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1911 - pros and cons?
- Thread starter MA_Shooter
- Start date
I have, love & respect 1911's. There great for carry & everything else. Just IMO wouln't be my first choice for a new shooter to carry.
I talked to a new shooter a month ago. He had just purchased a Para warthog. He asked me if the gun could discharge if he just stuck the mag in! I had to explain the single action concept to him. I watched him walk off cocked & locked. To me thats scary.
He would have scared me just as much with a Glock. Dunno why you think he's more dangerous with a 1911.
When he tries to shoot a glock, it'll just explode and hurt him. With the 1911, a negligent discharge combined with the natural superiority of the .45ACP round with the holy power of Saint John Moses Browning behind it will kill everyone and every thing in a 12 mile radius (except for bears).
But really...hopefully that guy went and got himself some learnin' on which end goes in which direction.
Bill Nance
Banned
I can't say that I blame you. I carried a gun SOB exactly one time, on a short trip to the grocery store. Never again. Ever. It's completely and utterly worthless, for more reasons than I can count.There is a reason many holster manufs won't even make SOB holsters.
-Mike
I could not disagree with you more.
For most situations you're ever likely to find yourself in, a SoB carry is about as fast on the draw as a hip carry, and EONS faster than thunderwear/smartcary. In the case of a BG with a knife or strongarm robbery it works perfect because your draw looks like you're getting your wallet out.
I carried SoB for years with full-size autos in a newsroom full of hoplophobes. AFAIK I never once printed.
The only downside with it is carrying SoB in the car because the gun wants to jam you in the small of the back. A good paddle-type holster will only help with this so much. Then again, a hip carry has identical comfort problems and isn't great for drawing fast either. Sadly I've concluded that you either sew a holster in the door frame or wear a shoulder rig for car carry if that's where you anticipate needing your gun in a hurry.
I'm anticipating getting my LTC changed to ALP soonish and plan on carrying my 1911 SoB or hip, depending on weather/clothing options. I had Greg Derr put a bobtail mainspring assembly specifically to avoid some printing issues with the rear corner of butt, which is a non-trivial issue for 1911s carried on the hip.
Different strokes and all that. As always, whatever makes you most comfortable is where you should carry. But I've heard a lot of stuff about SoB carry and from my own experience it's mostly cases of bad holsters or it just not "feeling right" for the critics.
Twigg
NES Member
God doesn't need a handgun, he has hellfire and lightning.
The Son of God however...
WWJC ? a 1911 of course.
![[smile]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/001.gif "Smile [smile]")
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We'll have to agree to disagree then.
IMHO SOB is the absolute worst place to carry a gun. You've got to be kidding me. Sorry, but I'm not buying this. Have you used a shot timer? (EG, time from holster to first shot on target).
And reholstering? Forget it. What a pain in the rear. You also cannot protect the gun very well (if at all) while drawing from a SOB holster.
Maybe. The same could be said for pocket carry, which is far better than SOB is, any day of the week.
I guess you never bent over to pick up anything. SOB prints like crazy whenever you bend over. Even using
the "crouching" trick it still prints badly, because your back still bends. Depends on how far you have to bend, of course.
It's especially bad while driving or sitting. It's only ever comfortable when you're standing, walking, or sitting on flat benches or things that don't have back support. The bigger the gun is the worse it gets, too.
![[rofl]](/xen/styles/default/xenforo/smilies.vb/013.gif "ROFL [rofl]")
You cannot possibly be serious. Drive a car for 2 hours with a gun carried SOB and then do the same with the gun at 3 or 4 oclock IWB or OWB. Not even in the same ballpark of discomfort. I don't even notice my G30SF at 3-4 IWB, and I can drive for hours with it there. With a SOB with any gun I own, I'd be lucky if I lasted 15 minutes in the car.. maybe.
I agree that people should carry whatever they feel the most comfortable with.
That said, I would never intentionally tell anyone that SOB was a good idea. It's not. It (generally) sucks. A holster
can improve things, but it still won't get rid of the fact that the gun is simply in a bad position to start with.
It's especially bad this time of year. I don't fall on the ice that much, but it's happened enough times in my lifetime that if I was carrying a gun SOB, I would probably be paralyzed at this point from landing on the gun. For this reason alone SOB should be DEAD LAST as a carry option.
I'll end this with a plug for Dean Speir's SOB/MOB article... as he's stated it a lot better than I ever could. Anyone contemplating this mode of carry should probably give it a quick read...
http://www.thegunzone.com/sob_is_bad.html
-Mike
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Most bang for your buck from a 1911:
Trigger - if tuned properly, 1911s can have the best trigger on any full sized semi auto pistol available. Or it can truly suck.
