.40, .45 or 9mm in a 3" 1911

[SammyIamToday]

For me, recovery time is quicker shooting the .45, recoil impulse is snappier (scientific terminology ) in the 9mm & .40. YMMV though.

I was going to say the same thing. I find .40 recoil to be more harsh than .45.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[me]

Lima I voted .45 for the same reason as RR.

Just one question, Didn't you and john have matching .40 1911s? if yours is out and he is carrying a 45 is his still availble for you to carry?

[limatunes]

Lima I voted .45 for the same reason as RR.

Just one question, Didn't you and john have matching .40 1911s? if yours is out and he is carrying a 45 is his still availble for you to carry?

No..lol. Both of ours went to the smith at the same time. He was have HORRIBLE feeding problems. Also, his is officer's sized (correction, this is incorrect. His is a 4" CDP II)... longer barrel, so it's not the 3" 1911 I'm looking for.

You have a good memory though. Impressive.

[me]

No..lol. Both of ours went to the smith at the same time. He was have HORRIBLE feeding problems. Also, his is officer's sized... longer barrel, so it's not the 3" 1911 I'm looking for.

You have a good memory though. Impressive.

Well that Kinda sucks

[Redneck Repairs]

So lima his was a " CCO " ( a 4" commander slide on an officers frame ) or something , then ?

[limatunes]

So lima his was a " CCO " ( a 4" commander slide on an officers frame ) or something , then ?

Again, no. I could share his mags, he couldn't share mine, but because he can easily conceal three times what I can in magazines it worked well for us.

Aww crap. I did say his was officer's size. That is incorrect. His is a 4" CDP II.

Sorry to confuse.

[ELCruisr]

I voted .45. My two primary carries are a LW Commander and a SA GI Micro. With summer clothing I carry the Micro almost all the time nowadays. If anything it is far more ammunition tolerant than the Commander. It eats everything except the red hot DT loads I tried! Over 1500 rounds on the original spring and running great. The steel frame and bull barrel means it shoots about the same as my LW Commander in the recoil and recovery dept. What it won't tolerate is sloppy technique.

The GI's trigger broke at 6 lbs from the factory but we have taken care of that now.

Several people have shot the Micro at the range who were leery of the 3" .45. They've all come away impressed with it's controllability.

My son runs a 3" Colt and has had no issues with it after two years.

If I didn't want the recoil of the .45 I would opt for the 9mm in something like an EMP. Same manual of arms. I just don't have much experience with the .40's. The .45 ACP is my favorite and old farts like me get stuck in our ways.

[Vaquero 45]

In a 1911 platform, I'd probably go with the .45, since that is what it was designed for. You'll probably be down only 1 round in capacity to a .40, maybe 2 to a 9mm, which isn't enough to worry about. If you are going with a 1911, you are going low capacity, so that issue is moot.

Still, the .40 will be most likely to make the biggest hole. A .45 loses roughly 100 feet per second in velocity out of a 3" barrel, and this can inhibit expansion of a hollow point in soft tissue. A .40 will almost always expand in soft tissue, since the velocity is over 1000 fps with almost all loads, and short barrels do not affect velocity much, since it is a high pressure round.

But 3" 1911's are cute...with the short, stubby barrel and gaping hole in the end. Besides, people probably talk about you behind your back when they learn that you carry such an abomination as a 1911 in any caliber other than .45 acp, which was ordained by St. John Moses Browning, the patron saint of handguns.

[cnova]

I have a Kimber ultra carry in 40 and 45. I had the 45 first and shoot it very well. But i shoot the .40 more because it is cheaper to shoot. My CC gun it the .40 most of the time because it fells lighter when it is load.(that may be in my mind). But i can say that i may go with the 45 the recoil is less to me.

40


45 at the gunsmith getting a black finish put on it.

[JD]

While I encourage you to try new things and have been "pushing" you to look at the EMP, I will say this.

1: 1911s in non .45 caliber are picky in a single stack config.
The differences in breech face effect the extractor alignment.

2. The EMP has smaller parts and has been redesigned to address the non .45 issues. The EMP is listed in the Springfield catalog in .40

3. So you can have a 1911 in .40, that's MADE to be a .40 and handle the shorter cartridges. Seeing as how Springfield has a limited lifetime warranty, shortage of replacement parts should be a non issue.

4. If you don't want a 9, don't buy a 9. However, I'd try to convince your boss at the shop to get an EMP in each caliber if possible. Shoot both. And se what you like better. THe shot clock is great idea, I'm sure we can work it out with the staff at your shop to use the range after hours for a hassle free test.

5. Holsters As mentioned the EMP may not fit all holsters, I've heard reports that it will fit in some and not in others. IIRC the overall dimensions of the EMP other than the grip are the same.
(I'll verify this later of course) So pending on the outcome of holster research, you may be better of with standard 3" .45. (less new things to buy)


Bottom line is this, we're having problems with the .40s, both with functionality and quality mags (we each tried Cobra Mags from Tripp Research and still had issues, Lima's issues decreased but were still presant. Mine stayed about the same) the Kimber factroy mags are garbage IMHO unless you get the Kimber Tac mags which do not come in .40 (and there's no way I'm going to try and alter them...nightmare)

So why reinvent and repeat our current issues? I'm getting my 220 SAO at the end of the month, so I can shelf the 5" Springer again (the Springer is awesome, I just don't want to scratch it up, it's hard to find good blueing on guns these days, darn bake on finishes.)

Basicly I can honestly say that you have two options.
1. Buy a 3" 1911 in .45 (Springfield Micro or another Kimber Ultra, however I'm fed up with Kimber at the moment, but it's your choice)Wait for the EMPs to come out. Now keep in mind, newest thing = highest price.

Knowing what I know (your body type, current accessories, likes and dislikes) I think "we" should go with the Springfield Micro.

You've allready shown disdain towards the Kimber series IIs, that pretty much leaves Springfield or Para. STI makes a good gun, but they are 3.4" bbls, this means you have to get all new holsters as yours are made for a 3". The Para Slim Hawg seems appealing, we just have to find one, and it better be stainless.


Of the two, Springfield and Para, I'd have to vote for Springfield.

[SIXTO]

I think the way you worded your poll says it all.

If you do well with a .40, you will be wicked with a .45.

If you dont want a Kimber, Springfield is the best choice unless you can come across a Colt. I wouldnt carry a Para if they paid me to.

[NY27]

I own handguns in all three of these calibers. I am confident that I could stop a threat with all ofthem as well. Most ofthe time I carry .40 S&W in my G23 or G27.

If you are comfortable with .40 then I think that you should stay with it. As you stated it is a good compromise between 9mm and .45 ACP.

Good luck.

[Steve48]

I went with a Springfield Micro Compact Bi-tone and never have regreted it. Steve48

[rodc13]

C'mon, Lima, go .45!

Personally, I highly endorse the Kimber Ultra. Mine's a great performer and the ideal carry weapon for me. Most important, though, is how well it suits you. For a carry piece, you might consider going with the thinline grips from Alumagrips, as also shown on Cnova's Kimbers (above). After seeing his and pogo2's, I gave them a try and am very pleased.

[RandyC]

First let me admit right off the top that I don't won a 3" 1911 platform.

I chose 9mm for three reasons. One: capacity. Two: rapid followup shots from a light platform. Three: I could be in trouble here but I believe your chances of finding a truly dependable 3" 1911 would be better in 9mm (not as much concern with replacing springs and getting just the right weight for the pistol to function properly).

But, hey, it's just an opinion.