How to carry your Colt 1911 semi-auto pistol

[southfl_bicur]

Not to mention their exemplary customer service.

I would have added Springfield to the great customer service list, but their political actions lately haven't earned them any friends.

"great customer service" - have not contacted them but great to know. I know Sccy has lifetime warranty. Anything and they mean anything regardless of whose fault they will fix it over the life of the pistol. How can you beat that? Problem is when needed you want a gun that does not have issues.

 

[TheOldWidow]

You make a great point. Some folk like manual safeties, some do not, but it is always good advice to get something that checks all the boxes. I love the manual safety on a 1911 and pistols like Ruger's SR9c, but on some of the newer striker pistols the smallness of the safety lever has me wondering if it would be a pro or con.

I believe the Sig 938 and S&W M&P compact have ambis, but needing one certainly cuts down on choices. Best of luck!

Yes, the 938 has a manual safety, (ambi)
The 938 is a smaller, lighter weight version of a 1911.

 

[southfl_bicur]

Yes, the 938 has a manual safety, (ambi)
The 938 is a smaller, lighter weight version of a 1911.

I bought a 238 before the 938 came out. Yes, I know Sigs have manual safeties

 

[OTCurve]

"great customer service" - have not contacted them but great to know. I know Sccy has lifetime warranty. Anything and they mean anything regardless of whose fault they will fix it over the life of the pistol. How can you beat that? Problem is when needed you want a gun that does not have issues.

Yep, that's the trick. I know Kahr recommends strongly a break-in of 200 rounds, and I would put at least that much through anything I was going to carry. The more the merrier, plus it gives you familiarity with the weapon that the folk who buy it, load it and carry it just do not have.

Of course, one could always argue for minimal issues, use a revolver.

 

[southfl_bicur]

Cleaning your pistol

I know we all hate cleaning our guns but how often do you clean your carry gun vs home or range gun?

I still consider myself a newbie so excuse my ignorance. I was told when you goto the range shoot only 1-2 mags of your carry gun (to make sure its still working great) and whatever you want with the others.

As for cleaning, clean your carry gun EVERYTIME you use it but as for the other guns you can clean them every 250-500 rounds.

agree? Love to hear everyones opinion

 

[OTCurve]

I know we all hate cleaning our guns but how often do you clean your carry gun vs home or range gun?

I still consider myself a newbie so excuse my ignorance. I was told when you goto the range shoot only 1-2 mags of your carry gun (to make sure its still working great) and whatever you want with the others.

As for cleaning, clean your carry gun EVERYTIME you use it but as for the other guns you can clean them every 250-500 rounds.

agree? Love to hear everyones opinion

As in everything, there are many schools of thought. I have a couple range guns, but always schedule some serious range time with the carry guns, as those are the ones you want the most familiarity (muscle memory) with, so often it is a box or two with the carry gun and clean when I get home. For range guns, you'll figure out what you're most comfortable with, I mean there are Glock torture tests going on where thousands of rounds have been fired without cleaning, and other folk who clean every weapon after every range trip. I'm one of the latter, in case it is a long time before that particular gun goes back to the range. Some people even have two identical guns, one for carry (broken in, loaded with carry ammo and as you say, tested every once in a while) and one to achieve familiarity with it. Whatever floats your boat.

Be aware that shooting .38 in a .357 does require cleaning as often as possible, due to the shorter .38 depositing extra crud in the .357.

 

[Bottomlover]

I know we all hate cleaning our guns but how often do you clean your carry gun vs home or range gun?

I still consider myself a newbie so excuse my ignorance. I was told when you goto the range shoot only 1-2 mags of your carry gun (to make sure its still working great) and whatever you want with the others.

As for cleaning, clean your carry gun EVERYTIME you use it but as for the other guns you can clean them every 250-500 rounds.

agree? Love to hear everyones opinion

You want your carry gun to work every single time. I keep mine clean, but only clean it when it needs it. 1-2 magazines is not realistic IMO. I don't count the rounds before I clean. I clean when I see a deterioration in performance. Keeping the action working right is more important than keeping the barrel clean. The age old rule is that if it turns, use oil. If it slides, use grease. It doesn't apply much here, but i know long distance rifle experts who never ever clean their barrels.

Just make sure that your gun shoots every time you want it to, and that the bullets go where you point them. It doesn't require maintenance every 30 rounds.

 

[INeedLove]

I'm going for the .45, mainly for the difference in felt recoil. I was wondering whether to go straight stock model or the performance center though. I like the hi-vis sights but am unsure about the porting, given the .45 is already moving relatively slowly out of such a short barrel.

