Posted: 9/13/2012 11:51:12 AM EDT
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So I was just thinking the other night. I have heard people say it's not a good idea to carry a modified gun as a carry piece. I can understand that to a point, where your modifications make it unsafe or easier to set-off accidentally.
I currently carry a modified Range Officer 1911. The mod that I have done though, do not make it an unsafe gun, plus the work was done by a reputable smith. I was recently thinking about switching to a stock gun, with the same features my current gun has. Would this be a good idea to do? Or does it not matter? What are your thoughts? BTW, the new gun I would switch to would be another 5" 1911, so no need to worry about switching platforms etc. |
| I've heard this same crap about reloading your own ammo for home defense but I have yet to see any proof of an actual case posted from all the people that say these things. I really don't think it matters as long as the gun is legal, the ammo is legal, and the shoot is legal. |
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Basically, my thoughts on the matter are as follows: Don't correct something that isn't seriously in need of repair. Don't drop the trigger pull weight below 5-6lbs.
If you want to personalize your carry system, start with your belt and holster, make sure that everything is absolutely perfect and you are extremely proficient with your particular carry method. Don't waste money on a gun that will get confiscated in the event that you have to use it. It should be a tool, not an expression of your individuality or any of that bullshit. Plain is the way to go, make it work for you by dumping thousands of round through it to get extremely proficient with it. Also, don't carry a gun that has a habit of failing. A single failure in 1000 rounds without cleaning is too much for me personally. If any of my guns have a failure, they are immediately pulled from serious use until the issue is corrected, if the issue cannot be corrected I get rid of the gun. |
I have been known to carry my home built Caspian 9x23mm. 
About as custom as you can get, except for the finish. The frame still has the stainless steel finish it had when it left the factory. The slide still has the same blue it had when it left Colt. In all my years, I have only seen a couple of guns I thought that it would be difficult to improve. Some times I carry these. Some times I carry some thing else. In the greater scheme of things, I doubt it makes any difference at all. I would avoid stuff like punisher grips and the spiked mainspring housing that was popular a few years ago. Prettier grips, go for it. Few people will know the difference. Or, you could put together whatever your buddy wanted, and he could do the same for you. Then trade. If anybody asks, just say, "I traded for that. It was that way when I got it." |
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Quoted:
So I was just thinking the other night. I have heard people say it's not a good idea to carry a modified gun as a carry piece. I can understand that to a point, where your modifications make it unsafe or easier to set-off accidentally. I currently carry a modified Range Officer 1911. The mod that I have done though, do not make it an unsafe gun, plus the work was done by a reputable smith. I was recently thinking about switching to a stock gun, with the same features my current gun has. Would this be a good idea to do? Or does it not matter? What are your thoughts? BTW, the new gun I would switch to would be another 5" 1911, so no need to worry about switching platforms etc. Situations will vary. If you are in court, which is bad, either you did something wrong or the prosecution is out for blood or stupid or politics come into play. The main thing is to be PREPARED. Think of questions the prosecutor would ask you or another "expert" as to why your firearm was modified that way. DA:Why did you have night sights installed on your handgun??? Looking to kill someone at night are you? Def:No, it's to have a better sight pic so my shots go where I'm pointing and not hit some innocent little child in the background since it makes aligning the sights easier. DA: So you admit it makes it easier to kill someone with? Def: No, it makes it easier to defend myself with it. DA:Why did you have a 2lb trigger pull on your handgun? Looking to kill someone faster??? Def:No, it's what I'm comfortable with and what I practice with. DA: The police don't have 2lb trigger pulls so why do you have it? Your atty better object to that!!!!!  
My response would be: You'd have to ask them why their trigger isn't the same as mine. It's where I like mine to be at. 
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My personal opinion is there is a HUGE market for great CCW guns even in the 1911. You can pretty much order any platfrom you wan tin any conceivable fashion within a very acceptable reason.
