No one but you can decide what gun to use. I would try to have a consistent "user interface" between range and carry guns. In my case thats the DA revolver. My carry , woods and target guns all work the same. The 1911 is certainly not as popular as it once was but it can be fitted with an excellent trigger and is pretty easy to carry. There are a lot of very experienced shooters that have picked the 1911 as their pistol of choice.