Does anyone carry 1911's anymore?

Do you carry a 1911?

  • Yes, a Government Model

    Votes: 81 30.7%

  • Yes, a Commander Model

    Votes: 62 23.5%

  • Yes, an Officer Model

    Votes: 27 10.2%

  • Yes, a Micro

    Votes: 8 3.0%

  • Yes, in a caliber that's not .45ACP

    Votes: 8 3.0%

  • No, (comment reason)

    Votes: 63 23.9%

  • No, they're obsolete

    Votes: 15 5.7%
  • Total voters
    264
  • Poll closed .
My primary is either a 10mm full-size, all-steel 1911 (Kimber Eclipse Custom II), or a S&W69 4-1/4" 5-shot DA/SA .44mag (Model 69), in a homemade under-the-shirt vertical shoulder holster ... every day, full-time, from pajamas-off until pajamas-on. BUG is a S&W360sc scandium/titanium 11oz (empty) .357 snubby in my right front pocket. Both primaries are around 38oz empty, but are very comfortably and conveniently carried (and very well concealed) in my shoulder rig. I wouldn't want to carry any other way.
 
I'd be curious to know how many folks have actually had the safety swipe off during carry, I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but I'd wager it was a pretty small number. And considering IF your thumb safety slips off, you still have the grip safety. If you don't trust your pistols safety features and/or your proficiency with them don't carry the gun, but there is a lot higher chance of a ND if you lower the hammer on a live round every morning, and I won't go into cocking the hammer in a self defense scenario.
 
Who the military was writing procedure for and a well practiced competent CCW person are 2 horses of very different colors. I have carried a 1911 cocked & locked for a lot of years. If you control your trigger finger and muzzle you will still be safe. I do not have to worry about what the lowest common denominator in gun handling is.(military) Just what my practices are.
 
ttarp said:
I'd be curious to know how many folks have actually had the safety swipe off [inadvertently] during carry, [...]
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I've never had it happen (and I carry all the time, during all sorts of contorted activities (like splitting firewood, ...)). If I ever DID find it swept-off, I'd certainly do something about it, to make it harder to switch. The shape of the flat part of the thumb safety can be shaped to make the switching harder. And I've also heard people say they've filed a small detent in the edge of that flat plate, where the pin is located when the safety is on (and maybe also at the location corresponding to "off", to be sure it stays off also). When I made my holster, I originally thought I might add a little leather strip to keep the safety from moving off safe when holstered, but I decided that might interfere with the draw. But anyway, fairly quickly after I started using that holster, the leather developed a depression around the safety lever, that encapsulates it fairly well. Also, the thumb safety that came on my Kimber Eclipse didn't offer much resistance to switching ... but on one of the many trips back to the factory, they put in a different thumb safety ... I don't know the maker, but it's much more resistant to switching.
 
I voted Commander since it was the closest option, but I actually carry a Colt CCO (or the CZ PCR). The CCO is carried cocked and locked IWB and I have never had a problem with the safety. (The PCR is carried at half cock with no safety)

Sometimes I still carry the S&W 642 in a pocket holster when IWB just won't work but I'm not a big fan anymore of that mode of carry nor an ultralight, low capacity, difficult to shoot gun as a CCW.

I'm also not a big fan of polymer guns or striker fired guns.

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Who the military was writing procedure for and a well practiced competent CCW person are 2 horses of very different colors.
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I agree with this. The Army was also teaching folks to shoot a handgun single handed well after WWII. That doesn't mean it's still appropriate (as a preferred choice) today.

If the argument is don't carry a 1911 because you won't or can't disengage the safety (surprise, loss of fine motor skills and all that), I can buy that. I can't accept condition 2 or 3 being acceptable for a CCW.

You draw a 1911 with the hammer down and you are going to pull the trigger and get nothing when you expected a bang. Then (if you've survived so far) you are going to need to rack the slide, eject a perfectly good round and waste a lot of time you likely won't have in excess. Forget about trying or even remembering to cock the hammer with your thumb (a fine motor skill) while under extreme stress and surprise.
 
It's hard for me to imagine caring any less about what anyone else does or does not carry, but I know for a fact folks carry 1911s. So...original question answered: yes.
 


I EDC a 5" steel Kimber in .45. That is after 30 years of carrying a light-weight, compact 1911. Yeah, the full-size is a little heavy, but so am I. It's worth it in the gun. It is my favorite to shoot and I want to carry what I shoot.

I carry it fully loaded with the hammer down. I am not afraid to carry in Condition 1 and have a lot. Still will if I get nervous. But I just don't like it for 24/7 carry, for several reasons. I haven't forgotten to cock it after drawing in a sticky situation so far. To me it is no different than having to press the thumb-safety off, except cocking is, of course, more difficult. That's okay to me, as is your decision to carry your 1911 in Condition 1, or to carry a Glock or revolver. We all lead different lives.

Lowering the hammer certainly can be dangerous if you are not extremely careful with the process, but it isn't that hard to learn to be extremely careful. Always drop the mag out 1/2" and point the muzzle at something you don't mind seeing shot when you lower. Remember it is easy to get to half-cock without having an AD -- it is the second part that will bite you if you are not extremely careful. Hint: don't pull the trigger until you are done lifting the hammer off the sear.

The gun was made specifically to be decocked one-handed by cavalrymen. That is why the hammer comes back and depresses the grip-safety at its limit. But while that is fun to play with when the gun is unloaded, two-handed decocking seems safer, so why not.

If you aren't at least average in dexterity, don't try lowering with any method.
 
I don't feel the 1911 is obsolete. It's just big, heavy and holds a small number or rounds for a semi-auto. Many version of the 1911 are still useful and popular.
 
It is interesting to me that the current generation is used to carrying pistols with the hammer/striker cocked, a practice that I consider unsafe but consider the practice of lowering the hammer to decock, they consider that dangerous.
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Leaving the hammer cocked is certainly less dangerous than lowering the hammer? You can't fumble leaving something alone!
 
Prior to my purchase a few months ago of two compact (3.5" barrel) 1911s, I carried a full size. I still carry a FS on rare occasion when I find it might be the better choice. Having never fired a compact / officer .45 until I purchased these two, I am blown away by their realistic defensive range accuracy and minimal flip. Great carry weapons. Regarding weight, I found a long time ago that a top quality, heavy duty belt cinched down well makes a world of difference.
 
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I carry a 3" Kimber Ultra in .45 ACP, hammer cocked and ready to go. In the summer months when concealment is an issue, I carry a NAA .22 Mag mini revolver.
 
I'm not going to argue which is best...because every one has options and circumstances.

As a police officer I carried a Kel Tec P11 as a secondary weapon. with 10 rds of 9mm and size of a PPK it was pretty much 'perfect' for me. Off-duty was a different matter. Depending on clothing (event) I carried the P11 or my Kimber Pro Carry II.

As I'm retired now the options have stayed the same. And yes, I practice regularly with each.
 
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