I just mention the capacity because it relates to the options at the time that I purchased my 1911.  Being a civilian, I am comfortable with 7+1 and a spare magazine.  If I were to purchase another ccw pistol, I would most likely get a single stack 9 mm vs the Kimber.  Mainly because it matches the capacity but in a lighter and smaller package.  In my opinion, 9 mm offers equal perfomance with premium bullets.

I've carried 1911 Commander 45ACP guns for over 20 years now. The last two that I bought were a STI Ranger II all steel Commander and a Colt LW Commander. Neither one would fire HPs reliably. I found a couple of videos on YouTube that showed how to tune the extractors correctly for 45ACP ammo. I adjusted the extractors on both pistols and they have been 100% reliable with HPs since that time. I buy Wilson 47 D mags so I get 8+1 rounds in the gun. I also carry one or two spare mags. I don't expect that I'll ever be in a situation where I'll need more than 8 rounds!  If I need more than 8 then my situational awareness was very poor!!

It is my understanding that the 1911 will still stop a threat just as well as the latest tactical Tupperware.

I have carried Glocks, Sigs, S&W DA/SA and many others in the twenty plus years I've carried. They all have their positives and negatives and I have yet to see a manufacturer with 100% reliability for every pistol they send out the door ( yes, even Glock has issues ). 

My 1911 gets carried every day. Usually IWB in an Alien Gear or Blade-Tech holster with 2 spare mags. I'm 5'9" and about 155 lbs. and can cover it with a square hem button down shirt. If I carry a single spare mag IWB, I can get by with a loose T-shirt.

It sure is nice to start seeing the end user data signal compared to the noise narrative that is trying to be pushed.

Attached File


My daily carry
I'm 5'8" 150lbs and can hide it well in a t-shirt. I have a good belt and sparks Iwb holster. I live in the sticks. Some days I wear 2 spare mags owb.


If I have to go to a city I sometimes take my G19

And pocket guns too


Options and continuous training is my ccw plan

I've got a bobtailed Dan Wesson commander that I carry every now and then.  It's heavy, but I can carry it pretty comfortably with a good belt and holster.  I carry it mostly in the winter when I can wear more clothes......I don't think I would try to carry it in the summer time with shorts and a T on.  If I ever had to use it ...I would be glad to have it on me.

Right now I just have my P320 compact, but haven't been carrying it yet since I am trying to figure out why I am shooting to the left (either the sights are off or it is my level of proficiency with it) and I am still waiting for the holster from Bravo Concealment.  

Money is tight at the moment; I'm going to have to sell something in order to get a 1911.  I'm concerned that the weight and length of a 1911 will be bothersome.  I'm also considering a Sig P938 for the summer.  So either P320 compact for colder weather and P938 for warmer, or 1911 for colder weather and the P320C for summer.

It doesn't sound to me that many have an issue with switching between striker and SAO platforms with continuous training?

Honestly, I think you should stay with the 320 and get the 938. Personally, I've never had an issue between going back and forth between both because constant repetition turns into muscle memory.

You're shooting to the left because that's a common error. You are most likely tensing up your hands uneven during the trigger pull. And you're shooting a fucking 357 Sig...

Don't worry about CCWing a 1911. Just stick with the 320. Get a crossbreed iwb supertuck and a blade tech looper belt. It'll be like you aren't even wearing a gun.

The P320 (and I imagine most Sigs) has a slight "bar" in the center of the sights, presumably to center the rear sight.  I noticed on mine that the sight is off a little bit--the top, round edge of the sights seem like they should meet the ends of the "bar".  I could be wrong... I have the MantisX training system coming in the mail today so that will tell me if it's me or the sights.

This is the first 357 sig I've owned and it is quite different from the 9s, 40s, and 45s I have used.  I chose it because I believe of the 4 calibers it is the deepest penetrator of them, thus increasing the likelihood of hitting the CNS or heart, assuming I do my part.

