Double stack 1911's
- Thread starter Balrog
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bannockburn
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Balrog
For some people like myself who have smaller size hands, double stack 1911s are just too wide to get a comfortable grip with them. Maybe the reason there aren't as many manufacturers nowadays could be because the demand for them just isn't strong enough to keep them in production.
For some people like myself who have smaller size hands, double stack 1911s are just too wide to get a comfortable grip with them. Maybe the reason there aren't as many manufacturers nowadays could be because the demand for them just isn't strong enough to keep them in production.
JTQ
Member
I think the only one you've really lost is ParaOrdnance. They weren't very good and aren't really missed.
The big issue is magazines. While all single stack 1911 mags, theoretically, work with all single stack 1911's. The double stacks weren't all interchangeable.
I've only tried one, a Rock Island 9mm/22 TCM double stack and it felt really nice in the hand, but had a regular issue of the slide not locking back on the last round. That's the problem for me, as I haven't looked to see if there are many other double stack 9mm 1911 mags, so I'll stick with my single stacks. 
critter
Member
I have two old PO's, a P-14 in .40 and a P-16 in .45. Love the things. They have very high round counts and are as reliable as a shovel. To be honest, they have been 'smithed' a bit in the past to make them that way though. Double stack fits my hand well and they both shoot really well.
1KPerDay
Member
My canadian para-ords have been 100%. Great pistols.
Tacoma
Member
Rock Island just came out with a line of them. I've handled many at the shop I work at. Todays quality out of Rock Island/Armscor is quite good.
That said, I'l take my Para P14 to the range but you've got to be dedicated to carry a 42 oz 1911 around stuffed with 15 rounds of 45 . It hangs on your belt like an anchor.
That said, I'l take my Para P14 to the range but you've got to be dedicated to carry a 42 oz 1911 around stuffed with 15 rounds of 45 . It hangs on your belt like an anchor.
the 1911 is not a great gun when mass produced, and offers only a few advantages. The two big ones are grip size, and trigger. By going double stack, your changing the grip, removing the history, and most people would rather just buy a glock. The Para triggers were awful, and awkward, so I cant think of any practical reason to get one. Some people will like them, and thats fine, but I think most people would rather save money, and get a better model. I think the DS 1911's were only practical in small lots, ran during down time.
mgmorden
Member
STI's design has pretty much become the defacto standard (particularly now that their patents have expired), but there are several companies making them: STI, SVI, CK Arms, SPS, and Phoenix Trinity (well, PT makes frames but not completed Pistols).
RIA/Armscor still makes a clone of the Para design.
In think in general you'll see more of them as time goes on but for right now it's still a bit of a niche market. I own two for competitive shooting but I don't know anyone outside of competitions who has one.
RIA/Armscor still makes a clone of the Para design.
In think in general you'll see more of them as time goes on but for right now it's still a bit of a niche market. I own two for competitive shooting but I don't know anyone outside of competitions who has one.
Personal preference.
Wrong
Wrong
and wrong.
2011's rule the competition world although STI has a number of carry models not sure about the other manufactures.
With exception of the frame, trigger, mag catch & mainspring housing (cause its the grip on 2011's) the parts are pretty much the same unless your dealing with wide frames.
mags are no more expensive than H&K's and equally found.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
My guess is because when we take a short fat cartridge like the .45 ACP and start stuffing them in a double stack magazine we end up with a very wide hand grip. Not a problem for those with large hands but for an average hand a double stack .45 ACP is a handful. The first double stack magazine .45 ACP pistols I picked up the first thiong I noticed was how wide they were compared to a standard 1911.
My first experience with the wide grips was Para Ordinance during the early 90s. Never cared for the gun but others loved them so it is just a matter of personal taste.
Ron
Jim Watson
Member
I have a .45 built on the STI frame. I like the grip even though my hands are not large.
bangswitch
Member
Best answer to original question.
