Need advice from experienced 1911 CCW carriers

[Bear_B]

Okay guys... I currently carry a G19, and I do like it. Fun to shoot, and a great little CCW gun.

BUT, I recently shot my buddys Kimber ProCarry. Its a neat compact .45 1911 that I have really taken a liking to.

Since I have been considering up-grading to a .45, I am shopping around for a good deal.

I would like your suggestions on a good PRATICAL carry .45 in 1911 format. By pratical I mean nothing exotic thats needs to have accessories ordered from BFE, or some such.

Something that I can go to the local gun shop and pick up wilson combat mags for, and use standard 1911 holsters etc...

And something that is not the full 5 inch, as this will be a carry pistol and I absolutely HATE IWB holsters... so prefer something less than 5 inch.

Since the 1911 markets seems to include just about every manufacturer out there, I need some help in narrowing the field down to maybe 3-5 compact guns for serious consideration.

I kinda liked the looks of the Para Ord LDA, but have heard very mixed feed back on them.

Please include photos if you could... This may be my last Pistol purchase for a while, so I am looking for something that will give me the absolute BEST in reliability and LONG term endurance.

Thanks in advance guys.

[Yo]

You don't mention price limits, so I suggest a Les Baer Commander Model, Thunder Ranch version:

http://www.lesbaer.com/images/TRC.jpg

Monolith Commander
http://www.lesbaer.com/images/moncom.jpg

The Ed Brown Cobra Carry is nice, but pricey. The Bobtail actual is useful for concealment:
http://www.edbrown.com/images/handguns/kobracarry-ss.jpg

If you want something light (28 ounces), there's the new SW1911SC Scandium, about $800 street price. I have a SW1911, and a close friend has the SW1911 Target model. Both have been extremely accurate and totally reliable. They are also slightly dehorned with less sharp edges than a Springfield, for example.

http://www.swfirearms.vista.com/userimages/108283_large.jpg

[ColoradoPacker]

I really am happy with my Kimber Compact CDP with 4" barrel - It is dehorned and has many nice features including night sights, 30lpi checking in the front strap, nice wood grips, ambi safety - I paid $1049 for it.

I also have a Kimber Ultra Carry II with 3" barrel that was only $770 plus another $130 parts and labor for night sights. Very accurate and reliable.

Here are some pics I borrowed of the 4" CDP.

http://www.subaruplanet.com/images/guns/cdpleft.jpg

http://www.subaruplanet.com/images/guns/cdpright.jpg

[Nalapombu]

Colorado Packer took the words right off my keyboard. I have owned a Kimber Pro Carry and traded it for a Colt Combat Commander XSE and I like it, but it's a bit big for me to carry right now.
The other day I was at my local shop and right there in the case they had all 4 of the Kimber CDP series pistols. I went right to the Compact. It has a 4 inch barrel and the grip is just slightly shorter than a usual Pro Carry making it IDEAL for carry use. When I handled that piece I got weak in the knees. It is just about the most PERFECT 1911 carry setup that can be bought straight from the box. As good as those pics are of it that Colorado posted, trust me they don't do the real Compact CDP any justice at all. If I were buying a 1911 right this minute for carry purposes, I would be VERY hard pressed to find anything better than the COmapct CDP for the money. The only thing even close in my opinion would be one of the new Para Carry models with the LDA system and that is just because it gives you an added measure of security with that LDA system the way it is.
Go with what Colorado posted, you'll be the envy of your shootin' buddies. I envy Colorado and I don't even know him....

Nala

[JoeAverage]

Looks like they polished the flats.

[ColoradoPacker]

Originally posted by Nalapombu
Colorado Packer took the words right off my keyboard. I have owned a Kimber Pro Carry and traded it for a Colt Combat Commander XSE and I like it, but it's a bit big for me to carry right now.
The other day I was at my local shop and right there in the case they had all 4 of the Kimber CDP series pistols. I went right to the Compact. It has a 4 inch barrel and the grip is just slightly shorter than a usual Pro Carry making it IDEAL for carry use. When I handled that piece I got weak in the knees. It is just about the most PERFECT 1911 carry setup that can be bought straight from the box. As good as those pics are of it that Colorado posted, trust me they don't do the real Compact CDP any justice at all. If I were buying a 1911 right this minute for carry purposes, I would be VERY hard pressed to find anything better than the COmapct CDP for the money. The only thing even close in my opinion would be one of the new Para Carry models with the LDA system and that is just because it gives you an added measure of security with that LDA system the way it is.
Go with what Colorado posted, you'll be the envy of your shootin' buddies. I envy Colorado and I don't even know him....