1911 companies have even stepped up in this arena. Personally I carry a Glock 23 with Meprolights that came from the factory. It is bone stock. The main reason i do this is It is what I carry on duty. I am not uniform LE and all the LE in the area carry Glock. Its what I practice with most and am most documented with to be proficient. I occasionally carry a P228, a M&P 340 and a TRP Operator. They are all What I beleive to be one of the finest examples of their particular niche. My point is that you can pretty much have whatever you want straight from the factory, without taking the chance of opening yourself up to extra litigation if you should happen to have to use it in a SD situation. God forbid. Yes there are things like the 9x21, 9x23, 38 super hand built jewels that are great guns but they will look odd to an "average joe" jury who will question why you need something so fancy and special. Thats how juries and politically motivated prosecutors work. |
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If you get so far into something that they're dissecting the little features of your pistol, you've obviously screwed up somewhere along the way. There isn't a gun made that I've been able to live with out of the box. My M&P9 was close, but I'm still going to fill it up with APEX parts when the Ministry of Romance and Finance releases some gun funds. My other relatively stock gun is my carry Springfield GI. And yet, I've still swapped the barrel, barrel bushing, firing pin stop, and most springs in it. I would love to have a stock gun on my hip, but factories take shortcuts in production. I want as few manufacturing shortcuts as possible in my carry weapon. I'd say keep your slightly modified Springfield. |
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Quoted:
Define modified. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile Modified as far as my 1911 goes includes: - night sights added - Checker front-strap - new, slimmer grips - mag-well - tool-steel internals - tune trigger to 4 1/2 to 5 pounds - Tripp Cobra II mags - Steel firing pin - New springs throughout None of the safeties were messed with either. This gun did not have a firing pin stop from the factory either. |
| Ok. Just asking for clarification. Because let's say you change the sights of your Glock, stipple the frame, add a gripforce adapter, and swap out to extended mag and slide release. Some people consider these modifications but none of them affect function of the weapon or its safeties. For those last two reasons, some people would not consider them true modifications. Just parts swapping. |
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IF you carry, and IF you have to use your CCW to shoot somebody, and IF the police decide to charge you, say goodbye to your pistol for a couple of years. possibly more. Win, lose, or draw, that piece will sit in an evidence locker, still covered in whatever it was covered in when the police took possession of it–– sealed in a baggie for good measure–– until the courts are completely done with you and whoever you shot/exchanged fire with. To include appeals and/or the time when appeals might be filed. Imagine your titz out, super-pimp, full on custom, bright chrome .45 with the $600 custom, grips, hand engraved by virgins in a cloud-swept nunnery, laying in a bag for two or three years, covered in blood. Now imagine having to think about it every night for those two or three years. I think the line against customs is–– at least in part–– that you shouldn't carry a piece you're not willing to kiss goodbye without remorse should you ever have to use it. |
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Quoted:
IF you carry, and IF you have to use your CCW to shoot somebody, and IF the police decide to charge you, say goodbye to your pistol for a couple of years. possibly more. Win, lose, or draw, that piece will sit in an evidence locker, still covered in whatever it was covered in when the police took possession of it–– sealed in a baggie for good measure–– until the courts are completely done with you and whoever you shot/exchanged fire with. To include appeals and/or the time when appeals might be filed. Imagine your titz out, super-pimp, full on custom, bright chrome .45 with the $600 custom, grips, hand engraved by virgins in a cloud-swept nunnery, laying in a bag for two or three years, covered in blood. Now imagine having to think about it every night for those two or three years. I think the line against customs is–– at least in part–– that you shouldn't carry a piece you're not willing to kiss goodbye without remorse should you ever have to use it. While the mods done do make it a unique gun, I would be able to replace it tomorrow if necessary. If this gun were taken, I would not be devastated. I would be upset that my gun is gone, but not heart-broken or loose sleep over it. All the parts used were off-the-shelf mass produced parts, nothing one-off or custom. And yes, it does pass all proper function tests & safety tests. The function has not changed post-modification. |
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Buy a carry gun that works already at a price you can afford to lose and don't worry about it getting scratched or breaking. Take your modified, tricked out, shiny guns to the range to show off and make holes close together in paper.
