Over at shootingillustrated.com, Tamara Keel examines The Pros and Cons of Carrying a 1911. Ms. Keel, a former 1911 schlepper herself, dings John Moses Browning’s sublime design for its low ammo capacity, unreliable mags and not insignificant weight. On the plus side, she credits the venerable 1911 platform for its trigger, ergonomic controls and slimness. I think she missed a couple of advantages….

For one thing, the 1911’s weight mitigates recoil — especially when compared to a Tupperware .45. [Note: I own and love polymer pistols.] Mitigated recoil makes for faster, more accurate follow-up shots. That could be the difference between life and death.

For another, the 1911 is simply bad-ass. It’s the Harley-Davidson of semi-automatic handguns. Yeah, I know: Harleys don’t handle, brake or not break like just about any rice burner you can name. But again, Harleys and 1911s are bad-ass.

OK, you have a list to work from. So what’s the best reason to carry a 1911 vs. a polymer pistol? And if you can’t come up with one, apply the same rule that works for porn sites: if you don’t understand it, it’s not really for you.

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166 COMMENTS

    • Man I’m drawing a blank on this one. Throw me a bone. So why does anyone even want a 1911 to begin with?

      • Excellent trigger, sights, grip profile and recoil mitigation. Modern makes are as reliable as anything else I have ever owned, including Glocks. And they look damn good.

        • Yep. I carried a Glock for many years, and I was able to out shoot most people, what ever they were shooting. Then I got a reliable 1911; and it was all she wrote. The feel of an all steel gun is better, for me; the aesthetics of a 1911 is better, for me, and finally and most importantly, I could shoot rings around myself, when I would shoot a Glock and a 1911 side by side (it is after all, all about shot placement). So I still have my Glock of many years, but it sits in my gun safe, except when I take it out to shoot at the gun range, to keep my hand in.

        • I thought it wasn’t. You know, because motorcycles don’t have doors. But either way, it is shorter to Chicago than by bus.

        • Do you walk to work or smoke your lunch?

          “Bad ass”…I’m agnostic and care not one wit about what ballistic delivery tool I use. When the mighty US military ran out of M4’s in Gulf1, they wiped the cosmo and issued me 1911 with Israeli ammo to fight Persians saving Arabs while securing the worlds oil supply. I’m sure Mr. Browning would chuckle had he known.

      • I think the Harley analogy works. A lot of people have 1911s because they think 1911s are badass.
        I’ve never ridden a Harley, and have no desire to trade my BMW, with its speed, nimble handling, and advanced features, for a Harley. But I do have a couple 1911s in my safe, and I enjoy shooting them.

      • For some of the same reasons I own a Harley and a custom pro street.
        If I need to explain, you simply wouldn’t understand!

    • Because it suits you.
      I.E. you can hit with it reliably, you found one that is reliable, and you’ve considered the number of rounds you are willing to carry vs liklihoods and various scenarios and the 1911 fills the bill.

  3. I can shoot a 1911 effectively from 0 to 50 yards and beyond under ideal circumstances. I shoot them faster and more accurately than any other pistol type. That is why I prefer to carry a 1911.

    • Ditto.

      And the reason why is because when I was being taught how to shoot handguns by a couple of WWII Marines before I was even a teenager, the 1911 was that they both had in their personal gun inventory and that’s what was put into my hands with the words “OK Kid, enough with the .22’s – now you learn how to shoot a big pistol.”

      I gave the Glock an honest trial. When I started buying guns in my early adulthood, the Glock was the “hot new thing,” so I bought one of the very first G19’s. I’ve put thousands and thousands of rounds through it, especially after I got started in IPSC. I’ve never liked the way the handling changed as the magazine empties. I could make it work and put rounds on target quite well, but I’ve never liked it.

      The second gun I bought in my 20’s was a 1911, I put a comp’ed barrel into it, ran 185 TMJ’s on a hot load for IPSC, and and since then, the G19 is now pretty much a safe queen.

      When I started carrying frequently, I got a G36. Once again, I could drive it well, but I still really dislike the way the handling changes as the mag empties. I’ve built a Commander to replace that, because, once again, I prefer the way a 1911 handles.