Nala

Dig this - I saw the Compact CDP and fell in love, but decided it was too much money and went out and bought a Springfield Compact SS with night sights instead.

2 days later I had to send the SA back to be refinished because the anodizing on the frame was flaking off, and on day #3 of owning the SA compact I went into the first gun shop and bought the 4" CDP too!!

8 weeks later I have been enjoying the CDP and the SA is still in the shop ;g

[Nalapombu]

Now I cannot get the CDP out of my head. Hey Colorado, how about a range report and a few other details about her? Give us all more to drool after.

Nala

[ColoradoPacker]

Originally posted by Nalapombu
Now I cannot get the CDP out of my head. Hey Colorado, how about a range report and a few other details about her? Give us all more to drool after.

Nala

What more is there to say about 1" 8 shot groups (one ragged hole) at 10 yards and only one FTF during breakin with 400 rounds? The psitol shoots better than I can...

[jerryd]

i have the CDP with over 3700rds, ultra carry and a colt officers model, all have been reliable once i found the right ammo, carry in a galco concieable holster. go to the 1911 forum and read reports on the different manufactures.

[akapennypincher]

If you really want to carry a 1911 for CCW I suggest you go with nothing small than a Commander Style 1911. With that said the hardest part of the Handgun to Conceal is the Grip, or Butt of the Firearm.

Not the Barrel Length. So you could have a Government or Commander on your hip with little or no difference.

As for Holsters try Davis Leather in AZ, or Milt Sparks in Idaho as both are first class Gun Leather.

As far as a 1911's well I am prejudice, as I have ONLY COLTS. Go Colt, not copy.

Also as I too own a Glock 19 it is a fine Handgun for CCW Carry and with Full Capacity Magazines you got 16 Big Men on your hip in 9mm with no extra magazines to carry.

Pp ;)

[Sho Nuff]

My Kimber TLE's have been flawless right out of the box.

[aglocker1911]

For off the shelf use try Kimber, Smith, or Springfield. Para Ord
quality control is iffy at best and their new Para Kote finish
will chip off in a heartbeat. If you decide to go a little exotic,
take a look at Wilsons KZ-45 compact model.

[BillK@tcmhmrs.o]

Hard to beat a Colt Commander. I have one that I sometimes carry in a IWB holster. In the summer I switch out and have a Clipdraw installed on it. It's just a tang of metal that fits under the right grip pannel and you then just slip it on over the waist band or belt on the strong side. I wear it all the time out here in the Texas heat and sun under a guayabara shirt. ( I'm a healthcare professional and some of my partners say I look like a Mexican clap doctor.)I find the Commander size pretty practical and eminently reliable. The officer's model sometimes don't seem to be reliable. I only wish I could affort a Lightweight Colt Commander. That 40+ oz of gun and full magazine on my current Commander gets pretty heavy as the day goes by....

[ColoradoPacker]

Originally posted by BillK@tcmhmrs.o
Hard to beat a Colt Commander. I have one that I sometimes carry in a IWB holster. In the summer I switch out and have a Clipdraw installed on it. It's just a tang of metal that fits under the right grip pannel and you then just slip it on over the waist band or belt on the strong side. I wear it all the time out here in the Texas heat and sun under a guayabara shirt. ( I'm a healthcare professional and some of my partners say I look like a Mexican clap doctor.)I find the Commander size pretty practical and eminently reliable. The officer's model sometimes don't seem to be reliable. I only wish I could affort a Lightweight Colt Commander. That 40+ oz of gun and full magazine on my current Commander gets pretty heavy as the day goes by....

From one healthcare professional to another, that had me laughing my butt off... ;f

[DHart]

Originally posted by Nalapombu
Colorado Packer took the words right off my keyboard.

And he took the photos right off my postings, too! Yes, it was a little surprising to see my own gun and photos appearing here without me having posted in this thread. Having posted them initially myself, of course I realize that others can and will download them... it's just a little disconcerting to see them being posted around without being asked for an ok.

