1911: Rail or Not?

Should a 1911 have a rail? Or should you use flashlight in support hand?

  • Gimme that rail

    Votes: 10 13.9%

  • No rail yo

    Votes: 62 86.1%
  • Total voters
    72
  • Poll closed .
I happen to think it is a very POOR idea to mount a light ON a home defense gun. Not for the oft stated, and valid, reason that it tells the bad guy where you are, but for the more practical reason that the majority of people are NOT trained professionals, and having a light ON their weapon means that they ARE POINTING A LOADED GUN at everything they use the light to look at.
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That's one of the silliest things I've ever read on here.
If you're breaking into my home at night, you deserve to have the gun pointed at you to begin with. That's a blanket statement.

Not everyone has kids or house guests.

When I concealed carry with my weapon mounted light, I also have a handheld for that exact reason. But inside my home? I make the rules.

Plus, I want to see what I'm possibly shooting at in my home instead of just waiting for them to strike first. There aren't many arguments against weapon mounted lights that aren't based of emotion.

More benefits to having one than not.


And yes. I've take some low light courses.
 
^ Agreed with WVsig. My contention though is that I often see here and pretty much everywhere else that we make recommendations based on the lowest common denominator. So if most people won't make the effort to learn to use a weapon mounted light properly than it is blanketly declared a "poor" idea. I get the idea behind being realistic as well as being cautious. I would point out though that a lack of training with a handheld light isn't good either. The tendency to subconsciously keep the gun up while searching with the light, as you alluded to, is there as well. Then there's the question of if the user has actually practiced some of the different techniques you linked to earlier in the thread in terms of shooting, as well as manipulating the pistol while maintaining control of that light. Training is the key with any of this, and I will fully admit that most people, even myself at times, love to buy new tools and not actually learn the best way to use them. I'd just rather advocate that people learn how to use them rather than saying don't buy them at all.
 
Constantine: why do you not like a light on a 1911 but it's okay on other pistols?
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Personal reasons. It's like putting a Toyota Supra factory rear spoiler on a 1969 Mustang.

I also do not conceal carry or use any 1911's for defense at this time.
 
A rail ruins the smooth contour of the pistol, which is why I don't like them (especially on a 1911), but that's an aesthetic matter. To each his own.
 
Personally, I've got a cpl Sigs with rails...plus one Glock...my night stand gun A P226 Mk25 in 9mm has a light on it plus tritium type night sights per Sig. For a night stand gun a light is very useful in my opinion. But for general carry, it's just too much for a citizen. Too, I find that P226 tends to hang up on the leather holster I use...it's the notches that bind it up.

Since I don't have a 1911 with a rail, and do carry it often day to day, I'd say, "no rail". If you're using it for night stand use and that's all, rail on!

I can't imagine a rail on my 1978 BHP
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Now that WOULD BE an abomination!! Well said my friend!

Rod
 
FWIW a pistol is not my go to home defense weapon. It is a short barreled pump shotgun(no light). IF there's so many intruders that 7 rounds of 00 buck won't take care of them I'll use the 1911 to fight my way to the next shotgun....Which basically means I'll be firing it with one hand while reaching for the shotgun with the other.:D
 
A useless affectation. It's the latest gimmick du jour.
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It's been a really long day I guess... I forgot sometimes that people have been around twice as long as I've been alive. What's a fad to some people is pretty well established to others.
 
Thanks gangs.

So I learned that the cross arms flashlight is the "harry method"

Is it better than a weapon mounted light?

PS: Nightstand use for HD duty will be the pistols #1 job, but will get plenty of range time for training and fun not to mention it will perform in the doings of the plinkings.
 
So I learned that the cross arms flashlight is the "harry method"

Is it better than a weapon mounted light?
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"I've heard this bedtime story before."

My point here is now you're basically asking handheld versus weaponlight and it really isn't 1911 specific. We have debated this so many times here, and you'll find articles both in magazines and online by trainers from today and in the past. Really, a Google search is in order. You're also more into a tactics and training question when you go there, imo.

My only comment on the Harries method is that your light holding hand is below the pistol. If you're searching with the light it sort of forces you to aim the pistol at the same spot, which as many people have noted is probably the biggest downside to weapon mounted lights. If you want to lower the pistol to the low ready the light is pointed at your feet. Like I mentioned before the spill of many lights can illuminate a room by itself, but I feel in doing that you're sort of losing the benefit of a handheld light and some handheld lights aren't as powerful as the weapon mounted options so the spill is less (though that's not always the case). You could have the light up by itself, just make sure that when you bring the pistol up that you go around your arm instead of sweeping yourself with the muzzle. I like the Rogers a bit better for those reasons. I also like the neck line over the "FBI" hold, but that's another topic in and of itself.
 
If it's a handgun for looking at, no. If it's for shooting yes. I prefer options over aesthetics. If you think a flashlight on your handgun is useless try clearing rooms and opening doors with a flashlight in one hand and a handgun in the other, it's very, ah, fumbley. If it's not your home defense gun or you don't keep any doors closed in your house, or your HD plan doesn't require you to secure other member of the family in other rooms, then disregard.

One advantage a rail offers to a shooter vs a non-railed 1911 is that it adds about 3 oz to a steel frame gun, a little less than 10% of the overall weight of a full size gun, which can provide a slight advantage in absorbing recoil.
 
I voted no rail because I think that there are enough 'Tupperware' handguns out there with rails molded into them already, why bastardize the classic perfection of a 1911 with one? It just seems sort of sac religious to me... but then when someone asks me how I'm doing, I usually tend to respond, "old and grumpy". ;)
 
lights & rails...

Well, I'm not a rail fan nor a light on the weapon guy. I really don't intend on going into dark room\areas..some posts touch base on key words "Proper Training" if your properly trained and You are comfortable in using a light system....use it!! Right? Wrong? There is no "Right" answer.




Artillery King of The Battle Field.
 
I have done a 180 on this issue. At first, the idea of a rail was appealing. But I don't like the idea of a light mounted on a rail -- just not the right place for it. And if I want a laser I will do a Crimson Trace grip, which works great.

 
Lot of pistols I do not mind a rail on, but not a 1911. It could be just me and all the years I have carried and seen it without a rail, an extended beaver tail, a skeletonized trigger and etc.

Just doesn't seem right. All the above are just a blasphemy to us older ex-soldiers. :(
 
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