I carried a 9mm Dan Wesson Guardian on duty for 4 or 5 years. Took it through multiple 1,000+ round count instructor schools, 2 SWAT schools, etc., and it never missed a beat. Actually had two of them, the other I converted to .38 Super. I absolutely loved those guns. They ran great and were a ton of fun to shoot. They can be had for around $1300 or so.Originally Posted by TheNewbie
I just spec'd out and ordered a Wilson 9mm Commander that I'm really looking forward to.
Last edited by TC215; 05-15-2017 at 07:37 PM.
I carried a Dan Wesson Guardian on duty for 4 or 5 years. Took it through multiple 1,000+ round count instructor schools, 2 SWAT schools, etc., and it never missed a beat. Actually had two of them, the other I converted to .38 Super. I absolutely loved those guns. They ran great and were a ton of fun to shoot. They can be had for around $1300 or so.
What kind of holster did you use? I've always liked those guns.
I just spec'd out and ordered a Wilson 9mm Commander that I'm really looking forward to.
I used a JM Custom Kydex OWB.
One thing I have tried to force myself to realize is that people that ask me about guns are not me, are not gonna be like me, and probably don't WANT to be like me. This is a fairly recent realization!
The young man in question is probably NOT in the lawnmower phase, he is in the dawn of his life and thirsty for knowledge, and most likely striving to set himself apart from the crowd. If he is a pending ME he understands mechanisms, perhaps appreciates things that are analogous to classic cars, and doesn't want to show up at the range with the exact same Glock 19 that all his buddies bought. He also might be wanting to reward himself for his graduation with something that is not so pragmatic.
Some of the best linked content was right on the money, for agencies like LAPD and FBI. The young man in question is not likely to be joining either of those agencies and might enjoy the care and feeding of something that takes a little effort and attention.
If he comes from a family that shoots and hunts, there may be a reloader in the woodpile, narrowing the ammo cost delta to an insignificant level and introducing another mechanical tinkering aspect to the endeavor a young mechanical engineer would probably enjoy. If not, then a 9mm 1911 is not as elusive as it once was.
What might BE a bit more pragmatic choice could be one of the Ruger SR1911s, they seem to be coming out of the box not perfect but pretty close.
My lightweight Ruger 9mm SR1911 shipped yesterday. Jeez, there I go expecting people to be like me!
Last edited by mmc45414; 05-16-2017 at 06:21 AM.
If it's an option, take him to a local indoor range with a variety of rental guns. Let him try a magazine through several.
I'm a 1911 guy, I learned to shoot pistols on 1911s, I love the 1911, but I wouldn't recommend a 1911 to a non-enthusiast. Glock 19, VP9, M&P, P320, sure, but not a 1911.
Note that being a hunter does not mean he's a firearms enthusiast.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
If he's got his heart set on Kimber, get him a copy of Jerry Kunhausens book on how to diagnose and repair 1911 problems. He'll probably need it.
If not, have him get a Colt government model in .45. If you're talking about self defense, you want to stack the odds of reliability in your favor. A Commander in 9mm can be reliable as well I suppose, but the 5" .45 ACP is the safest bet. Sure, 9mm is cheaper, has less recoil and mostly just as effective, but with practice, handloads and good HP ammo, a .45 isn't that hard to shoot well.
And I'd probably still invest in the Kunhausen book. If he likes to tinker, like many engineers I know, he'll have plenty of opportunity with the 1911. And really once you ditch the FPB on the Kimber and finish cutting the lower lugs you'll probably be fine. They're only seen as problematic by those expecting them to work out of the box.
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Dude. I just scared the crap out of the cat LOL'ing. What she gets for camping on my arm while I'm PFing...
And I don't know when or where, but I AM going to steal that line someday...
Last edited by Drang; 05-16-2017 at 07:03 AM.
Recovering Gun Store Commando. My Blog: The Clue Meter
“It doesn’t matter what the problem is, the solution is always for us to give the government more money and power, while we eat less meat.”
Glenn Reynolds
My Colt Lightweight Commander 9mm has been utterly reliable and is my carry gun. It cost me about $900.
Fair questions. I have four Colt 9mm 1911s and paid from around $750 for basic models which will serve as base guns to around $1000 for a stainless CCP. My carry gun is very reliable and cost me around $900.
No, I generally do not recommend the 1911 for new shooters. If someone wants to use a 1911 and they know the reasons why then I'm all for it, but not just because they heard "plastic pistols suck and 1911s are for real shooters" or something silly like that. In fact, I'm taking my daughter pistol shopping today and I will probably suggest a Glock 19 and let her try it for herself.
Actually, the reason for my post is that an earlier post seemed to indicate that one of the issues with the 1911 is that .45ACP is probably not the best cartridge for a new shooter either, and I was simply pointing out that with the recent availability of very decent 9mm 1911 offerings the .45 is not a foregone conclusion.
My first 1911 was a stainless Series 80 Colt that had some issues (it was definitely a Friday gun) that I bought in 1990 or 91.
Between that pistol, the Kuhnhausen manuals (and other books), and a retired police armorer that worked at Gallensons in SLC at the time, I learned a little about how a 1911 runs.
The stainless steel turned out to be a benefit in the sense that it was easy to see how the parts were interacting. For that reason I'd recommend a stainless Colt (they're much better now IMHO) for your 21 year old relative.
As Drang said, the 1911 is suitable for enthusiasts.
Last edited by Greg; 05-16-2017 at 08:56 AM.
Don’t blame me. I didn’t vote for that dumb bastard.
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