Yes, I polished the flats because to my eyes the dull finish on the slide was just a bit too, well, dull. This pistol has been very reliable for me and a great shooter. I feel the Compact and a bobtailed Commander are the two best compromises in the 1911 design for carry use.

This is my gun:

Kimber Compact CDP - Series 1
http://www.legendportraits.com/Images/Guns/CDPLeft.jpg

http://www.legendportraits.com/Images/Guns/CDPRight.jpg

[ColoradoPacker]

Originally posted by DHart
...Having posted them initially myself, of course I realize that others can and will download them... it's just a little disconcerting to see them being posted around without being asked for an ok.

I did say I only "borrowed the pics" when I used them.

As I surf the web on my Mac, I can simply drag pics from the web page to my desktop if I like them to save them for later viewing, and I keep so many pics I can't track who took what half the time.

So, in this case they were good enough to share, but now I know whom to give credit to. At least I didn't take credit for them myself.

Here is the only pic I ever took of my Compact CDP

http://www.subaruplanet.com/images/guns/compact_cdp.jpg

[DHart]

Colorado... no harm done, I was just a little surprised. Like you and many others, I save photos of guns that others have posted on my Mac and have quite a collection of cool photos of other people's guns. I fully expect that my gun images have been downloaded a bazillion times (since I've posted so many), so no offense at all that you did so...

BTW, nice pistol ya got there! ;)

[ColoradoPacker]

Originally posted by DHart
BTW, nice pistol ya got there! ;)

Ya think?

You should get one !! ;z

(watching 50 first dates right now, so that was my idea of a memory joke)

[Nalapombu]

If saving pics of other people guns is a no-no then I am in BIG trouble. I do not hesitate in the least if I see a really nice looking gun, I will save it to my hard drive for future viewing. Sometimes I save them because there is something that I would like to have done to my gun and I can refer back to the pic to make sure, but the majority of the time it is just for pleasure viewing. It's much better than having a hard rive full of nudie pics.

Nala

[DHart]

Nala... whenever I think about modifications I might want to do on one of my guns, I go to my hard drive "reserve" of downloaded gun pics and they are a great inspiration to me! I see nothing wrong with downloading internet published pics at all... if we post a pic, we should expect it to be downloaded and potentially seen a LOT! We're all sharing a lot of great ideas with each other!

[DAVE RICHARDS]

Colorado,
my Springfield Compact is back at the factory right now for the very same thing. I don't believe it's the anodizing flaking off. For some reason they use a cheap spray-on finish in the frames. Mine flaked off so bad it started gumming up my trigger and internals. Guns been a good shooter though (after replacing the SA extractor with a Wilson bulletproof model). Have close to 4000 rounds through it with no problems of anykind except the above mentioned.

[ColoradoPacker]

Originally posted by DAVE RICHARDS
Colorado,
my Springfield Compact is back at the factory right now for the very same thing. I don't believe it's the anodizing flaking off. For some reason they use a cheap spray-on finish in the frames. Mine flaked off so bad it started gumming up my trigger and internals. Guns been a good shooter though (after replacing the SA extractor with a Wilson bulletproof model). Have close to 4000 rounds through it with no problems of anykind except the above mentioned.

Well, the SA is flawless now, and functions perfectly, didn't even need to be broken in again (had 200 rounds before and 200 rounds yesterday is all I've sent through it) - the only problem is I bought a Kimber 4" Compact CDP the day after I sent the SA back, and now I am thinking I have one too many compact 1911 - gonna sell the SA with night sights and keep the Kimber CDP just because the Kimber is prettier with it's slide melt and ambi safety.

[dwestfall]

.

[IMAS]

Colt Defender in UCR with Aker belt and Wilson combat dual mag holder

[KNOW 1]

but you can probably read about them in a kimber forum. I think Kimber desighned the perfect carry pistol. Price not withstanding, "I" think they designed the perfect carry pistol. Compact, light, minimal projections, big game rifle sights (quick aquisition in close quater high stress situations and smooth clean grip so as to settle into your grip and not stick in an awkward position in your hand. Would have bought one immediately, but WHOA!, I just ain't got that kinda' money! I'm including a web sight and it's somewhere on the Kimber web sight too, I believe. Of course, this is all just opinion.

www.nfsp.com/Pages/kimber.htm

PS I have "held" one.