      I have handled 1911’s so much that don’t have to think about anything with a 1911. I can detail strip and re-assemble them in a couple minutes without any tools, I can make them work and work quite well, I can get parts for them eight days a week, from over a half-dozen different sources.

      • Yep, the handling definitely changes with Glocks as the mag empties – even more so with the .40s. I’m not sure which 1911 I’d like to thrash as much as my Glock 23s – maybe a Springfield Armory Marine Operator. That’d take a beating without causing me too much worry. Marine guns are supposed to get hard use.

        I just don’t think I could EDC a Wilson Combat or super fancy 1911. I like match grade barrels but I need my JHPs to feed also.

        • My solution is to get a Caspian frame & slide, give them an OK but not terribly nice finishing job, and call it good. The internals are the way I want them, but I”m not going to give it a super-fine polish, nor send it off to Turnbull for color casing.

          Alternatively, for someone who is handy, they get a 1911 made overseas and clean it up.

        • DG,

          Thank you for that!

          I wish you had a gunsnithing business near me, and if I was DJT I’d hire you to be a military arms consultant.

          I get into the occasional discussion on FB which becomes a complete waste of time, but you Tom in Oregon, and others always have useful stuff.

    • This is my answer too. For whatever reason (the balance, the way it sits in my hand, the fantastic trigger..many other things) I can shoot a 1911 better than any other gun.

      • The one gun that points “better” than a 1911 for me is a P-08 Luger.

        I’m not about to start packing around a Luger, mostly because of how expensive even the clapped-out instances are (never mind one with all matching numbers and in good condition), but the Luger points quite well.

  4. #1 It offends hoplophobes.

    #2 I have a God-given, Constitutionally enshrined right to do so.

    #3 I don’t need any more than this.

    • My father, whose daily duty piece in the Air Force was a “.45”, bought a carry gun loosely based on a Hi Power.
      I was confused, until I found out his “.45” was a M3A1 “grease gun”.

  7. There are plenty of reasons:

    Reliability
    Shootability
    Durability
    .45 acp round
    Slim design
    Extremely safe design

    • There is a 2011 and if you can afford a STI, then it is very much preferred (at least by me) to the 1911. That may irk a few folks, but STI really knows what it is doing and has made some improvements which really smooth out some issues with the 1911 including ammo, recoil, sights etc. They really are amazing hardware.

  10. It’s a question of feel. If you try the trigger and get it, then you can’t find that feel anywhere else. If you can’t tell what that means, you will save yourself some cash and possibly some frustration. Same for the feel of a steel frame.

    It’s the same with sports cars. You get behind the wheel and either it feels magical, or you wonder why anyone would want worse economy, visibility, and ground clearance than your Camry. If you don’t get it, if you don’t feel it deep down in your bones, it can’t be explained well enough to be completely understood.

    • Exactly. It’s in the “if I have to explain, you wouldn’t understand” category.

    • I have a 1911 and a sports car. I love them both, but I won’t carry the 1911, nor will I take my sports car to the grocery store. (Heck, I don’t even take my sports car out in the rain—because it is soooo dang cool with the top down.)

      • I daily drove an old NSX for years, and only stopped when the second kid arrived. My 1911 sits on my duty belt, but when I go home I carry a GP100 and three speedloaders.

        I think I’m where you’re at with cars and guns, but with motorcycles. Have two, they’re lots of fun, but they don’t move me deeply enough to be a part of my daily life

      • So as long as it is concealed… a lime green pistol with Hillary’s face engraved in florescent pink highlights is all the same to the person carrying it?

  12. Trigger, trigger, and trigger. Everything else is done equally well or better someplace else.

  13. If you live in a slave state and can only carry ten or less rounds, 10 of .45 may be better than 10 of 9 or another caliber

    • Unlike most any “modern” carry gun, it the bag guy gets his hands on it, there is a chance he will not shoot you because he can’t figure it out.

      And for all you trigger snobs out there, give me a break, it is single action only. (I’m one real snob, series 70 only for me)

      I still will not usually carry one, unless it is for a “fashion” statement. Much rather go with a striker with no safety or a CZ with the hammer down.

