for CC: RIA GI .45 or XDm .45 compact?

[floritucky]

hard decision here. of coarse ultimately. it may just come down to personal pref. also, the chosen gun would be for home security as well.

i owned an xd .45 and loved it. was extremely accurate, never failed to go bang when i pulled the trigger. and i felt, with all the safeties, inside and out. 100% safe to have it and carry it with one it the chamber.

if i were to go the xd route, i would get the xdm compact this time. as thats what i wanted the first go around. but at the time it was the xdm that they didnt offer in the compact. i had to sell mine before i could get my carry license. hard times and got a family. no need to detail. back to work and bills are cought up now. so its time to get back to what i was doing. however, after i had purchased my xd, i fell in love with 1911's. i couldnt stop looking at them. of course. i loved the xd as well.

so, needs some pro's and con's and opinions on both comparitively to the other.

also, a major question i have is the carry condition

the ria i would go cond. 1. and that means a safety that is on. i had grown anti safety with my xd being as it didnt have one (speaking of thumb safety) and it seems like it would be another split second that could be crucial.

however, plenty of people trust and carry cond. 1 everyday. so in a way its the traditional, tiring. safety or no safety senario. but i still want some opinions and facts to help me decide. the xdm is really pushing the budget. and so just a couple boxes of ammo would be gotten off the bat. the ria allows for more ammo and still to be overall cheaper.

what say you? when it comes to carry. money should not be a huge factor. but at the same time. no need to spend tons more when less will get a trusting dependable gun right? or wrong?

 

[Taurus 617 CCW]

I carried a government size Springfield 1911 for a few years. It served me well but I changed guns due to the weight. I had no problems carrying my 1911 loaded with the safety on. Fast forward to present day, I mostly carry a Ruger LCP in the summer and a Glock 19 in the winter.

If you want to save money, stick with the 1911 for now. Just make sure you purchase a quality gun belt and a good holster. It will make a world of difference in reducing fatigue and concealment. My belt was made by a local guy out of double stitch saddle leather. Five years later, its still working great and I wear it every day.

 

[Kiln]

From all accounts RIA makes great handguns at a fair price, I've come close to picking up one of their GI 1911's many times but always went with something different. It will be heavier than the XDM but most likely will be slimmer too. Recoil will be lighter and will allow for quicker follow up shots.

The XDM's are much more expensive but are lighter and very accurate. Not sure how the RIA compares but the XDM's are known for producing very good groupings at respectable ranges. The gun will be comfortable in your hand and the balance will be good. I own two XDM 4.5" pistols and they've both been extremely reliable.

Capacity is no real factor here because I think that the difference is 9+1 (XDM .45 Compact) to 8+1 (RIA 1911).

It all goes to which you really prefer. Personally, if it is between those two guns, I would just go with the 1911. The real benefit of full size XDM's over many other pistols is the high capacity. When you take that away, then the XDM just isn't worth the price IMO.

 

[floritucky]

slimmer would be a plus. as the xd always printed a bit right at the side of the bottom of the mag. so matter how i had it. i have a great gunbelt and would most likely get another crossbreed supertuck. thats what i had for the xd. i carried it around the house when i owned it to try and get used to it and find were it was hidden but comfortable. i too find capacity not to be an issue. my 3 main concerns are safety, reliability, and accuracy. if the RIA has all of that, i am starting to think it will be the better option at this point. but like i stated previously. the idea of a thumb safety is....hard to get used to. so i really wanna hear thoughts on that as well. mabye some that have converted similarly. i did also have an lcp and i loved it as well. the bigger gun would be for everywere but work. for work, once i actually have my license and all, i will look for another lcp or a similarly sized gun for work, unless i find the 1911 or xdm conceals well enough to never ever print in the slightest.

 

[meanmrmustard]

I'm going RIA on this one, as its MY preference between the two. I HATE XDs, for several reasons. So, I'm not an objective contributor to this thread...at all.

