACP accurately from a short (3.5") barrel does take practice, but one should be in the habit of shooting regularly no matter which gun one carries. I can pack 7+1 in the Compact, & I'll take 8 rounds of .45 ACP over 14-15 of 9mm any day.

 

[Master of none]

These are great answers guys, thanks for the reply's.I'm happy with my Sr series guns, but I've always liked the look and feel of a 1911.


DEKerr, one of the guns I had my hands on was a Remmington R1. He had both the blued, and the stainless.

I'd like to actually "handle a SR1911, but no one around my area seems to be able to come up with one. Or if they can, had one unfriendly LGS owner tell me "yeah I can get you one but it will cost you close to $900..."

 

[Yetiman]

1. What made you go to .45? I currently have a 9mm and a .40
2. What made you decide on the brand/style, fit? finnish?
3. As a newb to the 1911 market what would you consider "musts" for your 1911
4. I plan on CCW this weapon, would your rather a full frame? or Commander style?

1. When I first started shooting centerfire pistols in a Police Explorers program (after shooting a Ruger MKI .22 for a while) I was started in .38 revolvers and shot them really poorly. The guy running the program lent me his Colt Gold Cup which was modified for bullseye competition shooting. I was in like Flyn, and shot this gun really well. I pretty much stuck with 1911's for many years and still mostly do. Short answer, I shoot them well and have a comfort level with .45 1911's.

2. I have several 1911 variants from Gold Cups to a Colt Officers ACP and a lot of guns in between. I have a thing for high ride beaver tail's and narrow extended safeties, and Novak sights. For a carry gun I like stainless for it's corrosion resistance.

3. See answer #2

4. I generally carry in IWB holsters. I can't sit down comfortably with a full size 5" pistol, but that's a personal issue. I have very short legs. I prefer a 4" or 4.25" barrel 1911, but love my 3.5" barrel Officers ACP too.

I would recommend looking at a Colt Commander XSE, a Sig or a Kimber for a good serviceable pistol you won't have to do a lot of work on, but could also turn into whatever you want down the road if the bug bites you.
All of my 1911's have been pretty heavily 'personalized' except for the Ed Brown and Wilson's I have which were pretty much what I wanted out of the box.

 

[James6591]

I'd like to actually "handle a SR1911, but no one around my area seems to be able to come up with one. Or if they can, had one unfriendly LGS owner tell me "yeah I can get you one but it will cost you close to $900..."

Keep looking, they are around.
And for a lot less than that.

 

[Master of none]

Keep looking, they are around.
And for a lot less than that.

Yeah, I'm new to the game really, but I'm not that new. It was my first and last time I stepped foot in that shop. Come to find out it was the owner's son. Guess he owes his dad close to $80g, and is "putting in his time". "thanks for running my store into the ground son" is all I could think as I hit the door.

I did have another shop, older, wiser, gentleman in the same town offer to order one in. He would only charge what it would normally cost....think he said $695.

 

[hightechredneck123]

Why a .45? Well, a boy that used to work for me used to tell this story. He was a door gunner in 'Nam. There was this one time a couple of Cong were hanging onto the landing gear and after emptying his .357 revolver into them, they were still hanging on. His buddy leaned over, saw what was happening, and shot each Cong once with his 1911. Problem solved. True story? Who knows, I wasn't there, but it illustrates my point - bigger is better.

 

[67390FE]

1911 is what I grew up with so it was what I knew best. The other platform I used in my youth was a .357 and yes, I have a couple of those as well. My only "new" caliber is a P-91DC .40 in stainless. I had to work at getting used to the P-91's trigger and its balance was different, not bad, just different.

As a long time Ruger fan who always dreamed of a Ruger 1911, I was excited when I heard they were finally going to enter the 1911 market. There is also a Detonics and a Springfield in the safe.

I like having a beavertail, Novak sights, and a beveled mag well and they were standard. As I am a fan of stainless weapons, it was a no brainer.

As far as carry goes, I will occasionally carry my Bride's Detonics Combat Master, or my SP 101, .357 but more than 90% of the time, my choice is my full size 1911. I am 5'10" and 255 lbs. I conceal and open carry. I use a Galco open top for CC and a Ross, thumb break for those occasions when I OC. I use a Smart Carry for deep concealment. The full size works well in all three situations.

I was first on the list at my LGS and received my SR1911 in July of '11 and ran a couple of thousand rounds through it. It is now my daily carry choice. I gave the Springfield 1911 that I was carrying to my son, who now uses it as his daily carry.

(Sorry this ran on so long)

 

[laremm]

 

[scattershot]

I like the .45 because I've always liked big bore heavy bullets. I like the 1911 platform because it's a classic pistol, and parts and magazines abound. As far as the actual pistol, Kimber makes a beauty, but I have a Rock Island Tactical model that is less than half the price, and I'm very happy with it. I also have a Colt and a Ruger. (just sold my Kimber) I think if I were going to CC the piece, I'd look for one with an aluminum frame and good sights, with a premium holster and belt.

Good luck!

 

[ElevenBravo]

I'd like to actually "handle a SR1911, but no one around my area seems to be able to come up with one. Or if they can, had one unfriendly LGS owner tell me "yeah I can get you one but it will cost you close to $900..."

I have two SR's, and the more expensive one ran me 700 bucks. The other one beat it by one buck! You don't want to handle one unless you're ready to buy. One of mine is 37XXX, and the other 30XXX and I cannot see any visible difference in the two. If you live near an Academy Outdoor Sporting goods store, they carry the Ruger, and are beginning to get them in. Counter price is 699. I had a Kimber which I sold the day after I got the second 1911. I was attracted to the SR1911 after having purchased Ruger's piston operated AR15, which also seems like it is about as dependable as your average anvil!