Sights - sights range from adjustable target sights that are excellent with an accurate for bullseye but clumsy for defensive shooting (will catch on clothes drawing from a holster and will tear up your hand running failure drills), combat sights with all sorts of glowing inserts, and military sights which are pretty horrible. Be mindful what your gun has.
Beavertail grip safety - some people and some guns are more prone to hammer bite than others. Do you want a beavertail on your gun?
Magazines - good magazines (Wilson or Ed Brown) are the best accessory for your 1911.
and remember, if you don't have a 1911, you're going to hell...
Trigger - if tuned properly, 1911s can have the best trigger on any full sized semi auto pistol available. Or it can truly suck.
Sights - sights range from adjustable target sights that are excellent with an accurate for bullseye but clumsy for defensive shooting (will catch on clothes drawing from a holster and will tear up your hand running failure drills), combat sights with all sorts of glowing inserts, and military sights which are pretty horrible. Be mindful what your gun has.
Beavertail grip safety - some people and some guns are more prone to hammer bite than others. Do you want a beavertail on your gun?
Magazines - good magazines (Wilson or Ed Brown) are the best accessory for your 1911.
and remember, if you don't have a 1911, you're going to hell...
I have the Cross Breed SuperTuck for my 1911 (and all other guns) and it is very comfortable in almost any situation. Draw speed is quick and smooth. Definitely have to agree with DrGrant....tried an SoB for one day and it was the most uncomfortable thing ever!
I have the SS S&W 1911 also, it is one sweet gun !!!
Personally, I prefer a Colt. All the S&W guns I've fired seem to have crappy balance IMO.
This forum tends to be MA centric... which means that S+Ws are easy to come by and Colts are a little harder to come by... When it comes to Colts in MA, most of the time, one is saddled with having to buy a used one. Colts "weeble wobble we dont know if were going to make handguns or not this year" style production over the years hasn't helped matters either, of course.
Even up against most of the big names S+W still provides incredible value. Their guns usually work and they usually don't cost a fortune. Even if there was no compliance BS to deal with, S+W's would still sell like mad here. The fact that you can drive down the pike and dump the gun off at the factory (and usually get it fixed for nothing) is a plus, too.
-Mike
There is, because S&W is one of the better 1911's that you can buy NEW in MA. If new Colts, Kimbers, etc could be bought I don't think S&W would be as popular.
CRSIII
NES Member
In a state where it's difficult to find a new Colt, Kimber or Springfield (not to mention Wilson, Les Baer or Nighthawk), it's unsurprising everyone has S&Ws. Add in S&W's great warranty and customer service, and we have a winner.
There are three reasons why the M1911 is a superior handgun for self defense. They are trigger, trigger and trigger.
First, the trigger is single action only. Why would you want anything else? Think about it. Would you want the trigger on your AR-15 type rifle to have a long 13 pound pull for the first shot and the have the remaining shots single action with a long sloppy pull? The transition from double to single action is a difficult task to master.
Second, the trigger can be easily tuned to what ever specifications that you want. Two pound, no problem. Eight pound no problem.
Third, the trigger is non-hinged. The ability to pull the trigger straight back lends itself to more control.
First, the trigger is single action only. Why would you want anything else? Think about it. Would you want the trigger on your AR-15 type rifle to have a long 13 pound pull for the first shot and the have the remaining shots single action with a long sloppy pull? The transition from double to single action is a difficult task to master.
Second, the trigger can be easily tuned to what ever specifications that you want. Two pound, no problem. Eight pound no problem.
Third, the trigger is non-hinged. The ability to pull the trigger straight back lends itself to more control.
May be the same design, but different materials. I'm no expert, but the Colt felt much better.
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Twigg
NES Member
I dont even have to click on that to get all tingley inside. I've lusted after a GI.50 for a loooong time.
Champaine taste, beer pockets. Ah well. *Sighs deeply*
You wanna really choke? Try getting into collector's Colts (limited edition, engraved, etc.)! When I brought the first one home my wife was FURIOUS.
I agree. Other forums rarely mention S&W 1911's. I was torn when I bought mine. There are some great 1911's produced by Kimber, SA, Colt, and others all of which I could have bought. S&W just didn't come up in too many 1911 conversations except here. I have no regrets buying the S&W and it is a great out of the box shooter with zero problems. Now if they can pull off making that 3" sub compact shoot with no issues or recalls I'll be seriously impressed.
I don't think anyone's had one to review yet??