      Kahr CW-9 or Canik C100 if I want to go light
      Kahr K-9 or CZ Compact, If I want the weight (There is your steal frame)

    • There are 1911s that hold ten? Depending on the mag, mine is 7+1 or 8+1. Further, the 0.1 difference in bullet diameter isn’t significant with premium HP ammo.

      • There are 10-round mags available.

        A typical modern full-size flush mag holds 8; that plus one in the chamber gives you nine on board.

        For what it’s worth, also, I usually find that I can put 2 1911 mags in the same holder as one doube-stack .45 mag. Then for the 1911 I have 16 more rounds on deck, while with an XD or FNX I have 13 or 15, respectively. So if you carry spare magazines the ammo capacity difference goes down.

      • I live in the former-Constitution State known as connecticut….we are limited in magazine capacity to 10 because 11, 12, 13, 13, 14 or more is scary to democrats…I own a couple of 1911’s a 1943 Ithaca 1911A1 and a Star PD, both are great shooters.. the Ithaca holds 8 rounds the Star holds 6….both guns are fun to shoot at the range.. I carry Glocks in 9 , 10, 40 or 45… when limited to a given capacity I say carry as much as you can… my G/26/19 holds 10 rds of 9mm, my G20/29 holds 10rds of 10mm, my G21/30 holds 10 rds of .45….my G23/27 hold 10 rds of 40…I own 1911’s because they are cool; I carry Glocks with better capacity and better reliability with defensive ammo…….

      • Not all 1911s are .45acp. Standard 1911s in 9mm are 10 rounders. .10 over 10 inches is another inch of permanent cavitation.

        • That’s not exactly how the math works. You should calculate the difference in cross sectional area (which before expansion is about 60% larger for .45) and then multiple it by lenght (depth) of wound.
          That .10″ of diameter makes a lot of difference after it’s sqared and multiplied by 3.14.

    • I’ve often wondered if someone did not comply with that and had to use their gun for defense, what (if any) charges would someone face if caught with a 17 round mag? It is such an absurd law….

      • Mag cap penalties vary so widely that it’s tough to know. I’ve heard DA’s look the other way, and known of gangbanger “DGUs” where the prosecution consisted only of the weapon(s) violation(s) which ranged from plea bargain / probation to prison time.

        Personally, I think it’s worth it to have a lawyer from USCCA or a similar network pre-flighted should and incident arise. My lawyer group is through work and applies on or off duty. Mines just $18 / month but rates vary.

        TTAG touches on this occasionally, but I don’t believe the point has the emphasis it should.

        And on a related note, it’s worth it to bug your congress critter to support Trump’s SCOTUS pick.

  14. Ms. Keel, a former 1911 schlepper herself, dings John Moses Browning’s sublime design for its low ammo capacity, unreliable mags and not insignificant weight. On the plus side, she credits the venerable 1911 platform for its trigger, ergonomic controls and slimness.”

    I carry a Para Ordinance 14.45 Black Ops which holds 14 rounds of .45acp. The 9mm version holds 18.

  15. I carry a Glock 23 but the above makes me want a 1911 all of a sudden: I like the idea of faster follow-up shots. I think in terms of sheer ‘shootability’ the 1911 beats polymer guns to shreds. Big revolvers in single-action mode, same deal. There’s a certain old-time wisdom with the venerable 1911 that we shouldn’t let slip away.

  18. Unlike most any “modern” carry gun, it the bag guy gets his hands on it, there is a chance he will not shoot you because he can’t figure it out.

    And for all you trigger snobs out there, give me a break, it is single action only. (I’m one real snob, series 70 only for me)

    I still will not usually carry one, unless it is for a “fashion” statement. Much rather go with a striker with no safety or a CZ with the hammer down.

    Kahr CW-9 or Canik C100 if I want to go light (I don’t like the feel of the CZ Aluminum frame, and I really don’t like decockers)
    Kahr K-9 or CZ Compact, If I want the weight (There is your steal frame)

    • I concur on the CW9. Fully loaded with 7+1 it is still barely over a pound, and with a good holster it is comfortable, concealable (actually thinner than a 1911) and doesn’t require you to cinch your belt uncomfortably tight to keep it from dragging your pants down.

