This may be the dumbest question ever asked here,but here goes anyways!

1911's, the full size Government ones, are not carry guns.

Sure some carry them and do a great job at it, but they were designed as belt pistols for the Army and cavalry.
 
What's so awesome about the 1911?
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For starters, the best trigger of any semi-auto I know of. Second, the best shooting ergonomics for me personally of any semi-auto I've shot. That means the shots are likely to go where I want and since I can point more naturally I can get drawn and on target faster.

The 1911 is also thin, and thus conceals better than most guns with similar shooting ergonomics.

The downsides of the 1911 are the low mag capacity and weight. I can easily live with the low capacity (if I've shot 9 or 10 rounds and still have shooting to do, I picked the wrong fight), and sometimes choose to live with the weight. Although I do own other much smaller and lighter guns and do carry them too,
 
Yeah, sure, Tunnelrat, it's the 3 lbs of pistol that destroyed his back. It couldn't possibly have anything to do with him throwing his back out multiple times when he worked concrete or that before that he was a professional mover or the time he was working for a construction company and fell through a ceiling.

Nope. It's definitely that full sized steel framed handgun he's been packing.
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I didn't say the pistol "destroyed" his back. My comment was meant to convey that carrying 3 lb. off center is probably not helping any. People can carry incredible weight that is distributed properly and deal with significant trauma over their lives. The human body is pretty resilient. That said even weight as little as 3 lb. carried in a certain way is enough to aggravate all kinds of injuries.
 
Many polymer frame "2011" competition pistols -- double stack plastic frame 1911's. Not for me, maybe not for you, but not to be forgotten about in between the mud-fest and snarky comments in this one.
 
When I was a young Army Officer arriving in Vietnam, I was issued a M-16 and a 1911. I came home and bought my own 1911 and started carrying it. I couldn't afford but one gun so the 1911A1 was it. I got very lucky and had a very good job. I bought lots of guns from 1911's to H&K's, to Colts, to Smith & Wessons, etc. All the time I came back to the 1911 after carrying another gun for a week or two. In the early 1980's I was browsing around a gun store and found a Kimber Stainless Steel Pro Carry 1911 with a 4" barrel. I switched from my full size to this gun and it has been my carry gun nearly every single day since. There have been a few occasions when I have had to go to hostile environments and I switched to either an HK or Glock as they are not as temperamental to all kinds of dirt and garbage in them as the 1911. Keep in mind that the 1911 would function just fine as long as the dirt and whatever was cleaned out. Flashing back to Vietnam, I used to clean both of my weapons two to three times a day if I didn't shoot them and more if they were used in a firefight.

The Kimber weights in at about 28 or 32 OZs. It is not a heavy gun and as an older guy, I have no problem carrying it around all day. I think what it all boils down to is what works for you and what you are comfortable with.
 
There are only two pistols worthy of describing on these pages: The 1911/1911a1 pistol and the FN Hi Power, .45 and 9mm the only two cartridges worthy of comment. No I am not biased, yes I am old, my plastic guns were made by Mattel and did not survive my childhood (but my 1906 Winchester did). Steel and walnut forever!
 
1911's, the full size Government ones, are not carry guns.
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Whats this? Wisdom of a mousegun toter? :D

Government Models are easily and comfortably carried, even in the heat of the summer.
 
Rock River sells a polymer framed single stack 1911:
1911_poly15.gif

http://www.rockriverarms.com/index....tegory_id=702&CFID=535484535&CFTOKEN=99880937

Sprigfield Armory used to sell a polymer framed double stack 1911:
3760466_02_bul_springfield_1911_9mm_doubl_640.jpg


Kimber used to sell the BP10 double stack with polymer frame:
425717_02_kimber_pro_bp10_ii_13rd_hi_cap_640.jpg


EAA sells a polymer single stack 1911
witness-elite-1911-polymer-tanfoglio_l.jpg

http://eaacorp.com/index.php/guns/handguns/witness-elite-1911-polymer-tanfoglio-22

