XD or 1911's

[koolguynet]

I am interested in getting a .45 that I want to use for a bigger carry gun (when my license comes through) and for some basic shooting competitions. I have narrowed my options down to the Springfield XD 45, Springfield 1911's, and the Taurus 1911 Stainless Steel (when it is released). All of theses I am looking at have the 5 inch barrell. I am really intrigued by having a classic 1911 style pistol, but would I miss some of the new technologies that the XD has? What are your thoughts?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[JD]

Para Ordnance P14-45. XD45 capacity, 1911 appearance.

[Thumper]

I just bought my first Springfield last Sunday. It will eventually be my primary carry gun. It's the 1911 Champion Stainless Steel .45 with a 4" barrel.
This gun looks and feels rock solid and from my first impression, will not be my last Springer! Fit and finish is excellent too.
I know you are looking for a 5" gun but I've got to say, for a stainless gun, this one is VERY nice! I don't think you would be sorry you bought any Springfield!

[hsuCowboy98]

Well, those are 2 very differant styles of pistols. I would say that there is no definate answer, and what is best for you will depend on your experiance with both types of handguns.

That being said, I love my 4'' XD .45. It has proven to be 100% reliable with any ammo I have run through it (including wolf and monarch steel), and is capable of very good accuracy. I also enjoy having 14 rounds (thats 2 standard 1911's) of .45 flying ashtrays on tap if I need them. I love the way it fits, feels, and it is my favorite to shoot of my handguns.

However, the 1911 platform is a timeless piece. It too is rugged, reliable, and can come with "modern" tech as well.

Bacially, go out and shoot both, then decide.

[koolguynet]

hsuCowboy98,
How do you carry your XD? Is it too thick for IWB?

[saltysquid]

I'm not hsu, but It's definitely not too thick for iwb. I carry it in the same iwb holster as my taurus pt-145 and used to use with my xd 40 sub compact which also fits the xd 9mm (if that tells you anything at all).:)

[85gslse]

i carry a 4" service model XD-40 with an IWB holster no problem. i usually have a hooded sweatshirt over so it helps to hide the buldge.

[hsuCowboy98]

I carry it in a crossbreed IWB holster at about 3-4 o'clock position. I have to admit that it is somewhat bulky, but then again I am 6'2'' 242 lbs, and I dont have a problem concealing most handguns because of my body shape. It is just as easy to conceal as my XD .40, and has an extra round. I typically only have to wear a knit collar shirt with an undershirt to conceal it well.

[jarhead1833]

To me this question comes down to money. How much is in the budget? Because both of these pistols will work for what you want (Carry/Competition); just at different price points.

I have carried one kind of 1911 or another for years, and none were suitable "out of the box". This is a pistol that really needs hand fitting of quality small internal parts to get it to run like you would want it to.
There is a tendency to use inexpensive small parts in the lower end pistols. I've seen too many MIM parts break to trust my life to them.

My current 1911 is a Springfield Armory Yost Bonitz 1* pistol that is a very, very nice pistol. It also cost 3X as much as my new SA XD45 Tactical.

The tactical is, if you are a 1911 shooter, a pistol you really don't want to like. It's a quality modern design, accurate, with a 1911 grip angle. The trigger isn't as good as a good 1911's; but hey, what is?
The only modifications I'm going to do to it are some grip tape and night sights. That's it.

At the $500 price point it can't be beat.

So there you have it. I tend to think of my 1911 as more of a race vehicle that is expensive but runs very quickly.

The XD is more of a SUV that will survive a lot of mistreatment and still get you there...

Steve

[randytulsa2]

Man, that's a heckuva dilemma. I've (currently) got two 1911's and an XD45.

I love'em all.

Get one of each if you can.