  19. Obstinate pigheaded determination to carry pig-slow pig-fat rounds and fewer of them, despite the world moving on to smaller and better things.

    And nostalgia and hero worship.

    And because they look cool.

  23. The trigger is AMAZING and they are accurate out of the box. No need to upgrade ANYTHING. Polymer pistol’s have their place of course but once you upgrade your trigger, sights, barrel, slide lock and grip on your polymer you could ask yourself maybe this pistol wasn’t so perfect after all.

    • No upgrades, huh? I upgraded to night sights because I had a hard time picking up the little white dots it came with.

  25. Because not only will they destroy your opponents soul they will alter the space time continuum and in some alternate universe dragons will be born.

  26. Low ammo capacity-HA! My primary defensive arm was a Colt Python for over 30 years, and not once during that time did I need additional capacity.

    • If people would learn to put rounds on-target, they wouldn’t need any more.

      To look at some LEO usages of their sidearms, however, they seem intent on emptying the magazine.

      • Emptying mags is the game of the day in my part of the country. Don’t understand it myself. I remember one altercation where the officer emptied 17 rounds out of his Glock, but because he was too focused on volume instead of accuracy, another officer had to come rescue him when all that firepower id not put the bad guy down.

        • Until and unless you actually do put some rounds on your target, your target is is free to continue shooting at you.

          You may choose to do that on your 12th to 17th round.

          I would prefer it to be a good deal earlier than that.

        • In the incident I referred to, the other guy did not have a gun. This isn’t to say that he wasn’t dangerous, because he most assuredly was.

        • “Until and unless you actually do put some rounds on your target, your target is is free to continue shooting at you. ”

          I like to look at it like it doesn’t matter who shoots first, or most, or even who gets hit the most.

          What matters is who shoots last.

          I don’t want to be the guy that wins second place in that contest.

      • Thank you! Everyone on the internet puts 15 9mm’s in a one inch group all the time. The same people point fingers and scream when a cop hits a bad hombre once out of 15. I have always been taught and teach that if your not sure where your bullet is going to go don’t pull the trigger. This isn’t Fallujah and nobody gets to call a mother holding her child that was killed while you shot till lock “collateral damage.”

      • Truth. There’s a reason why the military uses 30 round AR / M4 mags. Firepower is really useful when things go south.

        The reality is that I can put rounds on target faster with a Glock 9mm than any of my buddies with 1911s inside of 15 yards. Those Glock 18 mags from Palmetto State Armory work pretty well, too.

        The “average” handgun fight doesn’t need a lot of ammo, but who knows if you’ll be facing average. But all I’ve got is a .380 right now since I’m about to help out with an oral surgery.

        The Rabbi carries heavy and I respect that.

        • I can’t speak for others, but I would be interested to learn the advantages of a .380 for oral surgery vs. a .45.
          What about ordinary flossing … .22?

      • When the Colonel was told by a student that eight rounds in a 1911 was not enough, Jeff replied, “Just how many bad guys do you think you can take at one time?

        i.e. you can only shoot at the ones who are armed. If three or four bullets per perp isn’t enough to put down two perps, you wasted your training money. If you need nine bullets the third guy probably shot you. C’est la vie.

        As for the cops missing so much, they are not ready to die, and therefore panic. Soldiers resigned to death enjoy making their last action a hit, and therefore it is not their last action –translated from the Japanese….

        AND the very best reason to buy a 1911? You lost one arm in the war. There is no better pistol to shoot one handed than a heavy 1911 with a light trigger.

  27. 1911’s only advantage is a better trigger which is also its downfall

    Supreme accuracy is not needed in defensive shooting. I would much rather have the superior capacity, reliability, lack of manual safety and safer trigger of the tactical tupperware. And yes, I own two high end 1911s.

  29. If people are willing to look passed the.45 cap, and see the .38 super you get a damm near perfect defensive firearm.

