Best 1911-45 caliber for Home Defense?

With a spending cap of 1300 dollars what 1911 do you recommend that you find very reliable and and is less prone to jamming or mal-functioning. My wife & I have fired 1911's at our range but we both lack the knowledge of what 1911's will function reliably if & when a lethal situation should arise in a home defense encounter.

Click to expand...

For your money, I'd suggest a PAIR of Rock Island Armory Tactical M1911s.
I like the idea of a his and hers set. You will have cash leftover for practice ammo, perhaps a firearms self defense course.

Out of the box, these RIAs can be as reliable as any other brand, regardless of price. As with any other pistol, you have to "prove" RIAs reliable by firing at least 200 hundred rounds of SD ammo through them, before trusting your life and your loved ones' to them.

I have a S&W Performance Center that I love...just a great gun has been excellent as far as reliability and at 20 yards it makes one hole in the target.

Click to expand...

Ah so.

I have to say that with the exception of my shotguns - all of my firearms make one hole in the target, at pretty much any distance within range.

Then I shoot again and I make another hole in the target.

And so on......

I usually put one hole in the target and lob 7 over the top, then just tell the onlookers I put em all through the same hole.

If you get a double-stack 1911, like the Para, it might not point as well for you as a single-stack one, so try it out first.

At the time(2006) I owned a Springfield parkerized bare bones G.I. model. The darn thing reminded me of my makarov. Insert mag, drop the slide,BANG, every freakin' time! It was a little less accurate than the higher end 1911's, but it was a gr8 shooter. I should have kept it.

One thing I have grown to hate about the G.I, or military type 1911's is the anti-snag stuff. Tiny little thumb safety you can't rest your thumb on. The grip safety will murder the webbing of your hand.Otherwise that would be a good model to pick up.

See if you can find a range that rents them. Try a few, see how they feel and shoot then go from there.

Rock Island Tactical.


Jim

it has been mentined before, but hunt down a Springfield TRP, you won't be dissappointed.

Here's my favorite .45ACP handgun. It has NEVER jammed and it shoots small, ragged one-hole groups with boring regularity at ten yards.

It points better than any 1911 ever made and has fired thousands of rounds without a single hick-up!

The barrel is only 3 1/4" long and the front sight is super sharp . . . as anyone who attempted to grab the short barrel in the dark would find out!

Oh yeah . . . the magazine won't fall out of it either under stress!



And from the side . . . complete with 48 rounds of backup . . . in REAL "clips" . . . of the "moon clip" kind!



T.

I say Dan Wesson ,then Colt.
My Para was a 1 shot pistol with a large ammo storage compartment in grip . All looks nothing more. never again.

Well, I was holding out until I actually got to put a meaningful amount of ammo through it, but I am absolutely in love with my new Dan Wesson CBOB. I only have about 200-300 rounds through it, but so far I am highly impressed. I've shot many different 1911's, and I really think this pistol for $800-$900 is an absolute steal.



The Valor looks real nice, also. I haven't gotten to lay hands on it yet though.

Jason

+1 to 1911 shooter , Kimbers are Junk.

I bought a STI Trojan 1911 recently. I have ran 500 rounds through it so far with no problems.

pt145
i would not want to invest big $ in stopping a felon when i dont have to. if my double eagle was close at hand id use it.

Sapper--Kimbers are junk--either you are joking or you seem to have vastly more knowledge than me & mine

hhmmmmm

has anyone mentioned wilson's KZ. think about it, a wilson hi-cap .45, for 1400 or so. sure is worth consideration

has anyone mentioned wilson's KZ. think about it, a wilson hi-cap .45, for 1400 or so. sure is worth consideration

After doing months of research, I chose a Dan Wesson as my first (and so far only) 1911. I found a used PM7 for a great price, and absolutely love it! If I had found a CBOB for the same price, I would have chosen it, but have absolutely no regrets on the PM7. Traded in my Ruger P90 for it. Still miss the Ruger, but the difference in accuracy is amazing. Never realized how spongy the Ruger trigger was until I tried the DW.

Oops . . . I just noticed that you wanted a 1911-type home defense .45ACP.

Kimbers aren't all junk, and (of course) never have been. Their earlier (pre-"Series II" types) were fantastic guns!

Here's my "ultimate" home defense 1911 type. I believe in it enough to have invested my hard-earned money on it when the original Kimber Ultra CDPs first came out around 2000 . . . long before the Series II models that gave 'em some grief for a while.

What's so good about it?

1. It has been totally reliable for well over a thousand rounds I've put through it. Never a bobble.

2. A 3" short barrel makes it harder for a perp to grab it as a house gun. IMPORTANT, IMHO!

4. Factory Meprolight Nightsights give you the edge in those very low light conditions. Combined with the nearby tactical flashlight to ID the target while temporarily blinding them, you have a winning edge!

And as a CCW tote gun . . .

5. The lightweight (aluminum), Officer's sized frame makes it easy to tote as a CCW gun.

6. Ambidextrous safety allows one to put the gun into action with either hand. For lefties like me, this is manditory anyway.

7. Severely rounded edges everywhere (their "Meltdown Package) makes it more concealable and more snag-resistant during the draw.

8. Checkered front strap for a more positive grip.

9. Bushingless barrel, full-length guide rod and special double spring for reliability and accuracy.

10. Great accuracy from Kimber's original Custom Shop.

Pictured below with a S&W J-frame snubbie for size comparison. The Kimber packs a LOT of punch into a small, reliable package . . .




And . . . as you can see below, mines' been toted a lot . . . and has always been reliable.

For that money, my vote would be for:

1. Dan Wesson PM7
2. SA TRP
3. Colt Gold Cup

Good luck with your choice!

For that money, my vote would be for:

1. Dan Wesson PM7
2. SA TRP
3. Colt Gold Cup

Good luck with your choice!

Click to expand...

Those are all good pistols, but for HD, it might be best to get something that already has night sights. Of course they could be added later, but it's a PITA. You have to find sights that match your dovetails, and of course the one you want isn't available, so you have to send your slide off to be milled, and now you're without your gun, blah blah blah.

It's easiest just to get 'em from the factory.

Jason