4" 1911 ccw

[Kettle93]

Hi there,
I know I'm probably not the first to ask this, but just figured I'd give it a shot. I'm starting to get a small fund set up to get a good pistol both for CC and general shooting, and as of now my favorite has been the 1911 format of pistol. The thing is that if I do plan to carry it however I'd like the size/weight reduction (I know it's like beating a dead horse but oh well) of the 4" barrel. So far the only one I've found is the Kimber Pro Carry II, and I have no clue as to what other manufactures make good quality 4" barrel 1911's, thing is though that whatever suggestions you have have to be US companies because I can't stand buying stuff like this foreign. Thanks for any help.

 

[CTGunner]

I hear nothing but good things about Smith & Wesson's 1911s. Some people don't like the external extractor but from what I have read they work quite well. You may want to look into S&W's new E Series. Colt would be another possibility. If you have more to spend look at Les Baer, Wilson Combat, Ed Brown. They all make top notch equipment. I personally do not care for Kimber. Springfield makes great guns but most of them are assembled in Brazil.

 

[orionengnr]

Welcome to the wonderful world of 1911s. When I started shooting all 1911s were steel framed and had 5" barrels. A lot has changed since then.

These days you can own a 1911 with steel, alloy or Scandium (a fancy alloy) with 3", 3 1/2", 4", 4 1/4", 5" or 6" barrel (and there may be others).

A whole bunch of manufacturers, too...

You owe it to yourself to do some homework before you plunk down your dollars.

IMHO, the 4' to 4 1/4" steel framed guns are the best compromise...but that is based on "shooting a lot".

If you asked me five years ago, I was partial to 3 or 3 1/2" alloy framed 1911s.

'Course, I didn't shoot as much (or as well) as I do now.

 

[DenaliPark]

Colt's would be my choice, the .45 ACP Lightweight Commander XSE weighs in at 26 oz empty, has a 4.25" barrel, ambi safety, and is available in alloy/stainless. Mine is superb, perfectly fitted & finished, and only a hair heavier than a Glock-21 it's easy to pack.

Colt's also offer's an updated version of the officers ACP, the "Defender" in both 9mm & .45 ACP, not to mention the 1991 versions of the "Combat Commander" which is identical to the LW XSE except it's all steel and weighs in at about 37 oz empty....

Springfield Armory's "Champion" would be my back-up choice, they come in what Springfield calls "Loaded" pkg's that incorporate virtually every custom add-on/upgrade at bundle pricing...

All of the above run around a grand, give or take....

 

[9mmepiphany]

American manufactured 1911s in the Commander size (4.25" barrel) that I would recommend, for a 1911 novice, would include the Dan Wesson CBOB and the S&W E-series

 

[230therapy]

You said "small fund" and then mentioned buying a 1911. Good luck!

 

[bdb benzino]

I just picked up a Armscor made Charles Daly 4" 1911 that was bobtailed by the previous owner, and for an inexpensive 1911 its great. I have not shot it too much, but so far its reliable and nice shooting. I still will be on the lookout for a light weight commander when funds allow. Good luck.

Just re-read the American made part, IMHO American made and small fund will not be found on the same 1911.

 

[velocette]

Kettle;
For 6 years, I've been using for my concealed carry pistol, a Kimber Compact Stainless II. this is a 1911 design, 4" barrel on an officers model frame. (shortened butt) My experience has been that for concealed carry, the butt of the pistol is more difficult to hide than the barrel. I found that IWB holsters that carry the pistol with a significant forward angle, work best for concealment.
Cheap it was not. However reliable it is. Stainless steel resists corrosion from south Florida sweating. If you are carrying concealed, you will soon find rust corrosion a real problem with a blued firearm, so look for stainless or a pistol with a good anticorrosive coating. As far as weight is concerned, the lightweight pistols are easier to carry all day long but less pleasing to shoot. All steel is the opposite. A GOOD holster is very important to all day comfort along with a good gunbelt, there IS a difference.
Tritiium night sights are important, CT lasergrips are VERRRRy nice. You don't really think it'll be mid-day at the range when you need your CC piece do ya?
In the end, save your money a bit longer & buy a pistol that will suit your needs for a long time with all the nice things needed. You'll thank yourself for years to come.

Roger

 

[Zerodefect]

I like the DanWesson CCO the best right now.

Also look at:
Colt
Kimber
Fusion
LesBaer

 

[Yo Mama]

If you are nw to 1911s, I'd try on a few in a IWB holster to see what feels good. IMO, go full size. A 5 incher vs. 4 is not going to solve all your ccw problems such as weight and size. I prefer a longer barrel for velocity and accuracy. See what you think, and let us know what you end up with.