 

[AethelstanAegen]

Between my Cimarron govt (ie full) size 1911 and my XD 45 Compact...I almost always choose the 1911. This is mostly because I feel the slimmer nature of the 1911 makes it easier to conceal. Now I do use an IWB for my 1911 but don't have one yet for my XD, so that could be a part of the equation but in general the 1911 conceals very well. So take that for what it's worth...it's just my opinion and YMMV. I also don't have experience with the XDM or RIA (though mine is also a Philippines made 1911). The 1911 is quite a bit heavier than the XD.

Things to consider: The XDM will work with HPs right out of the box. My 1911 needed a little feed ramp polishing before I felt it was feeding reliably (it now eats anything I can throw at it). The XDM certainly wins out in mag capacity, but 1911 mags are so slim it's easy to put one or two in a pocket and forget they're there...thus I tend to carry more rounds with the 1911 (ie 18 rounds in two mags in the 1911 vs 10rds in the XD b/c I usually leave the extra mags at home).

I think you'll be happy with either choice. As others have noted a quality belt and holster are very important. I don't seem to notice the weight difference as much as you'd think with a quality set up. For my 1911 I use a Comp-Tac Minotaur IWB (couldn't recommend it enough) and for the XD I have a pancake holster from jbpholsters. They're both very comfortable and I'm planning to buy one of each for each pistol but haven't gotten around to it yet.

FWIW, in your shoes, I'd probably go with the 1911. Mine is my favorite gun and I enjoy carrying it alot. I've been looking at picking up one of the ATI 4.25" 1911s which is comparable to the RIA.

 

[Keaner]

I am a huge 1911 fan, and carry a 1911 (a lightweight S&W Commander), but would suggest the XD Compact as a carry gun. The weight of a RIA GI Model was way too much for me, by the end of a day of carrying, I would severely notice the weight.

My lightweight Commander is just about the same weight as the XD (27 oz) and the difference is huge and noticeable. I can carry the light weight all day without even noticing.

So I'd say: The XD because of the weight difference.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I had an SA Mil-Spec 1911. I sold it and bought an XD compact. I like the fact that it has a 4" barrel and with the 10rnd mag it has a shorter grip than the typical "duty" size pistols. That is nice when carrying and having the 13rnd mag w/ grip extension is nice to have for backup. I'm 6'4, 330lbs. It is easy for me to conceal just about any pistol I want to carry but it is easier for me to conceal the XD than the 1911. Seeing as the XDm .45 compact has a slightly shorter barrel it would probably be even easier to conceal. I have no issue with not having a slide safety, thousands of people carry Glocks everyday and you don't hear about them shooting themselves very often. The XD/XDm has the added benefit of the backstrap safety compared to a Glock. I reall think the decision comes down to what feels more comfortable in YOUR hands. But I suggest looking into the S&W M&P series while you're shopping around. For me it was a toss up between the 2 and the XD won because there's a chance of my wife carrying it and she likes the XD better.

 

[floritucky]

I agree on liking the lack of a safety. Its having one that i will have to come to terms with. Lol.

Also, just came to mind. Im left handed. With it being a 1911 i can find an ambi to install right? Or maybe even a left side only? What about mag release? Im googling now but also thought i would ask incase there are brand preferences.

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I'm pretty sure just about any 1911 will have the ability to accept an ambi safety. As for an ambi mag release I think you might have to be picky on what model you go with. I can't honestly tell you about the mag release, I've never had the need to look into it.

 

[Okie45]

I faced a similar decision and went with the XDM .45 compact. The XDM is 100% reliable with hollowpoints, I liked the 9 + 1 over the 1911, & the finish on the XD holds up a lot better to sweat and condensation build up when carrying IWB than the 1911 did. I also like being able to throw a 13 round mag into it while at home. That being said, the XDM is thicker than the 1911, and it has a 3.8 inch barrel, so you do lose some velocity, but I figured it was close enough to a commander length 1911 to really matter. I like that they both have a grip safety, simply because it gives me confidence that if my trigger does snag something while holstering IWB, I won't have it go off.

With all that being said, the 1911 is still my favorite hand gun. I'm slightly more accurate with a 1911 and its trigger is amazing. I still occasionally carry one during cooler weather. If you decide on the 1911, spend some money on good magazines. I found out my factory colt mag wouldn't feed hollowpoints, but my other mags would. Good luck on your choice.