The 1911 decision... Questions and recommendations

[Fossil4Life]

So, I'm looking to invest in my first Model 1911 pistol for carry/conceal purposes. I've never owned one before, and I have a couple of questions regarding them.

1) Why do some Model 1911's come with ambidextrous safeties and others do not? Mostly, I see 1911's with safeties on the left side only, and those 1911's with safeties on both sides of the pistol are fairly rare. Why is this?

2) For conceal/carry purposes, I would imagine that shorter barrels are better for concealment, at the cost of accuracy at range. What is an ideal, effective barrel length for CC'ing a 1911?

3) Piggy-backing on the previous question, shorter barrel lengths usually mean more recoil. Having shot a 5" barrel 1911 for the first time Saturday, what kind of recoil can I expect in a 4" barrel 1911 versus a 5"? How about a 3" barrel versus the 4" or the 5"?

4) After shopping around, I've found that Les Baer, Wilson Combat, and Nighthawk Custom are way out of my price range (duh!). However, Springfield and Kimber are more affordable (notice I didn't say cheaper!). I was told that the Springfield EMP 1911 was junk and that Kimbers' are excellent. What other manufacturers should I be looking at for 1911's?

Essentially, I am leaning towards a 3" barrel 1911 for concealability, but I want your guys' take on it. Is 3" too hard to control where recoil is concerned? Should I opt for a 4" barrel since it would be a satisfactory compromise between a 3" and 5" 1911?

Any help, guidance, suggestions, tips, or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[eddyb74]

I carry an Ultra CDP II on a daily basis.

The ambidextrous safety is for left handed shooters. With this type of safety you run the risk of it coming off if it is bumped. On the other hand it is easy to see(feel) that the safety is indeed still on.

3" versions can still be accurate, mine is. Is it as accurate as a 5"? Not really, but close.

Yes my 3" kicks more than my 5". It is still controllable and not as painful as a lightweight J frame IMHO.

Springfield makes a fine pistol as does Kimber. I personally don't have much experience with other brands, but I don't think you could go wrong with Colt or STI among others.

Check out this site for all things 1911.

http://forum.m1911.org/forums.php

[Rundownfid]

So, I'm looking to invest in my first Model 1911 pistol for carry/conceal purposes. I've never owned one before, and I have a couple of questions regarding them.

1) Why do some Model 1911's come with ambidextrous safeties and others do not? Mostly, I see 1911's with safeties on the left side only, and those 1911's with safeties on both sides of the pistol are fairly rare. Why is this?
John Browning (may his name be praised) did not design the 1911 with an ambidextrous safety. However as another poster points out the left handed shooter needs a safety to, and they are convenient for correct handed shooters as well in the case of their dominant hand being disabled. I don't consider it a big plus, but then I use my rt hand.

2) For conceal/carry purposes, I would imagine that shorter barrels are better for concealment, at the cost of accuracy at range. What is an ideal, effective barrel length for CC'ing a 1911?
Traditionally barrels shorter than the original 5" are neither as accurate nor as reliable as a 5". However, their are some very nice short 1011s, and I do not believe it is necessarily a deal breaker. All things being equal the longer sighting radius of the 5" barrel will be easier to shoot well than the 3" or even 4" barrel, however that is not inherent accuracy only sight alignment.

3) Piggy-backing on the previous question, shorter barrel lengths usually mean more recoil. Having shot a 5" barrel 1911 for the first time Saturday, what kind of recoil can I expect in a 4" barrel 1911 versus a 5"? How about a 3" barrel versus the 4" or the 5"?

Correct, shorter barrels mean less weight out front and lighter weight overall, therefore they will flip more and recoil more than a longer heavier gun. You will have to judge for yourself how you feel about this compromise.

4) After shopping around, I've found that Les Baer, Wilson Combat, and Nighthawk Custom are way out of my price range (duh!). However, Springfield and Kimber are more affordable (notice I didn't say cheaper!). I was told that the Springfield EMP 1911 was junk and that Kimbers' are excellent. What other manufacturers should I be looking at for 1911's?

I would not call Springfields junk, although I have none, I do have two Kimbers I am very fond of and two Colts I am less impressed with (although the one made in 1917 is a keeper.


Essentially, I am leaning towards a 3" barrel 1911 for conceivability, but I want your guys' take on it. Is 3" too hard to control where recoil is concerned? Should I opt for a 4" barrel since it would be a satisfactory compromise between a 3" and 5" 1911?

I can not advise you on what you will find controllable. I would go with 4', but that is just me. If you are larger, or have weaker wrists that would affect conceal ability and control ability respectively.

However, I think the two brands you mention will give you a good gun no matter which of their line you choose. This is a very competitive and mature market, there are hardly any bad choices left.

Any help, guidance, suggestions, tips, or advice would be greatly appreciated!

I hope you get the 1911 you want, they are great guns, with a hundred years of refinement.

