Carry Piece/Small .45 Recoil

[Frandy]

- I am about 6’ tall and weigh about 180, so I am pretty average size.

Well, I'm obviously smaller than average (by the way, in the US, the average male height is more like 5'9"), but I still carry an HK USP45C with Speer GDHPs, 230 grain. I do own and shoot full-size 1911s and would easily consider carrying a shorter 1911.

As for recoil...neither my HK nor the 4" 1911s I've shot are a problem. Just get what you like and practice. Q.E.D.

 

[Dave R]

What ammo is best for self defense out of compact 45 autos with short barrels, such as the 3.2" in the Taurus Millenium Pro PT-145?

Conventional wisdom is to use a lighter bullet, like a 185 grain, to get back some of the velocity you lose with a short barrel. My PT-145 chrono-ed 230 gr. commercial loads at about 700fps. So I go with a handload that uses a 185gr. bullet at about 900 fps.

And somebody--Cor Bon?--has brought out a 165gr load specifically for short-barreled .45s.

 

[MechAg94]

I have a Springfield Ultracompact. It shoots fine for a carry gun. Only holds six in the mag though. I don't carry it simply because it is too heavy. I have a Kahr P9 that is lighter and slimmer and easier to carry comfortably in Texas heat. The ultracompact I have is not much lighter than a full size. I'll probably sell it sometime soon.

 

[halvey]

And somebody--Cor Bon?--has brought out a 165gr load specifically for short-barreled .45s.

Federal.

 

[BigSlick]

I carry daily, and have for many years.

I use a Milt Sparks Summer Special for the LW Commander and a pocket J-frame holster.

After about a week, the Commander is almost unnoticeable.

A good holster is a must, a good belt is an even bigger must. Lot's of times those who carry will drop $150 and up for good leather and carry with a $20 gun show belt.

Find a dealer near you (if possible) and go try on some belts. Find one that fits/feels good without a holster. I find a belt's stiffness has a lot to do with comfort (for me at least).

The better a belt holds your holster, the easier it is to conceal and more comfortable it will be. You don't have to cut off circulation by tightening the belt too much to get a good 'hold' if you're using a good belt.

I have several belts in the closet that were cheaper than the one I have used for carry for about the last 10 years. As many on this forum have stated, the cost of purchase when buying quality only stings once.

With a good rig, properly fitted, you might be suprised at how comfortable a full sized (or close) pistol can be carried.

BigSlick

 

[bratch]

I carry a Kimber Compact. It has an Aluminum Officers frame and a 4" barrel. I can shoot it pretty close to my fullsize. Recoil is a bit more stiff but not bad at all.

I'm 6'3"ish and ~185 and wear about a 30-32 waist.. I use the button down dress shirt and Polos style to carry.

All you need to conceal a GM-sized 1911 is:

* 1. Good IWB holster
2. Good belt
3. Untucked polo shirt

I have to disagree with you on this. I carried a GM for a while and while the weight and length didn't bother me the grip sure did. The grip printed pretty bad in most clothes. It was just too long for my body. I was using a MS HR-LTD holster and a MS belt. I was wearing polos and button-downs. The half inch shorter officers grip solved almost all of the printing.

YMMV but for 1911 carry the Kimber compacts and Colt CCO are the cat's meow for someone my size.

 

[Mulliga]

With a good rig, properly fitted, you might be suprised at how comfortable a full sized (or close) pistol can be carried.

I'm a novice at carrying, but for me, the problem isn't comfort, it's convenience. For example, I have a CZ-75, a good stiff belt, and a good holster, and it's pretty comfortable, but it takes some time to get "set up." Part of the problem is that I can't wear my gun everyday, being a college student.

dk-corriveau, ask yourself some questions:

You wake up on a Saturday morning and you want to drive over to the store to grab some eggs to make omelettes for your family. Are you going to take the time to put on your gun belt, your holster, and your gun?

You're at home in casual clothes and your friends call to invite you to a movie. It starts in half an hour - are you going to have time to change and put on your gun?

You decide to go jogging. Do you have jogging clothes suitable for concealing a medium-size gun (say, lightweight Commander or even a Glock 26)?

There are two approaches as I understand it:

1) Carry your full rig (gun belt, holster, etc.). This is not really that hard to do, but will require some changes, as others have said. You will need to choose clothes that can conceal your firearm and allocate enough time to get your stuff together.

2) Get a pocket gun. PM9, P11, J-frame, whatever. This will require fewer changes (perhaps none), but your gun will be harder to shoot accurately and less powerful than a typical compact .45/.40/9mm/.357.

Whatever you decide, I think it's best to wear your gun all the time if possible. If you pocket carry in the summer, for instance, pocket carry all through the day. If you use the full rig, then do so all through the day. Whenever the firearm leaves your body, that's another chance that it might not be there when you need it.

 

[TIMC]

I carry a Para C645. It's a nice compact .45 that is easy to conceal even when wearing shorts and a T-shirt. As said aboved the LDA trigger is fantastic. The gun is very controllable, not much more than a full size .45.