Compact 45! Need your opinion!

[jac714]

Add my voice to the Kimber, I have an Ultra Carry and carry it when I need maximum concealment.

I have about 600 problem free rounds through it.

All of your choices are good, go to a range nad shoot all of them and find the one that works best for you. All of these should give you years of faithful service.

Good Luck.

 

[BullfrogKen]

As several others have mentioned here, 1911's with slides less than 4" have varying levels of reliability. Some perform fine, some do not. It can depend on the ammo used, the grip and shooting style of the user, and sometimes just plain old luck if you can get it to work all the time.


I'd suggest trying them out before buying one.


A Commander length 1911 is a good size slide length. The part one has a difficult time concealing is not the barrel, but the butt of the gun. The CCO, a Commander length slide on an Officer frame, is a great package, and probably the best overall merging of form and function. Its unfortunate that more models of this design are not available.

 

[Chuck R.]

A Commander length 1911 is a good size slide length. The part one has a difficult time concealing is not the barrel, but the butt of the gun. The CCO, a Commander length slide on an Officer frame, is a great package, and probably the best overall merging of form and function. Its unfortunate that more models of this design are not available.

I came to the same conclusion and this is the route I took. I tried a couple sub-4” guns, but didn’t like the shootability aspect of the reduced sight radius and light weight.

I finally bought a Baer Stinger, Commander Slide, Officer’s frame. At 34 oz empty it’s heavier that the compacts by about 9 oz, but due to the extra weight and slide length I shoot it about as well as my 5” Baer. I’ve shot the same course with both using a timer and it’s about a wash.

Chuck

 

[jlh26oo]

What kind of velocities are you getting out of a 3" barrel with only conventional rifling?

My choice would be a G36. 20 oz, 6 +1, 3 3/4" of polygonal rifling = 230gr >800fps... but I always fall for "too good to be true" packages that have spotty interweb reputations (kahr). No such thing as a free ride.

 

[sjones63]

3 inchers ?

I had my doubts too,I was planning to get an officer frame and 4 inch barrel but I couln't find one that felt light enough that I wanted to carry all day,every day.none just felt right.Then I picked up a kimber ultra carry and as soon as I did,I said this is the one for me,even with my doubts.I bought it and went straight to the range,well I had several premature slide lockbacks until I had about 50 rounds through it and ten it was fine.I went home and cleaned it real good and polished the ramp,ordered 2 wilson 7 round mags and back to the range yesterday.I fired another 100 wwb,20 win230sxt,20 fereral 165gr personal protection,all without a single bobble.Out to 15 yrds,I just chewed the center out of the 10 ring on a b27 target and putting them in the head was just as easy.I now have me a new carry gun,and one I will be carrying all day,not home in the drawer.I am very satisfied with my new gun and as soon as my new elk antler grips come in I will post pictures if I can figure out how to do it. sj

 

[clown714]

Ultra carry.

clown

 

[Manedwolf]

well I had several premature slide lockbacks until I had about 50 rounds through it and ten it was fine.I went home and cleaned it real good and polished the ramp

The question is still, for the price, shouldn't that all be done FOR you? Especially polishing the ramp? Especially when far cheaper guns can be taken out of the box and shot all day without a malfunction?

 

[sjones63]

Manedwolf,You are right about that,for the price we have to pay for guns now,any guns,they all should be fine right out of the box,but most are not.sj

 

[HeyRobi]

Thanks for all the feedback! I went with the Kimber CDM II Ultra Carry the deal is pending but I am making the payment in the morning so it should be finalized tommorow!

 

[Mac Attack]

Out of the three you posted I would go with the kimber.

Have you considered a Glock 30? It's a little bigger but packs 10+1 rounds and is a very accurate handgun.

 

[Steve 48]

I also had a lot of concern with the Springfield Ultra Carry because of all the bad posts. I went ahead and bought the Springfield Ultra Carry in the Bi-tone and was pleasantly surprised. I have shot every type of ammo and re-loads and it shoots everything I feed it and well. I have a Don Hume concealment holster for it and you can carry this gun all day and hardly know its there. Its a pricey gun but so is the Kimber and the Defender but I have had good luck with my Springfield's and have stayed with them. Steve 48

 

[Socrates]

Be VERY careful about polishing the feedramp. You can remove the anodized finish from this area, and the result is premature wear, as the rounds go through the gun. There are solutions, but, they cost more money: steel feedramp installed, reanodize the frame, etc.

S