Trade AR-15 for 1911?

I think if I had a Colt 6920 handy, there is no way I would reach for a 1911 to defend my home!!

It would be a big step down.

Spend some money on .223 practice ammo and learn the AR-15 Carbine inside & out.

You can't do near as well with any handgun once you learn how to run one.

On the other hand, once you think you need a stainless steel 1911?
There is probably no turning back, until you find out what you bought!!


rc

Totally agree with rcmodel (not surprising).

In my opinion there is no finer home defense weapon than a familiar AR. By familiar I mean that you are comfortable with the weapon and have experience with it.

If I were a bad guy I would prefer to hear a 1911 being locked and loaded than to hear an AR bolt slam home.

1. So your ar is collecting dust? wow....good advice from rcmodel in regards to your AR.
2. I would never consider trading an AR for a 1911 for the fact that you mentioned H.R. 4269. And for the fact you mentioned "you hardly get to go shooting" by this I don't think you would do even better using an 1911
3. Home defense with your given facts...you'd have a better chance neutralizing the threat with a shotgun with 00buck etc..than a single .45 projectile or ar15

I would just get what I wanted.

If the AR just doesn't do it for you anymore or you're not using it much these days, then by all means get something you want and will possibly use more often.

A handgun is generally preferred indoors. But there is no way I'd trade a Colt AR for a 1911, especially a Springfield. Learn to use the AR and keep it, pick up a used Glock 19 for a handgun and you'll be better armed all around.

Later when you can afford a range toy then you can buy a 1911 if you just want one.

Agree with the R.C.Model dude ...

Keep the Colt 6920, learn to shoot it well, irons first. Invest in a quality no-frills RDS and mount, like the Aimpoint PRO. Zero it for 50yds/225yds. Then reconfirm both zeros each range outing. Practice shooting from standing as well as improvised field-positions, like kneeling. You won't be shooting "off-the-bench" inside your house.

Invest in several cases of decent 5.56 ammo, and then attend one of the many available AR tactical training courses. You'll further develop good shooting technique as well as solid defensive skills - like how to clear rooms in your house without shooting innocents or getting shot.

While doing the above, save up for purchasing a 1911 down the road.

Quality 1911s are pretty ubiquitous these days, although some are pricey, but the model itself is unlikely to be the first autoloader placed on any state's or Fed's "Banned" list of "Evil Handguns," since magazine capacity - in single-stack configuration anyway - is less than the politically-correct and officially-sanctioned cutoff of 10-rds.

You can thank me later ...

First off, I wouldn't make the trade unless the guy with the .45 is kicking in cash.
Secondly you have to consider what you home defense needs are, how your home is laid-out and your family members. In my case the family is spread out through out the house. I have 5 additional people in my home right now that I have to account for and I don't want stray rounds passing through drywall.
I have always been of the school of thought that a minimal penetrating pistol round or short shotgun is best for inside defense. Swinging a carbine length rifle around corners or up into a shooting position indoors isn't as easy as you might think. There's a good reason why entry teams use subguns on the job.
I have actually practiced inside my home moving around through out with an AR and I found too many situations where I couldn't move the carbine as I would like. My M1 Carbines are actually better suited IMHO.
A handgun is usually going to be pointing in the right position. I don't see myself going outside the home to defend it. I prefer to remain indoors and leave the bad guys outside.
I'm using (2) 9mm handguns with semi-jacketed +P rounds for home and personal defense.
Punch line - Keep your AR and save the coin to buy a handgun.

How much did the AR cost you and how much is the 1911 worth? I don't like going down in value if I don't have to. As for home defense, I'd consider a short shotgun or a smaller semi auto. Just because a firearm has all the bells and whistles doesn't make it a great firearm. Less is more.

kwg

Not to jump on the bandwagon, but I agree with the other folks. An AR carbine is a fierce and mighty defense tool.

You already have a handgun in the glock, no reason to get rid of the rifle to get a second handgun. You should be looking for a shotgun to have one of each if you don't already have one.

There are plenty ARS going cheap, colt has never been one of them. There are plenty 1911s going cheap, springfields prices have moved. If you decipher that the way I do, Colt is s premium supplier for the AR and Springfield is a middle of the road supplier on 1911. Comparatively you are going from GREAT to OK

If H.R. 4269 is a Federal Bill introduced into Congress I would not be concerned about it or a Federal ban on "assault weapons" anytime soon. As long as enough pressure is been put on Republicans a "assault weapon" bill will not be passed.

As for trading why not? One of the curses facing gun lovers as are on this forum is there are so many choices and so little time and money (at least for me). Frankly I have lived just fine all my life without a AR (although I admit I have recently brought some AR lowers).

