1911 Pro's and Con's

[MichSteve]

I am looking at a Kimber 1911 4" for carry and range gun, I have other guns for carry.

I know the battery of arm is different from my Glock 23 or Kahr PM9. I am willing to train with the 1911 to get familiar with it.

I want to know from people who have used the 1911 or are now using for carry how you would go about transferring over to 1911 platform.

There might be some of you who used to carry a 1911, I would like to know why you switched to something different.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Rollo]

Pro's -
Accurate
Sweet trigger
bajillion aftermarket parts
slim profile
.45 is a great round
You can use it as a club if need be
They're cool

Cons -
Generally a bit heavier then other options
Generally a bit less capacity then other options
More complicated to operate then some other options

[cmdrdredd]

Rollo said all that I would have said except 1 thing. Magazines that work well in a 1911 are under $20. Glock mags are $30 usually for new in box.

[7mm Gumbo]

1911, full of .45 ACP goodness.

[Texas solo]

Pro's -
Accurate
Sweet trigger
bajillion aftermarket parts
slim profile
.45 is a great round
You can use it as a club if need be
They're cool

Cons -
Generally a bit heavier then other options
Generally a bit less capacity then other options
More complicated to operate then some other options

One more con.....they're addictive AND expensive

I disagree that they're more complicated to operate, just different.
It does take a bit to get used to carrying "cocked & locked"

[Rollo]

One more con.....their addictive AND expensive

I disagree that they're more complicated to operate, just different.
It does take a bit to get used to carrying "cocked & locked"

Addictive, yes, expensive? Depends on what you get. You can get a perfectly functional, reliable, accurate 1911 for under 400.00 I stand by more complicated. A SAO pistolswith 2 manual safeties is more complicated (AND different) then other options.

[BadgerMan]

I carry a steel-framed Government 1911 now and I'd say the best thing you can do other than shoot the thing is practice drawing until it becomes natural to sweep off the safety without you even thinking about it. You're doing well if your thumb is trying to do it even when you're handling your Glock.

[MichSteve]

Thanks for your responses, another question is in regards to a 4" barrel verses 5" which is best, or maybe which has fewer draw backs.

[Rollo]

Thanks for your responses, another question is in regards to a 4" barrel verses 5" which is best, or maybe which has fewer draw backs.

For me a 5 inch barrel is to long. When I sit down the barrel hit's whatever I'm sitting on.

[Thumper]

Yeah, stick to 4" because you WILL end up carrying it!

[CDRGlock]

1911 I use 4" for concealment. 5" is too long to carry comfortably.

Pros
Accurate
Can be customized
Powerful round
Magazines can be interchangeable

Cons
Lower capacity than polymers, unless double stack
Heavy
Needs attention to maintenance
Cost is higher for entry level models than entry level polymers

I have a 4" and 5" 1911. I have a G23 and a G27 Glock. Thinner grip on the 1911 requires more attention to form and handling than blockier models. Field stripping for cleaning takes longer. Getting used to thumb safeties and grip safeties is the only really noticeable difference.

[smousefam5]

Pro's...what everyone else said
Con's...they are addicting

[mauser1959]

Cons , gun very heavy,
Pros, very intimidating looking down the barrel ... who wants to crawl into the cave.
Simple gun to get proficient with.
All the add ons in the world to customize the weapon.

[automatic slim]

I've been shooting 1911's since '73 when I joined the army. I love the darn things and have owned probably two dozen. I find them to be very accurate and they have the ability to take the wind out of anyone's sail. Maintainance on them is easy and they are simple to work on. I've done gunsmithing on most of mine with excellent results. They are very simple to tear down to the bare frame and reassemble. I currently carry a Kimber 4" Pro Carry in .45ACP with alloy frame, it's not heavy at all.

[gottabkiddin]

I'll echo Rollo for the pros and cons with a caveat on the controls. I don't find it more difficult, it just seems to come in a natural motion with the 1911 format IMO, the extended safety does make it easier I guess. My PPK has a the sweep up safety and that would suck on the condition 1 operation on any SA pistol. I like the PPK for the DA SA trigger, the safety is moot. YMMV