    • Hornady Critical Duty 220 grain +P puts out 479 ft/lbs of energy at the muzzle from a 5″ barrel. That is more than enough energy to penetrate any hard barrier you might face short oof body armor.

  30. Cause it makes Black Holes! It’s also in every COD (Call of Duty) game ever made! I’ve got a fantastic RIA GI model that I will keep forever.

  31. For those who want a high-capacity 1911, look at the STI 2011. In a 140mm magazine in 9mm or .38 Super, you can fit lots of rounds into those mags.

    Want a 9mm round that can loaded to .357 Mag velocities? .38 Super. It’s been in 1911’s since the mid-1930’s.

    These “problems” have already been solved, folks, and they were solved without the use of injection-molded cheez-whiz.

      • 140mm is the length of the magazine, just over 5.5″. They also come in 170mm, just about 6.7″.

        Personally, I’m curious about .38 Super, but I don’t have the funds to buy a gun just to satisfy that curiosity.

        • I’m now to a point where the design, testing and demonstrations of 9mm (.355, .357, whatever) self-defense bullets are tipping me into saying I’m going to build up a 1911 Commander in .38 Super.

          When I was involved in IPSC, I shot a 9×21 EAA Gold Team Witness. I loaded it just warm enough to make Major, and it would light up the comp well enough. Most everyone else was running a 1911, and the higher-class guys were running double-stack .38 Supers. They were running them incredibly hot so they could cause the comp to really push the muzzle down , and man, could those .38 Supers abuse the crap out of the steel plates and targets. .45 ACP’s would shove the steel right over, but the .38 Supers would gouge the steel, then it would tip over.

          Now I’d be interested to see someone test hot .38 Supers with modern defensive bullets in ballistics gel.

  32. I carry a 1911 because its the best fitting and natural feeling handgun ever made. For my hands.
    If I ever need more then 8 shots and 1 reload. Im in such a world of hurt that my 18 round tupperware Kanic might not help at all.
    So for a more comfortable fit and my ability to place shots better. I will stay with a 1911.

  33. There is no good reason to carry a 1911. For one, you should never carry a gun that you would be sorry to see end up in an evidence locker for years, if not forever, so high end $3000 guns are right out, unless you happen to be quite wealthy and don’t care. I agree that capacity is only marginally an issue, since most DGUs don’t even involve shots fired, and those that do rarely empty a full mag. Nostalgia is not any reason at all to carry a particular gun–it is like saying that you’d prefer an 1860 Colt Army for its “history.” Yes, 1911s are bad assed, but for most of us, it is going to be concealed anyway, so who cares? And 38 oz is a lot to hang on your belt when a cheap, disposable polymer gun weighs a pound or more less. Finally, I have never found a holster that keeps the gun tight to my side without shoving the end of the grip uncomfortably into my rib cage; that long grip makes the 1911 a particularly difficult gun for many of us to conceal.

    Now don’t get me wrong. I am not a 1911 hater, in fact I own one and when the money is right I will buy another. I like to shoot .45 ACP (and .45 Colt for that matter). I just won’t carry it.

    • I generally agree with this and admittedly misread the title of this thread. Carrying one can very much be a pain. This is why in my above post I mentioned that there is a role for a polymer in everyone’s arsenal.

    • The 1911 is a fighting pistol not some hipster status symbol. If you are not a high level competitive shooter and paid more than $1500 for one, and I am cutting Springfield some slack because of the TRP, you don’t understand what a 1911 is for.

      • While I understand the “fighting gun” argument, and indeed received my first two 1911’s in RVN, there is a counter argument: Nearly all the truly over-the-top fighters have, at least since 1938, appeared to have favored capacity. That goes for most of CCN, for SAS, for SBS, for the SEALs….not to mention for the average recidivist Colombian coca dealer and Mexican Plaza del Pueblo assassino.

        They can’t all be wrong. The 1911 seemed to have been the favorite in rough South America. That seems to have shifted to the FN 5.7. Discuss. My money’s in 1911s. I carry, these days a G19 MOS with an RMR 06.

