small 1911s

[Weights]

For those who have owned or own this,how are the small 1911s, like the Kimber ultra carry or the Springfield microcompact? How do they feel when carrying and how is their reliability?

[PA Highlander]

For those who have owned or own this,how are the small 1911s, like the Kimber ultra carry or the Springfield microcompact? How do they feel when carrying and how is their reliability?

I've got the Springfield Micro Compact 1911. I have only had it about 1.5 months but so far so good. It's a nice size and weight for carry. Reliability seems fairly good considering it's still in the break in period. I've had a few FTE's but they could have even been grip induced. (Got a good schooling in 1911 grip technique at the last PAFOA Group Shoot) I need to get another few hundred rounds and run some more drills with it.

[normanvin]

i have the kimber ultra carry. it works well. i like it.

[revo]

I had a Kimber Ultra CDP. The thing felt like a million bucks. Nice melt-job, compact feel, just a good overall handling experience for a CCW. It's got a buck to it when shooting SD ammo, but definitely tolerable. No problem.

Unfortunately, mine was a terrible jammer. FTFs, FTEs -- all over the place. Even after 500 rounds, I couldn't get through a magazine without at least one jam of some sort. It went back to Kimber 3 times with no better results.

I ended up trading it off (noting to the shop that it was a jammer) along with my other 5 pistols and went revolver-only. That was the last straw.

But note -- this was me and my gun. Others have had no problems with the micro 1911s. They still make them, so there's something to be said for that. However, I do hear the micros are more prone to be "cranky".

[Mtbkski]

Don't be afraid to try some of the other small pistols out there. There are some pretty reliable small pistols on the market right now. And if your willing to go with a 9mm. You can find pistols that are reliable and fit in your front pocket.

[rich]

I had a Colt Defender and never had any problems with the gun. It feed everything I put in it without issue and I was fairly accurate with it I sold it to purchase a Commander size pistol to achieve better accuracy and follow up shot placement. I find the Commander easier to shoot and have little trouble concealing it

[Weights]

Thanks for all your input guys. The smallest I really would want to go in a self-defense gun is .40 S&W, but I would consider a 9mm. I looked at Rohrbaugh, but the grip on the gun was too small for me and didn't feel all that well, so I dismissed that one. Although, I know sometimes, you might have problems with jams in smaller guns. Still, if there are any good recommendations you guys can make, please point them all, as well as any additional experiences you've had with small 1911s.

[Average Baer]

A lot of people say this, but few understand the reason; When you go below 4.25" in a 1911, you're asking for trouble. Windows of opportunity for failures fling wide open and margins for error snap shut. The trouble is, there isn't sufficient dwell time for the slide at it's most rearward point in the cycle. The slide can move forward too fast and not allow the subsequent round enough time to move upwards and forwards in order to be chambered. When size is decreased, so is travel time. On a carry gun, this can be disasterous.

In the case of the Colt's Defender, they are built very loose, so the tolerances aren't nearly as critical. Also the OACP. My personal preference for a small carry gun is the Les Baer Stinger. This gun is built on an Officer's size frame, but has a Commander length (Commanche), 4.25" bbl.

Another alternative I like is an Ed Brown bobtail. The most cost conscious version of this is the Dan Wesson. These are well made and run very reliably.

WHen it comes to 1911s (and most all guns really), it's not the slide that's difficult to conceal, but the frames.

One last thing to consider. Again, once you plummet below 4.25", you are in an area of rapid wear and mostly proprietary parts. This means, if the gun goes down, or needs maintenence, you're hosed. You gotta call the manufacturer for parts, and/or send it in. Yucko.!

[Rule10b5]

I really like my Colt Defender, even though I've had problems with it. It was fine for the first 500 or 1000 rounds, and then it started to eject brass straight back into my forehead. Very painful. If it didn't hold a lot of sentimental value to me, I'd sell it in a second. My 5" Nighthawk Talon, by contrast is flawless.

I've had the Defender at the gunsmith's twice, and still haven't resolved the problem. We've tried tuning and replacing the ejector, along with a couple other tweaks. I'm going to give it one more try myself.

If that doesn't fix it, I'm calling Cylinder & Slide, or Evolution Gun Works and telling them that I want a 4.25" Caspian upper fitted to the Defender lower.

[XD45]

I shot a para ordinance pxt LDA yesterday.. it was an awesome awesome micro 1911 i'm really gonna have to think about getting one... its got a spurless hammer and the LDA trigger which was great although i think he had work done on the trigger....

http://www.paraord.com/product/product.html?id=33