Another next gun thread - carry .45s

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Hey pete f if you want to give me some advice on suitable commander holsters for the less than svelte I am sincerely interested and appreciative. That said i agree with your last sentence too and hey if I can conceal a Commander I can surely conceal an Ultra-Carry more comfortably right?

Hey in that case I just have two 1911 carry options - hardly a bad thing ;)
 
Well dev despite the recent setback we still do have legal non-LEO carry in MN, just not as easily available as it was a while back, so responsible adults who want to carry are in the game so to speak.

That said if you have a way for a fat SOB like me to carry a 1911 in his armpit I'm definitely listening. To make matters worse I was a competitive powerlifter before I ran to seed so my armpits are already pretty strained outwards to hold me comfortably, let alone a 1911 too. I'm one of those "gorilla carrying two beer barrels" body types :D
 
Anything shorter on a 1911 than 4 inches could have reliability issues. I carried a Kimber UCII for 3 years. I had to fix it to get it running, Kimber would not/could not. I would also not get another aluminum framed gun.

I think that the 4 inch commander with a bobtail job on the grips is the best carry combination out there right now. For the money you are looking to spend, I would look at the DW PT-CBOB. Other than that, with a good holster, I see no personal difference in carrying a 5 inch gun all day compared to the 3 inch I used to carry. I have a gun finished in hard chrome, so carry wear is not an issue for me.

Deez.
 
A friend of mine shot her Ultra-Carry (c.a. 2000/2001?) in a Front Site class and I know it's been 100% reliable. Just another datapoint. My compact 1911 is a Commander, FWIW.
 
I carry a Kimber Ultra CDP (Series I), and it has been flawless - so my recommendation is the 3" Kimber.
 
Why just the Warthog?

When you looked at Para, did you look at all the options?
As far as I'm concerned, the Warthog is way too small; they have many other options to consider.

Do you like the slim lines of the traditional 1911? Stick with the single-stack. My hands are too big for that; I really like the feel of their high-cap frames.

Single-action or double? Para's LDA trigger is really smooth and light; I like it a lot. My only concern is that it's a longer pull, and in a tense situation I might not release the trigger enough to reset the action.

What size frame and barrel? They have barrels from 3-5", and frames with height from full-sized (5.75") down to the Warthog, which I believe is sub-5".

Their CCW model has a reasonable 4.25" barrel length with a short frame. I personally really like the Spec Ops model, and will probably be getting one of those eventually, despite the ugly finish color.

I suggest you look at the Para catalog and see all the options they offer before you make a decision.
 
I'll skip the standard "whatever fits you better..." statement. Goes without saying.

But you should definitely check out the HK USP45 compact. If your hands fit it, it's a marvelous weapon. And there's quite a choice of IWB holsters now.
 
Have you ever considered on of the slim-line Glocks? In 45ACP or 45GAP, it might be a good fit for you. They are easier to carry than the double-stacks while only giving up a couple of rounds.
 
I have a Kimber Pro Carry SLE and an Ultra CDP. I have carried both IWB with a sparks VMII the Ultra wins hands down. I like the aluminum frame. It cuts down considerably on weight, and at the end of the day I sure appreciate that. My Ultra CDP is like a master card I don’t leave home without it.

Mike
 
I have the Taurus PT-145 and I love it, good capacity, easy to conceal (I carry it in an uncle mikes 4:00 IWB) no failures, smooth recoil, very accurate for its size, I chose this gun after looking at many carry guns, I chose it for its cost, its size and the great warranty Taurus has. Very easy to conceal, I think its smaller than you think it is... Theres someone on here that even uses theirs for pocket carry... I love this gun, Try one you wont be disappointed.
 
Well thanks Dark - so far that was the only option that nobody had recommended. That really helps! :rolleyes:

Kidding of course and nice to get some good feedback on a lower price option!
 
Yes I think folks are afraid of buying taurus due to their problems with the millenium line previously.. but if youll all take my word for it, the frames are all better now, have been since what 2003? late 2002?

I understand they just arent for some folks, which is fine, but dont let price fool you, they are made in Brazil.. they can manufacture something for a lower cost there.. that doesnt mean lower quality.. Well actually florida but I think thats just assembly.. (not sure edited to add this) I just know I like the gun, felt right in my hand.

My lady wants a PT-111 we looked at one last week and she has her heart set on it... I like the feel of it too, I think ill be picking up two of them =) gotta have a few 9mm in any collection =) and for the 250-300$ buying 2 of them doesnt hurt all that bad. And again, Taurus has that great warranty that they stand behind, even if the weapon is 100 years old and been through 20 owners, theyll repair or replace your weapon free.
 
I'm a big-time Sig, CZ, and 1911 fan, but for a .45 ACP carry gun, I have to agree with the folks here who mentioned the HK USP 45 compact. One of the most "shootable" compact .45s I've had the pleasure to range test.
 
And the winner is.......

