My XD9SC vs SW1911ES

[WhippingBoy]

Not another 9mm vs .45 thread. Well, it sort of is, but mostly on the firearm side of things for my two particular guns.

So, as a new gun owner I went the 9mm route and then switched gears as i discovered the XD I owned was a bit too wide to carry IWB everyday.

At about the same time I decided that I'd much prefer to carry a bigger caliber than 9mm. I knew I wanted a thinner gun, that was for sure. Apart from the 1911 style the only gun I considered was maybe the Khar 45.

However, my wife owns a CW9 and I don't like the long trigger. I hope to do some practical shooting sports some day and the Khar wouldn't do. The 1911 was what I really wanted deep down, but it had to be a quality gun since I don't have the money to own multiple guns.

Here is the XD I carried:


I liked it because it was small, but I was soon bothered by the width.

I wanted a compact 1911 that was also light. Enter the Smith and Wesson SW1911ES:




While trying the 1911PD I discovered that the recoil on this gun was no worse than the recoil on my 9SC. They weigh nearly the same, so the difference must be in the shape/design. That indeed seems to be the case. Do illustrate here is a picture of the two guns on a table:



Forgive the bad Photoshop job, but by placing one image on top of the other we can see the differences. You could see this really well in person, but pictures will have to do here.



I've lined up the rear of the grips. Notice how the XD requires the hand to tilt farther forward and therefor farther away from the slide. What really caught my attention here is that the grips are actually the same length when a Pearce grip is used. In fact, except for the extra inch in the barrel these guns are nearly the same size. BUT, the 1911 is about 1/4 inch thinner. This was what I really needed for IWB: thinner.

Also, I absolutely expected the 1911 to be much bigger. I think I have smallish hands, or just a hair under average, so I was really surprised to find the 1911ES fit my hand so well:



The 4 1/4" barrel turns out to be easy to conceal and easier to aim (compared to the 3"). This is the Scandium frame, but sadly still shows wear due to the retention spots of the holster (note the trigger guard).

The two magazines that came with the gun are top notch. I was surprised to see the follower is even metal.

Now, I'm a new gun owner, so the whole 9 vs 45 debate is just worlds away from me. However, I'm just struck by how much bigger the 45 is;



I can only afford one gun, so I want the biggest bang for my buck (sorry, seemed like the perfect pun). Since the XD9SC and 1911ES have the same recoil and they are both as easy to hide, and weigh the same then I want the ammo that does the most damage.

I should point out that I had a trigger job done on the XD, so it was as close to a 1911 type trigger you can get (5# pull, short reset and no over-travel).

As far as I can tell, there are only 2 things I want to change on the 1911: night sights and an extended slide release.

 

[Quoheleth]

I can only afford one gun, so I want the biggest bang for my buck (sorry, seemed like the perfect pun). Since the XD9SC and 1911ES have the same recoil and they are both as easy to hide, and weigh the same then I want the ammo that does the most damage.

So, I guess the question is "which do I keep?"

If I'm reading it right, the answer is found behind two questions: "which do you shoot better" and "which feels better for you (i.e., you have greater confidence in which pistol)?" Not the thickness, not the weight, not the trigger, not the manufacturer - while these are all part of the consideration, the deal breaker has to be which shoots better and which feels better. Obviously you like and want to like the Smith. Good choice. So is the Springer. It has to be which will let you draw and put a first round where you want it to go. Some of this can be corrected with practice and training, so a secondary consideration is the feel. You obviously feel strongly that the .45 has greater potential power. Today's 9mm is nothing to sneeze at, though.

So, take it into account and - emotion aside - which platform shoots better and feels better. That's your answer.

Dibs on what you are going to sell

Q

 

[DougDubya]

The 1911 is always a good choice, especially when it fits your hand so naturally.

(You might want to keep an eye out for the SW1911 in 9mm Parabellum - but that's more Officer's size or full Government size - 9mm Commanders are darn good though, especially if you go with the theory that a gun should be chambered for the caliber it was designed for, and the Commander WAS designed for the 9mm.)