There's a reason they are called "BBQ" guns.

They are heavier than modern polymers guns.
They have half the capacity of a similarly sized poly gun.
.45 is no more effective against human targets than a high performance 9mm.
They are not as reliable over the long haul as a quality poly pistol.
They usually cost 2-3X the amount of a quality ploy pistol.

NO amount of "tap/rack" will fix a 1911 in which the safety spring/plunger tube has become un-staked.

The 1911 was the best pistol of WWI/WWII as was the .45ACP cartridge.

With modern options there's no good reason to carry a 1911 in .45.

Unless you are at a BBQ picnic... You show your friends your 1911 and your enemies your Glock.

Don't "believe" anything.

Go with facts

And unless you vice your gun you won't really be able to tell.

You are either flinching or putting a part of your trigger finger against the frame.

You need lots of dry fire practice and make a distinct hook with your finger so that the only part of your trigger finger that comes into contact with the gun is your fingerprint on the middle of the trigger.

Nothing wrong with that caliber at all.

But I agree... stick with the 320 but get an AIWB holster and not a Crossbreed.

I think I should peruse arfcom some more--I think I have only once seen "BBQ gun" referenced once but didn't know what it meant.

How common is it that the safety spring/plunger tube becomes an issue relative to other critical failures of poly/striker pistols?

I like them all (9 through 45), but since I can't carry a pistol with a silencer attached for ccw, I felt the 357 sig was the way to go; Suppressed HK45 for HD--the trade-off of penetration and less hearing loss is worth it to me since I already have the EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEh going on.

Happened to my Kimber Procarry...

I'm in FL and I carry a full size 1911 in a Savoy leather holster at my 4 o'clock. Shorts and a t-shirt. No issues. Good holster and gun belt and GTG. I also carry other firearms however I have had no issues carrying the 1911 if Florida.

http://www.10-8performance.com/pages/Reliability%2C-Round-Counts%2C-and-Longevity-in-1911s.html

The plunger tube issue can be mitigated by using grips that pin the tube to the frame.

Something to consider is that the 1911 is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, handguns used by competitive shooters. If reliability were an issue, that wouldn't be the case. Capacity and weight are really the only legitimate arguments against it.

It took a high volume of rounds to unstake my safety plunger in my 1911. High volume meaning 10,000+. Are you going to get to that point? Possibly or eventually.

I would not hesitate to show my 1911's to my enemies. I do show my G20 to friends though, so they can see what the mighty 10mm is.

The 1911 is fine carry choice. The P320 is also a fine carry choice. The only real differences other than weight and capacity is the action itself. Everything else is mall operating because the entire purpose of the CCW is to get you home and self defense, not itching to take on ISIS or any other excuse to be itching to pull it out.

I doubt I'll fire that much in my life through one gun.

I'm not concerned about capacity; The weight/size and reliability are my concerns.  I'd love to get the Sig 1911 in 357 Sig, but it is 42 oz empty and a 5" bbl, though the Scorpion Carry has also peaked my interest... 4.25" bbl and 35 oz empty.

I just slapped on the MantisX system... it's my grip/trigger control according to the dry fire practice; I want to test it with live fire soon.

Put more finger on the trigger.

Possibly out of your price range but if you're still determined for a 1911, may I suggest you take a look at the Colt Defender? It has surprised me with how well it groups and how well it doesn't give bad muzzle control for such a short barrel and it's much lighter.

It's right in the price range of the Sigs, about $1k.  I was thinking of selling my SW TRR8 in order to get a 1911, but it doesn't look like I'd get a lot for it so I may as well keep it.  I have about half of what I'd need in my "fun money" fund to get one--problem is the shoulder rig I want from Wright Leather Works would be over $300 and 12 week lead time, plus I'd like to get something like a P938, which are between $600 and $700.

ETA: The Colt Competition Govt model seems pretty interesting and in the same price range.