Vern Humphrey
Member
If you could predict when you're going to need firepower, you wouldn't need to carry a gun at all.
not really... not all guns are used for SD purposes...
there are a ton of uses other than that.
bangswitch
Member
Guns are defensive.........or offensive. How many of us armed citizens are out looking for trouble? And if you're hunting with it, learn how to make a couple of well placed shots and save the rest.
Sergei Mosin
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I think the reasons double stack 1911s never caught on are four:
1. They're heavy.
Lots of folks complain about how much a regular Government Model weighs. A double stack 1911 is even heavier.
2. They're bulky.
Lots of folks complain about the length of a Government Model (this and the foregoing explain the Lightweight Commander's popularity) and while the single column grip is widely praised, a double stack .45 is fat. This is probably why a double stack Lightweight Commander never took off.
3. They're non-traditional.
1911 users tend to be a bit traditionalist. They might bling out their guns some, but a double stack 1911 is just too great a departure from the Gospel of JMB.
4. Para pushed them.
For a long time Para Ordnance was just about the only game in town for a double stack 1911. More than a few people swore them off after getting a bad one, to the point that Para is gone now. Maybe the type would have been more successful with a different company (and STI, in their competition niche, is) but not with Para.
I have 1911s, and I have double stack .45s. But I don't have any double stack 1911s, and I doubt I ever will.
1. They're heavy.
Lots of folks complain about how much a regular Government Model weighs. A double stack 1911 is even heavier.
2. They're bulky.
Lots of folks complain about the length of a Government Model (this and the foregoing explain the Lightweight Commander's popularity) and while the single column grip is widely praised, a double stack .45 is fat. This is probably why a double stack Lightweight Commander never took off.
3. They're non-traditional.
1911 users tend to be a bit traditionalist. They might bling out their guns some, but a double stack 1911 is just too great a departure from the Gospel of JMB.
4. Para pushed them.
For a long time Para Ordnance was just about the only game in town for a double stack 1911. More than a few people swore them off after getting a bad one, to the point that Para is gone now. Maybe the type would have been more successful with a different company (and STI, in their competition niche, is) but not with Para.
I have 1911s, and I have double stack .45s. But I don't have any double stack 1911s, and I doubt I ever will.
Reloadron
Contributing Member
Really, my love affair with the gun began long before guns and CCW became popular for defensive purposes. When I shoot, it is for the most part for the sheer enjoyment and pleasure the sport brings me. I enjoy shooting revolver as well as semi-automatic handgun and rifle as well. All of my 1911 guns are standard 1911, never had a wide body in my collection. The standard 1911 is just one of many guns I enjoy shooting, just for the pure enjoyment of shooting.
Ron
Ed Ames
Member
I have spent some time with a couple of RIA double stacks and like them.
Not really. I have never used any of my guns either of those ways, but they have given a lot of good service firing thousands of rounds. And I don't hunt.
Not really. I have never used any of my guns either of those ways, but they have given a lot of good service firing thousands of rounds. And I don't hunt.
Panzerschwein
member
Because if you need more than seven rounds you need to learn how to shoot?
Sorry, had to be "that guy"!
Sorry, had to be "that guy"!
Just so everyone knows, if you are giving an answer indicating that you can't think of a situation where you would need more than 7 or 8 rounds, I think you are pretty limited in your thinking abilities. To those who feel this way, I guess you use 10 round mags in your AR?
.338-06
Member
Liking or disliking a double stack 1911 seems to be a matter of personal preference. Learned to shoot cf pistol on a single stack 1911 and have owned my share of them. About 15 years ago I lucked onto a deal for a Para P-13, hated the thick grip when a buddy pointed out that I didn't shoot one handed. It's been my carry gun for 14 years now. If I went back into Bullseye I'd get a single stack. And of the five Paras I own, I've only had trouble with one-a P-16. Oh, Mec-Gar makes a really nice P-14 mag for about $30. Not hard to find at all.
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