Do you find the porting on your 9mm made a huge change in recoil?

The hi-vis sights are awesome. I think mine need a slight adjustment. I shot the non-ported model before I bought my ported one. The recoil isn't much less but the muzzle flip is much better with the ported. Some don't like porting and you do have to be aware of the flames from the side. My friend and her hubby are trying mine out this weekend. I'm anxious to hear how they like the porting.

The shield had gotton amazing reviews. I think it was the top selling gun last year. I was thinking about buying one but they dont (or at the time) sell one with ambi safety. I know not everyone likes a safety but I do. I feel safer and more comfortable knowing there wont be any accidents. When the gun is in my holster the manual safety is on and when I draw it I release the safety. I practiced that way hundreds of times so I will not lose time taking the safety off..

I'm a safety girl too. Accidental shooting is nothing I want either.

I know we all hate cleaning our guns but how often do you clean your carry gun vs home or range gun?

I still consider myself a newbie so excuse my ignorance. I was told when you goto the range shoot only 1-2 mags of your carry gun (to make sure its still working great) and whatever you want with the others.

As for cleaning, clean your carry gun EVERYTIME you use it but as for the other guns you can clean them every 250-500 rounds.

agree? Love to hear everyones opinion

My AR is cleaned after every range trip. My 10/22 and 22 are cleaned after a few trips. I'm undecided about the Shield. I will probably clean it every other trip. When I shoot one of them I usually put at least 50 rounds through them. Especially when they are new.

The spring on my Shield is really tight. It makes engaging the slide lock a real effort. Any suggestions?

 

[OTCurve]

The hi-vis sights are awesome. I think mine need a slight adjustment. I shot the non-ported model before I bought my ported one. The recoil isn't much less but the muzzle flip is much better with the ported. Some don't like porting and you do have to be aware of the flames from the side. My friend and her hubby are trying mine out this weekend. I'm anxious to hear how they like the porting.

I shall try to find a ported one to test, I've shot a ported revolver before, and there was a definite difference as you noted. Of course with the Hearing Protection Act on the horizon, having a non-ported and threaded barrel might also be a consideration.

The spring on my Shield is really tight. It makes engaging the slide lock a real effort. Any suggestions?

Shoot, shoot and shoot. From what I've heard, it will lessen a bit with extended use.

 

[southfl_bicur]

The hi-vis sights are awesome. I think mine need a slight adjustment. I shot the non-ported model before I bought my ported one. The recoil isn't much less but the muzzle flip is much better with the ported. Some don't like porting and you do have to be aware of the flames from the side. My friend and her hubby are trying mine out this weekend. I'm anxious to hear how they like the porting.



I'm a safety girl too. Accidental shooting is nothing I want either.



My AR is cleaned after every range trip. My 10/22 and 22 are cleaned after a few trips. I'm undecided about the Shield. I will probably clean it every other trip. When I shoot one of them I usually put at least 50 rounds through them. Especially when they are new.

The spring on my Shield is really tight. It makes engaging the slide lock a real effort. Any suggestions?

One of my Rugers has a very tight spring. When its placed in storage or safe keep the slide open. Do that for a few days then rack the slide. See if its any easier. I do that all the time and my Ruger loosened. It is still tight but much looser then when I bought it. I have arthritis in my hands so its now much easier to rack then before.

 

[Anchor_4966]

Just a quick question for those who carry a firearm. In particular a 1911. I inherited one from my late grandfather. I was told by a friend I was carrying it wrong. Here is how I carry the pistol in the holster. Mag inserted, round chambered, hammer down. I was told it should be mag inserted, round chambered, hammer cocked, and safety on. Which way in your opinion is safer or more preferred?

You never want to carry in this condition. The 1911 was designed to be carried in "Condition 1" which is mag inserted, hammer cocked, and the thumb safety engaged. You are actually much less safe the way you are carrying it. I've carried the 1911 for over twenty years, and never had a problem. Just ensure that you make disengaging the thumb safety part of your draw stroke. Let me know if you need more information. Keep in mind that the 1911 is NOT a gun you want to just strap on and carry without knowing *exactly* what you're doing. It's easy to make a mistake and get hurt.

 

[Anchor_4966]

I know we all hate cleaning our guns but how often do you clean your carry gun vs home or range gun?

I still consider myself a newbie so excuse my ignorance. I was told when you goto the range shoot only 1-2 mags of your carry gun (to make sure its still working great) and whatever you want with the others.

