Short meaning less than commander length. If you own one, how's your luck been? Been looking at one but I've had two previously (four inch) and my luck was bad.

They seem to go through springs fast. And when they do they are completely unreliable. Have they improved?

I've owned two Kimber Ultras. Both worked fine, just didn't use 'em much. Seems I always ended up carrying A Kimber Pro (4"). The 4" carried as easily as the 3" to me. FWIW my 2 cents.

I have a steel Colt Officers model. I have had it for a long time.
I did have it throated, and I changed the spring for the Wilson Unit.

It has been 100% reliable. At 15 yards it will cut one ragged hole.

I normally use it with 230gr ammo.

I had a Para Ordnance Warthog. Shot as well with its 3 inch barrel as any 5-inch .45. Sold it because it lost out to my 27-2 as a carry gun. Still a very nice pistol though.

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Vaya con Dios

Detonics CombatMaster

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

My daily carry is a Colt Defender, which I've had for a couple of years. I had the same reservations about less than Commander length, but so far, so good with this one. I've dumped all manner of ammo through it, and it's handled it all.

MOST OF THE TIME I CARRY A 3" COLT DEFENDER. I HAVE HAD IT FOR 8-9 YRS AND FIGURE THAT I HAVE PUT APPROX. 1500-1800 RDS DOWN THE TUBE. SHOOTING MOSTLY 230 GRAIN AMMO OF EVERY TYPE, BUT MOSTLY BALL AMMO. I HAVE NEVER HAD A MALFUNCTION OF ANY KIND. THIS SAID, I AM LOOKING @ REPLACING THE SPRINGS IN IT, BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY NEED IT.

I was watching "Wednesday at the range"...

And the thing that was most stressed about a 1911 compact carry... was the spring.

I have a Colt Officer's model I bought 14 yrs ago and shot it fairly often but was never happy with it so I did not use it as a carry gun. My dissatisfaction with it was not directed at any one thing but rather 2-3 things. I could have likely corrected the issues by spending a little money at the gunsmith but did not intend to do any more than use it as a causal shooter. Now it has not been fired in over 9 yrs.

I've got an Ahern generation Detonics CombatMaster like White Coyote's. Runs great but only with Detonics mags. I was really surprised at the accuracy and general "shootability" of it since it's so small. Great guns, you just have to look around for one. I got mine from Kittery Trading Post several months ago, ANIB, for $750. Money well spent, I'd buy another if the right deal came along.

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Don't kiss smiling dogs!

I carry a Springfield Ultra Compact everyday. It has a 3.5 barrel and is quite comfortable. No problems at all.

I've had a few Colt Officers. The problem always with the design was the "short" window of time to eject the spent case, and chamber the new round. Original Officers come with dual springs. Wolf sells a better single spring and recommends replacement every 300 rounds. I had a couple Officers that worked fine. A couple did not. I believe the Detonics CombatMaster was the first to address the problem with a buffer assm.. That is a nice gun.

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SOS USA

The spring or springs are just routine maintenance items. It isn't that big a deal and they aren't that pricey to avoid a shorty 1911.

I have an STI Escort in .45ACP that I carry regularly. I also have an STI Rogue in 9mm that I carry when it's really hot in the plant. There's only about an ounce difference between them. I had the rogue first.

Both run as intended and shoot to POA. If I recall, the Escort is 23oz and the Rogue is 22oz. Recoil is no problem with either.

Dave

My main carry gun is a Colt Defender, and after 4 years, it has been 100% reliable. I was debating getting the smallest Para, with the LDA trigger, but after much research, I decided to go with the Colt. Came across a lot of people that had feed issues with the little Para, maybe they figured it out by now...?

I also have a Colt Officer's Model ACP. Nice gun, but I have only shot a couple of mags-worth through it, no problems, but liked the way the Defender shoots, compared to the OM. The Defender seemed 'softer' to shoot, compared to the Officer's Model, probably because of the Defender's dual spring set up. In fact, the Defender seems softer than my Lightweight Commander, too... I also get good accuracy out of the Defender, and it has a nice trigger. YMMV, but anyone I've spoken to that has a Defender, really speaks highly of it...

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NRA Life Member

Never had a problem of any kind with this 4 incher, unlike many others I've owned & traded away. Although ridiculously expensive for a no-frills carry weapon, I would have saved a ton of money had I just bought it straight-away. Me likes very much.

I will probably get jumped on for this but here go's .I have a R.I.A. compact that i carry.I keep it well lubed ,and shoot it often at the range about 1K through it.I have not had any failures with it and it shoots as well as i can hold .Just changed springs in it (wolf) and will try it out at the range today .

I have a Kimber Ultra CDP that has been 100% reliable and more accurate than I expected it to be.
It was my carry gun until I went back to S&W revolvers a few years ago.
Main part in that decision was not wanting to leave a $1000 gun in my truck while visiting no carry places.

Mr. Paddle.. for your consideration
Ultra CDP II
Every Day Carry

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

Another vote for RIA Compact. 3 1/2" barrel, coned and bushingless. I did install a beavertail grip safety and better sights. It shoots as good as my Springfield and nearly as good as my Gold Cup. For the price point it is just about the best buy going. (I paid just over $300 when I bought it 4 years ago.)

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

Colt 1991A1 Compact, is my carry during winter months, owned since new years ago. Wolff springs. No problems.