I'd hang on to the AR, and save until I could get the 1911.

That's just me though.

I'd hang on to the AR, and save until I could get the 1911.

That's just me though.

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I would agree with this.

TestedTwice -
It sounds like your budget is pretty tight. I understand that, I have been there. I am not a gunsmith or expert in the condition of used firearms. More than likely, if I was trading firearms, I would be lucky to break even on the deal. Therefore, I make my large firearm purchases new.

In the future I would like to have both a Colt AR and a decent 1911. I would advise you not to make the trade to instantly get that 1911. Sometimes you need to tell yourself NO and save the money up. If not at tax time, than maybe around your birthday etc.

I am sure if a person really knows what he is doing , he can do well swapping. I just do not know enough to be that guy. Besides a Springfield is at the low end of the 1911 offerings. Save up and get what you want.

Swanee

I'd vote for a 12 ga. I keep my A5 stoked with 00 then #4 then 00 and so on. No plug in mag tube.

Has a stainless 1911, sold it, and now want it back?

If you sell the AR, in the future, you well may want it back, and things change. It's availability could become difficult to acquire - money, law, etc., same as your situation now.

I would sell the Glock (and did.) If you look around the house, you may well see other things that are gathering dust, too, and they also represent value that could go toward the purchase of the 1911. We all accumulate a lot of stuff over the years, then it falls into disuse. Sell it.

And

I get that the AR-15 is a superior weapon, but in bump in the night situation I'm reaching for a medium frame handgun everytime.

Rc is right as usual.

First, the Springfield Loaded is an excellent firearm as is the Colt AR that you have. Either fulfills the first rule of gunfighting which is to have a firearm.

Just a few of my thoughts FWIW,

If you can practice seldom, most people shoot long guns better than a pistol. Longer sight lines, lighter recoil, more points of contact to handle recoil.

1911's require practice to manipulate the slide and safety properly so above recommendations of a glock 17 or 19 or another reliable DAO 9mm from S&W, Walther, Ruger, and the like are on point and all of these will do about as well. 9mm is lighter recoiling, cheap ammo, generally greater ammo capacity in the magazine and is easier for occasional shooters to shoot more accurately.

House clearing by yourself is generally not a good idea without quite a bit of training. Better off holing up with your AR in a safe room with communications open to 911.

jmr40 said:

A handgun is generally preferred indoors. But there is no way I'd trade a Colt AR for a 1911, especially a Springfield. Learn to use the AR and keep it, pick up a used Glock 19 for a handgun and you'll be better armed all around.

Later when you can afford a range toy then you can buy a 1911 if you just want one.

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Excellent advice! You're well armed with the Colt 6920 and Glock 19, once you become proficient with them. Later, a 1911 is a fine addition. I can't see getting rid of a quality AR, it's such a flexible rife to have on hand.

TestedTwice – What are you thinking man?

For sure keep the AR. If it collects dust for a while so be it. If you sell it, it might be very hard to replace. And you say you really like it. So why would you want to get rid of it.

As for the home defense thing, I prefer a hand gun as well. Not saying an AR isn't better for a lot of people, but not for me. I wouldn’t have any problem with a G19.

So I think you should just save up and get the 1911 when you can.

No way I'd do that deal. Non-custom 1911s will always be around, who knows what will happen with evil assault weapons. Beside that, I've owned a SA 1911, it started out unremarkable and even with some trigger work ended up being just OK.

TestedTwice said:

Thanks for the responses, everyone. I've decided to keep the AR. I'll just use my tax return for the 1911 and save up for the vacation. I know I'll have an easier time justifying a family vacation as a reason to put cash away rather than another gun. I also just discovered that I can't even get a Colt in my area, as Colt recently started with some kind of 'Stocking Dealer' thing. I don't have any dealers near me that can pay that much for inventory, so I would be kind of screwed. I appreciate all the responses! I will definitely be bringing the AR along with me to the range when I get out there.

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Good decision! I have several ARs, several 1911's, and several Glocks. My 1911's haven't given me the level of reliability I would like to have in a home defense gun. I may be a bit conservative, but if something goes bump in the night, I want something that will be easy to chamber and run without having to think about anything. While my 1911's tend to go bang every time, they will, on occasion, fail to feed.

Maybe your AR15 isn't the best home defense tool for you since you don't get to practice with it much. In that case, I would try to find a hand gun that works for you and is reliable. As it happens, you already have that gun... the Glock 19! For me, it is my Beretta 92A1 until I can find a Glock 21 Gen 3 used at a decent price.