How do differant lenght 1911's shoot?

[DasFriek]

I dont know which way ill go, But i do know a new 1911 is my next gun.
My current PT1911 is reliable with some upkeep i did myself, But after 1 year of constant carry except the summer time i feel its time to replace it with something i know that will last a lifetime.

But let me explain a few things.
I love how my PT1911 shoots with a Wolff #22 spring, Its so flat recoil wise its amazing.
I actually like its weight except in the summer as it pulls my shorts down requiring me to carry an XD SC .40 which i dont mind as smaller is good with summer clothes. But if the 1911 was lighter i think i could make it a year round gun.
I have a PERFECT gun belt and holster which i hand stitched from leather myself, So that isnt why im having issues.
I LOVE shooting my PT1911 at the range, Its such a joy with recoil many 9mm's would envy. Loosing weight and size may kill that im afraid.

Im pretty sure a 3" would make me loose my joy at the range, But a 4" may be just as fine.
BUT, If its a lite alloy is it possible it too could suffer under recoil and not be as fun?
I don't mind recoil at all, I loved my old G20 10mm and would only shoot full power loads or i felt i was just wasting money.
But i love a flat shooting 1911 that stays low during recoil and is easy to get back on target.
Can a 3" satisfy my range needs? I know it can beat the 4" and 5" in the carry dept, But if its no fun to shoot whats the use? I wont practice nearly enough if thats the case.

So how do 3" and 4" guns that are light alloy's shoot? Enjoyable or a pita?
I guess my question isnt "WHICH" gun as much as it is what "LENGTH"?

 

[DustyVermonter]

Something that kind of caught my eye in the last G&A Complete Book of The 1911 was that the Kimber Covert Carry with 3" barrel will shoot 2.25"in groups at 25yrds(75ft) which to me is actuallý pretty amazing. I believe it was the Covert Carry, it may have been the Ultra Carry I'm not exactly sure as I don't have the magazine handy right at the moment.
I do know it was a 3in carry version and the author of the article was using 230gr GDHP's and I was pretty impressed, I used to be a lil skepticle of 1911's with 3"in barrels but after reading that I was thinkin I might need to start savin up for a kimber.
I have shot my uncles 5"in Kimber and it was very accurate, but then shot my own Springfield GI 1911 and could not get on paper to save my life. I am not a Kimber man as I said before, but I would feel safe in assumiing that if you bought one of those little Kimber carry jobs, you would be doing very well, range wise and carry wise.

 

[LRS_Ranger]

4 inch is as small as I would go. I had a Para 3.5 and it was pretty snappy. An excellent carry gun, and not bad to shoot, but still a bit of bark. I much prefer my 5 inch gov model. A well balanced commander size might be just the ticket!

 

[samurai]

I just picked up a slightly used Colt Defender Plus. It has a 3" barrel and an alloy "commander frame". It shoots great and I don't notice much difference from my full sized 1911- as far as recoil and muzzle flip.

 

[CDW4ME]

3'' versus 4'' barrel 45 acp compared with "my" speed & accuracy "test".
I have a little "test" where I put a target at 6 yards (18 feet) with a 6'' shoot & see plastered to it.
Using a timer I measure speed of 2nd shot.
For me to count the pair both shots have to hit the 6'' circle.
After shooting several "qualifying" pairs I average the time.
With a Kimber Ultra, which has a 3'' barrel, the average time for accurate (had to strike 6'' circle) 2nd shot was .27 sec
With a 4'' barrel Kimber CDP Compact, using the same 230 gr. ammunition, I had an average 2nd shot time of .29 sec
From my little "test", I conclude that if there is a difference in recoil it doesn't seem to matter, since that time is essentially the same.
Accuracy at 6 yards was the same too, only shots that hit the 6'' circle counted
(The number of misses "disqualifications" and their distance from the circle was comparable between the two pistols and the misses were still "good" hits

 

[45Fan]

I have shot a Colt Lightweight Officers model (3.5"). Compared to the full sized steel framed 1911s I have shot, it is definatly a bit snappier, but my 11 year old son loves shooting it whenever he gets a chance, so I dont think it is all that bad.

