Posted: 10/15/2013 2:32:35 AM EDT
| Looking to get a compact 1911 and narrowed it down to the above two. I'm leaning toward the 9mm whatever I choose. Is one any better than the other in terms of quality and reliability? |
I have my two. The EMP is made for a shorter cartridge. The Defender is made for a .45 and .45s are longer than a 9mm. Three inch guns generally don't run all that well. Add the two togther, and I would be concerned with reliability out of a Defender. I wouldn't consider the EMP a true 1911 as it has a ramped barrel unlike the Colt. Yes, the Springfield has an unusual takedown procedure. Big deal. I plan on shooting and carrying my guns, not taking them apart other than to clean them. The Springfield has an alloy frame on it's 9mms but the .40 gets a steel frame. BTW both are .40 S&Ws. |
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Looking to get a compact 1911 and narrowed it down to the above two. I'm leaning toward the 9mm whatever I choose. Is one any better than the other in terms of quality and reliability? Never had an EMP, but my Defender has been flawless. It's my preferred carry piece. Have about 500 rounds through it. Thinking about buying one in .40 S&W. (Heresy, I know.) |
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<a href="http://s110.photobucket.com/user/MCBallpeen/media/IMAG0116A.jpg.html" target="_blank">http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n119/MCBallpeen/IMAG0116A.jpg</a> I have my two. The EMP is made for a shorter cartridge. The Defender is made for a .45 and .45s are longer than a 9mm. Three inch guns generally don't run all that well. Add the two togther, and I would be concerned with reliability out of a Defender. I wouldn't consider the EMP a true 1911 as it has a ramped barrel unlike the Colt. Yes, the Springfield has an unusual takedown procedure. Big deal. I plan on shooting and carrying my guns, not taking them apart other than to clean them. The Springfield has an alloy frame on it's 9mms but the .40 gets a steel frame. BTW both are .40 S&Ws. Colt seems to have perfected how well a 3" gun runs. The Defender in 9mm or .45ACP will serve you well. My EDC is a Colt Defender in 9mm that runs like a sewing machine. 
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| Thanks guys...its a hard choice between the two and each have pros and cons. I think I'm leaning towards the Colt though. I understand that the EMP was more or less designed around the cartridge, however I would think access to parts would be harder and more expensive. I like the 1911 platform and the Defender/EMP would keep a full sized 1911 company. |
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Thanks guys...its a hard choice between the two and each have pros and cons. I think I'm leaning towards the Colt though. I understand that the EMP was more or less designed around the cartridge, however I would think access to parts would be harder and more expensive. I like the 1911 platform and the Defender/EMP would keep a full sized 1911 company. You would think that, but no. The EMP takes just about any 1911 part they make. Notice the two extended slide stops on mine. Did I have to modify them? No, I just took out the old ones and slipped the new ones right in. The only difference is the size of the frame and the barrel. After that it's all pretty much the same. I just got done at the range. I fired about 150 flawless rounds through both. Federal HST continues to amaze me with it's accuracy, even out of a belly gun like this. |
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Thanks guys...its a hard choice between the two and each have pros and cons. I think I'm leaning towards the Colt though. I understand that the EMP was more or less designed around the cartridge, however I would think access to parts would be harder and more expensive. I like the 1911 platform and the Defender/EMP would keep a full sized 1911 company. Mags would be your issue with the EMP. They are made specific to those guns. You can't just pick up any 9mm or .40 1911 mag and use it in the SA gun. |
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You would think that, but no. The EMP takes just about any 1911 part they make. Notice the two extended slide stops on mine. Did I have to modify them? No, I just took out the old ones and slipped the new ones right in. The only difference is the size of the frame and the barrel. After that it's all pretty much the same. I just got done at the range. I fired about 150 flawless rounds through both. Federal HST continues to amaze me with it's accuracy, even out of a belly gun like this. Quoted:
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Thanks guys...its a hard choice between the two and each have pros and cons. I think I'm leaning towards the Colt though. I understand that the EMP was more or less designed around the cartridge, however I would think access to parts would be harder and more expensive. I like the 1911 platform and the Defender/EMP would keep a full sized 1911 company. You would think that, but no. The EMP takes just about any 1911 part they make. Notice the two extended slide stops on mine. Did I have to modify them? No, I just took out the old ones and slipped the new ones right in. The only difference is the size of the frame and the barrel. After that it's all pretty much the same. I just got done at the range. I fired about 150 flawless rounds through both. Federal HST continues to amaze me with it's accuracy, even out of a belly gun like this. Thanks for the information. I would have thought the EMP parts would not interchange with 1911 parts. |
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I hate when people say that the EMP was designed for 9mm when really all they did was take a 1911 and re-work it with 9mm in mind. If it was truly designed for 9mm then why do they make it in 40 cal?
That being said, I wouldn't mind owning one but just never found a deal on one. Instead I have a Defender in 9mm and 45 and love both of them. They are very reliable and are surprisingly accurate for a short barrel. My 9mm is a better shooting gun that I am and makes me look like I know what I'm doing. |
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I hate when people say that the EMP was designed for 9mm when really all they did was take a 1911 and re-work it with 9mm in mind. If it was truly designed for 9mm then why do they make it in 40 cal? The 9mm EMP has an alloy frame. The .40 EMP has a steel frame. I'd be willing to bet you wouldn't want to fire a 26 ounce .40. New Grips! 
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Why? Glock makes a 24oz 10mm and while not a pleasant high-volume range gun it's not bad to shoot.
I think the reason for the steel frame is a durability issue rather than anything else. To say that the gun was designed for 9mm is marketing hype though! If it truely was then why is there a 40 version? Why are parts so interchangeable with a "regular" 1911? Like I said, I wouldn't mind owning one I just don't buy the marketing hype. Well that and I'm a Colt fan and like that I can find mags cheap and if need be use my full size 9mm mags in it if I had to. |
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Why? Glock makes a 24oz 10mm and while not a pleasant high-volume range gun it's not bad to shoot. I think the reason for the steel frame is a durability issue rather than anything else. To say that the gun was designed for 9mm is marketing hype though! If it truely was then why is there a 40 version? Why are parts so interchangeable with a "regular" 1911? Like I said, I wouldn't mind owning one I just don't buy the marketing hype. Well that and I'm a Colt fan and like that I can find mags cheap and if need be use my full size 9mm mags in it if I had to. Polymer frames have a tendency to "give" under recoil. They flex and flex back to their original shape. I'm going to agree with you on the durability issue. The .40 S&W IS a more powerful cartridge than the 9mm (by about 100 ft lbs). Perhaps the.40 destroyed alloy frames in development too much for Springfield to justify coming out with a .40 in an alloy frame. I do know that they did at on time consider a .45 GAP version of it, but due to the .45 GAPs popularity (or lack there of) that idea was shelved. |