.....None of the above (jeez that wasn't predictable was it?) :rolleyes:

Thanks to those who suggested that barrel length is secondary to grip length for concealability of a 1911. I tested this by concealing my commander and sure enough the printing was mostly of the grip.

So that meant I was more comfortable going the 1911 route as I wanted to, but allowing me to avoid the less reliable shorter barrels.

So then the choice became the relatively few 1911s with Officer's Grip and 4.25" barrels. Kimber was in the lead for a while but a few quibbles about their QC (not that any manufacturer avoids those) and a handling comparison between the Compact and the eventual winner moved me in another direction. Kimbers are nice and all that but I fell for something else...

Drum roll please

A Dan Wesson. CCO to be exact. Nice setup indeed and very well made - assuming the one I handled is representative the fit is quite spectacular. The sale to CZ also makes me a bit concerned about the future direction of DW 1911s so I took the chance to grab one of the last of the pre-takeover guns. Beveled in the right places, night sights, match grade components, etc. All I'll need is an ugly but effective Hogue rubber finger groove grip and 500 rounds or so to break it in and find its favorite SD ammo and should be a nice winter carry gun.

Thanks all to those who suggested and I did take them all into consideration, but the 1911 of some kind was a clear favorite for many reasons - comfort, familiarity, ease of concealment and maintenance/repair etc. I want to stick to the minimum number of manuals of arms and calibers too so I have with the sale of my KelTec restricted myself to either 1911 .45s or DAO 9mms for all my needs. I'll see how long I can stick to that!

Here's a couple of pics. That slide to frame fit is pretty impressive!

pix1956788986.jpg



pix1956788798.jpg
 
Well, d, good move. You know I like my full-sized Patriot a whole bunch! Enjoy!

Frandy
 
For my money you just can't beat a Colt Commander.
Mine is a Combat Commander Blued with a Brown Grip and thumb safety.
Thin, accurate, great trigger. Plus its a beautiful gun.
 
Y'know I have nothing against Colts but they never seem to be the one I end up with. Looked at 'em both times I bought 1911s (realizing in this company that is not exactly exhaustive consideration but hey gimme time).

I still think in the relatively near future a Defender sized or ultra compact will be too tempting for me to ignore despite potential issues with reliability - and I'll definitely look at the O7000D (I think that's the model number - whatever the Colt Defender 3" is anyway) and compare to SA and Kimber et al. You never know it may end up winning that one.

On the other hand I don't have a "real" aka Government size 1911 yet so maybe I'll look at the Gold Cups then. At my relatively pedestrian skill level a real target 1911 may be overkill, but perhaps in a while I'll go that route as I improve. That's the good thing about 1911s after all - lots of variants to keep you needing just one more and lots of good makers to sell them to you.
 
Kimber Compact. I got an Aluminum Series I for $600 on GB. I absolutley love this gun and may by a couple more of this style. The shorter grip makes it worlds easier for me to carry but I have a thin body as well.

Kahr is coming out with a P45 in June or July if you like the PM9 you may consider that as well.
 
Nice choice, sweet looking gun!

All I'll need is an ugly but effective Hogue rubber finger groove grip
Click to expand...
I hope you are joking about this. It would be tragic to replace such gorgeous wood grips with black rubber. Makes me shudder just thinking of it!
 
Sorry Doug I know the aesthetics of rubber and hand-checkered cocobolo wood are not exactly equal but hey I like finger grooves! Trust me if I ever need to resell I'll keep the wood grips nice and safe.

In all honesty I will try it with the standard grips first but whenever I have compared rubber grooved grips to hard flat grips I have found myself preferring the former in actual use - and aesthetics are not the main thing in a carry gun that will doubtless get some holster wear.

If it helps I would buy the Pachmeyr American Legends, which are a nice combination of wood panels with finger-grooved rubber insets, if they made them for the Officer's grip, but sad to say only full size is offered.

Could be worse - I may end up putting Crimson Trace Lasergrips on this if I bond with it and think the $250 is worth it!

JMB would be spinning in his grave I know....
 
Nice Piece.. I personally dont really know much about the Dan Wessons.. But it sure looks nice, and ive never really heard anything bad about them... I need to get me a 1911 soon...
 
Had a G30 and hated it! didn't fit my large hand and long fingers and never feed HP's with any reliability.

Bought a used G36 and have been CCW'ng it ever since, great little gun!. Only other .45 carry is Wilson's KZ-45. While there's nothing like an all-steel Classic 1911 the KZ rides great in an IWB with most of the weight close to the body. {I down load the mags for carry}
 
I was only half joking with you. I like Hogue rubber grips. I have the rubber grip panels on my SIG P228, and had the wrap around finger groove grip on both my Browning Hi Power and SIG P239.

Who cares what anyone else thinks? It's your gun, right? I had people cringe when I put the finger grooves on my Hi Power, but it sure made it feel good shooting.

But I do think those Dan Wesson checkered grips are attractive. I have seen Frandy's up close. Very nice.
 
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