1911 variant for sidearm

[MP Teamleader]

How many of you carry a 1911 for duty or personal use? Why do you or dont you?
I have a 3 inch micro compact 1911 made by Springfield and love it..except for the need to modify the safety for the lefty and finding a lefty holster. I train right handed constantly and am about 80% with the weak hand so I feel comfortable carrying right handed ( I aint gonna quick draw either!)

I talk to to other LEO's at work and they seem to be dead set againt the gun and a part time job I looked up wont let me carry one because of the condition of the hammer and the safety issue. They dont hear me when I say I train and they wont witness my range performance. I keep getting told to buy a Glock in .45.

What are your experiences?

[IPD5410]

I carried a Wilson Combat when i first started, I loved it. I shot the best with it. New chief, "No" to cocked and locked. Now i have a Glock 22 .40 cal. i've learned to shoot it well but miss the 1911

[MP Teamleader]

Yeah, management does not like the cocked and locked. But how much safer is a Glock? You still have to train with it.

[IPD5410]

Ya...i agree one can be trained to use anything. i do like the glock thou. i have had it a year none and no problems. plus i got a +2 mag in the gun so 18 rounds before needing a new mag is nice, not that i would need more than one

[JRT6]

I carry the S&W 1911Sc.

[6233108]

For duty carry my sidearm I choose to carry is a 1943 Colt 1911A1, it has proven to be more accurate for me than 2 Les Baer 1911's I have owned. It ties the Ed Brown Kobra I own for accuracy but I like the short GI trigger and it breaks at 4 Lbs 4 oz., the Ed Brown is a hair over 3 Lbs which with zero creep is awful light for duty carry. The Colt has the small sights (not night sights) but I started working years ago carrying a S&W model 19 (no night sights) .357 in a very busy work environment...ahelluva lot more busy than I am now.

[jsterling]

Our boss approves of 1911's and all of those who carry, carry Kimber. My personal is a Kimber Eclipse. We've only had one customer complaint and that was because it "look dangerous".

[jeeper]

I have a Kimber TLE Stainless that I keep around the house and shoot at least once a month recreationally. Our department only allows SWAT to carry the 1911 (Springfield Armory MC Operator). Everyone else carries Glock or the da/sa they were grandfathered to carry. If it were up to me, I would be carrying a Kimber TLE/RL as a duty weapon. I shoot my G17 almost as good as I shoot the Kimber, but I just have more confidence in the 1911 and am more comfortable with it (gotta love an all steel pistol).

[MP Teamleader]

Our boss approves of 1911's and all of those who carry, carry Kimber. My personal is a Kimber Eclipse. We've only had one customer complaint and that was because it "look dangerous".

Looks dangerous eh? Just think if the customer was a BG that had to make the decision to fight or submit. A little psy-ops can go a long way.
I guess I am going to buy a 92fs since that is what my gov. job and my Guard Unit carry, I like to stick to what I know.

[GCPD0171]

I might have a better chance of winning the lottery than changing my agencies mind on 1911s. I own a 1911 but don't carry it off duty because I'm clearing up some reliability issues with it. I got it used and even though its a tack driver it jams allot. Like 5 rounds every 50. Working on it. When she is good to go I think I'll start carrying her off duty.

[kirch]

Not a 1911, but regarding carrying a single-action pistol. I was at the SHOT Show last month and was eyeballing FN Herstal's new version of the Browning HP. They have designed a new trigger system that supposedly solves the issue of cocked-and-locked vs. unchambered carry.

I'm going off of memory here, but I believe it works like this. A magazine is inserted in the pistol. The slide is cocked and the hammer is lowered to a half-closed position, engaging a physical barrier between the hammer and firing pin. When the trigger is pulled the first time, it disengages the safety, fully cocks the hammer, then releases the hammer. When the slide cycles normally, the hammer is left in the fully cocked position.

Initial trigger pull is similar to that of traditional DA/SA systems.

I've said in the past that when I retire my Beretta 92FS, I'd replace it with a Browning HP in a heartbeat if they could come up with a way not to carry cocked and locked. Looks like they were paying attention to me.

What are people's opinion of this new system? And, if something similar were made available for 1911s, do you think more departments would allow them?

[txinvestigator1]

My Kimber has 2 safeties that must be disengaged before the 4 lb trigger will pull.

how many does a Glock have with a 5.5 lb trigger?

I am not a Glock basher at all. They are great firearms and I recommend many poeple to them, but they are not for everyone. They don't fit my hand at all, and I don't like them FOR ME.

The 1911 has a perception problem to those uneducated.

[TPO]

i carried a couple of colt 1991s for several years. we went to issue glocks a few years ago, but we're supposed to be going back to carrying personally owned weapons again in the next month or so. i'll qualify with this new springfield stainless GI at the end of this month and it'll take over full-time service.

i'm not big on the fancy stuff, but a 1911 is the best up-close and personal combat weapon, period. that hammer has to go through no less than 2 safeties before it comes down.

[MP Teamleader]

My next 1911 will be the black stainless Springfeild. The 3 inch is a great small of the back surprise, but I want a full size next. Still working on carrying the 1911 for my off duty job. The boss is going to go to the range with me, He's never fired one. Hopefully it will change his mind and I wont have to buy a Baretta or Glock.

[j706]

Duty 1911

Kimber Tactical Pro II on and off duty. I seem to be able to shoot them much better and faster, never had a malfunction ( wilson mags) and I like a safety.( It has three) I understand a cocked and locked pistol looks scary, however its just as safe or safer than most other designs.