Posted: 10/12/2006 8:29:35 PM EDT
| I am currently shopping for a small 1911 in .45 ACP for off-duty carry. I am leaning heavilly toward the Colt Defender and would like some input. I have looked at the Kimber and Springfield models but the Defender felt much better and seemed more solid. The only advantage to the Kimber was that the presentation seemed more natural. I think this could be solved by replacing the Defender's flat mainspring housing with a raised one. Is this even available? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. |
Colt Defender   (Pulpsmack will be along soon to preach the evil of the short-barreled 1911.) 
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I would rather have a CCO. Thats an officers frame with a 4.25" barrel. I don't trust those little things. Although I admit I haven't fired one. But Burton tells me they are bad  and only to trust in the work of Brother Timmy (C.T. Brian) when it comes to abbreviated 1911s.
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I had a Kimber Ultra Raptor that fed everything I gave it, no problems at all. I only sold it because it was too punishing for me to enjoy at the range; after a magazine I would flinch like a redheaded stepchild hearing a belt snap. I was afraid that would translate to actual carry usage, so away it went. When I sold it, I had aroud 3-400 rounds through it, I think. Never had a failure of any kind in it. Steel framed short 1911's are a better bet than alumnium/alloy frames; the weight really does help with the recoil. If the Defender runs for you, great. Make sure you replace the recoil spring every 500 or so rounds though; it gets really beat to crap. Replace the mainspring every 1-2000 rounds, for the same reason. Yes, historically, shorter barreled 1911's have had reliability issues..but, when they work, they run forever. |
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What recoil? I just put 200 rounds through my Kimber Ultra last weekend, I shoot it better than my steel frame government model. Alloy frame for carry is the way to go. A nice compromise on size is the kimber compact, just a hair smaller than a Colt CCO with a 4" rather than a 4.25" barrel. I'm guessing pulpsmack won't kile those either as they have a bull barrel rather than a bushing though. |
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Regarding the grip angle, I pulled the arched MSH out of my micro and went to a flat MSH like on the colts. The arched MSH edge was digging into my palm. The whole they won't run isn't a design flaw, just that some of the production pistols are not debur'd and/or the assembling/checked out to make sure its run ready. Worst case if you have a problem with the pistols not running is you send it back to the factory to have it checked out by their smith to correct what the under paid drunk monkey that slapped it together on the assembly line missed. As for a holster choice, check out the Milt Sparks HR-LMT (will need to click on the new button on the left hand bottom of their home page to find it). And the reason that I went with a Micro over a Defender, price and I like steel framed pistols. On this pistol, my total cost was $500 after picking up a used USGI model, and doing a few parts swaps and shooting it in Duracoat.  And if anyone was wondering about jamming problems, this pistol will go head to head with any of my race pistols for mag after mag, and you will have a blister the on your trigger finger long before the pistol even thinks about slow slide returning, much less full on jam stumbling. Sorry, but if someone can't get even a 3" barreled 1911 to run, they need to turn in their smithing card. |