Carry Gun: 1911 Commander vs 3" or 4" .41mag /.44mag S&W: Your Experience & Thouthts

[viceunit]

1911 or N frame?

If you place a Commander next to a 2 1/2" K frame you'll find they are the same overall size, but the flatter auto is easier to CCW

I'll add my $.02 here. I have done the same comparison with my 2 1/2" 19 and a Glock 23. About the same overall size, but the Glock is thinner and holds double the ammo +2. While I would not feel under-gunned with the 19, the extra ammo margin of the G23 cannot be ignored. A Commander sized 1911 is certainly more concealable than any N-frame and is thinner than a Glock. While we still were issued revolvers in the late 70's and early 80's I carried a Lightweight Commander off-duty. I no longer have it and desire for another. Being a lefty meant having an ambi safety installed. Today, many customs come with that option. I guess the point here Beemer is that you are obviously competent with that 1911. The choice is clear. Maybe a 442 BUG will satisfy your S&W loyalty while equipping you with a reliable back up. I'll probably stick to the Glock. I've trained heavily with that since 1989, however a nice Kimber (they're all nice) could persuade me to focus on practice in the 1911 discipline.

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

If you don't need anything more powerful than a .45ACP, I can't imagine not sticking with a 1911 that works. It's probably easier to carry than most revolvers (certainly is for me), you're used to it, and you can carry a fair amount of ammo pretty easily. I don't know what the terrain is like where you are, but if I had to pick up and use or even just clean a weapon I had dropped in fine dirt like that found in some parts of NC, I would much rather that weapon be a 1911 than a revolver. Experience.

I would still carry some kind of aluminum J-frame, also.

 

[hiredhand]

My 2 cents

My comment is that you need to carry a caliber that is more than "innocent bystander" safe. The big magnum calibers are fine in the woods but not in a city situation. If, and God forbid, you are ever forced to use your gun, you want a round that will stay in the bad guy. Not one that passes through and hits the proverable "pregnant lady". No matter your original justification, you WILL go to jail if an innocent bystander is hit by one of your rounds.Whatever pistol you have the most confidence in is the one you need to carry. Nothing adds to a successful encounter than having confidence in yourself and your weapon.Me, I carry either a 640 loaded with Federal low-recoil hollow points developed for short barrels. If not the 640, then a plain old Combat Masterpiece in 38 speical works just fine for me. The CM is loaded with Corbon +P. And I have never felt under gunned or outdated.

 

[GatorFarmer]

My comment is that you need to carry a caliber that is more than "innocent bystander" safe. The big magnum calibers are fine in the woods but not in a city situation. If, and God forbid, you are ever forced to use your gun, you want a round that will stay in the bad guy. Not one that passes through and hits the proverable "pregnant lady". No matter your original justification, you WILL go to jail if an innocent bystander is hit by one of your rounds.Whatever pistol you have the most confidence in is the one you need to carry. Nothing adds to a successful encounter than having confidence in yourself and your weapon.Me, I carry either a 640 loaded with Federal low-recoil hollow points developed for short barrels. If not the 640, then a plain old Combat Masterpiece in 38 speical works just fine for me. The CM is loaded with Corbon +P. And I have never felt under gunned or outdated.

Someone won't necessarily face prison if a round penetrates and kills a bystander. There's a bunch of legalese that'll come into play about was it foreseeable, the doctrine of competing harms, etc. Civil liability would be more of an issue.

Anyway, there are loads for the .41 Mag that control penetration, the most commonly encounted being the classic (and relatively light) Silvertips. Gold Dot JHPs for the .44 Mag, more or less specifically designed for "social" purposes are also to be had. By some reckonings, at least in jello, they deliver a nastier wound than does an AR.

The original IWBA penetration standard was 18" or more of penetration. People tend to forget the "or more" part of penetration standards. When loaded with FMJ ammunition, the .45 ACP tends to penetrate about 18" when shot into jello.

 

[Vanilla Gorilla]

My comment is that you need to carry a caliber that is more than "innocent bystander" safe. The big magnum calibers are fine in the woods but not in a city situation. If, and God forbid, you are ever forced to use your gun, you want a round that will stay in the bad guy. Not one that passes through and hits the proverable "pregnant lady". No matter your original justification, you WILL go to jail if an innocent bystander is hit by one of your rounds.Whatever pistol you have the most confidence in is the one you need to carry. Nothing adds to a successful encounter than having confidence in yourself and your weapon.Me, I carry either a 640 loaded with Federal low-recoil hollow points developed for short barrels. If not the 640, then a plain old Combat Masterpiece in 38 speical works just fine for me. The CM is loaded with Corbon +P. And I have never felt under gunned or outdated.

I'd refer you to one of the more recent Mas Ayoob articles from American Handgunner, in which a jewelry store owner is robbed. He grabs his own weapon after being pistolwhipped and follows the bad guy outside, interrrupting the bad guy in the commission of a carjacking. The victim empties the magazine in his Glock, hitting both the carjacker and the carjackee. Not only was he not arrested, but he was also found not liable in the following civil suit brought by the other victim.

I'd say that making such blanket comments will make sure that you're wrong, nearly every time.

 

[Crazy K38]

I think that the 1911 is one of the best guns ever built and if you want to pack something a wee bit smaller go for the compact versions if you want to pack a smith revolver go with a snub pocket carry or possibly belt carry in 357, they are also great rounds, just my 2 cents