As for cleaning, clean your carry gun EVERYTIME you use it but as for the other guns you can clean them every 250-500 rounds.

agree? Love to hear everyones opinion

Whoever told you that is giving you horrible information. He/she is 100% wrong. Shoot the hell out of your carry gun. Make it the one you shoot the most, and shoot it from different positions, different ranges, and do so until you know it like inside and out. That is the gun that you NEED to have work when you draw it, so ensure you know all of its little idiosyncrasies. This is also the weapon you are most likely to have on you when things go bad, so it doesn't make sense to shoot it less than the others.

As for cleaning, when people say they don't like cleaning their guns, what I hear is "I'm a lazy piece of shit who doesn't maintain his equipment". Clean your gun every time you shoot it. It doesn't take long.

 

[Anchor_4966]

did you get a boner when you strapped it? Did your dick get instantly 10" longer?

How on earth did you get along before before your grandpappy handed over his pee pee gun?

So many questions about deluded masculinity...

So many questions about your misconceptions. Seriously...you seem to have some major issues at work here. Maybe someone paddled into some deeper waters when they read this thread? Then again, based on your later post, you're just trolling to troll. Still...if weapons bother you this much, go see a shrink. Nobody gives a fuck who you think is "evolved".

 

[OTCurve]

Speaking of carry ammo, anyone have opinions on best in .45?

I know about how modern guns should feed near any profile, but I do believe the rounder the better.

Hornady, Remington, Federal?

Coming out of a Shield .45, so shorter barrel length. Maybe the Gold Dot specifically for shorter barrels?

Looking forward to hearing what others have chosen.

 

[Anchor_4966]

Speaking of carry ammo, anyone have opinions on best in .45?

I know about how modern guns should feed near any profile, but I do believe the rounder the better.

Hornady, Remington, Federal?

Coming out of a Shield .45, so shorter barrel length. Maybe the Gold Dot specifically for shorter barrels?

Looking forward to hearing what others have chosen.

I tend to stick with 230 grain ball in the winter (I'm in Alaska, so your mileage may vary). In the warmer months, though, I'll carry either Barnes Tac-XPD, Cor-Bon DPX, or Federal HST. Hornaday Critical Duty and Speer Gold Dot are also top shelf self defense loads. I stay away from "gimmicky" ammo, though. Anything that's supposed to explode on impact/chainsaw tissue/expand 600%/kill unicorns is just hype, so I stick with what works. A good suggestion is to find out what the local LEO's near you use.

Hope that helps.

 

[HisArpy]

I tend to stick with 230 grain ball in the winter (I'm in Alaska, so your mileage may vary). In the warmer months, though, I'll carry either Barnes Tac-XPD, Cor-Bon DPX, or Federal HST. Hornaday Critical Duty and Speer Gold Dot are also top shelf self defense loads. I stay away from "gimmicky" ammo, though. Anything that's supposed to explode on impact/chainsaw tissue/expand 600%/kill unicorns is just hype, so I stick with what works. A good suggestion is to find out what the local LEO's near you use.

Hope that helps.

Around these parts, the advice is to not shoot at the unicorn.

 

[Anchor_4966]

Around these parts, the advice is to not shoot at the unicorn.

That's advice that's good pretty much everywhere.

 

[OTCurve]

I tend to stick with 230 grain ball in the winter (I'm in Alaska, so your mileage may vary). In the warmer months, though, I'll carry either Barnes Tac-XPD, Cor-Bon DPX, or Federal HST. Hornaday Critical Duty and Speer Gold Dot are also top shelf self defense loads. I stay away from "gimmicky" ammo, though. Anything that's supposed to explode on impact/chainsaw tissue/expand 600%/kill unicorns is just hype, so I stick with what works. A good suggestion is to find out what the local LEO's near you use.

Hope that helps.

I've not heard of Barnes, I'll check them out.

I know what you mean about gimmicky ammo, though the Zombie Max by Hornady is supposed to be one of their defense ammos repackaged, but I cannot remember which one just now.

Good idea, I'll see what the locals are carrying. I remember back in Mass, the PD was very restricted in what they could use.

One nice thing about the ball ammo is no extra worry about feeding issues, and I'm guessing up there in the winter there are several layers more to worry about than down here in the south.

 

[Anchor_4966]

Yeah, I figure that you can't go wrong using what the police use. I always look at it through the lens of "how would some prosecutor approach this if I had to use my weapon?". That's why I stick to basics with ammo and don't put any stupid crap on my weapon.

