I drill and shoot a 1911/2011 more, so is it bad I carry a G26?

[Wild Gene]

Hello,

I am a USPSA shooter. I drill, train and compete with either a 5" 1911 Single Stack or a 5" or 6" 2011 Double Stack, all in .40 S&W.

I love to shoot my Glocks, all in 9mm, and shoot them pretty well, but not as well as my 1911 platform, nor do I shoot them as much.

I have a 4" 1911 in .45 I like to carry, but end up carrying the G26 more often mainly because I have cases of 9mm and .40 S&W ammo, but never .45. Honestly, the 1911 is more comfortable to carry than the Glock, for me.

My theory is if I keep all my Glocks 9mm, and all my 1911 type guns .40 S&W, then I would be much less likely to ever mix up mags and ammo from one type of gun to another. My problem is the .40 SS mags and my .45 mags will fit the same gun/either, and in a stress situation there is the possibility of mixing the two up. It is even very possible in a non stress environment.

It would seem to make more sense to carry the 1911 platform since that is what I train with most often, but would prefer on in .40S&W or 9mm because that is what I have on hand for ammo (in large quantities). There is my second problem. If you can find a 1911 .40, they take forever to get them to run while 9mm's tend to run better, but then I would be back with the similar looking magazine issue.

So, given the above, and assuming it would make more sense to carry the 1911 over the Glock, would you suggest: 1) Keep carrying the Glock, there is nothing wrong with that 2) Carry a 3-4" 1911 in 9mm, 3)Carry a 3-4" 1911 in .40 S&W or 4)Just carry the .45 and buy more ammo?

I would really appreciate you thoughts.:dunno:

Thank you,

WG

[Mas Ayoob]

Gene, ya gotta analyze the shooter as well as the guns and mags. Some folks don't adapt to change well, and get discombobulated when they get out of their car with the shift on the steering column, and into their truck with the stick shift on the floor, or vice versa...and some folks can transition from one vehicle platform to another as smoothly as Archie switching between Betty and Veronica.

It's the same with guns.

So far, from what you're telling me, you're pretty adaptable. You don't sound as if you're having problems with the different "feel" between your double stack and single stack 1911s. You haven't mentioned any problem of forgetting to wipe off your 1911 safety after you've been using your Glock. It may just be a non-issue.

Insofar as mixing up the magazines, while single stack 1911 mags may be the same size, they look different and feel different due to the ribbed side configuration on the smaller calibers. With a modicum of due diligence, I don't think you'll be mixing them up.

Another option, one that many have taken, is to simply carry the Glock and switch to larger Glocks for USPSA, though in the Glocks you're actually more likely to mistake a 9mm mag for a .40, and will have to pay more attention to that since you mention it's a concern of yours.

Yet another option, since you're obviously comfortable carrying a 9mm, is to try the excellent little Springfield Armory EMP. Its solid-side magazines with distinctive floorplate are hard to mistake for full-size 1911 mags of any caliber, it has the same manual of arms and pointing characteristics of a full size single-stack 1911, and you've got 9+1 rounds to work with.

Lots of options...including staying right where you are if you're comfortable with it.

Drop back and let us all know what you decide!

best,
Mas

[Wild Gene]

Thank you Mas.

By the way, I've been a fan for years.

Gene

[Wild Gene]

While I've heard good things about the EMP, when I picked one up it was just a little too small for my hand. The opening for the mag was soooo tiny and hidden in my hand. The G26, while also having a short grip gives the appearance of being larger and easier to feed because of the double column mag opening.

Again, my biggest reason for considering a 1911 for carry was because I train with that platform all the time. I wanted to buy something that fired .40 or 9mm because I always have lots of ammo on hand. I knew the .40 can be more stubborn than 9mm in the single stack so my decision is to go with a 4" 1911 9mm and pay attention to my magazines.

The 9 is a fun cartridge to shoot, I am not afraid of carrying it, and I keep tons of ammo. I figure I will be much more likely to practice with this gun than I did with the .45.

Not right or wrong, just seemed to be the best fit for me.

Thank you.