Wilson Combat sold a polymer double stack 1911:
2.jpg

http://www.wilsoncombat.com/kztest.asp

Wilson Combat sold a poly double stack 9mm 1911
wilson-combat.jpg

http://wilsoncombat.com/new/handgun-spec-ops-9.asp#.VpuKTlLpExE
 
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I didn't say the pistol "destroyed" his back. My comment was meant to convey that carrying 3 lb. off center is probably not helping any. People can carry incredible weight that is distributed properly and deal with significant trauma over their lives. The human body is pretty resilient. That said even weight as little as 3 lb. carried in a certain way is enough to aggravate all kinds of injuries.
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And carried correctly, it doesn't.

After over thirty years, and learning to carry with those bigger guns (and a full sized 1911 is one of the lighter weight guns he's carried over the years), my Dad's pretty much got this down. It's not a question of manliness. It's a question of practice and knowing how to do it right.
Which is why the too heavy/too big argument doesn't fly with me. I've seen way too many people who get all excited about their new gun, shoot it and practice with it extensively and then, after a week of carry on a crappy belt, turn around and sell it because "oh it was too heavy". One guy I know is notorious for doing this.
If these people are willing to put in the work on the range and in training, then why aren't they putting in the effort and work into the other half of the equation? Instead, they go out and get some little mouse gun that isn't as effective and they can't shoot nearly as well, which pretty much defeats the whole point, now doesn't it?
 
1911's, the full size Government ones, are not carry guns.

Sure some carry them and do a great job at it, but they were designed as belt pistols for the Army and cavalry.
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I'd say being designed as a belt pistol pretty much makes it a carry gun, by definition.

Now, maybe its not the ideal carry gun, or maybe its not a good concealed carry gun, opinions vary on that, but it certainly was designed to be carried daily, hip or shoulder holster.

To all those who say "its too heavy", I say "grow stronger!" :D
yes, there are lighter choices, I'm rather fond of my Browning BDA 45 (Sig P220). But I never say the 1911A1 is too heavy, I just say the Sig is lighter.

If you say the 1911A1 is "too heavy", you are welcome to your opinion, but, I better not ever hear that you are one of the fit, younger healthy eating, jogging, exercising working out, types, because if you are, complaining about the weight of a 1911 just makes you a spoiled whiner in my book.
 
What was ain't so today. I remember a time when the Sparklett's water delivery was this huge guy that held two 5 gal glass bottles with one hand, four total. Today they use a hand truck and the bottles are plastic. :o
 
Bluestarlizzard said:
And carried correctly, it doesn't.

After over thirty years, and learning to carry with those bigger guns (and a full sized 1911 is one of the lighter weight guns he's carried over the years), my Dad's pretty much got this down. It's not a question of manliness. It's a question of practice and knowing how to do it right.

Which is why the too heavy/too big argument doesn't fly with me. I've seen way too many people who get all excited about their new gun, shoot it and practice with it extensively and then, after a week of carry on a crappy belt, turn around and sell it because "oh it was too heavy". One guy I know is notorious for doing this.

If these people are willing to put in the work on the range and in training, then why aren't they putting in the effort and work into the other half of the equation? Instead, they go out and get some little mouse gun that isn't as effective and they can't shoot nearly as well, which pretty much defeats the whole point, now doesn't it?
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That doesn't mean that everyone that chooses a lighter option is that way. It's not like there are only two choices and it's 1911 or a mouse gun. Again, if you can get the same performance out of something lighter then why not use something lighter?

This whole argument is devolving as quickly as I thought it would. A 1911 is a typically 8-9 shot 45 ACP pistol that weighs 3 lb. For about a quarter lb. less you could carry a Glock 21 and have a hell of a lot more capacity (14 vs. 8). Is the Glock wider? Yes it is, but if those of you carrying a 1911 are strong enough or dedicated enough to handle the weight, why can't you handle a bit more width? Are you lacking in category xyz?