ETA: And train how to use it the way it was designed.! |
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As long as your 1911 passes a proper function test modifications aren't an issue in an intentional self defense shooting. My .02 Absolutely; but statements such as "I didn't mean to shoot him", "I didn't want to shoot him", or "I'm sorry I shot him" will bring about a crime victim's downfall with both criminal and civil repercussions. As you know, turning a justifiable self defense shooting into an "accidental" shooting is the road to riches in our state and quite possibly; the road to prison as well. In the event of a justified self defense shooting in Florida, what comes out of one's mouth is more important than what comes out of one's gun. It's probably true in several other states too. |
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Quoted: IF you carry, and IF you have to use your CCW to shoot somebody, and IF the police decide to charge you, say goodbye to your pistol for a couple of years. possibly more. Win, lose, or draw, that piece will sit in an evidence locker, still covered in whatever it was covered in when the police took possession of it–– sealed in a baggie for good measure–– until the courts are completely done with you and whoever you shot/exchanged fire with. To include appeals and/or the time when appeals might be filed. Imagine your titz out, super-pimp, full on custom, bright chrome .45 with the $600 custom, grips, hand engraved by virgins in a cloud-swept nunnery, laying in a bag for two or three years, covered in blood. Now imagine having to think about it every night for those two or three years. I think the line against customs is–– at least in part–– that you shouldn't carry a piece you're not willing to kiss goodbye without remorse should you ever have to use it. The mistake you're making is that you're just thinking of money. I've got close to $2000 wrapped up into a Springfield that's been checkered, melonited, and upgraded with parts that make it more shootable, more accurate, more reliable, and more carry-worthy. I modified the gun where I thought it needed it, and left stock the parts that I thought were fine. If there ever comes a day that I use it to protect myself, my wife and daughter, or my property, and I survive the encounter, I will be thankful that the pistol has done its duty and protected me and mine. Sure, I could choose a cheaper alternative so there wouldn't be the chance of such a monetary loss if something were to happen, but the price of a pistol is secondary (or tertiary) to many choices to make. To expand on that line of thought, I could have bought a $3,000 pickup to go back and forth to work with instead of a $25,000 pickup, but then I wouldn't have certain options I wanted and wouldn't have as nice a vehicle to use day-in-day-out. Sure, the truck cost more than I could have spent, and I could wreck it tomorrow, but it's got safety features that make it safer to drive than a 20 year old clunker, it's got more power than your average gas V8, and it gets better fuel mileage than older trucks. Different strokes for different folks. At least, those are my thoughts on the matter. Most guys that dropped money into a 1911 (most of which are multiple times more expensive than your average M&P or Glock) will have the same thoughts. They decided that cash wasn't the #1 criteria for selecting a weapon to defend themselves. |
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Quoted: Quoted: IF you carry, and IF you have to use your CCW to shoot somebody, and IF the police decide to charge you, say goodbye to your pistol for a couple of years. possibly more. Win, lose, or draw, that piece will sit in an evidence locker, still covered in whatever it was covered in when the police took possession of it–– sealed in a baggie for good measure–– until the courts are completely done with you and whoever you shot/exchanged fire with. To include appeals and/or the time when appeals might be filed. Imagine your titz out, super-pimp, full on custom, bright chrome .45 with the $600 custom, grips, hand engraved by virgins in a cloud-swept nunnery, laying in a bag for two or three years, covered in blood. Now imagine having to think about it every night for those two or three years. I think the line against customs is–– at least in part–– that you shouldn't carry a piece you're not willing to kiss goodbye without remorse should you ever have to use it. The mistake you're making is that you're just thinking of money. I've got close to $2000 wrapped up into a Springfield that's been checkered, melonited, and upgraded with parts that make it more shootable, more accurate, more reliable, and more carry-worthy. I modified the gun where I thought it needed it, and left stock the parts that I thought were fine. If there ever comes a day that I use it to protect myself, my wife and daughter, or my property, and I survive the encounter, I will be thankful that the pistol has done its duty and protected me and mine. Sure, I could choose a cheaper alternative so there wouldn't be the chance of such a monetary loss if something were to happen, but the price of a pistol is secondary (or tertiary) to many choices to make. To expand on that line of thought, I could have bought a $3,000 pickup to go back and forth to work with instead of a $25,000 pickup, but then I wouldn't have certain options I wanted and wouldn't have as nice a vehicle to use day-in-day-out. Sure, the truck cost more than I could have spent, and I could wreck it tomorrow, but it's got safety features that make it safer to drive than a 20 year old clunker, it's got more power than your average gas V8, and it gets better fuel mileage than older trucks. Different strokes for different folks. At least, those are my thoughts on the matter. Most guys that dropped money into a 1911 (most of which are multiple times more expensive than your average M&P or Glock) will have the same thoughts. They decided that cash wasn't the #1 criteria for selecting a weapon to defend themselves. While you're correct in your reasons for carrying a tricked out gun, you're wrong that I'm only thinking of money. I posited those as examples of why people are reluctant to carry full on custom jobs (as it has been explained to me). My G22 is being extensively reworked to better fit my hands, where the pistol it's replacing is bone stock. If I were to lose one of them, I'd feel much more remorse over losing my older pistol. Not because it was expensive, but because I've had it for so very long and have warm feelings for it. The Glock gets seized? Meh. I'll just go get another exactly like it, repeat the mods and move on to the next activity. My old gun is a fine firearm–– the Glock is a power tool.  |