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

[Hunter Rose]

Well, since I started this 50+ page 1911 love-fest, after a couple months of shooting/evaluating, I've settled on a new carry gun over my current HK P30LS in 9mm.

No, the 1911 did not replace. Strange enough, I'm ending up switching to the HK USP 45 Fullsize.

I still love 1911s, but the hurdles I couldn't get over were:

- 8+1 capacity
- reduced reliability
- increased maintenance (from what I am used to with HKs)

The USP 45 Expert/USP 45 Fullsize won me over for the following reasons:

- the USP Match trigger in SA mode is pretty darn nice
- easily as accurate as a 1911
- felt recoil (to me) is less than either the 1911 or HK45
- reliability, lubrication sensitivity, durability and corrosion resistance is all greater than a 1911 at significant less cost
- 12+1 rd capacity in .45 Auto

Lastly, and most importantly, I personally found the rumors of the USP 45s size drastically overstated. It's not a small pistol by any means, but it's overall footprint was similar to my 1911 with a magwell and only a negligible difference from the P30L (especially in height, which for me is the main issue with concealing AIWB).

Here's the giant USP 45 Expert next to a P30L.



Anyway, I won't post anymore about HKs in this thread.

Back to the regularly scheduled 1911 love...

[Trooper224]

Well, since I started this 50+ page 1911 love-fest, after a couple months of shooting/evaluating, I've settled on a new carry gun over my current HK P30LS in 9mm.

No, the 1911 did not replace. Strange enough, I'm ending up switching to the HK USP 45 Fullsize.

I still love 1911s, but the hurdles I couldn't get over were:

- 8+1 capacity
- reduced reliability
- increased maintenance (from what I am used to with HKs)

The USP 45 Expert/USP 45 Fullsize won me over for the following reasons:

- the USP Match trigger in SA mode is pretty darn nice
- easily as accurate as a 1911
- felt recoil (to me) is less than either the 1911 or HK45
- reliability, lubrication sensitivity, durability and corrosion resistance is all greater than a 1911 at significant less cost
- 12+1 rd capacity in .45 Auto

Lastly, and most importantly, I personally found the rumors of the USP 45s size drastically overstated. It's not a small pistol by any means, but it's overall footprint was similar to my 1911 with a magwell and only a negligible difference from the P30L (especially in height, which for me is the main issue with concealing AIWB).

Here's the giant USP 45 Expert next to a P30L.



Anyway, I won't post anymore about HKs in this thread.

Back to the regularly scheduled 1911 love...

Can't fault you for that decision. Sometimes grown ups gotta grown up.

[Balisong]

Hunter Rose, I've really enjoyed this thread, both the 1911 AND the HK love and discussion. I appreciate your comparison pics as well, they've added an interesting perspective on things.

[gato naranja]

Well, since I started this 50+ page 1911 love-fest, after a couple months of shooting/evaluating, I've settled on a new carry gun over my current HK P30LS in 9mm.

No, the 1911 did not replace. Strange enough, I'm ending up switching to the HK USP 45 Fullsize.

I remember being impressed by the .45 USP my son purchased after he returned from his first Iraq deployment... a very pleasant handgun, that.

In my own situation, my increasing respect for 1911s and 640/940 J-frames doesn't preclude my still relying on what works (for me) as EDC: the Beretta PX4 SC and a lone, somewhat loose and raggedy spurless DAO SP101. The former is an acquired taste that I kept second-guessing for a couple of years until I finally "got" the whole "thing" about decockers, and the latter is sort of the family's rabbit's foot/four-leaf clover of "bet-my-life-on-it" reliability. Go figure. Nonetheless, I can't help but wish I had ignored about 90% of the defensive handguns I just HAD to have over the years.

gn

[Bucky]

- 8+1 capacity
- reduced reliability
- increased maintenance (from what I am used to with HKs)

Getting the 1911 to the reliability level of the HK is certainly not as sure a thing as just buying the HK. That said, if you do get one, i don’t know if the maintenance is necessarily more.

I have twice as many 1911/2011s as HKs. Half are just as reliable, and half not so much. Whereas, all the HKs are equally reliable. It does take extra commitment.

You made a fine choice, for sure.

[ralph]

Well, since I started this 50+ page 1911 love-fest, after a couple months of shooting/evaluating, I've settled on a new carry gun over my current HK P30LS in 9mm.

No, the 1911 did not replace. Strange enough, I'm ending up switching to the HK USP 45 Fullsize.

I still love 1911s, but the hurdles I couldn't get over were:

- 8+1 capacity
- reduced reliability
- increased maintenance (from what I am used to with HKs)

The USP 45 Expert/USP 45 Fullsize won me over for the following reasons:

- the USP Match trigger in SA mode is pretty darn nice
- easily as accurate as a 1911
- felt recoil (to me) is less than either the 1911 or HK45
- reliability, lubrication sensitivity, durability and corrosion resistance is all greater than a 1911 at significant less cost
- 12+1 rd capacity in .45 Auto

Lastly, and most importantly, I personally found the rumors of the USP 45s size drastically overstated. It's not a small pistol by any means, but it's overall footprint was similar to my 1911 with a magwell and only a negligible difference from the P30L (especially in height, which for me is the main issue with concealing AIWB).

Here's the giant USP 45 Expert next to a P30L.



Anyway, I won't post anymore about HKs in this thread.

Back to the regularly scheduled 1911 love...

Nothing wrong with your choice..Myself, after I got my USPc 45, sorted, that I got in a trade, (dawson sights, LEM conversion). I've been using it as my EDC, I usually carry a reload, and, if I feel I need to, I have two elephant's foot 10rnd mags, as well as some new 10rnd HK45 mags left from when I had my HK45, that slide right in the USP's magwell.. I basically went with the USP for reliabilty, but mainly for corrosion resistance reason's that you did, Accuracy wise, it's no slouch, either.. And, I'll shut up about HK's too..

[Hunter Rose]

I think I'll start a separate thread on the USP 45 used in a CCW role. Mainly since this thread skews more 1911 specific and GJM's thread is focused more on the USP 45 as a field gun/bear weapon in 45 Super.

[OlongJohnson]

In the P-F tradition of giant threads, I suggest making it all-inclusive of all slab-sided USPs. Since it will be anyway...

[Hunter Rose]

New thread for the USP 45 / USP's in general as carry guns is up:

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....1)-Anyone-else

[Shorikid]

At the parents house today, got a little trigger time. Have a disco issue to sort out on the CCO later this week. My ratty Spring Field got a test with a Harris small radius fps and 18lbs recoil spring. 100%, softer recoil impulse and tracked back to target without extra barrel dip.

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