anyone carry full size 1911?
- Thread starter chucker85
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longknife12
Member
Practice...practice...practice.....
Dan
Dan
mljdeckard
Member
Yup. Full-size, all-steel. Year-round. Including 100+ degree summers. Get a good belt and a good holster. (Crossbreed Supertuck works for me.)
I'd check over in the Autoloader Handgun sub-forum:
http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=33
http://www.thehighroad.org/forumdisplay.php?f=33
smalls
Member
Commander, close enough?
A good belt/holster combo goes a loooooong way. Carries really nice, though. The slimness makes it not feel like a brick to me.
If you don't currently carry something with exterior safeties, practice until its second nature.
A good belt/holster combo goes a loooooong way. Carries really nice, though. The slimness makes it not feel like a brick to me.
If you don't currently carry something with exterior safeties, practice until its second nature.
+1, I use the supertuck, very comfortable for full size 1911. If your pants keep dropping consider using suspenders and a belt, works for me.
BobTheTomato
Member
Yes......be fat.....it makes it easier
GE-Mini-Gun
Member
Sig C3...year round
rswartsell
Member
Yep, Kimber Custom II Target on occasion. Thanks to Bob the Tomato, very seldom I hear of any advantage to my being a "man of (excess) substance".
trickyasafox
Member
I do- mostly appendix carry. You never forget its there. Make sure you get a full length sweat shield, or the hammer will eat you up.
rswartsell
Member
+1^
1911s are child's play to carry. I prefer a light weight Commander size, but a good holster and belt are both mandatory for the steel versions. It is really concealable in an IWB holster though.
Try carrying an N frame revolver and then we can discuss a challenge. A 1911 is a very thin weapon.
I carry at 4 o'clock with a Versamax II. A very effective holster.
Try carrying an N frame revolver and then we can discuss a challenge. A 1911 is a very thin weapon.
I carry at 4 o'clock with a Versamax II. A very effective holster.
Occasionally, but I'd rather carry a Commander or a CCO. The slightly shorter barrel makes it more comfortable carrying IWB.
It ain't that hard really, makes me wonder why people whine about the weight of a steel 1911... Do they not own belts or something?
It ain't that hard really, makes me wonder why people whine about the weight of a steel 1911... Do they not own belts or something?
Skylerbone
Member
My biggest problem with carrying a Government Model IWB is the limited space it leaves between the muzzle and my back pocket. Makes pulling my wallet out a bit more difficult.
I carry in a Summer Special style holster with a real gun belt and the weight is not a problem. For OWB I'd recommend either the highest riding holster you can find that isn't floppy or a Commander length. I would suggest deciding on which condition you will carry in (Condition 1 for me) and I would suggest not using a thumb break style holster. Sort that out and you'll be fine.
A good place to start: http://www.5shotleather.com/
I carry in a Summer Special style holster with a real gun belt and the weight is not a problem. For OWB I'd recommend either the highest riding holster you can find that isn't floppy or a Commander length. I would suggest deciding on which condition you will carry in (Condition 1 for me) and I would suggest not using a thumb break style holster. Sort that out and you'll be fine.
A good place to start: http://www.5shotleather.com/
DC3-CVN-72
Member
Not yet, but I will some time after 6-9-13 !!
1911 guy
Member
I've carried nothing but a full size 1911 for years. The hard part of concealing a handgun is the width and the grip frame length. The 1911 is thinner than most and no longer in the grip frame than any other decently sized handgun. I did try to carry a Kel-Tek P3AT as a BUG for a while, but actually found it much more uncomfortable, it kept poking me in the side.
Step one is to make the decision to carry a decent sized pistol. Accept that you won't be able to pocket carry, most "tuckable" holsters will make you look like a cossack dancer and people who carry mouseguns will tell you you're needlessly torturing yourself. Remember what you're gaining. A larger pistol that is easier to operate, has a longer sight radius, less recoil, chambered in something far larger than .32 or .380 and you happen to shoot it well. If you haven't made up your mind to really do it, you'll wind up leaving it at home. It can be a pain in the tuckus until you get it worked out for yourself. Decide to do it and persevere. It will become second nature.
