Posted: 9/11/2006 7:54:43 PM EDT
| Im looking for a compact 1911, something with an officers frame and 4 inches or less for the barrel. Im looking for something i can get NIB. Ive heard good things about the Colt Defender, and Im also considering a Springer Ultra/Micro. Any suggestions? |
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Here's mine. I am in PHX area, you are welcome to check it out sometime. [email protected] http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g60/azoutdoorsman/DSCF4246.jpg |
| ive had small colts sprinfields and kimbers and in my opionion the best ccw 1911 at any price is the kimber cdp. My preference is for the officers grip frame with a 4 inch barrel but ive had a 3 inch too and it was a great gun. Ive shot small wilsons and ed browns and although there beautiful pieces they sure didnt justify the over double the price they asked. The kimber is ready to go out of the box its very accurate well fit has good sights and a carry bevel its light easy to pack and the two ive had have been 100 percent reliable. If i had to spec out a carry gun id probably just end up with what kimber ships from the factory with a few diffent names on the parts. You wont find a finer ccw 1911 for the steal that kimber sells these for. |
What safety is that? Thanks Rob |
+1 That's what I have (plus a few more bells & whistles) It is the only compact that I would trust my life to. Out of the box it is well-equipped to be the ULTIMATE CCW made (and I have had the $900 copies that pale in comparison). It comes with reliabilty job, excellent night sights, dehorned, 3.5# triggerpull, and its front-to back checkering stays rigid in your hand. 100% tool steel.... 0 MIM Handcrafted, forged and built in the USA Lifetime warrranty that will be honored whether the gun is bought new or 4th-hand (and beyond) As aesthetically perfect as man will make a 1911. There is nothing more impressive than a well made Colt... until you pic one of these up. Then you start to notice little blemishes in the Colt by comparison. 25 yd accuracy guarranty You pay a lot more for this pistol because it is more than the competition. Given my ability and the limited amount of time I have a much lesser pistol would suit my purposes, were it not for the fact that I carry this weapon and my life, the lives of those I am with, and the lives of those within the scenario are riding on my ability and my equipment. This is the one place in a person's life where corners should never be cut. $2,000 is a staggering amount for a range toy, but it is dirt cheap when it comes to the best life insurance policy that rides in horsehide. |
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I have a Series I Kimber Ultra Carry. Doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the CDP but mine has been very reliable. The only problem I have had with it is that the slide occasionally locks back on a charged magazine. I suspect this is being caused by my support hand during recoil and is not a true "malfunction." Nevertheless, it doesn't happen very often and the gun can be quickly brought back into the fight. Be advised, recoil is short and snappy. I carry this gun almost daily and it is very concealable. If I had to do it over again, I'd get a commander length bbl with the officers frame. In my experience, it is the grip frame that presents the biggest challenge to CC and NOT the bbl length. All things being equal, I am very satisfied with my UC, but knowing what I know now, would rather have the longer bbl. Good luck, Fred BTW....if getting a Kimber, make sure you find a Series I or one with an internal extractor. |
| Whatever brand you decide, I suggest in the strongest possible terms that you purchase one with a barrel length of 4" or greater. Anything smaller is unreliable by design. That means that the one you just bought might be one of those that run flawlessly, then again it might be one of those that will never work right, even after hundereds of additional dollars invested. This eliminates Officers, Defenders, Micros, and a few other names, which sport barrels of 3.5" or less. Unfortunately, that cuts the supply dramatically. Commanders, and compacts fit the bill nicely which are made by Colt, Para, Springfield Armory, Wilson and maybe a few others. |
That would be my Defender. 
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Since there has been thought and discussion about the problematic compacts many have embraced the officer/compact frame and mated a 4"-4.25" barrel. Examples: Wilson Compact pistols, Colt CCO, Springfield Armory Compact. I imagine others have jumped on the bandwagon as well. |
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Both Springfield and Kimber make models with an officer's frame and comanderish length slide. (4" vs. 4.25). Both have the choice of alloy or steel frame. I've been looking for an alloy frame recently myself as I have a couple of steel frame weapons and I want a carry piece. Another option is the Dan Wesson CBOB, this mates a commander slide with the Ed Brown bobtail modification, Bobtail is hard to describe (you need to see it) but is basically rounded so that you have an officer length in back and a government length for most of the grip, gives you more grip in front but the concealability of an officer frame. These have almost all of the features I want in a 1911 (traditional bushing, traditional guide rod) but unfortunately are only available in Stainless Steel |
The Detonics is another one. One might say the Detonics was the one that really started it all... I hear the new ones are sweet. The local store has one in stainless for less than a grand. If I didn't inherently hate the officer-sized frame, I'd have it today...*sigh* (Damn uncomfortable to shoot!) Admittidly, my Kimber Ultra Raptor was an alloy frame, and not the steel a Detonics is made from...the added weight may tame the recoil some. For the record my Kimber never had a failure once in the 3 or 400 or so rounds I put through it, ever. It was light, compact, and a great gun. It just was uncomfortable to shoot more than a magazine out of...and I don't like guns that make me flinch before I pull the trigger. |
I got a RIA officers 2 months ago. I really like it. It has proved to be very accurate and comfortable to shoot. I'm poor.
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While it is good to hear anecdotal success of an economy pistol, this is hardly relevant for the topic at hand. At best, RIA compacts may prove to be a good affordable range toy, but the topic was the "Best" compact 1911. RIAs will NEVER, ever, ever come close to this, and it is hardly a good idea to trust your life to one. Most of us have only our isolated experiences with certain pistols and we all want to root for those weapons we own that have treated us well, but when someody asks for the absolute best of a certain pistol and I see a garden variety Kimber or some $300 model suggested, I often wonder if the title was even considered. Now if you think that RIA, Kimber, Colt, etc is the best then that is a different matter. Of course that doesn't do the OP any good if you explain why you think so. |
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My CCL gun is a SA Micro. Alloy frame, night sights, ramped barrel & I switched to McCormick 7rd mags. Helluva combo. I bought the SA over the Kimber due to the mainspring housing being beveled on the SA & not the Kimber. The Kimber would cut into my palm when I had a snug grip on the gun. As for reliability, after 100-200 rds, not a single hiccup!  Would I buy it again? Faster than a NY minute!
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Best = different folks. Affordable, reliable = best for me. Name brand preference, $ = better = nothing to me. |
I have to agree. No price limit was set so ofcourse none of the guns above are "best" since haveing one built by a top smith for 3 or 4 grand would most likely get you a better gun. And even with the exact same budget people might not agree what is best. I do like those new Detonics though. |