Considering a Sub Compact.45 acp Model 1911.
Two I have located:
1. High Standard
2. Rock Island.

Anyone own one ?
Opinions ?

No experience with the compacts, but my full size Rock Island has been an excellent pistol.

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The best I can with what I got

Just picked up a RIA compact, and I like it a lot. Can't attest to durability yet but it functioned flawlessly right out of the box and I hit what I was aiming at.

Earlier this year I picked up a Colt Officers model ( 3.9" barrel ) . It's a 7 round shooter . It has small type sights but very very accurate . It's a keeper . Good Luck , Regards Paul

I would take the Springfield for their reputation. You didn't mention your budget. I own a S&W PERFORMANCE CENTER® SW1911 PRO SERIES SKU: 178020 in 45 ACP and it is very nice. It is my edc for 45 ACP. I need to find another officers model 45 to add to collection. Colt, Kimber, Springfield comes to mind that is if you can find them. Let us know of your choice.

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Steve
The Lounge Rant Master

Is that a hybrid? Commander slide on a officer's frame?

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Steve
The Lounge Rant Master

Typo correction . The barrel is 3.5 " . Regards Paul

I have a 3.25" & a 4" Para Ordnance LDA's (6+1 and 12+1). When I thinned the herd about 9 years ago, I kept the LDA's and got rid of 3 short Springfield Armory 45's. I have 2 Colt Commanders (pre series 70's) in 45 & 38 Super They function perfectly and shoot better than I do!

But I'm a fan of Sig 220's and also have a 245.

I have a number of holsters for 1911's and 220's. I really like Galco Small Of the Back for full size 1911's, Commanders, and 220's and like IWB at 3:00/3:30 for the compacts. In cool or cold weather, a belly band works very well using a pull over!

Some people say "All 45's are too big to conceal!" To prove that isn't true I had two 220's in a belly band, a Commander in the small of the back and a LDA IWB! Additionally, I had one spare mag each! All under a pull over sweater. The county prosecutor sat next to me in church And was trying to locate the single 45 I told him I was carrying. He guessed wrong. Out of public view I removed the sweater, and he was very surprised!

Ivan

Y'all know me. I do love my 1911s and own a bunch of 'em.
However, I've never really cared for any smaller than a Commander sized gun. There's just something about the 3 or 3.5" barreled compact versions that just don't jive. It just doesn't feel right and recoil is excessive. Most are prone to be quite finicky as well.
I own one. An old Springfield Ultra-Compact. I bought it used many years ago and SA quit making them a long time ago. The gun was a PITA from day one. It took a lot of time and a lot of tweaking to get it reliable. It works fine now, but it about drove me nuts getting it there.
I also don't see much advantage to carrying it over a standard Commander sized model. Its really not that much smaller. Yet requires special holsters and magazines.
Like I said, I own one. And honestly, I rarely shoot it and never carry it.

I carry an ATI Tactical Titan most of the time……..keep it lubricated and it’s all steel! I’ve had trouble with several compact 1911’s with aluminum frames, I stay away from them!

Colt Defender.




Detonics Combat Master.

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John

I had a Springfield Micro-Compact and it was uber reliable and more accurate than I expected for the size. It is one that I should have kept.

Currently, I have Colts, CCO, Commanders, and Officer models, they have been great so far.

Perhaps you can try-before-you-buy at a local range? We have a group that will let you shoot anything out of the display case (you buy the ammo).

Good luck in your search Jimmy.

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On the Oak Savannah

There’s a lot of meat in what Grayfox says, IMO. The tiny .45s just “give up too much .45,” in my opinion. The Commander is a useful variation, and I could see how the hybrid model (officer’s frame with Commander slide) might be worthwhile, but shortening the barrel/slide less than 4.25” never appealed to me.

I know nothing about the two guns mentioned. I would approach both with caution. I have an early-production lightweight Colt Officer’s ACP, which works fine, but it’s not much fun to shoot. Like Grayfox, I can’t recall the last time I fired it. One of those guns that seemed like a great idea, at the time, but now I couldn’t care less about. Some things change, and others don’t. I still am very fond of the Commander-length .45s. In the really little gun department, I am completely switched over to the P365. Good luck, Jimmy.

It has been many years and several thousand rounds since I bought my RIA Officer's. In every way, I would stack it up against any 1911 of any configuration. It is an excellent pistol.

