Are expensive 1911's range toys or serious CCW guns?

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dores893

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Hello All,

There are really only two pistol designs that I have consistently carried.

For the last decade, I've carried a gun that is light, easy to conceal, easy to carry, easy to clean, and always goes bang. It carries 15+1, has low tolerances, and is cheap to run. Parts for it are ubiquitous. LEOs and special forces love it. Some people have called it the perfect pistol. I don't necessarily agree, but I can see its merits. If you haven't guessed by now, I'm referring to Gaston Glock's G19.

In order to maintain what I consider a high level of proficiency on the G19, I have to work hard. I've taken classes, taken private lessons, and spent hours on the range. Shooting is a perishable skill. If I miss even a few weeks of range time, I can tell immediately. There are a lot of things going for the G19, but I've never been able to shoot it as accurately as I wish I could. Some of this has to do with the design, the sloppy trigger, and of course, my ability to shoot.

Then, there is my indulgence. It's big, heavy, difficult to take down, hard to conceal, expensive to own and operate, and only carries 8+1. But, it's ready to go to war, and, let's not forget, it's been several times. I'm referring to my government size 1911. I'm lucky enough to have a Wilson Combat, and it's so sexy. In every way, it is a superior product to my Glock, and it's G10 grips are practically daring me to take it into battle. I take it out of the safe and shoot it at the range every few months. Every time I do, I feel like a rockstar. I have an emotional connection to this gun in a way that I could never feel about a Glock. It's ridiculously accurate, has a near perfect trigger pull, and is well balanced. It's tolerances are extremely tight, which I'm reminded of every time I clean it. It outshoots my G19 over and over again. When I pick it up, I shoot bulls eyes. When I put it down, I'm always convinced that I should throw my striker fired plastic POS away and carry the Wilson.

Reality eventually sets in. It's a pain in the butt to carry a full sized metal gun when you can carry a smaller, lighter plastic pistol that will more or less do the same job. In a real gun fight, accuracy loses to capacity most of the time (so I've been told), and the G19 shines in capacity and reliability. In accuracy, it is good enough. And, so the story goes, the best carry gun is the one you will actually carry all day long.

I ask the reader, is the Wilson 1911 simply a range or comp gun, or is this the gun I should be carrying? I don't think carrying a G19 is in any way bad choice, but is it the best choice I have available to me? Maybe I should throw them both in the trash and buy a FN Five-Seven. Life is confusing sometimes, and I can never come to any meaningful conclusion. So, I grab the G19, put it in my kydex holster, and long for the Wilson.
 
It’s the risk not the odds that makes us carry. Sooo the lighter gun gets carried, but I wish I would carry a 1911.
 
I carried a 1911 for years but it was a cheaper one. I’d have to say I’m not carrying a high dollar shooter. Not that my life’s not worth it. But there is a bunch of guns in the 300-400 dollar price range that work quite well. I can’t afford that nighthawk or Ed brown at the moment but if I could I wouldn’t be carrying it. If you have to use it you won’t get it back.
 
I don't know but that $2649 .50GI looked large and glorious. I actually think it's worth the money. As you might expect Glock version is less expensive.
 
It's interesting at the range I go to which "range guns" get checked out the most. The Desert Eagle in .50AE is always in demand. I've never seen it carried though.
 
You could get a lighter weight SW 1911Sc. That's the Scandium gun. The recoil is quite manageable. I'm not a big guy and I can shoot 90 WWB 230 gr at a match without problems. Yes, I would rather carry my Glock but the 1911 is viable with the right choice of clothes. 9 shots and a couple of extra mags would be my 1911 EDC. I shoot the gun decently. While a slow old toot, I came in with only 3 points down in a recent match. My time is slow, slow as I am nowadays.

The gun was $739 when I got it. Put on an ambi safety. Now they are $1449 MSRP.
The Sc guns are 28 oz as compared to 38 ish for the steel guns.

Glocks are 23 to 24 oz for the 19s and 17s. Of course, more rounds. However, if you were in a 10 round ban state (more coming soon to your neighborhood), what do you think?
 
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Carry what you shoot best and will carry I say. Sure a 1911 is annoying to carry some, but that's the dedication you need to determine if you want to make or not.

An aluminum commander 1911 will only weigh a few oz more than your 19 and with a bobtail or officer frame will conceal as well or better (better in my case as I carry forward of the hip and the slimmer slide of a 1911 bulges less). Sure you give up 5 or 6 rounds, but that's ok by me.

I go with what I think will get my fanny out of the fire best and worry about silly things like losing a gun after a shooting not at all, the chances are so small of me needing to actually shoot my CCW it might as well be zero, and if I do, and the gun saves me and mine, money well spent. I'd probably have a Wilson worth of ammo through it anyhow.

Now. I don't yet own a Wilson and my carry Valkyrie coats half that but should I buy a Wilson (finally) I'll carry it, absolutely
 
These are all great points. Keep them coming. As far as how much is my life worth, let me ask my wife, and I'll get back to you.
 