Why can't we just accept that some people choose to carry a 1911 and some people choose not to carry a 1911 and whatever the reason that person chooses the reasons are specific to him/her and really don't impact what we choose to carry ourselves? As for the OP, yes a polymer 1911 would be lighter and as mentioned there are competition polymer framed double stack 1911s. As to why it never caught on, I don't think the market demand is really there.
 
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Re: Poly-framed 1911s...

  • Rock River offers one.
  • Wilsom Combat offered one for several years (I've shot one of them). They'e been discontinued. I never heard a lot of complaints about the oolymer-framed gun, nor a lot about their demise.
  • ATI announced one at the 2015 (in prototype form then), but it's not on their website.
  • Bul Transmark (an Israeli company) makes several 1911s in their SAS line, and Charles Daly imported (to the U.S.) a less-costly version for several years.
  • EAA offers a Witness Elite with a polymer frame, and maybe another model. It's in their current catalog.
  • Detonics was going to offer the DTX in either polymer or alloy, but changed their production equipment to CNC, which allowed them to build better, faster, and more cheaply, and introduced the MTX. They may still build a polymer version but it's not in their catalog, yet.
  • Kimber offered a couple of models for a while, but discontinued them. At least one was double-stack, and because of the lighter frame, owners said the fully-loaded double-stack version was about as light as the fully-loaded single stack steel 1911s.
The polymer 1911s seem more popular outside the U.S. than in the U.S. And even though most of the ones introduced actually performed quite well, the fact that they were NOT a typical 1911 (i.e., metal frame) they have never developed a big following in the U.S.

I don't think we've seen the last of them, yet.

.
 
Seriously, I made an interesting observation, well in my mind anyways, about a polymer 1911. Then asked if anyone made one. No where in my initial post did I say or ask anything to start a battle over what pistol is best for EDC. Heck, I really don't care if you want to conceal carry a Desert Eagle in .50 AE. But that doesn't have anything to do with the original premise of this topic.

By the way, to the Glock fans. Enjoy your pistols, I would never tell you not to buy one or carry one. But for me, I just don't like them. They don't feel right in my hand and they don't point naturally well for me. So why would I want one?
 
No where in my initial post did I say or ask anything to start a battle over what pistol is best for EDC. Heck, I really don't care if you want to conceal carry a Desert Eagle in .50 AE. But that doesn't have anything to do with the original premise of this topic.
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Welcome to the internet.

In fairness though, this is a discussion forum. Conversations evolve over time and can address other issues that weren't brought up originally. Now that can lead to the discussion getting off track, but that happens. If all this website did was present questions and get factual answers then it would be a FAQ, not a forum.
 
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Welcome to the internet.
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Oh I know. I have been a member of several forums and unrelated detritus almost always ends up dragging topics off track. Whether it is a gun forum, woodworking forum, car forum, or a firefighting forum, it is always the same.
 
The 1911 and similar obviouly has presents but I would venture to say a high percentage of the same folks have Glockish pistols. Why expose something like a Colt blue to the elements when a Glock is virtually impervious? And there's the idea/thought it's disposable, regardless of reason the Glock is used.
 
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The 1911 and similar obviouly has presents but I would venture to say a high percentage of the same folks have Glockish pistols. Why expose something like a Colt blue to the elements when a Glock is virtually impevious?
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Easy to answer really. I don't like Glocks. I don't own any Glocks. I don't have any plans to own any Glocks. Yes, it really is that simple.

Now go on and enjoy your Glock!
 
Honestly, IME....the aluminum frame is a good choice here. Look at the Dan Wesson CCO.

Plastic frames can be great. Making a real plastic frame 1911 would be a huge challenge. 1911's are great due to their width. That means all pins have a much narrower bearing surface on the frame. The fix is a wider frame or metal insert. STI/SVI chose a metal chassis and poly grip, to me. this is the closest thing to what you seek

This would also likely require a pretty beefy insert for the rails. It seems to me that they barrel lock up on a 1911 is pretty dependent on slide to frame forces, where the plastics lock up less on the bottom, I think.
 
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