Opinions on 1911's?

Question

I'm considering many guns for concealed carry and all ways had the 1911 in the back of my mind but never really considered it until now. The only drawback is the mag cpacity of only 7 or 8 rounds. I know you're going to say that it doesn't matter if you hit your target but i like at least 10. Is the 1911 a practical idea for concealed carry? If i land up getting a 1911 i'm going to get a wilson or a kimber. Any suggestions on anything i should do to them or are they pretty much good out of the box? Opinions are appreciated.

Also considering sigs 1911's

yes i know they're too big and i am going to get a compact one if i get a 1911

Answer 1

For IWB carry the 2 factors that effect ease of carry and concealment.
1: the length of the handle/grips that protrude out from the body. In this respect the 1911s are pretty standard for handguns of similar frame size, i.e. a full size 1911 is equal to full size glock, sig ect. As well as compact models to compact models(such as combat comander or chopped frame 1911). The length of slide has very little to do with ease of concealment as it runs parallel to the body.
2: width of the slide, a thick square slide will dig into the body (uncomfortable) and will print badly or make an obvious bulge. In this respect 1911's are great for CC. the single stack mag and slim rounded slide hide considerably easier than say a glock.

both wilson and kimber are great out of the box, wilson combat although a little more pricey makes a lot of the custom parts for other custom 1911 tuners, Wilson’s parts are in many of the best guns, and in my experience function flawlessly out of the box and don’t really need anything done if you buy the one you want/need. Between kimber and wilson, there’s a few marksman who might notice but for about 98% of shooters they'll never notice the difference in accuracy.

All that being said, I still prefer my bulky sig p220 for a .45 even though it will never hide as easily as a 1911, It really comes down to personal preference and what you've trained with. For a CCW I prefer .357 sig and .40sw, for deep concealment 9mm with the meanest ammo I can find. As much as the old timers love the .45 it has real trouble making the ballistics of an average .40 defense round and doesn’t come anywhere near a .357.
in warm weather I typically carry a very compact kahr cw9 or sig pro. in cooler weather p226,p220 or s&w m&p.

Answer 2

I am a 1911 fanatic, it is my favorite style of pistol. The Kimber is great right out of the box, as is wilson, although I favor Kimber. I trained at colt armorers school to specialize on the 1911. It is a good choice for concealed carry, but, may I make a suggestion? Although I carried a full sized government model on duty for many years, at the time, the only real choice for a concealed carry pistol was either the commander of the officers model. Both good pistols, but I just wanted something small, but high capacity. I started playing around with all the different manufacturers and models in .45acp. I setteled on Para Ordinances "wart hog" model with night sites. This is a very compact little .45 yet it holds 10 + 1 and, it is without any doubt, the most accurate sub compact .45 I have found, bar none. Cost is right there with kimber etc, but agian, it holds more rounds and you can get a magazine that fits flush with the bottom of the grip, or if you have bigger hands, you can get one that has an extended finger grove which gives you a bigger grip area. The pistol comes with one of each, and you can purchase more online form Para. Para also makes a sweet double action .45 along the same lines called the LDA and comes in various sizes. My favorite is the "colonel LDA" which is about the size of a commander, but of course holds more rounds. I also praise the new springfield compact .45, in fact, I just bought one for my wife to replace her glock as her carry gun. Anyway, you won't go wrong with any of the modern manufacturers of the .45, I just find some better than others. You should find a range where you can rent a few different models and see how they fit and function for you.

Answer 3

Kimber, in my opinion, makes one of the bes 1911's. The only problem with a 1911 is that it's not the ideal concealed carry weapon. 1911's are a little too big to conceal. If you are really hellbent on carrying a 1911, look into a compact 1911. Kimber makes a couple nice compacts. I personally have a Kimber 1911 TLE and consider it an amazing firearm. I would never use it for concealed carry though. I usually use my Glock 19 for concealed carry. Only thing that I have and would recommend to anyone that is looking into concealed carry is getting an internal laser for the gun. I put LaserMax lasers in all of my guns and couldn't be happier. For a top of the line Kimber look into one of the 1911's from their custom shop. They're a little more expensive but well worth the money.