Step two is a good gunbelt. A nice, thick leather belt isn't necesarily a gunbelt. A gunbelt is purpose made and will cost you anywhere between forty bucks for a Wilderness (my personal favorite, regardless of cost) to hundreds if you go in for custom work with all the fancy engraving and exotic materials. A good holster is worthless is held up by a crappy belt.
Step three is the holster. Decide if you want to go IWB or OWB. I find IWB gives me a bit more leeway in clothing, but OWB is a bit more comfortable. I carry OWB when I can, IWB when I need to. Expect to buy more than one holster. Expect to buy more than three or four holsters. Every maker has certain angles and features that differentiate them from everyone else. It will take some experimenting. You don't have to go broke, though. Research your first purchase as well as you can, then compare your experience to what else is available. Make due with the first while you save and research the next. And so on. One day, you'll find "it". And it will be different than my "it" because we are shaped differently, move differently and have different levels of required retention and concealment. We also probably have differing levels of acceptance for discomfort or inconvenience. All these figure into holster choice. Off the rack, Galco and El Paso Saddlery make good stuff. If you are willing to wait a bit, there are custom makers that will provide leather just as good, in a lot of cases better, for the same money. Custom stuff I like includes the Crossbreed Supertuck, Sparks Versa-Max, Sparks Summer Special, Bromeland Max-Con (I think he's out of business, though) and one whose name escapes me. I can't go look, my wife's asleep in the bedroom. Waking her up looking at holsters is a recipe for disaster. I personally don't like shoulder holsters and can't tell you a thing about them. Some people like them, though. You may wind up being one of those unfortunate souls, ahem, I mean lucky individuals.
Step four is magazines. If you carry ANY type of autoloader, you need at least one reload. Tossing lead downrange has nothing to do with it. The most common source of malfunctions in an autoloading pistol is magazine failure. I find that especially carrying OWB, two reloads simply balances out the weight better. IWB it doesn't seem to matter as much since the waistband of my pants, as well as the belt, are supporting the pistol. If you go this route, remember that two single carriers take up less real estate on the belt than a double carrier. Unless they're paddle style. Then they are massive space hogs.
Step five is to realize that ninety nine percent of the people around you are positively clueless. One percent will spot a little lump in your clothing, and ninety nine percent of those will assume it's a cell phone, blackberry, etc. When in doubt, do the mirror or spouse check. If I question the "hang" of a certain shirt or jacket, I simply ask my wife. Sometimes I ask her when I'm not carrying, just to keep her honest!
Step one is to make the decision to carry a decent sized pistol. Accept that you won't be able to pocket carry, most "tuckable" holsters will make you look like a cossack dancer and people who carry mouseguns will tell you you're needlessly torturing yourself. Remember what you're gaining. A larger pistol that is easier to operate, has a longer sight radius, less recoil, chambered in something far larger than .32 or .380 and you happen to shoot it well. If you haven't made up your mind to really do it, you'll wind up leaving it at home. It can be a pain in the tuckus until you get it worked out for yourself. Decide to do it and persevere. It will become second nature.
Step two is a good gunbelt. A nice, thick leather belt isn't necesarily a gunbelt. A gunbelt is purpose made and will cost you anywhere between forty bucks for a Wilderness (my personal favorite, regardless of cost) to hundreds if you go in for custom work with all the fancy engraving and exotic materials. A good holster is worthless is held up by a crappy belt.