        • Since this is all about 1911s my coment only pertains to 1911s . I was not comparing it to other pistols. If capacity is an issue I recommend a Browning HI Power as a substitute.

        • Indeed, the Hi Power is the pistol most of the units I invoked preferred. It isn’t available to them now, really. I know a few guys whom I’ve seen with HP’s long after USRA retirement, but still working for the government. I’ve never had the chance, yet, to shoot one. When they’d give me a chance to shoot something way back when, I’d ask to shoot the suppressed pistol (ppk, .380, ca.1971) or the small carbines.

  35. The best reason is my Model 1927 on my weak side counter balances my Ruger Blackhawk Convertible on my strong side perfectly, since both fire the 45acp its a match made in heaven.

      • If only we could get rid of all these hipsters swilling up all the bourbon and single malt that was supposed to be reserved for old men, the price would come down to where it would no longer draw the attention of my wife when I bring a bottle home.

        Damn hipsters. They move in and ruin everything they touch.

  37. I like the relative thinness of 1911s and their grips feel really nice in my hand. Add their fantastic trigger and the added safety of their grip safety and they seem like a pretty solid choice.

  39. Because I’ve been using one for decades and I’m good with it. I switch between a Colt Series 80 Combat Commander that Tussey Custom did a reliability package on, and a Para P16.40.

  40. The Ruger SR1911 Lightweight Commander .45ACP
    Reliable
    10 ounces lighter than 1911
    Better balance
    Better trigger
    Titanium feed ramp
    200 grain x 1,000 fps is enough for deer hunting, let alone defense!

  41. Because when I purchased my Uzi 9mm and 12 gauge auto loader, the store did not have a pulsed plasma rifle in the 40 watt range so I got a long slide.

  42. This article is a good example of a gun writer needing something to write about. Pretty much information-free, just a bunch of characters arranged into a profitable shape.
    Yet, buried in there one might infer the reason to carry a 1911, and the reason I do: because, heaven help me, if I ever need to shoot, I want to have the gun I shoot the best.
    I know, after 44 years of owning the Commander that follows me around and many scores of other guns, that under stress, I can get more and better hits with it or its similar sibings than any other portable firearm.
    It’s proven science, via the hard numbers of USPSA hit factors. You don’t want to be a science denier, now do you?

  43. Because in .22TCM the slide is easy to rack, and if the 312 ft-lbs muzzle energy doesn’t do the job, the muzzle blast also imparts concussion and barbeque effects.

  44. “What’s the Best Reason to Carry a 1911?”

    To try to impress old guys. It usually won’t work though because they only like old M1911s.
    Second best reason? If you have really bad trigger control skills, the M1911 will try to help you not stink so bad.

  45. Love me some 1911 but I ain’t carrying one. Cocked and locked with one in the pipe is a recipe for disaster as far as I am concerned. Too many other safer options. I am definitely a 1911 fan boy and own several. Shot a 1911 based 38super race gun for 20 years in USPSA but I still ain’t carrying one.

    • And how, exactly, is such a 1911 going to go off?

      You have a manual safety, then a grip safety that must be activated to free up the sear.

      If you’re carrying in a holster such as every one of my 1911 holsters, there’s a leather strap that holds the gun in the holster than rides across the rear of the slide, under the hammer. The hammer has no way to get at the firing pin, even if all the safeties were pulled out of the way.

      With a Glock (or imitation Glock), all you need to do is get a finger on the trigger and it goes off.

    • Reply to initial post: This is one item that truly separates the M1911 faithful from others. In the old days, many were taught to never rely upon mechanical safeties. Ever. This is a school of thought that the M1911 guys seem to move past. This is a basic difference which will divide two camps. Relying on safeties was key to enabling loaded carry for M1911s.

      • We were taught to not rely on mechanical safeties as a substitute for safe gun handling.

        In other words, don’t go waving around your 1911, muzzling everyone and their brother, while claiming “it’s OK, that safety is on!”

    • I’ve never understood this line of thought. At all.

      An external safety is, IMHO, for administrative handling or holstering of the gun and that’s if you use it at all. Carrying the gun in a holster you can do what you want but I’ve carried with the safety off for years on multiple different pistols and never had a problem.

