Compact 1911 for concealed carry?

[2meterB]

I'm thinking about getting a compact 1911 for CCW. This should cover my need for a 1911 and a CCW weapon in one gun. And still be a damn nice firearm if I can't get my CCW/LTC or whatever.

LGS had rock island armory 1911, and I liked the way it handled (I didnt shoot it). I'm a sasquatch, it still fit pretty well in my hand. It's also not terribly expensive which is a big plus at the moment.

This may sound like an odd question - but does it still 'count' as a real 1911?

[BoJackUSMC]

Rent one and try it out first with different kinds of JHP rounds. Some compact and micro 1911's are known for not liking JHP rounds.

I prefer Glock 26, M&P shield, XDs, Ruger, and Kahr for my CCW and lot cheaper than 1911 as well.

[Sam]

Rent one and try it out first with different kinds of JHP rounds. Some compact and micro 1911's are known for not liking JHP rounds.

I prefer Glock 26, M&P shield, XDs, Ruger, and Kahr for my CCW and lot cheaper than 1911 as well.

I'd say that non-fullsize 1911s are more likely to have issues not just with hollow point rounds but ball too.

I too prefer plastic pistols for CCW. Much easier to maintain.

[ILVSMOG]

I have an Officers size Springfield 1911 that I carry. I love it, BUT, loaded with 7+1 it's still heavier than my M&P45 carrying 10+1. Granted, the overall size of the Officers 1911 is smaller, which is nice, but the weight is something to consider.

I also have a RIA officers size 1911. I used to carry it before I "upgraded" to the Springfield. The RIA always ran fine on ball FMJ ammo. It ran 99% on HPs, but I chose to stick with FMJs for the extra 1% reliability. On a side note, that pistol has the smoothest, most crisp trigger I've ever had out-of-the-box with a 1911 and I've got more than a few of them!

[diveRN]

I've put many thousands of trouble free rounds through my Kimber Ultra Carry II, including JHPs. The only ammo I've ever had any issues with was cheap 230gr Wolf rounds that I got for Christmas one year. I've thoroughly tested Hornady's Critical Duty 230gr JHP ammunition and have had zero failures with it so that's my EDC ammo.

Intermittent and infrequent problems with 3" 1911's are well documented. Many issues can be traced to poorly designed or cheap magazines while other problems stem from incompatible ammunition and incorrect shooting technique.

The only work I've done to mine is to replace the magazines with new ones from Wilson Combat, polish the feed ramp, and keep the gun lightly oiled and clean.

I prefer the slimmer profile of a 1911 as compared to my G23. Yeah, the difference is pretty slight, but I can feel the difference depending on how I'm carrying either gun.

[Old4eyes]

An alternative for a micro 1911 would be the Springfield EMP. It supposedly was designed from the ground up to handle the 9mm and the geometry of being small. But if the OP has sasquatch size hands, the EMP might be too small of a comfortable fit.

[Dannicus]

I would not carry a 1911 for CCW, because i feel like there are better options, but if you're going to carry a 1911 for ccw, might as well carry full size. That's just from my experience. I carried an officer size and a full size and they both felt very nearly the same. The full size just shoots nicer and tends to be more reliable.

[2meterB]

No? I have a full size XD40 Tactical which is around the same size as a real 1911. It's just too big.

Sounds like I need 2 guns then...

[Tee Why]

I had a RIA GI compact model. I found that with factory loads, the firing pin block would loosen at times jamming the gun. Sent it into RIA and they replaced the recoil and mainspring spring, did a reliability check. When I got the gun back, I tried it out again and now it has FTF and the firing pin block came loose again.

Funny thing is that it does it with factory 230FMJ loads from PMC. I normally shoot Cal Ammo reloads and it only does it with factory loads. Perhaps b/c it's a touch hotter than the reloads, who knows. Guy at the range says that of all the guns, their Sringfiled compact model has the most troubles.

I'm now starting to believe that compact 1911's may inherently be less reliable that GI or commnader sized models. Personally, I'd go with a Glock 30SF or a Glock 36 if you like compact 45's.
Good luck.

[gds23]

I carry a Colt defender and it feeds jhp 100% plus the aluminum frame makes it plenty light for carry

[FCinCA]

I have (2) 3" 1911 platforms on my license, the Kimber Ultra CDP II and Springfield EMP in 9mm. They both run solidly without issues. I also have a Dan Wesson CCO and Kimber Compact CDP II that I tend to carry more often. That being said, there are a lot of reports of issues with the reduced size platform. If I was new to the game with 1911's for CCW I would go with a commander sized weapon 4" as there are less reports of issues. Kimber Compact CDP II would be my recommendation for you.

[LovingTheYear1911]

I just put money down on a RIA 1911 officers for when I get my ccw next year. Btw im selling me glock 22 to fund this ria. Who wants a g22 ?

[Freq18Hz]

I'd never buy anything smaller than a 4 inch 1911. Even Manufactuers like Wilson and Brown freely admit the 4.25 inch and 4 inch compact 1911's are sensitive to ammo, and require more finesse and tweaking to run right.

For me, the only compact 1911 I would buy is an Ed Brown carry, or a Wilson professional or compact.

-Freq

[M1NM]

I've got a Detonics Combat Master I think the bbl is 3.5. It'll eat anything you feed it - HP and SWC are not a problem. It is heavy so if I was looking for a 45 to carry all the time it'd be a Glock 30.

[redcliff]

I'm thinking about getting a compact 1911 for CCW. This should cover my need for a 1911 and a CCW weapon in one gun. And still be a damn nice firearm if I can't get my CCW/LTC or whatever.

LGS had rock island armory 1911, and I liked the way it handled (I didnt shoot it). I'm a sasquatch, it still fit pretty well in my hand. It's also not terribly expensive which is a big plus at the moment.

This may sound like an odd question - but does it still 'count' as a real 1911?

I don't know what model RIA you looked at but they are real 1911's.

It's usually best to shoot and familiarize yourself with 1911's a lot before embarking on carrying them for CCW. And those 1911's that are easy to carry aren't really the best range 1911's for practicing.

I'd recommend starting out with something like a RIA tactical as a first 1911 and learn proper and safe operation with it prior to purchasing a more dedicated 1911 CCW platform with alloy frame, shorter slide and possibly shortened grip frame. It can be a fairly large step up in recoil if you're coming from a 9mm back ground.