Need Help with Duty 1911 Choice

[patrol120]

Hey guys, I have decided to make thw switch to the 1911 for a duty wepon. I am a cop in a small semi rural city in Oklahoma, and the choice of duty weapons is wide open.

I have narrowed my choices down to three. The Smith and Wesson Blued Standard SW1911, the Kimber Custom 2 Blued, and the Springfield Park'd Loaded.

I am fairly new to 1911s, and I really dont know what is the cats meow right noe. I know the Smith is pretty well regarded, and the Kimber has its share of bad press. Any advice would be helpful and appreciated.

 

[hube1236]

good for you

I think if a cop pulled me over to give me a ticket and had a 1911 on, I would kiss him, better if it was a her.

Each one has its detractors, just as many are going to tel you that a 1911 is no place for a duty gun.

I would go for the gun that is designed for use and not the 1200 dollar tightedst gun you can buy. If you have some time to get used to it, I would get the Springer as I am partial to springers. Kimbers palm swell is a little different. Smith feels the same as a springer, but the vestiges of the agreement still have not left me. Personal choice.

Get one shoot the hell out of it. loosen it up. If it matters, my carry is a 1911, and it is plenty accurate enough but is ultra reliable.

Keep em going.

 

[patrol120]

I think the Smith is gonna be the one. I have heard some bad about the Kimber, and less bad about the Springer, but other than the initail FPS issues with the S&W, nothing but praise.

I can get the Blackened Stainless Basic Smith 5" for ~$635 out the door.

 

[SpookyPistolero]

I've got the springfield loaded and park'd and I love it. It is my carry weapon and IDPA weapon. It has not had a single jam since I've owned it, with both Wilson mags and the factory mags, and a variety of ammunition. Accuracy is good, and it makes it easy to be accurate. It would be my choice in your shoes.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Of the three you have listed, I would go with the Springfield because it's the only one of the three that doesn't use an external extractor. However, have you considered that for about the same money you could get a Para Ordnance with a capacity of 14+1 rounds in .45 ACP or 16+1 rounds in .40 S&W ... and a lifetime warranty as well? And Para Ordnance has a special pricing program for LEOs.

 

[yorec]

Recently switched to a Springfield Armory parkarized loaded 1911 for my duty days as a reserve. No problems and I haven't had any regrets yet.

I didn't go with the ParaOrdinance P14-45 due to budget restraints. (mine ) But I haven't worried too much about it - I carry 10 rd mags for reloads. Maybe next time though!

So - good route if you decide to take it.

 

[browningguy]

Check out http://www.1911forum.com/forums/ , they have a specific forum for most of the makers and you can see what a bunch of owners are saying.

 

[patrol120]

Yeah, Ive been living there for a couple days. Ive decided that the SW1911 is the way to go for me, now the decision is blued vs. Stainless.

The blued comes with the GI Plug and no forward serrations, plus blue just looks better.

 

[ruger357]

SW1911. Have had the stainless one for a few years now and love it. No problems at all with the gun.

 

[MICHAEL T]

I get the S&W Just remember it takes practice to carry a 1911 type. You must practice sweeping off that safety till its a natural move. If it isn't. In this world of police and Glock training. You could find yourself in deep do do for that split second

 

[Jim Watson]

I'd get the scandium S&W. The over half pound difference in weight matters to me.

 

[patrol120]

The Scandium guns do not appeal to me in the least. I like traditional materials in a service gun. My ankle gun is Sc, where weight actually matters.

 

[Ala Dan]

Hey folks, the Smith 1911 PD is an excellent firearm, and would make a great
duty weapon. But, any of the three you mentioned should serve you well.

There is a lot of rumors floating 'round about the Kimber line, but I'm here to
tell you that I have two (a Raptor II and a Stainless Ultra Carry II); and both have performed without even a hiccup. I'm a well satsified Kimber
owner.

 

[Jeff White]

I'm currently carrying a Kimber Warrior as my duty weapon. It's a Series 1 (no firing pin safety) and traditional 1911 design. 1911s are a trade off. You get the most ergonomic hand gun out there, but you pay for it with a little extra maintenance. That isn't important to the guy who uses his for a hobby or a competition tool, but as a duty weapon you need 100% reliability.

Before you decide to carry a 1911, you need to think about preventative maintenance. A 1911 isn't like a Glock, HK, SIG 3d Gen S&W. It requires you to keep track of rounds fired and replace parts at set intervals. I'd recommend you do some homework on Hilton Yam's website before you make a decision.
http://www.signaturegrade.com/

There is nothing wrong with a 1911 as a duty weapon. But if you're one of the guys who wants to forget about his pistol when not using it, then get a Glock, Sig, HK etc. If you want to take a few minutes after each range session and log your rounds and replace some parts before they start acting up to maintain the proper reliability then I would recommend it to you.

Jeff

 

[mattk]

Jeff,
I got to disargee with you on the upkeep of a 1911 vs a Glock, Sig, HK.
Its been my experience as a long term IPSC and IDPA shooter as well as an armorer that a quality 1911 and Glocks, Sigs, and HKs require pretty much the same amount of time in upkeep. The only thing the Glocks truely have in their favor is rust resistance.
All the guns need their springs changed on a regular basis and their internals kept relatively clean. Heck I never carry a totally clean gun. Dont trust them.