 

[doc540]

a good ($100+) holster from a reputable holster maker can make a world of difference in how well any 1911 carries

 

[Shmackey]

Whee!

 

[WC145]

Take a look at the new SIG 1911 Traditional Compact. It is a true CCO size gun (4.25"), all stainless, checkered front strap, checkered MSH, undercut trigger guard, night sights, two stainless mags, etc, etc. They're selling in the $800-850 range (MSRP $1099) and you get a lot of gun for the money. Mine is very accurate and has had no feeding or extracting issues with several different brands of ammo, both FMJ and JHP. The slide didn't want to lock back after the last round every time but I traced that to a burr on the back of the slide stop that was hanging it up. I cleaned that up and it runs great now. I shot it at an IDPA match yesterday and had no troubles whatsoever. Also, the new SIG Traditional series has a normally contoured slide, not their old blocky slide, so they fit in any 1911 holster.

 

[G27RR]

STI Ranger II
Made in Texas, lifetime warranty, I wrote a review on my pair in 9mm and .45 on here a while back. Very accurate, very well made and very reliable. Not sure what your budget is, this one usually runs about $1,000.

 

[Husker_Fan]

You might thing about a CCO style gun. They have a Commander slide on an Officer's frame. I like the 4.25 inch slides with a bushing as opposed to the shorter bull barrel guns.

The officer's frame is a touch shorter and give you one less round but makes the grip more concealable. Sig has a couple of nice examples that have aluminum alloy frames.

 

[CZ223]

You might want to look at

The Kimber Tac Pro II. It has a 4 inch barrel and a lightweight frame. I have had mine for a couple of years now and it is my favorite carry piece.

 

[Jason_G]

A lot of folks like CCOs, but I prefer a commander size for the full size frame (for the extra round or two), since the butt is not hard for me to conceal. The beavertail prints worse than the butt does. That said, my carry is bobbed.

Jason

 

[Valkman]

Try the Kimber Pro or Compact CDP. I have the Compact model and it is my carry gun in a VMII or shoulder holster.

 

[Hossfly68]

I know somebody will laugh at me, but my American Classic Commander was a great, inexpensive .45. Very carriable and never had a hiccup on any ammo I fed it. I should have kept it but I sold it to a friend to buy a gun for my wife. She doesn't like .45's for some reason. I'm more of a sa/da guy anyway, but it sure was fun to shoot.

 

[stormspotter]

You might also look into the Magnum Research Desert Eagle 1911C. This is a Commanbder length 1911 made in Israel. See a review below.

http://www.gunblast.com/DesertEagle1911.htm

I picked up this one up used (50 rounds fired)as a spare to my first DE1911C and it was just $500 delivered. I had the American Holly grips made, but will probably sell them later as I like checkered grips better.





Both have been 100% reliable.

 

[DenaliPark]

Here's a 4" Springfield Stainless "Champion" so-named because Colt's pounced on them way back when for calling it a commander....It's an interesting pistol, it uses a bull barrel, forgoing the obligatory barrel bushing, it's accuracy is match quality level...

 

[Old Dog]

Sheez. Waitin' on the purists (the Colt guys, it's gotta be 4.25 inches) to check in. The Lightweight Commander is my favorite all-time 1911, hands-down. The Combat Commander is in my top 5.

But I've got a super reliable, beautiful Springfield Armory Loaded Stainless Champion that's as good as any Colt I've ever owned. I've also got a Kimber CDP Pro II that's earned its stripes both with respect to accuracy and reliability. Gasp -- these two are both 4-inchers, not the requisite 4 and a quarter inchers ...

'Course, I've been shootin' and carryin' 1911s for only going on 40 years now. Did I mention the Kimber Tactical Pro II (way cool)?

 

[Lucky 7]

As mentioned above, a CCO (Officer's frame/~4" barrel) may be a good set up for you. I have a Springer Compact "Super-Tuned" I picked up for a song last summer, and while all steel, it is very comfortable to shoot and carry.

As far as a small fund for A 1911, you're better off forgetting that notion. They multiple like rabbits.

Regards,
Lucky

 

[G27RR]

Another new opton if you don't mind a 9mm is the STI El Comandante. This one has a 4.25" barrel.

http://www.dawsonprecision.com/CategoryProductList.jsp?cat=FIREARMS:STI+Pistols:El+Comandante+/+GI

 

[Stealth01]

Kettle93,
I debated and finally went all in for the 1911 platform! Wilson Combat's Bill Wilson Carry in 45 and a Ms. Sentinel in 9 mm! You can't buy better... IMHO.