      Safeties have, again MHO, become some sort of magical replacement for good gun handling practices and basic firearms safety. IOW, it’s become some sort of mechanical retard safety helmet for a gun.

      The patron saint of modern firearms, John Moses Browning himself, didn’t believe in mechanical switch safeties and only put one on the 1911 because the Army demanded it. He did so under protest after arguing that the grip safety was sufficient.

      I will stick with his opinion on the topic. Switch safeties, be they frame or slide mounted, are dumb, unnecessary and lead people into a false sense of security which can cause ND’s and probably does cause injuries. I’ve seen someone have an ND at the range and protest with the line “But I thought the safety was on!”. Yeah, well it wasn’t (or it failed) dumbass and you’re lucky you didn’t hurt yourself or someone else.

      Don’t substitute a mechanical device that can fail or be switched off by accident for proper handling and care when using a firearm. Ever. This isn’t a trap you can fall into if you don’t have that safety-siren singing you a song of sweet neglect for where you booger hook is.

  47. I bought my 1911 just a few short months before all the compact single stack 9s were finally pushed out by most manufactures. so when it came to thin carry guns, the 1911 was about it.

    Good:
    manual safety – a must (for me) for a gun that I sometimes open carry; it is large and comfortable to ride unlike those tiny, surface flush ones
    grip/profile – what can I say, it’s comfy; overall it is thin… i can’t even remotly conceal a double stack.
    accuracy – it’s as accurate as I happen to be that day
    looks – it’s so pretty
    cost – there are good quality, reliable options for reasonable prices; I paid about $400 for mine, and have carried it every without fail for about 4 years, it runs like a champ.

    Bad:
    grip safety – i absolutely loath any and all safeties except manual; they are useless, ineffective(especially trigger safeties), and just one more potential for mechanical failure.

    Tossup:
    ammo capacity – in a “apples to apples” comparison with other single stack, compact pistols, the ammo capacity of 7+1 is on par

  48. I rag on the 1911 but, if you’ve seen my list of questions to ask and answer when looking for a carry gun, you’ll know that I say if it works for you then you should roll with it.

    As for reasons to carry it:

    1) Weight. If you do run out of ammo it makes a good bludgeon.

    2) At least it’s not a wheel gun.

  49. Real simple. If you love America, carry a 1911. If you are a commie pinko, buy something else. Maybe something in pink polymer?

  50. Have carried a Colt Commander in and out of the military. I shoot it well it rides in a Bianchi inside the waste band holster with 3 magazines. Have tried Springfield XDM and Glock good pistols but dont shoot them as well

  53. I carry an M1911 because you don’t need hands like an orangutan in order to comfortably shoot it one handed. There’s no double column .45acp handgun I’ve handled about which I can say that.

    I love my Glock 19. I stopped carrying it in favor of a 3 1/2″ Citadel M1911. I will ALWAYS feel more comfortable with seven rounds of 200gr. .45acp Gold Dot or XTP than fifteen rounds of 147gr. Winchester White Box.

    • Exactly. Simply put, I can shoot a 1911 more accurately than any other pistol. If you need more than eight rounds, you’re probably screwed any way.

    • There are those (especially those with qualified immunity and a bottomless pot of other people’s money to pay settlements and judgments) who will tell you that real accuracy isn’t important. The rest of us actually have to hit what we’re aiming at, and ONLY what we’re aiming at.

  55. Because a cop is too heavy to carry.

    Seriously, I don’t own a 1911, and don’t really want to. I like 9mm. With my arthritis, the .45 is a little too much, the 9mm is fine.
    I have used them, though, in the Army, ‘way back when. I can’t make any specific complaints about them; they work, which is really all one needs to know.
    Of course, like any gun, especially if you’re going to carry it, extensive practice is a must. Shooting well is a perishable skill, so constant practice is needed.

    • The first 1911 was a well-used, full size Kimber, and it was so smooth to shoot, very much unlike my XD9, that I went out and bought one. I have a 4″ commander sized model, which is pretty snappy, but the five inchers are a dream.

