new to the 1911 questions???

[lovin_it_strong]

first off, hello, since i'm new to the forum. two questions. are the 3 inch 1911's totally reliable (i've been looking at kimbers mostly but i'm open)? do they have enough barrel to achieve enough velocity for reliable expansion of hp ammo? I really like the idea of carrying one of these for cc and also using a full size one for home defense, thus having the same manual of arms every time. any input would be appreciated.

 

[Technosavant]

1) The 3 inchers are generally less reliable than the 4 inch models, but that doesn't mean that a particular gun isn't reliable. Whatever you buy, shoot it and verify its function. If it doesn't work right, have the maker fix it.

2) I don't know chapter and verse on velocity loss out of a 3 inch barrel as opposed to a 5, but IIRC, we aren't talking a massive loss of speed. I wouldn't worry too much about ammo not expanding just because you lopped off two inches.

 

[CWL]

Welcome to THR!

First off, there is nothing that is absolutely reliable, so don't waste your life searching for something that doesn't exist.

Secondly, 3-3.5" M1911 pistols do not tend to be as reliable as the full size 5" & 4.5" models. These will either operate great out of the box, or sometimes will be problematic forever, it's the luck of the draw.

If you plan on shooting a shorty m1911, then you should use a lighter bullet with more speed, like a 185gr JHP. The extra velocity of the lighter bullet will help expansion of the JHP -but even if it doesn't expand, you are still making a .45inch hole in something.

 

[rcmodel]

And be sure and stock up on extra recoil springs.
They eat'm for breakfast!


rcmodel

 

[strat81]

There are some 1911's that have a Commander-length slide on an officer-size frame. Might be worth looking into.

 

[Tempusfugit77]

There are some 1911's that have a Commander-length slide on an officer-size frame. Might be worth looking into.

Who makes a 1911 like that? It sounds ideal, except for the lower capacity.

 

[TX1911fan]

If you want 9mm, the Springfield EMP is very reliable (at least mine is). It may take some breakin, but it's what I carry now.

I have two full size .45s that are great too.

 

[lovin_it_strong]

thanks

thanks for the info! i'm looking now at the full size or 4' kimber CDP for starters. we'll see how that works out.

 

[1911 guy]

Sawed off Gov't models and concealment.

There are four configurations of 1911 type handguns, two are usually reliable, the other two are a crap shoot. They might run, they might not.

1) Full size, 5" Bbl, Original size, usually reliable.
2) Commander, 4" or 4.24" Bbl, usually reliable.
3) Officer, 3" Bbl, Can be kinda iffy.
4) CCO, 4.24 or 4"" Bbl on an Officer frame. Also a crap shoot.

The part of a handgun that's the hardest to conceal is the butt, or grip. Barring ridiculous barrel lengths, of course. In reality, the two smaller sizes, Officer and CCO, don't gain you anything because the butt is at most .5" shorter than a Commander or fullsize.

Newer JHP design has taken these microguns into account, so there are bullets that will get reasonable velocity and expansion from a 3" barrel, but you're not gaining anything meaningful and potentially giving up bullet performance.

Each manufacturer has a slight variation on the designs, but the basic platforms fall into one of the four categories. Personally, I see no need to own one smaller than 5", but many consider the Commander more comfortable to carry IWB.