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Pisgah

I am also in the camp of the Commander length 1911 to be the best choice for size, reliability, and maintaining good muzzle velocity from the chosen ammo. With handguns, the hardest part to conceal, unless carrying in a horizontal style shoulder holster, is the grip frame/butt of the handgun. The Colt CCO combined the Commander slide/barrel with their Officer's ACP receiver. I think this might be the best combination for concealment.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

The only experience that I have had with a 1911 smaller than a Commander is my Springfield Armory Ultra Compact chambered in .45acp. It is accurate enough and has been very reliable with a variety of magazines.

Pictured for size reference with one of my Government models.

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Overall I prefer the CCO configuration ....... Officer's frame and Commander length slide. I remember how finicky the the early, mid-80s, sub-4" 1911s were.

While I transitioned away from Cocked & Locked for carry guns in the late 80s .... I did garb a lightly used CCO; Sig's C3. Still 7+1 with Wilson Combat mag and +8 with WC's extended mag. 4.2" barrel.slide. The factory mags were an issue "sometimes" leaving the last round loose on top of the mag.; probably why it was in the "used" case at a LGS for half MSRP; but the gun is GTG with the WC mags.

I’ve had a Colt Defender for 15 years or so. It’s been reliable…with some ammo choices. I have another thread here about Fusion, and I realize there is plenty of negative internet talk regarding their offerings. However, I like my Riptide C 9mm Commander so much, that I picked up this CCO yesterday in 45 AARP. We shall see, but it also looks good, and at $775, it was worth the chance.

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RIA is decent value but as others have noted, Sub Compact 1911's in 45 CAN be finicky.

My personal EDC is a Colt New Agent Lightweight. 100% reliable from day one.

agent in iwb.jpg

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I'm in the Defender camp...lightweight...easy to carry...perfectly reliable and more than enough accuracy for any reasonable need.


I also carried this Lightweight Commander off-duty when a LEO and authorized to carry self-loading pistols. Prior to that I had to carry revolver.

This will depend on the specific pistols, but Rock Island 1911's are made by Armscor in the Philippines, as were some of the High Standards over the years, so you could be looking at two guns that came off the same production line.

I have two Rock Island GI Standards, one a 3.5" Officers and the other a 5" full sized, and neither has had any problems, although the GI sights on the things are not the greatest.

Of course my favorite pistol is this one, which I have had for a while now.

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What type ammo did you use ?

You might also consider a Kimber Ultra Carry II. Never a hiccup with mine.

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Left Turn On A Red Light

I'm using 230 grain hardball right now. I'll try some of that fancy SD stuff eventually to see how it works out.

I have a Springfield Ultra Compact and have never had a glitch with it. I carry it very frequently and shoot it every range trip. I think the Officer's grip is a good bit easier to hide than a standard grip, thought I will quite often carry a lightweight commander configuration if clothing and circumstances are friendly to it. I've never found the recoil of my compact that objectionable, but I'm not shooting 100 rounds at a time - more like there to four mags full for familiarization and ongoing reliability checks.

I had a RIA Compact .45, one of the first ones, that had minimal sights. I had to fit a beavertail safety, and improved (Millit) sights and dis a improved trigger job. Was a good shooting handgun, and later when I wanted a 9mm I bought a RIA 9mm compact. The 9mm was all fitted out with proper safety, and sights so I did very little to it.

The 45


The 9mm

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

I had the first SS privately sold Officers ACP sold in CT. I was living there at the time and walked it in to the Colt Custom Shop. Had the bright stainless finish done and the action tuned.. That was say 1985? Shot it once after that. Kept it all these years and a couple months ago passed it to my #2 son. Man is it pretty. Loved that gun, but it was time to pass it.

I own 2 Colt Govt series 70, NIB guns, but if I were to carry one, it would be the Glock 36 I have. Light, and it shoots anything I put in the mag.

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I'm still not carrying it (yet) but I also have a Combat Master. When it warms up again and I can get up to the mountains and wring it out some, it may well become a carry piece.

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I've had one of the Armscor RIA Rock Standard CS officers model 45s for several years. I like it. I think it has good sights, it's reasonably accurate, and has never malfunctioned. The only thing I did is put a Remington ambi safety on it. It is all steel so has some weight. The finish is nothing special but it hasn't rusted even after getting pretty wet from sweat repeatedly. When I first got it I put over 500 rounds of mixed ammo through it to include HB, plated, various jacketed including Gold Dot, and my 230 gr CLSWC reloads. NO malfunctions! I don't have a picture on mine but it's one of these (Pic from Armscor):