I have one. A few weeks ago I asked a Glock friend to give a review on that and my Loaded. He liked everything about the Colt and said if he was going to get a 1911 and had to choose just between the two, he would side with the Colt.

Eventually I'll get Chuck Rogers to put in a take off Colt barrel onto the Loaded, fit a new bushing, and then crown the barrel. The Loaded is starting to get worn in certain areas that I haven't already corrected yet.

If you're going to get a Colt, look it over well. Aesthetics have never been their strength. I've owned several and some were great and some not so much. 

The folks who like Glocks figure that they will forget to hit the safety, but somehow can hit an assailant with a crappy trigger.

A 1911 isn't really that heavy if it has an alloy frame:  
-- A commander weighs 28 oz.  (alloy frame)
-- A CZ P10C weighs 26
-- A Smith M&P weighs 27.9 oz

Steel frame 1911s can get heavy.  I stopped carrying them years ago and my lower back is much happier.

A 1911 is much easier to conceal than any of the double stack 9's or 40s, and even the crappiest 1911 trigger is better than any of the DA/SA or striker guns out there.

The only real down side is capacity, but any single stack gun is going to have a capacity less than 10, and double stack (regardless of caliber) is always going to be fatter and harder to conceal than a single stack.

Reliability problems with the 1911 are mostly a myth.

Not sure why I missed your comment earlier o.0

Just about every test I've seen from the channel below has shown that 357 sig is a top performer.  If I remember, he uses the same gun, barrel length, and brand of ammo .



ETA:  I have never been able to get youtube videos to embed

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2lwNjafHS8

Try Brass Fetcher. He is shooting into gel blocks which will give you a better idea of actual penetration with defense.

Of course an FMJ 357 Sig is gonna penetrate more, it's the fastest of those shot.

But that doesn't mean much with JHP defense loads.

I think he has done other tests with HP and defense loads and had similar results.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUxE9vNgt8E

I use the Underwood loading of the Lehigh Defense Extreme Defender; and the Extreme Penetrator in the spare mag.

ETA: the Defender is advertised as 90 gr @ 1700 FPS; Penetrator as 115 gr @ 1450 FPS. They make some fireballs

ETA 2:  I haven't seen him do any testing with 357 Sig; I wish he would.

BBQ Gun is a Texas thing.  Until last year you could only open carry on private property.  So a BBQ gun would normally be a fancy engraved gun for Open Carry at a fancy party or BBQ.  Traditionally it would be a 1911, Colt 1873, fancy engraved Smith etc.

As for a spring/plunger tube coming unstaked, it happens very rarely.  Much less common than Glock Kabooms.  

You're not missing anything. A 1911 loaded with HSTs handled the job just fine here.

You say you avoid flash mobs. Do you avoid driving on the highway?

95 blocked

I'm not sure that is technically a flash mob and obviously there was no need to use ANY gun in that situation it was just an example. you may not intend to go to a protest but sometimes the protest comes to you.

Protest in Oregon leads to shooting

That all being said, and even though I do prefer high capacity 9s, I would be OK carrying a 1911 with a couple reloads.

1911s carry so easy for me because of how slim they are. The weight is easily distributed with a good stuff belt. I never carry more than 1 spare mag when cc a Beretta or Glock. When I used to carry a 1911 2 mags were easy to conceal.

Fair point.  I do travel on major highways--in Maryland where it would not be legal to carry anyway (I work in a Federal building so no CCW there either).  Other than that when I'm out running errands I do not take any highways--it's all back and country roads to Wallyworld and grocery stores.  Trips that I need to take highways are done on the weekend.  It's all about playing the odds.  If I knew a Trump rally (or any "controversial" event) was scheduled, I would avoid the area just because of traffic.  When I say flash mobs, I'm talking about when 15+ kids get together and roll through a 7-11 in Baltimore or DC.  

I've been doing a lot more dry-fire practice and have improved--just had to find the right position for my trigger finger and focus on pulling straight back.  I still want a metal-frame pistol though.

