Best Modifications for carry

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mwpslp

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I recently posted a request for information about the purchase of a new gun which has lead me to ask this question. I have a Kimber Pro CDP and a Springfield Champion. Both are concealed carry guns. What would some of the more practical modifications be for each of these? Do either of these guns have any common faults, deficiencies, issues or shortcomings? I will even go so far as to ask for gunsmith recommendations. Yost has come up several times as well as Clark.
 
Both are excellent carry guns as they are in my opinion. Maybe some night sights or a nice buff job if they malfunction at all. The only shortcomming I know of with the Springfield is that sometimes the extractor is out of tune, but that is an easy fix for a gunsmith. Both my Springfield and my friends Kimber needed to be broken in, but thats pretty standard with autos.
 
Well.. both the Kimber and SA should suite you well, provided that those short barrel 1911s work. I'm heard reliability is a wash with champion, with somewhat favorable reports with the CDP pro. But imo, I wouldn't trust a short barreled 1911. Shortest I would go would be a 4.25" commander size. The Scandium commander by S&W comes to mind. Light weight, longer sight radius and I'm heard good things about this pistol.

Now, modifications I'd require for a carry pistol? I require 3

- Sights I can use, preferrably fixed
- Dehorned pistol all around
- Extended thumb safety, strongside only.

The other bells and whistles doesn't really matter to me, though they are nice.
 
Tune your pistol to your carry ammo/buy good leather

Hi there,

The best thing you can do is tune your pistol to your carry ammo, make sure your carry piece is 100% reliable and buy decent leather to carry it in.

I recently bought a SA Champion for concealed carry. It is not the first 1911 I have owned. It will not go on my belt until I have run 500 rounds of ammo through it. I want to make sure that it is broken in and any malfunctions are cleared up before I carry it.

The first thing I intend to do is replace all of the factory magazine springs with Wolf X-tra power magazine springs and then make sure the factory recoil system will handle my carry ammo-Federal Hydra Shoks.

The second is to find a decent belt holster and break it in so that I am 100% confident I can draw smoothly and easily.

I am not interested in after market sights, melt jobs, checkering and all of that other stuff. The SA should run 100% the way it is as it came from the box.

In my opinion, my money is better spent in practice ammo and range time rather than "bells and whistles" to make it look more than it really is.

Chris
 
Any practical modification for carrying would be to correct something that bothers you. Since only you would know what bothers or discomforts you then only you would know what to correct. What I consider a pain in the tail may go completely unnoticed by you.
 
The CDP comes from the factory with night Novac sights and dehorned. Mine has been 100% reliable and I have run about 4000 rounds through it. This goes from 200 grn Cor Bons to ball. You have a fine pistol there. Only thing I don't like is the 4lb trigger, which I intend to lighten slightly.
Jim
 
+1 to the first part of carolinaman's post. Very important to make sure reliability issues are taken care of first! Esp make sure all your magazines work well with your exact carry ammunition.

Get a good holster and a decent belt, too. Lots of folks have discovered the hard way that holster quality matters.

After dealing with reliability and carryability, next work on comfort & shootability issues. In addition to the dehorning several people mentioned above, I'd probably install an ambi safety since you never know when you might have to shoot with the other hand "for keeps." If the sights as-is don't work well for you, upgrade 'em. Otherwise leave them be.

After dealing with reliability, carryability, comfort, and shootability, you can get to the fun stuff. At this stage, I'd go get some Crimson Trace Laser Grips. Lots of fun and very practical too.

pax
 
I like this, you might not.

Pistol fit is a highly subjective thing, but these are my must haves for a carry pistol. Ambi safety, extended slide stop, beveled mag well and snag proof (as close as possible) sights. A dehorning job never hurt anybody, either, but spend that money after you have the best fitting (to you and your pistol) holster you can afford with a stiff full grain leather belt to go with it. I carry a $375 pistol in $150 worth of leather, but it's worth the comfort after 12-18 hours in a day.
 
Easy Answer

Save your money... but a S&W 1911 Commander size gun with scandium frame... it is ready to go out of the box and doesn't cost any more than the others at most dealers.

Then use the $600 or so you save on making a Kimber or Springfield carry ready on ammo and practice a lot...

FWIW

Chuck


mwpslp said:
I recently posted a request for information about the purchase of a new gun which has lead me to ask this question. I have a Kimber Pro CDP and a Springfield Champion. Both are concealed carry guns. What would some of the more practical modifications be for each of these? Do either of these guns have any common faults, deficiencies, issues or shortcomings? I will even go so far as to ask for gunsmith recommendations. Yost has come up several times as well as Clark.
Click to expand...
 
If you are right handed, ditch the ambi safety, it will prevent any snag that might occur. You could also consider getting the front strap on your Champion checkered.

I have run more than 1500 rounds through my Champion and have had less than 5 FTF or FTE. The Champion used to be my daily carry piece but I opted for a G30 for the warmer months. I LOVE my champion and have had zero problems with it. YMMV ...BBED
 
Always amusing when a guy asks about mods to two pistols he already owns and then someone else chimes in and tells him he should buy another manufacturer's pistol ...

With a Kimber and a Springer, I'd simply swap out the MIM parts if I was one of those anti-MIM types, change grips if I didn't like the stock grips ... I've got the Pro Tactical and a Loaded Champion and have done nothing else to them except practice, practice and practice, and invest in good gunleather ... I think both the Pro CDP and the Champ are good carry pieces already with little or no modification...

Carolinaman was right on ...
The SA should run 100% the way it is as it came from the box.

In my opinion, my money is better spent in practice ammo and range time rather than "bells and whistles" to make it look more than it really is.
Click to expand...
 
Night sights and thin grips to aid concealment if you like them. Other than that a properly functioning 1911 shouldn't be "messed with" for self defense.

And take the shok-buf out if it has one.
 
I sent a CCW gub to Teddy Jacobson www.ActionsbyT.com for his street reliability package. Came back 100 percent reliable with a lightened trigger that was super smooth. Cost $150.
 
Both are good guns out of the box. All you need to do is make the gun so that you shoot it the best you can.

1. Grips that fit you.
2. Sights that you use the best. Fast and accurate enough.
3. Trigger that suits you.
 
Old Dog you are right on. The CDP Pro HAS all the mods people are talking about here out of the box. The don't go with the ambi safety I can understand but I do shoot left handed so it is a handy feature. I'm not sure that I don't agree with Pax though on the ambi. You never know which hand you may have to shoot with. Ambi safeties may have to be trimed to be comfi but the Kimber is not one of those in my experience.
Jim
 
If you have a Kimber CDP Pro, buy yourself a good quality holster and belt and as much ammo as you have money. Shoot, shoot and shoot some more. You don't need to modify anything.:)
 
For carry, I prefer guns that are primarily stock. The only mods I'd make would be sights, maybe grips & good leather. Plus, shoot a lot of rounds through it so you are confindent in its reliability and your proficiency ;)
 
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