Answer 4

The 1911 conceals well as it is rather flat. At least in the .45 acp caliber you are limited in ammo capacity unless you go with a Para high capacity but that adds bulk to your concealed carry weapon. If hi cap is truly an issue consider carrying extra magazines or consider a 1911 in .9mm or .38 Super. I opted for the Super. Other possibilities:

I carry a Glock Model 20 .10mm and I am bulky enough to conceal this big pistol in an inside-the-pants holster under a polo shirt. The Glock Model 21 is exactly the same size and is a .45 acp 14 round capacity. Also, it is double action rather than single action (on-the-first-shot) like the 1911. So that's another possibility. The Para 14 shooter is also available in double-action and is actually closer to the 1911 so that might work better for you.

Best.

H

Answer 5

1911s are a little big for conceal carry in my opinion... I would go with a sub-compact to a compact for carry. Springfield armory XD or Glock would be a good choice. I do like the XD better. If you still want a 1911, take a look at Taurus PT 1911. They have an article in Nov./Dec. issue of American Handgunner about the Taurus 1911. Great Gun...

Good Luck

Answer 6

I gave up a long time ago on carrying a 1911 style gun "concealed". Any holster I put it in to carry on my waist allowed the ****** hammer to dig into my side. A shoulder holster was the only comfortable way I could pack the gun.

I finally said the heck with it and got a S&W, J frame, mdl 940 revolver and carried it in my pocket.

Then I found a Taurus 745. A seven shot, compact .45, with no hammer to dig in on me. I carry it in a nice IWB holster. I have recently bought the Taurus 145, a ten shot, compact 45, only a bit wider gun. Fits the same holster.

The Taurus is about the same size at the Springfield XD.

If you must have a 1911 style, take a look at the Para Ordance LDA series. These are a double action 1911 with a really nice double action pull. They are pricey, but very nice guns.

Answer 7

Get a Glock 29 instead. It is smaller than a 1911 and the 10mm round has almost double the power. The Glock 29 comes with 10 round mags and will accept the 15 round mags that are made for the Glock 20, which should be the next pistol you get after getting a 29. If you get a 20 it will come with two 15 round mags, so you won't have to buy them for your 29. Might as well get the 29 and the 20 at the same time, and a few extra magazines.

Answer 8

A 1911 in an IWB digs in like a SOB. A shoulder rig or hip rig under a jacket is good but it's under a jacket. Looks kinda stupid in summer weather. If you live in a cold as hell or cool climate area then it's ok. I have a compact 9mm I carry in a IWB holster and it's great I tuck in a light button up shirt and no one notices it except my wife cuzz she thinks I'm paranoid because "we live in a good neighborhood, and nothing ever happens". I've told her "Just because is hasn't happened doesn't meen it can't, we don't live in a paradise here" I've even worn my 9 under a short sleeve shirt that was one size larger than what I normally wear. I just couldn't bend over with out printing but I squat to pick stuff up anyway. I carry furniture for a living and I don't want to hurt my back. A 1911 or 1911A1 is a great gun to own, shoot, and carry you just have to do it right. And doing it right can be hard to do depending on how you dress and what you buy to carry it in.

Answer 9

Para Ordnance's p14 models are know for high magazine capacity (I've heard of some with up to 16 rounds of .45 ACP) that are actually reliable.I'm not sure if the same holds true for their sub compact and compact models,but its possible.Wilson and Kimber are both exceptional companies,but they would suit home defense and military or police work better in my opinion.USP sub compacts can carry 10 rounds of 45 acp I think.So can whatever compact glock is in .45 (the glock 30?)

Answer 10

If you go with a compact 1911 style carry gun, I would check out the Para-Ordnance Warthog(10+1).45. Just another option.... http://www.paraord.com/product/hawg.html