Step three is the holster. Decide if you want to go IWB or OWB. I find IWB gives me a bit more leeway in clothing, but OWB is a bit more comfortable. I carry OWB when I can, IWB when I need to. Expect to buy more than one holster. Expect to buy more than three or four holsters. Every maker has certain angles and features that differentiate them from everyone else. It will take some experimenting. You don't have to go broke, though. Research your first purchase as well as you can, then compare your experience to what else is available. Make due with the first while you save and research the next. And so on. One day, you'll find "it". And it will be different than my "it" because we are shaped differently, move differently and have different levels of required retention and concealment. We also probably have differing levels of acceptance for discomfort or inconvenience. All these figure into holster choice. Off the rack, Galco and El Paso Saddlery make good stuff. If you are willing to wait a bit, there are custom makers that will provide leather just as good, in a lot of cases better, for the same money. Custom stuff I like includes the Crossbreed Supertuck, Sparks Versa-Max, Sparks Summer Special, Bromeland Max-Con (I think he's out of business, though) and one whose name escapes me. I can't go look, my wife's asleep in the bedroom. Waking her up looking at holsters is a recipe for disaster. I personally don't like shoulder holsters and can't tell you a thing about them. Some people like them, though. You may wind up being one of those unfortunate souls, ahem, I mean lucky individuals.
Step four is magazines. If you carry ANY type of autoloader, you need at least one reload. Tossing lead downrange has nothing to do with it. The most common source of malfunctions in an autoloading pistol is magazine failure. I find that especially carrying OWB, two reloads simply balances out the weight better. IWB it doesn't seem to matter as much since the waistband of my pants, as well as the belt, are supporting the pistol. If you go this route, remember that two single carriers take up less real estate on the belt than a double carrier. Unless they're paddle style. Then they are massive space hogs.
Step five is to realize that ninety nine percent of the people around you are positively clueless. One percent will spot a little lump in your clothing, and ninety nine percent of those will assume it's a cell phone, blackberry, etc. When in doubt, do the mirror or spouse check. If I question the "hang" of a certain shirt or jacket, I simply ask my wife. Sometimes I ask her when I'm not carrying, just to keep her honest!
kyletx1911
Member
Ria all day every day
Rubber_Duck
Member
1911 guy gives great advice. I carry my Colt XSE LW Commander OWB in a cheap Tagua thumbreak belt holster and it just disappears under a medium size T-shirt, very comfortable.
+1 on getting a good belt, the one I have now isn't very good, I'm always readjusting it when I'm carrying.
+1 on getting a good belt, the one I have now isn't very good, I'm always readjusting it when I'm carrying.
Sergei Mosin
Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2011
- Messages
- 1,918
1911 guy speaks wisdom. Lots of us carry full-size 1911s and don't think anything of it. Come to think of it, my 1911 is the smallest gun I've ever carried!
otasan56
Member
I carry a Springfield Armory M1911A1 .45 ACP in the winter-time, because I don't trust my 115gr 9mm +p+ JHPs to make it through winter clothing.
Strong side IWB, Blade-Tech UCH.
I like the BladeTech UCH because of the adjustable kant; I wear the pistol at about 3:00 with it canted forward so that it doesn't print.
Two things I did with this holster to make it perfect for me: one, I canted it all the way forward then put clear adhesive sealant all over the area where it would / could have moved preventing any unwanted slipage, second I removed what I deemed excess material from the holster, now it's perfect.
I like the BladeTech UCH because of the adjustable kant; I wear the pistol at about 3:00 with it canted forward so that it doesn't print.
Two things I did with this holster to make it perfect for me: one, I canted it all the way forward then put clear adhesive sealant all over the area where it would / could have moved preventing any unwanted slipage, second I removed what I deemed excess material from the holster, now it's perfect.
^^^^Best advice right here....There are clones as well, I too wear a 1911 every day. Get a good belt, and shirts one size larger than you wear now. I conceal in the summer under a T-shirt no problem.
I use a Theis holster which is a clone of the Supertuck. Get the horsehide as it doesn't absorb sweat. That and clean your gun weekly, check it daily(press check), everytime you put it on......and practice.
Good luck,
LNK
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