230therapy
Member
Another vote for the Springfield Armory EMP!
1911 in 9mm
- Thread starter greenscape
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cardinalfan
Member
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2011
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Colt Defender in 9mm
robctwo
Member
Les Baer PII, Ionbonded, f/o front sight, Esmeralda slim grips. 2k+
Very nice pistol. I like the looks of the Dan Wesson, and really like the looks of that S&W.
SharpsDressedMan
member
Any competent gunsmith can fit a .38 super barrel into a 9mm 1911 in about 30 minutes or less.
It is a well known fact in gunsmith circles that many 9mm slides have breech faces that will not accommodate .38 Super. Get advice from a gunsmith.
Edited to add. It is true most manufacturers of slides list the breech face of their slides as 9mm/.38 Super. However, I have had two 9mm slides from STI that would not accommodate .38 Super. That issue is not an STI exclusive.
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Damon555
Member
Got this used one today....Shot it 100 times and not a single problem. I love it
The Wiry Irishman
Member
Another solution to this would be using one of the rimless .38 supers, like .38 super comp or .38 TJ.
Damon555
Member
I got it for seven bills Shooter57
Not as good a deal as my $650 Eclipse Custom II but I'm not going to complain.
Not as good a deal as my $650 Eclipse Custom II but I'm not going to complain.
KodiakBeer
member
Yeah. It's roughly the same size and width as a 1911 and has almost double the magazine capacity - 15+1 with the Mec Gars.
I love and appreciate my 1911's for what they are, but in 9mm the Hi Power leads the pack. Just like a 1911, you can customize and give it a superb trigger.
Rock185
Member
Hello greenscape. I have owned several 9mm and .38 Supers by Kimber and Colt. The 9mm, in a full size steel 1911 gun, is low recoil, even with +P and +P+ ammo, and a pleasure to shoot IMHO. Ammunition is relatively cheap and plentiful. Accuracy in all my Supers and 9mms, other than the earlier .38 Super Colts that tried to headspace on the semi-rim rather than the case mouth, has been very good. The Colts and Kimbers I have owned had no issues switching from 9mm to .38 Super or vise versa. My 9mm and .38 Super Kimbers, a total of four, all had 10mm/.40 cal. breech faces and have been 100% reliable. My 10mm Kimber had the same breech face size as my 9mm and .38 Super Kimbers. I didn't think to try a 9mm or Super barrel in the 10mm Kimber I owned. ymmv
Thanks to RIA you can finally get your hands on a 9mm 1911 for under $600+ and for a while there were none below $800... they're catching on fast.
I have a STI Trojan 9mm, and for the money I do not believe it really has a rival in the marketplace, at $1K I'd pick a Trojan over any other sub-$2k offering from any other maker easy, STI builds more non-.45 1911-style guns than anybody and they have it down pretty good (now if they could just figure out how to blue a gun... different matter). That said, it has it's shortcomings and like any 1911 that's going to see a lot of use, when you end up changing parts out for it to suit you it can add up quick.
Mags are the thing, you need quality mags on a 9mm 1911 and cannot skimp, you'll need Wilson ETM's, Tripp Cobra's, or the "Springfield" Metalforms (best on non-ramped models).
Budget allowing IMHO it goes like this from low to high: 1. RIA Tactical 2.STI Spartan (probably the best bang-for-the-buck) 3.Springfield Loaded 4.(tie) STI Trojan or Les Baer Premier II 6. Custom build
I don't consider Kimber's or S&W's good choices due to their firing pin/Schwartz safety nonsense and inflated price-tags, and I also skip Wilson, Brown's and Nighthawks as they tend to be put together more for the non-shooting 1911-aficionado looking for fit-and-finish over pure performance and I've seen all of them fail more than run in IDPA and USPSA, they may be built too well/tight actially and make a tricky recipe even trickier... I also wouldn't really recommend any of the 9mm 1911 platforms built in "carry formats" such as DW's Guardian; IMO 9mm in a 1911 is fun, but also pretty much one of the most notoriously finicky combos, pretty poor choice for SD when a G17 is the same size, 10 times more reliable and half the weight with twice the firepower.
I know some might disagree with me, but honestly, in the 1911 segment, which I find super annoying, there is often more of an emphasis put on things like finish, "purdy grips" and crap like "fit was so tight I couldn't rack it for 3 years" over whether or not a guy can actually run a bunch of rounds through 'em... The collector aspect doesn't interest me much I guess, but the shooting aspect sure does.
JMHO/YMMV
I have a STI Trojan 9mm, and for the money I do not believe it really has a rival in the marketplace, at $1K I'd pick a Trojan over any other sub-$2k offering from any other maker easy, STI builds more non-.45 1911-style guns than anybody and they have it down pretty good (now if they could just figure out how to blue a gun... different matter). That said, it has it's shortcomings and like any 1911 that's going to see a lot of use, when you end up changing parts out for it to suit you it can add up quick.
Mags are the thing, you need quality mags on a 9mm 1911 and cannot skimp, you'll need Wilson ETM's, Tripp Cobra's, or the "Springfield" Metalforms (best on non-ramped models).