 

[shaneshot]

1. What made you go to .45? I currently have a 9mm and a .40...

.45 is slow and heavy, but leaves a big hole and carries a LOT of energy. 9 is readily available and cheap, but no ballistic comparison. 40 is basically a compromise between the two and what I use for CCW. I use the .40 due to the more compact size I like to carry but if I knew I had trouble coming, I would find a way to have the .45.

2. What made you decide on the brand/style, fit? finish?

I love my Kimber Custom Covert II. Had another one (older style with different style ejector) that I loved the fit, finish, and accuracy of but it had to be clean to prevent an occasional problem. (That is a whole other, very long topic that will set Kimber pro and anti into a long thread). The newer styles have the different ejector and I have never had a problem with the full size model. Have still heard problems from several brands on the compact versions as they were designed to be full size. (again whole other touchy subject) All I know is that you are less likely to have problems with full size but that is just my opinion.

3. As a newb to the 1911 market what would you consider "musts" for your 1911

There are a LOT of really good ones out there in all price ranges. Check around and see what you like, but try not to settle too much or you will be back at it again later. Personally, I love the night sights but not sure about absolute must haves other than maybe standard clips.

4. I plan on CCW this weapon, would your rather a full frame? or Commander style?

I do love my 1911, but the full frames can be tough to carry for a long period of time. I carry it at certain times, but rarely and for short periods of time. It gets heavy, harder to conceal, and my preferred hip carry location has that danged ol safety protruding right into my hip. Starts to get pretty uncomfortable after several hours. My Glock is ugly, not the most accurate I have (part is due to compact size), but has nothing protruding out of it and goes boom every time.

Best piece of advise I could give you for a carry gun is to get what you will carry. You can have the best defense gun in the world but if it isn't comfortable to carry- you won't. Having a little two shot .22 that you WILL carry is better than not having anything.

 

[DEKerr]

I like the 1911 platform because it's a classic pistol, and parts and magazines abound.

This is an excellent point. If you have a 1911 (or variant), you've got ready access to parts, & practically endless options for customization, many of which you can do yourself w/ a minimum of fuss.

 

[LimaCharlie]

A 9mm may expand to a .45 size, but a .45 will never contract to a 9mm size.

My preferred carry is a full size 1911 with night sights. I rotate between three 1911s.

A Kimber Super Carry Custom

A Dan Wesson Valor

A Smith & Wesson Lew Horton Special

All three 1911s have never had a single issue with thousands of rounds at the range.

I carry them in a DM Bullard Combat holster and magazine carrier.

 

[North country gal]

Like the title says, went and hung out at one of my friends gun shops. I'm interested in a 1911 style gun. He was nice enough to let me fire his personal hot-rodded Kimber 1911. Now that I've fired a "Cadillac", I have a few questions.


1. What made you go to .45? I currently have a 9mm and a .40
2. What made you decide on the brand/style, fit? finnish?
3. As a newb to the 1911 market what would you consider "musts" for your 1911
4. I plan on CCW this weapon, would your rather a full frame? or Commander style?


Thanks for looking and time to answer my "new guy" questions.

1) I find the 45 to have just enough recoil to keep things interesting, but not enough to limit my shooting or make quick follow up shots impractical. Just a proven combination of power and accuracy.

2) I love the classic/traditional look and when Ruger finally came out with a 1911, that was all that was needed to push me over the top.

3) I'm a strong believer in the KISS principle when it comes to guns, in general, and especially 1911s - the simpler, the better. Did a lot of research before starting on my 1911 journey and knew what features I wanted and what features I did not want (full length guide rod, firing pin safety, ambi and so on). Had the Remington R1 for awhile - like the Ruger, excellent gun for the money, but did not like the firing pin safety and decided to switch to a Springfield RO for my dedicated range 1911. Couldn't be happier.

4) A commander can be had with full grip frame or shortened grip frame, so check the specs before you make the buy. I personally feel that the 4" barrel of the commander is the ideal compromise between portability and reliability. A commander will be my next 1911. Are you listening Ruger? When you get to the 3" guns, you're into compacts. If I had to carry all day, every day, I'd look at a compact, but I much prefer the way a 4" shoots.

 

[DEKerr]

... but did not like the firing pin safety and decided to switch ...

What is the general objection to a firing pin safety on the 1911? I know some people consider it redundant, but in the case of a 1911 I don't really mind. I've never experienced a failure to fire due to its inclusion, which is the only reason I'd personally consider a deal breaker. No biggie, just curious.

 

[North country gal]

What is the general objection to a firing pin safety on the 1911? I know some people consider it redundant, but in the case of a 1911 I don't really mind. I've never experienced a failure to fire due to its inclusion, which is the only reason I'd personally consider a deal breaker. No biggie, just curious.

Had one on my Remington R1. Could barely tell it was there when squeezing the trigger, true and, to be honest, the Remington did have an excellent trigger, too, so I can't say that a firing pin safety was a detriment in any way, at least on that gun. I got rid of the Remington for other reasons, actually. Fine gun, just a bit redundant with my SR1911.

To me, the firing pin safety is akin to the LCI, magazine safeties, internal locks, crossbolt safeties on lever guns and other lawyer proofing gadgetry. I tend to avoid them on my guns, especially time proven designs like a 1911, but not always a deal breaker, either, when present. A purely personal preference on my part and I will be the first to admit it. A titanium firing pin seems to be a better answer to the problem addressed by a firing pin safety, anyway. Simpler is better.

Thanks for asking.

 

[DEKerr]

Thanks for answering! I'm always interested in knowing more about the guns I shoot, what people do & don't like, & why.