1911's are for people who shoot regularly and know about pistols.  Well made ones have the best triggers and greatest accuracy of any combat style handgun.  This is what should matter.  Not being ready for a zombie attack or what is cheapest.

 Well made ones are perfectly reliable with HST, Ranger T, Corbon, whatever.  8 rounds is fine and I would challenge anyone to produce actual, real, factual information to the contrary.  Civilian gunfights at pistol ranges simply don't go on that long.  Real world is something like 2.5 rounds on the good guy side?  And people who shoot regularly, know about pistols, and appreciate 1911's aren't as likely to do a panic mag dump.

I would be happy carrying one as my CCW if it weren't so heavy.  I do carry one in a tanker rig or Milt Sparks OWB when hiking.

I agree. Plastic fantastic are great for people that are starting out, or don't shoot much. I could keep a Glock in a holster for a year, let it get all dry, and it will probably shoot well enough when needed. 1911s are best utilized for people who want to learn them. The safety flip is easy and becomes natural. Sure it's heavy, but mine is more accurate than any plastic gun I've shot. I don't mind low capacity when I can make good hits at distance and speed. People were more than happy to carry 6 shots in a slow to load revolver for what, 200 years?

flash mob or crazy shit, rare. Im confident that once rounds start coming out everyone will scatter.

If people were more than happy with revolvers why did they invent autos?

Commercial semi-automatics go back to the 19th century.  They have co-existed for over 100 years.  

What drove semi-automatic design was WW1 and WW2.  Revolvers did not do well with the grit and mud of the battlefield.  For the police, where this is not an issue, the .357 dominated until semi-automatics became dirt cheap and modern ammo designs became effective.  This wasn't that long ago.

There's still not a thing wrong with a revolver for civilian self defense.  I carry a S&W J frame when circumstance dictates.  They take a lot of practice but works well.  And most of the noobs buying Glocks would be better off starting with a S&W Model 10.

Pat Mac is a great dude, but that video is chock full of WTF.

Me and several other instructors I know passed that video around and were all equally baffled by it...

The technique works for me. It corrected consistent shooting to the left. I was doing it before seeing his video.

That part is funny.  Do you recommend speed loaders or Bianchi speed strips for faster reloads?  

Ever tried to reload a Model 10 under stress?

Nothing is wrong with carrying a quality modern 1911A1, so long as the user is competent and okay with it.

I would say a single stack for the purpose of fending off multiple attackers, is a poor choice however, but then I would hesitate to call a double stack a "1911". 1911 "style" yes.

There is nothing "wrong" with a 1911 for CCW, but for some people there are better options.  The main problem I've seen over the years with 1911's are bad magazines, and poor ammo selection.  People run out and buy a $1000 gun, but then buy 10 surplus mags at the swap meet for a couple bucks each, and then complain their gun doesn't work.  Even higher dollar mags sometime work in one gun, but not another.  If you test your gear, get good mags, and ammunition your gun likes, there is nothing wrong with a good 1911.

Ammunition capacity is always an ongoing discussion.  Is 15 better than 8?  Usually the answer is yes, but is 8 enough?  Nobody knows until it happens.  Yes, the "average" gunfight is so many rounds and so much distance but we don't plan for the average, we plan for the worst and then if it doesn't happen, we are supposed to be happy.  

I will admit that when I carry a higher capacity gun (15+ in the mag) I usually don't carry a reload, but when I carry a 1911 (8 in the mag) I usually will carry 1 extra mag.  Although I sometimes carry a 5 or 6 shot revolver and sometimes carry speedloaders, sometimes I don't.  I know I'm taking a chance on not having a reload, but I feel comfortable at the time, with where I am going, what I am doing, and what I expect to happen.  Would I suggest to you to lighten your load-out if you are carrying a 17 round Glock and 2 spare magazines?  Nope, that's your call, and if that's what you need to feel comfortable, then go for it.