Budget allowing IMHO it goes like this from low to high: 1. RIA Tactical 2.STI Spartan (probably the best bang-for-the-buck) 3.Springfield Loaded 4.(tie) STI Trojan or Les Baer Premier II 6. Custom build
I don't consider Kimber's or S&W's good choices due to their firing pin/Schwartz safety nonsense and inflated price-tags, and I also skip Wilson, Brown's and Nighthawks as they tend to be put together more for the non-shooting 1911-aficionado looking for fit-and-finish over pure performance and I've seen all of them fail more than run in IDPA and USPSA, they may be built too well/tight actially and make a tricky recipe even trickier... I also wouldn't really recommend any of the 9mm 1911 platforms built in "carry formats" such as DW's Guardian; IMO 9mm in a 1911 is fun, but also pretty much one of the most notoriously finicky combos, pretty poor choice for SD when a G17 is the same size, 10 times more reliable and half the weight with twice the firepower.
I know some might disagree with me, but honestly, in the 1911 segment, which I find super annoying, there is often more of an emphasis put on things like finish, "purdy grips" and crap like "fit was so tight I couldn't rack it for 3 years" over whether or not a guy can actually run a bunch of rounds through 'em... The collector aspect doesn't interest me much I guess, but the shooting aspect sure does.
JMHO/YMMV
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Yeah, the deal is it's just not a combo that's very forgiving to those who are not interested in learning a bit about what is going on with them and what needs to work out for them to run... but it's not impossible. Basically it's a shorter round in a gun designed for a longer round (and not really known for it's inherent, hands-off reliability).
Timing is the name of the game, mostly it has to do with the springs. If the slide is moving sluggish you're f'ed, if the slide out-runs the mags you're f'ed, if the rounds nose-dive in the mags you're f'ed, etc. - you get the picture...
Seems pretty much every manufacturer over-springs the 9's from the factory, over-sprung 1911's are commonplace as they want newbies to think their guns are "tight" so if it's easy to rack 'em in the shop many think it's not right, also many believe in the myth of frame-battering (which is closer to the tooth-fairy and easterbunny than a real concern, unless you're the type of mall-ninja who's going to put 2 cases of +P+ through it with a 8lb spring as fast as you can!).
In a 9mm 1911 a 10lb recoil spring is great for all-around and where I start, but doubt you'll find even one that comes from the factory with less than a 12 or so.
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The unique to 9mm parts are: extractor, ejector, slide-stop, mags, firing pin, barrel and breech-face. Everything else is the same as the classic .45ACP 1911.
No, not really, I spent a fair amount of time on the benos forum picking up things from the many hardcore competition shooters over there before I jumped in and I have learned a lot since then. It's pretty much all about good mags and understanding when you'd want lighter springs or when you'd want heavier.
I don't want to deter or scare anyone from trying a 9mm 1911, it's about as awesome as it gets, cheap ammo, best trigger, crazy aftermarket, kicks like a .22, just want to be honest about what it takes to really have fun with them and avoid headaches... Larry Vickers said something to the effect: "If you're the type who wants to treat your gun like you treat your lawnmower, get a Glock, but if you're the type who might not mind learning to wrench on your Harley Davidson and don't mind being your own armorer you might be a candidate for a 1911..." - think that sums it up, just in 9mm you might have to be a bit better at it than with a .45, that's all.
HorseSoldier
Member
It's just not the same thing at all (which I say as a fan of both and owner of both). Trigger on the HP is nowhere near the 1911, the dimensions are different -- the HP is a great pistol, but if someone wants a 1911 in 9mm it's not the answer. The manual of arms is similar, but so is a CZ-75, an M&P 9mm with external safety, and various others -- the cosmetic resemblance between the 1911 and HP doesn't translate to them handling the same.
Perhaps this is something to consider regarding a self defense weapon. I don't want to treat my SD weapon like a lawn mower. But I also don't have the time to become a 1911 expert to make sure it won't fail on me when I need it most.
If self-defense is the main concern then IMO there's absolutely no reason not to just pick up a G19/17 and start training with it, I've owned just about everything and as far as a combat handgun is concerned nobody has anything on a Glock 9mm (not a Gen4 which is a s**ty toy IMO).
A 9mm 1911, or even any 1911 in-general is probably better treated as an enthusiast's pistol. A Honda is best if you just need to get to work and get the kids to school, a dialed in 1911 is a Ferrari, different thing.
It's always the indian more than the arrow, and while I'm better than many with a one, a Glock's trigger doesn't do a guy any favors, take an IDPA or common silhouette target, mess up even a little with a Glock with a pretty good Glock trigger and you may not even be on the paper at 25 yards, that same mess up with a heavier, well-fit 1911 with a trigger that breaks like a glass rod and you are still in good shape, maybe an inch or 2 left, but still pretty accurate.
Don't underestimate the power of a nice single-action trigger on a heavy, accurate gun to make you look good, it helps a lot. If SD scenarios are the main concern, andcwe were discussing pure self-defense or protection tactics then no question, I'd choose a Glock, but if I wanted to take the BG's eye out at 25 yards I'd want the 1911...
A 9mm 1911, or even any 1911 in-general is probably better treated as an enthusiast's pistol. A Honda is best if you just need to get to work and get the kids to school, a dialed in 1911 is a Ferrari, different thing.
It's always the indian more than the arrow, and while I'm better than many with a one, a Glock's trigger doesn't do a guy any favors, take an IDPA or common silhouette target, mess up even a little with a Glock with a pretty good Glock trigger and you may not even be on the paper at 25 yards, that same mess up with a heavier, well-fit 1911 with a trigger that breaks like a glass rod and you are still in good shape, maybe an inch or 2 left, but still pretty accurate.
Don't underestimate the power of a nice single-action trigger on a heavy, accurate gun to make you look good, it helps a lot. If SD scenarios are the main concern, andcwe were discussing pure self-defense or protection tactics then no question, I'd choose a Glock, but if I wanted to take the BG's eye out at 25 yards I'd want the 1911...
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