1911 for CC?

[corgiS&W]

My usual CC is either a S&W 642 or a Colt D-frame. I think I would like the option to CC a 45cal, but have no idea how to go about choosing. The questions would seem to be:
1) full size or compact?
2) alloy or all steel?
3) 1911 or some other style?
4) S&W, Colt, Springfield, other?
5) new or used?

I have an XD 45, but i seems just to big for carry. Any suggestions for working through this will be appreciated. Perhaps there are other questions to consider.

 

[mrerick]

A full size 1911 is relatively big and heavy.

Your XD is a polymer gun that is lighter than a 1911. It is wider...

I personally prefer to shoot the 1911 at the range, and carry the XD...

Marc

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

One thing to keep in mind no matter what you decide is that if you get into a shooting situation there is a good chance your gun will be seized by the police as evidence until the case is settled. Doesn't make sense to me to carry a shiny $2500 1911 with all the bells and whistles that might wind up in a police locker.

 

[thndrchiken]

A 1911 really is not much different from a concealment standpoint than any other semi auto pistol, I carry one of several pistols, a SA 1911 UC, S&W SD 9mm or Sig P250 40 or 45. My preferred method of carry is an iwb holster when I'll be around a lot of people, when in less crowded areas I will carry strong side belt holster. Out in the woods it's open carry usually on a duty belt and the weight don't matter much cause I have a canteen and mag holder on the other side.

 

[montoya32]

You can always split the difference and get a 4" 1911, SA Champion, S&W E-Series 4", Sig Scorpion Carry.

 

[flagaman1950]

I don't generally carry a 1911, but on occassion I have. Have owned ultra size through full size, like the full size first and the commander size next, but that's just me. A good belt and holster are a must have. Not to disagree with anyone, but my take is to carry the one that I am most comfortable and proficent with as price will be the last thing I'll worry about if I have to use it. But that is just me.

 

[oldman45]

I carry a full size S&W 1911 concealed and it is not a problem at all.

Many people try CC with full size firearms and they decide it is not for them but they do not give it a chance. Anything that is strange to someone is often met with resistence.

The first thing to consider is body size. A petite lady will have difficulty concealing a large gun on her person, although I have seen it done. A 6'2", 250 pound person can pretty much conceal what ever they want.

Next is clothing choice. Carrying anything concealed may require some modifications in the way you dress. If you are one as my brother in law was and wear clothes so tight that a quarter in your pocket shows, then nothing will be able to be properly concealed. For men, it may mean buying shirts one size too large. But it can be done and after a little trial and error along with some experience, you can conceal a large sidearm.

Then we have holster considerations. Never buy cheap holsters. They are uncomfortable and seldom last very long and they will discourage one from carrying. Your gun costs money and so should your holster. I prefer good leather and hate plastic. Plastic tends to scratch guns and rub skin. Soft leather is much easier to wear. A good IWB works well for concealment as does a well made belly band. If you can wear a windbreaker, jacket, coat or such, a nice shoulder holster works great.

Where you carry is up to what works best for you. Over the years I have seen concealed carry everywhere on a person. One man had a S&W .357 with a four inch barrel inside the crotch of his underwear that, even after four experienced searches, was missed and he used it to kill an officer that was taking him to jail. I saw a rather large lady hide a gun in her cleavage that was not discovered until she was booked into jail. Both of those examples are extreme but done. Ankle holsters are good but uncomfortable for me and they are difficult to access in a hurry. Belly bands work well once one gets used to them around their waist. IWB on the waist works well but it might be one location is better for some that others.

But full size carry is possible if you work at it and a 1911 is the perfect gun for such. It is powerful, it is flat and it is accurance as well as reliable.

 

[madmikeb]

I carry a Kimber Ultra CDP II .45 acp. It's a 3" barrel with an alloy frame and a 7 shot mag so the grip is a touch smaller than most 1911's hence a little easier to conceal. In cold weather I use a Kramer horsehide vertical scabbard, in warmer weather it's a Kramer horsehide IWB #2. No problems with the gun showing and actually quite comfortable. I carry 7 rounds of Federal 230 grain Hydrashok in the gun plus one extra mag. As the instructor said in my AZ concealed weapons class, "if you need more firepower than that, you're in way over your head!"

 

[russp1]

As the instructor said in my AZ concealed weapons class, "if you need more firepower than that, you're in way over your head!"

I've heard this statement before in different postings about different capacity guns. When would most folks consider themselves in "over their heads"? As soon as you need the first shot, after 5 from a snubby, after two 16 round magazines of 9mm...?

 

[Ranger98]

I like the compact S&W Pro series 1911 with a pocket holster..

 

[bearpugh4570]

for years i carried a fullsized 1911. it can be done but better options abound.

 

[corgiS&W]

Many good suggestions for consideration here. Thanks for the ideas. I had not really considered the value of the weapon being carried.The Colt Magnum Carry may already be too valuable.

What about the S&W 4500 series pistols? How do they compare with the 1911? And how do they compare in cost?

Are any of the other brands worth conidering (like Springfield)?

 

[BearBio]

My regular cc weapon was an Officers acp. I switched to a ss Colt Commander. It was more accurate and my holster had a sweat shield, which made it infinitely more comfortable to carry. Conceals well under a shirt with the tails out or any outer garment. I carry in a kidney position, IWB.

 

[Bombsaway]

I love my SA Loaded Champion, but I won't carry it unless I commit myself to developing the muscle memory I believe is necessary to carry any 1911, namely making the thumb safety sweep second nature. If I have to think about it, I have no business carrying it.

 

[squidsix]

A 1911 is carried by literally millions of people every day. It's not tough to carry CCW.
the "CCO" sized gun is the winner in that pistol for CCW in my personal opinion. You lose one round, but you gain enormously with respect to concealability.

 

[rondo]

Lots of good points here. I carry a 1911 variant (CCO sized) and like it a great deal. At 42 ounces fully loaded, it's no airweight, but in the right holster it's not a problem at all. It conceals great due to the thickness, or thinness really, and the officers length grip.

As to the value thing, if it saves my life, it's done its job. The police can keep it at that point. Very unlikely to happen (hopefully).

Good point about muscle memory and the thumb safety, it should be automatic.

 

[venomballistics]

I carry a 1911 government and see little reason to change.
I have yet to catch myself wishing for a smaller / lighter gun as I did with my 8 3/8" 629 which does leave a few things to be desired as a CC piece as it represents a tradeoff between concealability and deploy-ability with a pistol gripped mosburg 500 riot gun.
the 1911 is a dream

 

[cmort666]

I carry a full sized Norinco M1911 in one of my handmade tuckable IWBs. I used to use a Don Hume 715M IWB.

With a decent holster and belt, it's no problem to carry a full sized M1911.

 

[dubhelix]

I love my SA Loaded Champion, but I won't carry it unless I commit myself to developing the muscle memory I believe is necessary to carry any 1911, namely making the thumb safety sweep second nature. If I have to think about it, I have no business carrying it.

This. I carried a SW1911 for a while, but most of my training time has been with DAO / Glock / S&W revolvers. If I were to carry a 1911 again, I'd want it to be my primary weapon type, so that the safety/short travel trigger/manual of arms were all ingrained in my muscle memory. These days, all I carry is round butt S&W wheelguns. They point more naturally for me, and I like the "heavy and long" DA trigger.

 

[27145]

I would be embarrased to admit I owned a Chinese gun like the Norinco.