Can Someone Explain Why 1911s Are So Concealable?

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Because they're single-stack and thin, right?

I'm kind of in the market for a lighter, flatter, comfortably-concealable auto without getting into compact/subcompacts. I'm a Sig guy, and I'd love to carry a full-size P220, but damn they're thick and heavy, but I digress... I don't own a 1911, a Glock, or any polymer pistols for that matter, but explain this to me...

I just noticed a Glock 21 is 1.27 inches thick.
That's 13 rounds of .45 ACP at 38.28 ounces LOADED.

The best source for stats I could find on 1911s was Sig's line:
Their 1911s are 1.37 inches thick.
That's 8 rounds of .45 ACP at 40.3 ounces UNLOADED.

So I've never carried either of these guns, but how did the lighter, thinner, higher-capacity "Block" get it's nickname?

Is it the curves on the 1911 that make it more comfortable to tote around? (I'm mainly thinking IWB by the way).

I'll probably own multiple models of both platforms, so I don't care which you think is better. I'd actually prefer to hear from people who have or do own and carry both makes.
 
So I've never carried either of these guns, but how did the lighter, thinner, higher-capacity "Block" get it's nickname?
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Compare one in 9mm or .40 to a Hi-Power and you'll see. I prefer to refer to them as combat tupperware, but Block works too.

If you're going to CCW a 1911 I highly recommend thin grips. Heck, I recommend them anyways.
 
SIG 1911's are probably not the best 1911 to do any comparison with. Thier slides are much thicker (they look SIG'ish) than a standard, old-school, 1911.
 
The Ruger P90 is a big think gun, but I have carried it and the P97 for years IWB without any problem. I wear suspenders under a untucked shirt and have a good comfortable IWB holster, which makes a lot of difference. I do have a SW Airweight for pocket carry if I want do dress up. It works for me. I've never carried a 1911, but I would think they wouldn't be a problem if you dress around the gun.
 
I'm a fan of the 1911, but freely admit there are some new models that will work just as well. It used to be that the 1911 was the only gane in town if you wanted a concealable handgun in a decent caliber for CCW. Due to advances in materials and design, that's no longer the case. I'll stick with my "gubmint models" because I'm familiar with them, but won't automatically steer everyone toward them anymore.

Just realize that the Glock you're referring to isn't the Glock that paved the way for the glut of plastic pistols we have now. The first Glocks deserved the name "block", they were very large for a 9mm. Now the guns are smaller and the calibers bigger.

Since you're being open minded about choosing a CCW, here's a list of things I'd compare to see what will suit you best.
1) Trigger reach. It can vary dramatically when comparing single actions and striker fired of similar overall size.
2) Grip angle. If you already have experience on a particular platform, one or the other may feel better for you.
3) Length of trigger stroke. Again, what is acceptable will vary be experience and preference.
4) Length and width of grip frame. In the same caliber, the length front to back should be about the same, but width and angle will give very different feel.
5) Weight and recoil are directly related. A few ounces isn't much, but running a few mags downrange with a too light pistol (again, a personal determination) will make you wish you'd have gotten something heavier.
 
they are handguns any hand gun is concealable
if a 1/4 inch wider makes that big of difference ill hide a kahr 9mm and say 1911's arent concealable
 
1/4 inch in width is a lot when toting a pistol.

The 1911 is thinner for most of the pistol compared to many others. It has one "wide spot" at the controls, and if you don't have ambidextrous "wings" on the thing, it's not very wide there either. ;)

A ruler cannot tell it all. Different guns of the same basic width can feel very different.
 
A ruler cannot tell it all. Different guns of the same basic width can feel very different.
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Well said.

Pick up a G21, and then a 1911. Which one fills your hand up more?

Remember the 1911 is a tenth of an inch thicker. You may have to tell yourself that several times.
 
DeVinney, you had better nip that kind of thinking in the bud. It is the first sign of incipient 1911 dementia. The very instant anyone picks up a 1911 and thinks "Hey, this feels good" is the moment the madness begins. Just back away from it fast. Nip it in the bud. In the bud.

What was the question?

Oh, yes.

I was raised on 1911s so they look, feel, and work right for me. In my mind they are the Platonic ideal of a pistol. I use other kinds--not a SIG, though, because my hand doesn't like them at all--but they're just tools. Glocks: they work. When I pick up a good 1911, though, it completes my hand. It's what was missing when it wasn't there.

Incidentally, that's the way to distinguish between good, kind, sensitive, wise, loving, worthwhile people and everyone else. Put a good 1911 on a table next to any other kind of pistol. The right sort of person instinctively reaches for the 1911. Lose the other people. They will do no good in your life. Never marry one.
 
Haha. Good replies fellas.

The fact that so many people, in real life, and in competition, shoot the 1911 better than they do a lower-recoiling gun certainly says something. When it fits your hand, as you all say, theoretically, recoil is spread over a greater surface area and noticed less.

See, you can "theorize" about what guns would be good for you all day. I really just need to win the lottery and try them all out for myself.

Good point about the original Glock (17) being thick for a 9mm. I hadn't considered that, as I wasn't into guns when they first came out.