But if you feel good with an 8+1 1911, as long as you've made sure that ammo/mag/gun combination works all the time, then go for it.  Heck, admission time, I have even carried FMJ (gasp) when CCWing a Browning Hi-Power because it is the ammo that I knew would work 100% of the time
Edit:  Since I feel like I left out your most important question of "Why they aren't recommended?".  Unless someone is willing to spend the time to learn to operate one, and shoot it/use it, a lot to become familiar with it, I don't often recommend a 1911 to anyone.  It's like recommending a manual transmission to someone who is learning to drive.  Yes, they can learn on it, and yes they can get good with it, but while learning everything else involved, it's sometimes easier to have them learn on an automatic transmission.  Glocks, M&P's, and several others fit that idea, and allow the shooter to concentrate more on the shooting aspect, and less of operating the gun aspect.

I don't go to the range a lot, however I use the MantisX system to dry-fire practice about twice a week.  Since I have stubby fingers, the single-action trigger reach appeals to me, but the thick grips (side panels on the Sig 1911s) do not.  I don't know if thinner panels would make a difference or not.  If not a 1911 does anyone have other recommendations?   Metal frame with grips and trigger reach suitable for stubby hands?  As a reference. I have a Sig P238 and P320 with small grip frame that fit my hands well.

At one time I tried to carry a Springfield TRP, but after years of carrying a Glock 19 it did not last long.

The main issue with the 1911 for EDC is obviously going to be the weight.  For me it felt like I was carrying a boat anchor IWB, and it did not take long to figure out that a 8+1 single-stack auto that weighs more and does not conceal nearly as well as my 15+1 polymer pistol makes zero sense.  I also do not like having a manual safety on a carry gun, but that's personal preference.

If I really wanted to carry a singe-stack .45 I would look at the Shield personally.

For a 1911 frame gun you need to change out the grip bushings for thin grips.  Its a quick switch.  The thinner grips on the 1911 make a big difference.  I had a 1911 with thin grips and it was kind of uncomfortable for me to shoot it because I was so used to the regular grip panels.  I don't have huge hands b any means, but just needed the full grip to get my trigger finger just right.  

Anyhow, I have three 1911s.  I had only shot M9s prior to buying my 1911.  I never caught onto the feeling of the polymer frame guns, but now I carry one almost every day with work.  Off duty I carry 1911s in 5", 4.25", and 3".  I also carry a S&W Mod 60 2.125" that I just got a DeSantis Cozy Partner for.  Honestly, I forget that I'm carrying the 3" 1911, and even more so with the S&W.  A lot of my buddies swear by their X,Y,Z polymer gun, but I'm just old school.  I try to get to the range once a month to shoot some carry ammo through what ever I've been carrying, and I've yet to have any issues.  

This day in age, its all preference, and I wouldn't say that someone with a 1911 is going to be out-gunned.  Long after the battle is over, no one remembers what gun was carried or used, we just remember who was left standing...  

With all that being said, the 1911 is still a very capable.  I may not have 150 rounds of speed reloads, but I do have usually another 14 or 16 rounds.  If I need more than that, then I brought the wrong gun to the fight...  and I don't think 30 rounds in a Glock will get you out of that situation either.  So buy one and see how you like it...  If you like it and can stand the weight, train with it, if not then sell it.  Easy as that.

The thin profile made the 1911 easy to carry for me. I carried my 1911 easier than a glock 19 - but that was some years ago. I love 1911's, just can't justify spending so much on the nice ones.
A good 1911 that has been proven to be 100% reliable is as good a carry gun as the next glock, I'd say - it gives up capacity and easy of maintenance, but it's still a viable self defense pistol. I think you need more practice and training to run a 1911 as good as a glock, but that's my humble opinion.

For ultimate comfort get a Milt Sparks Versamax.  Carry a 1911 (or a BHP) in comfort most of the year.  I use the summer special when it gets hot outside.


I only carry a 1911 on the days with 2 or fewer assailants.