I had a Para Carry 6.45 LDA and I regret selling it. It was accurate, compact, 6+1 rounds. The main drawback was it was an expensive purchase and it was relatively heavy.

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Bob

Got a Para Slim Hawg for carry. Accurate as heck, for a shorty .45. Bought two extra spring sets. I like it, when the full size Colt is too much weight. (The Colt is 'modified').

Nice gun. So........ Was that from two yards or 15 yards!

Oh, and who's pretty lady in the wedding dress?

I carry my COACP on plain clothes duty pretty much every day since 2008 when we were approved for 1911 carry.

i do have a good supply of factory springs and I only shoot it once a year but dry fire plenty. its never failed me but I am aware of the issues with the shorty.

I do want the e-series commander SW round butt, but want to see one first before I commit and must find a grand somewhere.

I have a Kimber Ultra CDP II 3" .45 ACP. It has been 100% "good to go" and shoots very well.

I have a Kimber Ultra RCP (the one without sights) I carried for a year and a half, until it came out of the pocket holster cocked and UNlocked once. It cracked the slide at around 1000 rounds, and Kimber replaced the slide. It gave very few reliability problems, but I changed the recoil springs all the time. There is no comparison between the way the Kimber barrel and recoil spring set-up, and my Wilson Combat 4 inch is made. The Kimber barrel looks cheaply machined, but again it worked for me. Wilson will not build or even modify a barrel shorter than Commander length.

very happy with my Kimber Ultra Carry II.

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I used to be disgusted..

I have the LDA Para Carry 6.45 as my off-duty gun. (Used to carry the LDA 7.45 as my duty gun, but the department now issues Gl*cks.) It has been absolutely reliable, and the weight of a stainless gun makes recoil manageable. My only complaint is that it shoots VERY high. At 25 yards, I have to remember to aim for the groin to get a chest shot!

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LEO since 1981.

Ahhh one of the loves of my life.. My youngest daughter on her wedding day..

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SWCA #2306
DAV in honor of POP

A Kimber Ultra CDPII is my daily carry gun, it runs great, carries well, is superbly accurate, and in the summer I can conceal it under a T-shirt. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Hey, did you pay for those targets?

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Sure you did

What model is you Wilson sir? Perfect set upthnx.

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45.acp-why shoot twice.

Thanks for the complements, I think so too.


It's a CQB Compact with a naked slide, rounded butt, solid medium length trigger, no ambi safety.

I have two compact .45's, an early Kimber Ultra CDP (no Schwartz safety and looks like it encountered a Jim Clark rogue belt sander) and a Glock 36. Both have been perfectly reliable (I run 185 grain JHP's). I believe that is due to the recoil spring system, which are dual springs in both guns. Kimber told me that their dual spring is good for 2000 rounds before replacement, which is an improvement over 300 round single springs.

Buck

Here's another vote for the Defender. I've had a Colt Defender for about a year and it has proven quite a surprise. After the initial 25 rounds, where the slide didn't make it all the way home on two occasions, it has been flawless. Remarkably it eats anything. We started with ancient military hardball, progressed to some old hollow point reloads lying around the shop and are now digesting light target loads with Speer swaged semi-wadcutters. The real surprise has been its accuracy! Tacked to my wall is a 15-shot group fired off hand at 25 yards using some of those Speer target loads. Thirteen of the shots measure 2.1" ctc and the two "flyers" open the group to 3.1 inches. I know that bullseye shooting is no its intended mission but that's where I spend most of my time.

Ed

The wife and I have a pair of Ultra Carrys. Hers is the CDP shown in the pic. Mine is an uglier version, but well-worn.
Both have proven to be both reliable and accurate - surprisingly accurate, given the barrel length. We've had them over ten years now and feel they're worth every penny.
BTW, Wilson Combat mags....

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I have a Colt Officers model, owned for 22 years, was my daily carry for more than ten years, still carry it occassionally. I have shot untold number of rounds throught it, still the original springs, never had a fail to feed or ejection problem, no matter what kind of ammo I put in it. My brother also has the same one and he has had similiar experiences with his. Mine was a gift for helping put up a chimney, I was the second owner and my brother bought his new.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

I've had shorties since Detonics was in business in Washington State.

I always shoot and carry ball ammo in them as I would rather have reliablity than than the "Maybe" expansion you get with expanding bullets. Government Sized Models and Commander sized get expanding point ammo.

Rule 303

Sir, I've owned a couple and shot a few others that belonged to friends. I haven't put a lot of rounds through any of them.

I had two Colt Officer's Models, both all stainless steel, one bought new and the other used. Both ran fine, what little I shot them, maybe 300 rounds of factory hardball apiece. No failures at all. They were surprisingly accurate.

A buddy's battered old Kimber shorty (I forget the model) also ran fine when I shot it, and also for my buddy. It did launch the factory front sight into orbit while I was shooting it once, but so far as I know has never had any other problems.

Another buddy's Colt Defender ran just fine, but would occasionally bounce ejected cases off the shooter's forehead. Ran well otherwise and was more accurate than you'd expect.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

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Wishin' don't make it so.

Looks like you getting good answers.

If you remain uncomfortable with a short 1911, remember that Smith has made a number of short 45s. If you search the autoloading forum you'll discover many posts about them.

I love mine, it's a Shorty .45 with a 3 3/4 inch barrel. It will feed anything from ball to an empty case from the mag.




Cat

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Think for yourself.