[fastfordman390]

i bought a Metro Arms American Clasic ll 1911. its a 5" goverment model. its done in the hard chrome finish, has novak style front and rear sights, skeletonized hammer and trigger (that is adjustable), beaver tail grip safety. i bought it new from a local gun shop. i paid $600 for it out the door. its made in manila, phillipines and has a lifetime warranty. comes with a list of gun shops across the U.S. that will sevice the weapon if the time ever comes. the gun shoots as straight as can be. i shoot 2 1/4" groups at 25'.
its not a colt or kimber, but it does the job, and well for me. i couldnt get a new colt or kimber for that price (though i would LOVE one), and i wanted something that no one else owned, so thats why i went with it, oh yeah, and the price was excellent.

the only thing i dont like about the gun is the BIG roll mark on the left side of the slide. good luck with your decission.

[mikenac]

Some answers below:

So, I'm looking to invest in my first Model 1911 pistol for carry/conceal purposes. I've never owned one before, and I have a couple of questions regarding them.

1) Why do some Model 1911's come with ambidextrous safeties and others do not? Mostly, I see 1911's with safeties on the left side only, and those 1911's with safeties on both sides of the pistol are fairly rare. Why is this?

This is just the original design. Anyhow, left handed people are weird man!


2) For conceal/carry purposes, I would imagine that shorter barrels are better for concealment, at the cost of accuracy at range. What is an ideal, effective barrel length for CC'ing a 1911?

I have found no real loss of accuracy using the "commander " size (4-4.25). Even a 3" barrel is plenty accurate for CQB distances and 15 yards range fun. I can easily outshoot my Glock 19 with my friends Springfield lightweight 3". I would recommend the 4.25" for greatest reliability.

3) Piggy-backing on the previous question, shorter barrel lengths usually mean more recoil. Having shot a 5" barrel 1911 for the first time Saturday, what kind of recoil can I expect in a 4" barrel 1911 versus a 5"? How about a 3" barrel versus the 4" or the 5"?

I do not notice a recoil difference in a 4" barrel. If you have a lightweight frame (aluminum, scandium) there is some increase in recoil, but nothing of consequence. You will notice a bit more recoil at 3", but again, very manageable in my opinion, much more so than light .40's.


4) After shopping around, I've found that Les Baer, Wilson Combat, and Nighthawk Custom are way out of my price range (duh!). However, Springfield and Kimber are more affordable (notice I didn't say cheaper!). I was told that the Springfield EMP 1911 was junk and that Kimbers' are excellent. What other manufacturers should I be looking at for 1911's?

I really like my Smith and Wesson SW1911PD. The scandium frame brings the weight down nicely.

Essentially, I am leaning towards a 3" barrel 1911 for concealability, but I want your guys' take on it. Is 3" too hard to control where recoil is concerned? Should I opt for a 4" barrel since it would be a satisfactory compromise between a 3" and 5" 1911?

3" recoil is greater, but manageable. I would be more concerned with conceal-ability. The grip of most 4/5" 1911's are the same size (full size), are angular and pointy, and tend to print. The 3" has about an inch shorter grip, but you lose one round of capacity. If I had to do it again, I might look for a 4-4.25" commander with a "bobbed" grip. If I had the money, I would buy an Ed Brown, otherwise, the new model S&W SW1911SC would be my pick.


Any help, guidance, suggestions, tips, or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[ah0873]

I just purchased the Kimber Crimson Carry II (5") and absolutely love it. Its my first 1911 so I don't know as much as the guys who have posted before me, but can hopefully help a bit.

In terms of length and recoil, I don't think I would be concerned as much about the barrel length than I would be with what the frame is made out of. A friend of mine has the Eclipse II and there is noticeably less recoil with his gun because of the weight difference. Of course, more weight means less comfortable to carry (for most people), but less recoil. Just another thing to take into consideration before you make your decision.

Also, I have carried the Kimber a few times. Definitely not as easy or comfortable to conceal as a sub-compact, but still do-able - just in case you were shying away from the 5" because of cc'ing.

[Grillman]

I would recommend a Kimber.Their custom defense package are awesome.
I have the Ultra Carry 11,3'' barrel stainless and has night sights.Light weight
and very accurate.Recoil is manageable,my S&W 99 has more recoil.You do
have too change recoil spring assembly on the shorter barrel 1911,Kimber
recommends you change them about every 1800 to 2000 rounds.I have shot
Springfields,and Colts there nice shooting guns too.

[napxter187]

I carry the ultra CDP II everyday, very comfortable and concealable the aluminum frame really helps on the weight....

[Munky]

Goes with me everywhere...unless it's crappy outside then I take the Glock

[thundrr1]

Ask the question,,, How long does the manufacturer guarantee the gun? Springfield = forever. You have a problem, call them, they email you a return shipping label, take it to Fedex, Springfield fixes it, they send it back to you. You pay nothing. No shipping, nadda. This is based on the premise that you did nothing to cause the problem.

If you can stretch to the price level, I recommend a SA TRP. One fine off the shelf pistol with some gunsmith fitting. Not just an assembly line gun.

Mr. Browning designed the 1911 with a 5" barrel for a reason. As you shorten the barrel, timing becomes more critical. This affects loading and ejection. Springs tend to become tired quicker, as there is less of them (length wise).

Reviewing some of the popular 1911 forums should help you make a decision. The one pointed out earlier is a good one.