Anyway, a 1911 is coming up soon on "the list". I've had some trigger time with a Kimber and a SA, and the main thing I noticed is that the grip is basically an oval. When you hold your hand out as if gripping a pistol, I notice that it doesn't form a rectangle... :)

I also held a Glock 17L for the first time the other day, and with that grip angle, and the LOOONG sight radius, the "Glock problem" was exaggerated. I was literally looking at 8-9 inches of the top of the slide when I pointed it at the wall.

Thanks again guys.
 
The 1911 is still the easiest heavy gun to carry all day in it's full size form. It's flatness along with the roundtop just make it comfortable in IWB,more than it should be for it's weight. It was made for IWB IMO and is about the only pistol I can carry IWB on the hip for any length of time without being miserable. With the right holster it's invisible even under a light cover garment,although mine is reserved mostly for cold weather carry.
 
To conceal a full sized pistol you need a holster. On a 1911, the holster is barely going to add to the overall thickness, because the slide is much thinner then the controls and handle. On the other hand, GLOCKS "gain a lot of weight" in a holster.
 
No big fat cylinder. No double wide magazine. Browning Perfection. Everything you need and nothing that you don't. Oh yeah, use a holster. You want that sucker attached to your body.
 
It's really easy to explain why the 1911 is so concealable: it's very flat. The single column magazine is part of the reason, obviously, since it allows a slimmer grip. The other reason is the barrel bushing.

"The what?" you say.

That's right, the barrel bushing. Think about it a moment. Virtually every other design since the 1911 has eliminated the barrel bushing. This is usually touted as an improvement, and it does probably simplify the manufacture of the pistol to some degree. But consider what the barrel bushing allows. With the 1911, when you field strip it, you remove the barrel bushing and draw the barrel out through the front of the slide. With other designs, which have eliminated the bushing, this is not possible, so the barrel has to be removed by turning the slide over and lifting it out between the slide rails. This necessitates making the slide rails far enough apart to allow the barrel to pass between them, and this makes the whole slide just that little bit wider. You'll notice that you can't remove the barrel of a 1911 by taking it out between the slide rails. They're not far enough apart. Thanks to the barrel bushing, the 1911's slide is as narrow as it can possibly be with a barrel of that caliber. This, when combined with the rounded contour of the top of the slide, results in a full size pistol that is flatter, and thus more concealable, and certainly much more comfortable to carry in an inside the waistband holster than many more compact modern designs with their thicker, blockier-cross-section slides.
 
I don't find the 1911 to be especially concealable....or even carriable.:uhoh:

Too heavy and too long in the barrel (military spec 1911's).
 
[I don't find the 1911 to be especially concealable....or even carriable.

Too heavy and too long in the barrel (military spec 1911's)./QUOTE]

Funny. I have found that concealing a 1911 is the easiest for me. I carry a 5 inch 1911 as my primary and haven't had anyone know that I'm carrying yet. And that includes the summer here in Vegas. A good IWB holster and a loose cotton button down shirt work well. The weight isn't an issue either for me. If I say that I'm not going to carry a lifesaving peice of equipment because of a few ounces difference fom some other gun, than I serously need to get back in the gym.:D
Of course to each his own. Go with what works for you.:)
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The first thing you need to purchase before attempting to carry any firearm is A GOOD BELT. No, not a belt from JCPenney's or walmart. Get a belt that was designed for carry. That normally eliminates 90% of the problems people have with carrying a heavy firearm. (Anything chambered in .4)
 
I think the most important points are covered above. 1911s are thin overall. Compare the width of a 1911 slide to a Glock 21. Grips on a 1911 can make that part of the gun wide, but this is only at the center of the grip. The single stack magazine keeps the grip fairly narrow around. The single stack magazines make carrying spares easy. Stuff a couple G21 magazines in your pocket and see how much that stands out. How much more weight do you gain with all that extra lead? The 1911 is also short in terms of height. Grip height is a major factor in IWB concealment. The taller the gun is, the more it protrudes from your body increasing both discomfort when sitting and the potential for printing if you bend or twist your torso. I prefer Commander length guns to also reduce length. The longer a gun is the more it tends to leverage itself away from your body in my experience. If you have an alloy frame 1911 and a couple extra mags, your overall carry package weight and bulk is far less than a "full size" Glock. Even my steel frame 1911s probably have a total package weight below a Glock due to the fewer rounds in the magazines. Lets say 17x3 rounds of 9mm versus 8x3 rounds of 45.

For me a G17/22 is not too bad a concealment gun in terms of pistol size. However the 20/21 is just too wide and bulky overall. Only the small Glocks beat one of my Commanders for concealability, but I shoot a 1911 so much better than a compact Glock there is no contest. Ultimately like many other shooters I find the 1911 is just the pistol I am best with, for a variety of different reasons.

John
 
I carry a 5 inch 1911 as my primary and haven't had anyone know that I'm carrying yet.
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Maybe, and maybe not.....
Just because nobody said anything that does not mean you weren't "made".
I've noticed guys carrying before, but I kept that knowledge to myself....and I kept a close watch on them too.
 
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