 

[walker944]

One of my favorite 1911s to shoot is a Para Ordnance P12*45. It fits great in my hand, shoots to point of aim, 12+1 capacity, lightweight (to me)...an overall pleasure to shoot. No noticable recoil, as far as I'm concerned.

 

[ugaarguy]

DasFriek, from personal observation I wouldn't go shorter than 4 1/4" for reliability reasons. You can search posts by Old Fuff and 1911 Tuner; and Google Hilton Yam 10-8 consulting for more info on this.

Why 4 1/4" instead of 4"? Once you go under 4 1/4" you leave the true Commander length 1911; and enter the world of bushingless barrels, funky spring setups, and weird takedown methods.

I just picked up a slightly used Colt Defender Plus. It has a 3" barrel and an alloy "commander frame".

I've always found the butt of the gun sticking out to be more of a problem to conceal than an extra inch of bbl. Colt did another hybrid, the CCO, which I find much more useful for carry. The CCO is a 4 1/4" Commander with the grip shortened to Officers length. YMMV.

ETA: You say you already have a custom holster for your PT1911, and really more weight than size that's causing the problem. Springfield, Kimber, and others I'm sure, offer Aluminum frame standard 5" 1911s, which are much lighter than their steel counterparts. You may want to look into one of those as well.

 

[fatcpa]

I own a Colt Combat Elite with a 5" barrel and a Kimber Crimson Ultra Carry II with a 3" barrel. Without a doubt, the Colt is much easier to shoot and a lot more accurate. But, as far as fun to shoot, I go with the little Kimber. I can still shoot acceptable groups at 25 yards, but I tend to shoot a lot of self defense drills at 7-15 yards. The Kimber has a bit more felt recoil, but it is still quite a bit less than my Glock 23. I think if I was going to own one 45, at least for my needs, I would go with something with a 4" barrel and split the difference.

 

[Walkalong]

My 3" Kimber CDP II Ultra has been flawless.

IIRC, I remember 1911Tuner sometime back talking about 3" 1911s. He said they were like the little girl in the story, and that when they were good, they were very, very, good, but when they were bad, they were very, very, bad.

Mine is very, very, good.

 

[EAJ]

IMO 4" or 4.25" offers the best overall balance (accuracy, reliability and carry weight) between a Micro and Government model.

 

[DasFriek]

Thanks for all the replies, Im sure ill be re-reading it a few times so it all sinks in good.
Currently during the summer im using an XD SC .40 and its got a nasty recoil flip which all .40's have but in a 3" gun its pretty harsh compared too the PT1911.

Now in saying that, If that same XD SC was chambered in .45acp id still expect the same flip but more push back. I had a PT745 which was a single stack .45 Taurus and it was a hand cannon and it shot exactly like the 3" XD if it were a .45, And i did not enjoy shooting it like my 1911.

But one thing im not taking into account is even a 3" 1911 is gonna have a heavier frame but the big point is a longer grip. That in its self may help the small .45 stay flatter.

At least now im not afraid to buy a 3" in fear of unwanted extra recoil. The other reasons many pointed out ill decide that on my own. I know all the 3" guns downfalls except how it shoots.

Ive already picked out a 3" gun and thats the Colt Defender.
But as far as 4"+ and 5" im not so sure but many factors will decide that like my money, Whats on sale or what i can find used.

 

[MICHAEL T]

22lb recoil is way to much a 5" calls for a 16 lb Wilson I think will say 18 . but never saw a 22 # as a recommended spring not on a full size . On the compacts 3 1/2 or 3 you in the right range.

Ive already picked out a 3" gun and thats the Colt Defender.

That's alloy frame and around28oz Lot lighter than a full size . I carry a Defender or a ColtLTW Commander both about same weight. with the alloy frames. Both my Officer's with 3 1/2 inch barrels are steel frame . They are heavy for size

 

[DasFriek]

I use a 22lb Wilson spring with no issues, Shells still eject 5+ feet.
How it came about i bought an 18lb at a local shop, They gave me a Commander spring which i returned and they had no 18lb or 20lb Government 5" springs in stock, But said if i was using normal full powered 230gr loads the gun would have no issues. I was at thier indoor range so returning it would be fast and easy. It shot perfectly for the last 500 rounds with it. The gun also stays very flat during recoil due to it also.