  56. I am a self admitted 1911 fanboy. You should carry a 1911 when it is the gun you shoot best. If you shoot a Glock better than a 1911 carry the Glock.

  59. I don’t own a 1911. I have, but don’t currently. I have 2 semi auto pistols. 1 is an old commie Makarov which is all steel and has a hammer and the other is a cheez whizz striker fired 9. Both are reliable as hell.

    But the all steel gun gets my nod when I need a semi. When we get constitutional carry under Lord Trump(Hail Trump, blessings upon his house) I will investigate another 1911.

    The Mak is at the upper limits of weight and bulk for a concealed carry gun that I’m comfortable with.

  61. Love 1911s. I currently own 2. Both are 5 inch barrel models. Other than the weight and size I cannot think of a reason to not carry one.
    On the plus side for weight…. should the need ever arise…… doubtful I know… if you should have to pistol whip someone who is threatening you a 1911 is perfect.

  62. Accuracy, trigger, grip angle, ergonomics, reliability. With an eight-round magazine and one in the chamber, I feel that the capacity is quite sufficient, and better than most subcompacts. I carry an RIA FS model, so the excessively-tight clearances on some of the more expensive types are not something I have to contend with.

  63. I love 1911s and think everyone should own one whether you carry it or not. Here’s the good:

    1. Grip angle. There’s a reason Ruger makes and sells a ton of .22/45 pistols.

    2. Trigger.

    3. Grips. You can change them from thick to thin, wood to synthetic, with or without finger grooves, checkered or stippled and all it takes is a screwdriver/tore/Allen wrench depending on the screw head.

    4. Service Pistol of the winner of 2 world wars.

    5. Fast follow up shots.

    6. Accuracy should you need it.

    7. Is 7+1/8+1 really a disadvantage? How many does a Glock 43, Ruger LC9 hold?

    The bad:

    1. weight can be a concern, but I’m not sure what a Glock 19 weighs with 2 full mags vs. an alloy commander with 3 full mags.

    2. Most of us don’t train enough to handle a pressure situation with a 3 lb single action trigger or a 3.5 lb Glock trigger for that matter.

    Bottom line, if it’s reliable and you’ll actually carry it, by all means carry it.

  67. 100 years of history, the colt peacemaker’s succesor…
    Cause this is the semi auto gun in this country all gun fighting theory evolved with. And if you can’t find the add on part to address whatever aspect you wish to change or upgrade you ain’t shooting it enough…

    • The Hi Power is the youbger brother to the 1911. The ergonomics are very similar to it. However, the 1911 has a much better trigger. The take up and trigger weight are very similar to an XD. Despite that difference I shoot my hi Power better than any other carry pistol. I do have a 9mm Range Officer but that is more of a range toy or open carry piece.

  69. Because I competed on a Navy team with one. I will not be able catch up with the number of rounds I’ve fired through a 1911 with any other gun in a lifetime.

  70. I picked up my first 1911 and it fit exactly the way my hands and eyes expected it to. It fit my hand and it pointed straight where I expected it to. I draw and point my (unloaded) kimber at random objects in my house, whatever I happen to be looking at, and I’m on target every i bring it up. Nothing is perfect, but my 1911 works the way I’ve always thought a pistol should, and that’s good enough for me.

  72. Meh. If you like it and can hit with it, carry whatever the hell suits you. I love my 1911s, both the .45 and the .38 Super. They’re not my EDC, but that doesn’t mean I have a problem with them.

  75. Best reason is because you live in the mid twentieth century and striker fired handguns haven’t been invented yet.

    In addition, the 45 will vaporize any attacker with a single shot.

  76. I picked a Magnum Research 1911, and fell in love. Until that time I didn’t like 1911’s, but the MR feels like it’s part of me. But I still carry a Ruger SR9c, easier to conceal.

  77. Ugh, don’t compare 1911s to Harleys. I once worked at Harley (got out before the layoffs hit), I can safely say that Harley-Davidsons are not badass nor are they functional. No one under the age of 30 wants them and they have become synonyms with Baby Boomers clutching to their youth. Things ride like crap and aren’t worth the price tag.

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