Seriously considering going back to the 1911 for carry. Anyone else?

I finally got back to the range today after months of shooting inactivity. I hurt my knee late last year and between physical therapy, getting my house fixed up in order to sell, and buying a lot to build the retirement home I have been tapped out. Life has finally settled enough to start getting back into shooting.

My background is I started shooting on 1911s and Hi-Powers, then moved into HKs 7 years ago when I started taking classes and trying to improve my shooting skills. Have been shooting/carrying HKs exclusively (HK P30LS 9mm and HK45). I went away from 1911s for all the rational reasons: reliability, ease of maintenance, capacity, cost, etc.

Back to the present. Since I've been raising money to fund the retirement home, I was considering selling my two custom 1911s, since they have been nothing but safe queens. I felt I couldn't let them go in good conscious without shooting them at least once, so decided I'd make my first trip back to the range a 1911 day. I didn't bring a timer or even a holster, since this was just supposed to be a fun trip to get back into the flow.

To my surprise, the first mag at 10 yards was one ragged hole. Second mag was the same. On the third mag I went to 25 yards and everything was in center mass. 2 x rounds in the 10-ring, 2 x rounds in the 9-ring, 3 x rounds in the 8-ring, and 1 x round in the 7 ring. I was astounded. Since I hadn't shot in six months, I was just hoping they would all be on paper. My first range trips with the P30 following a 4-month and 6-month deployment were nowhere near as good. Not even close.

The rest of it went well, groups started opening up and trigger control degraded a little as the session wore on, but shooting the 1911 felt like coming home to an old friend. Press trigger, sights lifted and returned to target, press trigger again. Hands never separated on my grip. All in all I had a blast, and it reminded me why I loved the 1911 to begin with.

So, now I'm thinking to myself: Why not just dedicate myself to the 1911 and make it my primary carry gun?

While it may sound like a whim, it's something I've thought about numerous times before. My thinking is as follows:

- I shoot the 1911 better and with way less effort than other pistols. It's the pistol I'm probably most confident in being able to make hits with when firing cold or after a long interval without shooting

- it conceals better (especially the magazines) than what I normally carry; and I feel extremely safe with re-holstering a 1911 for appendix carry due to the multiple safety redundancies of the manual safety, hammer, grip safety, and half-cock notch.

- Cost is not an issue. I can afford multiple high-end guns set up the same, so rotating them out when one needs to go back to the smith for a tune-up is not a big deal. The primary 1911 I have now has extra fitted parts so a broken slide stop, firing pin stop, etc. would not take the gun out of commission.

- Ammo cost is not an issue. I can afford the higher cost of .45 ACP. Finding time to get to the range is a larger issue than affording ammo for those range trips.

- I'm familiar with the system, maintenance and detail stripping is simple and the additional maintenance burden is fine with me

- weight is not really an issue; I'm 6'5" and 230 so have never really thought the 1911 was excessively heavy when carrying

- capacity is low (9 rds of 45 Auto in the 1911 vs 16 rds of 9mm in the P30LS); but I've carried a J-frame before and never really felt under gunned. I live in a decent suburb where crime is low, but it does occur. Still, the chances of me ever needing the gun are statistically extremely low, and I'd still have 9 rds of 45 ACP on tap with 16 rds in reloads. But honestly, capacity is my main concern and primary negative for the 1911.

- I have a passion for the 1911. It keeps me interested in the pistol and makes me want to shoot it more often, so training reps would likely be more than what I am doing currently, because I enjoy the shooting sessions more.

That's about it. Figured I would see what the Pistol Forum hive-mind had to say. Anyone else considering going back to the 1911 or already made the move?




p.s. It's a thread about 1911s, so I figure I have to post the obligatory gun porn...


https://oi1383.photobucket.com/album...ps4btkw0jg.jpg

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I would not do it, but your reasons are sound and that is a beautiful gun. Go for it.