Let me tell you
This based on what I’ve seen out of some 1000 dollar kimber 45s I will stick to my cz clone. I’ve seen limbers that jammed of factory ball ammo. I don’t think you have to spend a motorcycle on a gun to be safe. There’s been people turned away, yet sent to the other side with a 169 dollar hi point.
 
And the answer to your questions is :Yes.

It's interesting at the range I go to which "range guns" get checked out the most. The Desert Eagle in .50AE is always in demand. I've never seen it carried though.

I have a friend who carried a DE in .44. But he is a BIG guy. The DE looked like a 1911 in his hands. His SA 1911 looks like a squirt gun in his hands, but he can cut one ragged hole in you with a magful out of it, you'd be slightly safer if he was shooting the DE at you. Only slightly.
 
Let me tell you
This based on what I’ve seen out of some 1000 dollar kimber 45s I will stick to my cz clone. I’ve seen limbers that jammed of factory ball ammo. I don’t think you have to spend a motorcycle on a gun to be safe. There’s been people turned away, yet sent to the other side with a 169 dollar hi point.

People say the 1911 will jam more than the Glock. I've seen both jam. If you take good care of your weapons and use the right ammo, you reduce your chances, but jam recovery is a skill that should be practiced with any weapon.
 
My G19 suppressed running 147 grain ball ammo occasionally fails to return to battery. I've never had it jam unsuppressed with any ammo. Low end 1911s will jam so I'm told. My Wilson hasn't jammed yet, but you pay a price for a properly fitted 1911. It's an old design with a lot of moving parts.
 
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Let me state for the record that I have complete confidence in both guns. The Wilson just shoots better. It's more accurate for me. The trade off is greater weight, less ammo in my mags, and most difficult to conceal. That's the struggle. The Glock gets carried more because it's lighter and smaller. I'm not sure if that's the right choice, but it seems be the choice of least resistance.
 
People should think about what could happen to a CC gun. Holster wear, nicks and dings from movement, and more importantly: if it is used in self defense; will it come back to you in good shape, if at all? So it’s waaayy better to get a few hundred dollar Glock that’s absolutely the same as the every Glock out there than a 1k 1911 with high-end parts.
 
People should think about what could happen to a CC gun. Holster wear, nicks and dings from movement, and more importantly: if it is used in self defense; will it come back to you in good shape, if at all? So it’s waaayy better to get a few hundred dollar Glock that’s absolutely the same as the every Glock out there than a 1k 1911 with high-end parts.

Id disagree... The gun, no matter what it is or how much it costs, will be the least of your worries in a Defensive shooting.

My main EDC cost a little under 4k.. Its beat up, has scratches, gets rust under the body side grip, etc. Its a tool as some like to claim... If I make it though a Defensive shooting unscathed and I never see it again. It was worth every cent paid. The same can be said for my shorts and flips flops guns that cost around 400 bucks.
 
Id disagree... The gun, no matter what it is or how much it costs, will be the least of your worries in a Defensive shooting.

My main EDC cost a little under 4k.. Its beat up, has scratches, gets rust under the body side grip, etc. Its a tool as some like to claim... If I make it though a Defensive shooting unscathed and I never see it again. It was worth every cent paid. The same can be said for my shorts and flips flops guns that cost around 400 bucks.
I personally wouldn’t just let something that costs so much be wasted when something that cost 500$ that does it just good. Most likely better, so if you don’t see it again. You didn’t just tosses that much money out a window. Edit: Now I will say if you can spare that much if doesn’t come, go ahead. And I would personally get a little attached to something that costly, so I would be way more hesitate to carry it.
 
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Both? :)

I think they make more sense for home defense than concealed carry.
But its a great combat pistol, and even in the street you could end up in "combat".It does a number of tnings pretty well and simply has class. Its not what I choose, altnough my first CC gun was in fact a .45 auto! Later, when I discovered I easily could shoot basketball sized objects from 20ft away, one-handed, from tne hip, with a Makarov...I changed my whole outlook on concealed carry. I may still like larger calibers for concealed carry at times, but single action guns arent for me, for CC anyway... I do have a Hi-Power, in fact , that if I tnought a gang of thugs was coming to my house to deliver a "message", well that Hi-Power woukd be the first thing I'd grab after the 12ga. But I'd never make a habit of CC'ing it. Ive tnought about trying it, but honestly I just really prefer the ergos and mechanism of it to a 1911 and that partly explains that . YMMV. If you got the bread to burn, and you dont mind having your $1300 tricked out Dan Wesson 1911 confiscated after you shot a car jacker pending an investigation, I guess its all good.And you know, depending on your activity and logistics of travel, your CC may get bumped around a bit. I tuck my CCW here and there in the course of the day. It even sits on the back of the toilet when I shower whem home alone, Gets a bit steamy at times, Would you do that to a fancy prize gun?
 
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I personally wouldn’t just let something that costs so much be wasted when something that cost 500$ that does it just good. Most likely better, so if you don’t see it again. You didn’t just tosses that much money out a window. Edit: Now I will say if you can spare that much if doesn’t come, go ahead. And I would personally get a little attached to something that costly, so I would be way more hesitate to carry it.
I'm more attached to my life than I am to any gun.

If I've got the money, I'll trade a $2,000 gun for my life any day.
 
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