I feel lucky to live here, because Alaska is a really easy state to live in as a gun owner.

 

[OTCurve]

Yeah, I figure that you can't go wrong using what the police use. I always look at it through the lens of "how would some prosecutor approach this if I had to use my weapon?". That's why I stick to basics with ammo and don't put any stupid crap on my weapon.

I feel lucky to live here, because Alaska is a really easy state to live in as a gun owner.

Yeah, I'm always aware of the double standard between police and civilians. "Police are trained" and such, yet you hear of them leaving their pistols in bathrooms and shooting themselves in the leg. I won't even go into mag dumps and number of rounds on target.

Wasn't it ranked number one for gun owners several years running? Seems like a paradise, and not just for that. But how do you find that six months light/dark affects people?

 

[Anchor_4966]

Yeah, I'm always aware of the double standard between police and civilians. "Police are trained" and such, yet you hear of them leaving their pistols in bathrooms and shooting themselves in the leg. I won't even go into mag dumps and number of rounds on target.

Wasn't it ranked number one for gun owners several years running? Seems like a paradise, and not just for that. But how do you find that six months light/dark affects people?

I don't want to seem like I'm bashing cops, because I'm really pro LEO, but the problem is that most departments these days won't hire "gun guys". That translates to people that don't practice daily and as a result, do dumb things like leave their guns in bathrooms, shoot civilians by mistake, and miss bad guys with terrifying regularity.

This place really is a paradise for gun owners and sportsmen. We have constitutional carry, so I don't need a CCW to carry, although most of us get them for reciprocity (36 states) and the NICS exemption. We're also a class III state so it's a relatively quick procedure to get your SBL or Supressor.

As for the light and dark, it seems to hit people really hard at first. My first few years here were all military,and I noticed that my soldiers were usually kept busy enough that it wasn't too tough on them, but their wives tended to have a lot of Seasonal Affected Disorder/depression problems in the winter. And we have a huge problem with alcohol abuse.

 

[OTCurve]

I don't want to seem like I'm bashing cops, because I'm really pro LEO, but the problem is that most departments these days won't hire "gun guys". That translates to people that don't practice daily and as a result, do dumb things like leave their guns in bathrooms, shoot civilians by mistake, and miss bad guys with terrifying regularity.

I know what you mean, the licensing officer I had explained that Glocks could not be purchased in Mass by civilians because they "didn't have any safeties".

This place really is a paradise for gun owners and sportsmen. We have constitutional carry, so I don't need a CCW to carry, although most of us get them for reciprocity (36 states) and the NICS exemption. We're also a class III state so it's a relatively quick procedure to get your SBL or Supressor.

I'm hoping that hearing protection act passes, as it is just a matter of saving both time and money if one doesn't have to jump through the bureaucratic hoops.

As for the light and dark, it seems to hit people really hard at first. My first few years here were all military,and I noticed that my soldiers were usually kept busy enough that it wasn't too tough on them, but their wives tended to have a lot of Seasonal Affected Disorder/depression problems in the winter. And we have a huge problem with alcohol abuse.

That I can understand. Aside from the odd weekend day, I cannot recall too much time when I wasn't busy, getting ready to be busy or recovering from being busy.

Sorry to hear about the alcohol issues, around the east/northeast it seems to be pills/opiods that the masses abuse.

Nowhere is totally without problems but Alaska seems well ahead of the rest!

 

[toeskr]

Seriously - take this shit to somewhere deep dark in the the fetish board - away away

all this gun masturbation is sickening

I have checked this whole thread out, I KNEW what thread I was clicking on.

All of these posters have been kind.

We don't go into the GLBT and lib threads and harass you, if you don't like it, stay away.

If you are not afraid of lawfully owned firearms, or even if you are, these people can help you learn something.

 

[Anchor_4966]

I have checked this whole thread out, I KNEW what thread I was clicking on.

All of these posters have been kind.

We don't go into the GLBT and lib threads and harass you, if you don't like it, stay away.

If you are not afraid of lawfully owned firearms, or even if you are, these people can help you learn something.

Well said.

 

[coachdb18]

Well said.

Indeed, well said.

Personally, I don't carry a 1911, nothing wrong with those who do. It's a personal choice.. mine goes to carrying either a Beretta Px4 9mm, or a .357 (7 shot) snubby. Just depends... On any account, just train well, and if you need to use it, be ready to actually pull the trigger. If you can't know for sure you're ready for that decision, you shouldn't carry... that's really all there is to it.