I’ve never had a 1911, but I’ve enjoyed every one I’ve ever fired. Your familiarity and reasoning seem solid. In your shoes, I wouldn’t even hesitate: do it! It sounds perfect.

I’ve considered it but currently I’m without a 1911 and am Combat Tupperware heavy. Financially I am not in your position so I can’t justify the $3,000 plus to fully outfit myself with 1911s at then moment. In your shoes I don’t see any reason not to although there is the argument for you to at least try one in 9mm which will help with the capacity issue. The cheaper ammo won’t hurt and you may find even better performance on the timer with a 9mm 1911, just a thought.

The 1911 is a good choice for people who understand and are willing to accept the pistol's limitations, and who can afford to keep them running.

Someone like you, in other words.


Okie John

Planning on buying and carrying a DW Guardian 9mm next month (following the recommended break-in, of course).

If it works better for you, if your guns run reliably and are you shoot better with them, it would seem to be an okay decision. It is a very individual decision with lots of individual factors that come into play that don't effect everyone equally.

At one point I shot significantly better with a 1911 than a Glock. I want to say that this was in 2006 or so. A huge difference. With a 1911 I could mow down 6 steel plates with six shots with no problem and shoot tighter groups.

Then over the next few years I took a bunch of courses from instructors like Larry Vickers, Ken Hackathorn, Wayne Dobbs & Darryl Bolke, and Todd Louis Green.

Suddenly I discovered that I shot a Glock 17 or Glock 19 (Gen 2s) almost as well as I shot a 1911.I shoot an HK VP9 & VP9 Subcompact better than the Glocks. Maybe I started to suck more with a 1911 and less with the other guns. Maybe this was just me. I had reliability problems with 1911s including 2 Springfield Professionals, a Springfield 10-8 Operator, and even a Wilson. They were usable, but not as problem free out of the box as the Glocks and VP-9s. I decided to part with some of the 1911s and still have a Springfield Professional and 10-8 Operator in my safe. Also I find the Glocks and VP-9s much quicker and easier to field strip and clean. Also, I have developed tendonitis in my right hand so a wider, lesser recoiling gun like a VP-9 or a Glock 17/19 is more comfortable to hold and shoot.

I am not going to go into all of the this vs. that, because it is an individual thing where certain factors weigh more--like being able to shoot the gun better right here and now, or in my case, being less painful to shoot.

I remember the thrill of being able to shoot the 1911 much better than other guns and at the time having it feel better in my hand than other guns. I don't discount that at all. As you wrote, you shoot better with the 1911, are comfortable maintaining it and have a passion for it. If it works for you and runs reliably and is durable I say go with it.

You understand the firearm and what I can and can't do. You have a couple of good guns (with what you have I wouldn't sweat parts breakage) and a budget for ammo. With dry practice to supplement the range, you should be good to go. Thumb over hammer when you reholster AIWB on top of the safeties is what I do. I have a CCO build at Nighthawk for finish work right now.

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I think it sounds like a great option for you.

I think @StraitR carries a 1911 most of the time and has for sometime. He may be able to recommend holsters, parts, routines, or other helpful stuff.

If you can afford multiple pistols, the support gear, and you love the guns then do it. Strikers dominate the market, DA/SA have their followers, but 1911s are still very capable. I love my Dan Wesson.

-Cory

Im in pretty much the same boat as you. My two pauses are, capacity, and handing over one of my 1911's in the event it had to be used. On the first issue I believe that an armed encounter is already a highly unlikely outlier. But since its an outlier it would be better to cover as many outlier scenarios as possible. (2 bad guy gun). On the second issue Im sort of mixed emotions. Yes turning over a high end 1911 to an evidence locker would suck, but what if (and I do understand this is unlikely but...) the little performance edge I believe the 1911 gives me affected the outcome. Then it was money well spent. This could be totally just my own musings, but I cant help but feel that the first shot may be the most important shot and nothing does that as well for me than a 1911.