=================================Hello
I was curious as to how many of carry a 1911 for your SD gun.
And also if you know of any law enforcement/Military that carry 1911's or where I could maybe find info on that please let me know.?
Thanks
I'm happy to see that a lot of people still carry a 1911 for SD. There is so much talk about the 1911 not being reliable, that it discourages a lot I think.
I mean really if you practice and take care of your weapon I don't think you would need to be concerned with any weapon.
After all what would the odds be, for a 1911 or any other hand gun failing on the first or even the 2nd or third shot fired?
If you should ever need your gun in SD situation The first one or three shots will most likely take of it. And I for one always carry a BUG of some kind anyway.
So what do you think the odds are of your SD gun not firing when you need it?
Practice will never make perfect. I'm confident carrying either of my 1911's, but when it comes to comfort, it's always the lightweight that wins out.Point is practice does make perfect and lots of shooting makes you comfortable with what you carry.
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Until I read your post I hadn't considered carrying my 1911 for SD.
I have been carrying a .380 Grendel P-12 because it fits into a front pocket in blue jeans or into a small sidepack. I got increasingly uneasy about it after having several jams at the last re-qual.
My LLama 1911 is not an expensive gun and has jammed at times. It usually doesn't take but a second or two to clear and fire but that's a long time in an SD situation. I now carry a Rossi 5 shot .38 Spl just to be worry free about having 5 guaranteed rounds.
Now thinking about the first shot is guaranteed to go off and hopefully it will fire a couple more before jamming and that in most SD situations a person is close enough that the first round is going to hit. Now carrying a 1911 .45 makes sense just for the knockdown capability.
Problem here in Central Texas in the summer heat it's difficult to conceal a 1911. How do you all here carry a 1911 concealed if it's not under a jacket?
What rounds do you load when using it for SD? Should a person always fire ball ammo or is it OK to fire some other type rounds in a gun that has jammed occasionally?
What about the .380? Has it got enough punch to be useful in SD situations? What rounds are best in the .380?
Last, is carrying a .38 SPL revolver with only 5 hollow point rounds enough?
Bob
Central Texas
My first choice in SD 45 ammo are Speer Gold Dot 230gr. Hornady TAP-CQ 230gr +P also works but, you'll want a heavier recoil spring in a 1911 than standard 16lbs. I haven't gathered enough Horandy Critical
defense 185gr +P for my range testing.
I hope this helps and stay safe.
Blued is nice, Stainless is pretty, both is sweet, camo is hard to find if you lose it outside.1911's are indeed a pretty gun. If I hadn't started out my "gun career" with handguns without thumb safety's and would therefore be well practiced in placing safety to "fire" during the draw stroke, I'd love the idea of a pretty gun for SD...
I do believe the first issue would be hitting the target whatever that may be. Practice with your carry weapon, then practice with your carry weapon with your decided upon ammo with your carry holster whatever it may be. A decision must be made as to why you carry. If it is for self-defense, you must research the issue of hydrostatic shock, penetration and all issues. What I really would be concerned with is the reliability of the piece you have. The best ammo, target acquisition and the like are of no use if your weapon malfunctions. Nothing worse than a person becoming a corpse laid out with a useless “Gun” in his cold, dead hand. So, is your weapon reliable, are you able to hit your target and what is the characteristic of your ammo? Oh, a magazine with fifteen rounds and a backup of thirty more is of no use if the piece malfunctions, so I would say five in a .38 are better than seven in a useless magazine. I carry, depending on the season, conditions, time and place, one of the three Kimbers. Some like Fords, Chevy and Mercedes.