Carrying a 5" 1911 is hard

[ShootDontTalk]

JF...thanks for the help. I realized after looking at this photo that the little piece of leather on the topside, across the slide, is not present on mine. Mine looks outwardly like the first one TAM posted. The photo looks like a Commander size rig though. Mine is full size.

Since no one mentioned it to the OP, concealment is harder as it relates to grip size more than barrel length. The cant angle lessens the "footprint" of both.

[threoh8]

I'm convinced that having to sit on a bench or hard chair is what prompted the invention of the Commander in the first place.

I've been looking at aluminum-frame Commander-length pistols, as well as the CCO variants. Not that I'd ever get rid of my full-size, full weight, full-caliber Colt. Just might give it a break ...

[kells81]

I ordered a Cross Breed Holster and belt. Should get a chance to carry somewhere this week to try it out. I didn't realize the difference in a Gun belt and a belt until the gun belt I ordered arrived. That is a heckuva chunk of leather.

[The Annoyed Man]

http://www.desantisholster.com/SPEED-SCABBARD

(Sorry, I can't seem to get the image to copy. )

[ Image ]

I have three of those...... for a M&P45 Full Sized, a H&K USPc .40, and a Glock 19. It's a good holster. My ONLY complaint is that I would have preferred a reinforced mouth. The holster carries very well and is comfortable. But it requires some care reholstering because of the tendency of the mouth to flatten out a little bit without the gun in it. Otherwise, it really is a good holster.

[Jago668]

I just ordered an A & G Custom Gun Leather belt. Will be my first actual gun belt, so I'll get to see how much of a difference it will make.

[ShootDontTalk]

I have three of those...... for a M&P45 Full Sized, a H&K USPc .40, and a Glock 19. It's a good holster. My ONLY complaint is that I would have preferred a reinforced mouth. The holster carries very well and is comfortable. But it requires some care reholstering because of the tendency of the mouth to flatten out a little bit without the gun in it. Otherwise, it really is a good holster.

I'm thinking I might either find a saddle shop or give it a whirl adding a roll top. Shouldn't be too hard.

They are very reasonably priced on Amazon - $46 for mine.

On the "I just seem to want one side, I really want one of these:

http://www.epsaddlery.com/pc-97-12-5-pa ... lster.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They made the General's holsters for him. A real piece of history. Course then I'd need a real BBQ 1911!

[ShootDontTalk]

I ordered a Cross Breed Holster and belt. Should get a chance to carry somewhere this week to try it out. I didn't realize the difference in a Gun belt and a belt until the gun belt I ordered arrived. That is a heckuva chunk of leather.

Very nice looking belts at a fair price. Good choice.

[Battousai]

I don't have a full size, but carry a commander IWB, with a hybrid style holster at about 4:30, it is very comfortable to me.

I am 6'2", about 135lbs btw.

[GlockDude26]

i still for the life of me can't figure out why people insist on carrying a 1911 for self defense period....it must be for the reminiscent feeling of the glory days or something. they're big, heavy, and have limited mag capacity. why would you want a gun that weighs 40 oz empty with 9 rounds when you could get a glock 30s that weighs half of that and get two more rounds? heck i've carried my glock 21 with 13+1 rounds of 45 acp and it still weighs less than a 1911.

[Pawpaw]

1. It's been in continuous military service for over 100 years. --- There must be a reason for that.

2. It irritates some people.

3. Why would we want to shoot an ugly gun?

[The Wall]

I just ordered an A & G Custom Gun Leather belt. Will be my first actual gun belt, so I'll get to see how much of a difference it will make.

I use one of their belts. Nice choice for sure. Just make sure you put some Loctite on the Chicago screws if it has them. One of mine fell off and the other one was loose after several months. I called A&G up to see if I could purchase one, and they sent a couple for free. They suggested using Loctite Blue in the event I decide to go with different belt buckle. You will definitely feel the difference.

[The Wall]

i still for the life of me can't figure out why people insist on carrying a 1911 for self defense period....it must be for the reminiscent feeling of the glory days or something. they're big, heavy, and have limited mag capacity. why would you want a gun that weighs 40 oz empty with 9 rounds when you could get a glock 30s that weighs half of that and get two more rounds? heck i've carried my glock 21 with 13+1 rounds of 45 acp and it still weighs less than a 1911.

It's like anything, if you carry it enough you get use to it. And I bet my right leg is stronger than yours. If you need more than 8 rounds you're probably in the military or a LEO. It's easier to carry magazines also. Why would you want to carry a magazine that weighs twice as much as one for a 1911?

[GlockDude26]

i knew the fact of military service would come up, and that's a valid point. i guess for me less weight and more rounds are more important. i can see the spare mag point as well, but i don't find it hard to carry a spare g19 mag or similar size mag even in wrangler jeans. i've noticed a trend in crime of today vs yester-years that the number of assailants is more like 4-6 where as it used to be 1 maybe 2 or 3 being more rare. i want the most rounds i can stuff into a concealable handgun that i am able to be consistent with. prepare for the worst and pray for the best!

[ShootDontTalk]

It is a tool for your belt. Why restrict the tools available to save your life?

I can give you one very solid tactical reason I carry a 1911 at times. IF I am ever confronted with a rifle or even shotgun wielding threat, I need to be able to direct precision fire at ranges well beyond 25 yards.

I shot 1911's in NRA competition routinely at 50 yards. I could place 5 rounds in a group that measured less than 2 inches - offhand. I know of no other handgun that can deliver that level of accuracy without major modifications that disqualify it for daily carry. In fact, I practiced for matches by offhand shooting at 100 yards. I could maintain 5-6 inch groups at that range. That is AK47 level accuracy. The secret is the 1911 is a single action weapon. The trigger is markedly superior to the vast majority of handguns available for defense.

Do I only carry a 1911? Of course not. Is the 1911 the best handgun for every task? Of course not. But given that EVERY weapon is a compromise, the 1911 does some things better than any other weapon. For that reason alone, it should be considered.

Two things I have learned in 6 decades of shooting: choose a good round loading an adequate bullet, and place your shots properly. The 1911 achieves both of these critical objectives.