I would like to hear some suggestions for a carry gun in a 1911 and why. What I am looking for:
5 inch barrel
fixed sights
ambi safety
rail
leaning towards a steel frame, but would look at an alloy.
Of course dead on reliable and accurate. So many options and read so many write ups, but would enjoy hearing viewpoints on this and see what folks can recommend and why. Thanks.
Price range for the pistol will play a huge role in the choice. What did you want to spend.
Here is a link to a thread on the same subject…
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=123762
And my response…
"Using a 1911, whether CCW or in a duty holster is a “life choice”. Meaning you need to be dedicated to the platform like you’re dedicated to your wife and family.
Choose a quality pistol, have it tuned and learn to diagnose, maintain and tune it yourself. Keep on hand a supply of parts and tools needed to keep it up and running.
Its not a pistol you throw on when you want to look “cool” or “tactical”.
Otherwise, pick a quality, current manufactured polymer pistol."
I will echo the above sentiments of BBossman.
You can also find some good information from a respected source at 10-8 Performance
First, why a 1911? Are you a dedicated 1911 shooter? What two of the better 1911 smiths and experts on the platform have to say on the 1911:
Hilton Yam:
“For a dedicated and knowledgeable end user, the 1911 has no equal. For non-dedicated personnel, they are better served by a modern, low maintenance weapon such as a Glock, SIG, or HK.”
Larry Vickers:
“How do I know if a 1911 is the right choice for me?
That is a tough question as I feel most people are best served NOT using a 1911 as a primary sidearm. Two criteria come to mind a) A passion for the 1911 platform and b) you are willing to be your own armorer and can fix relatively minor problems or fit certain parts yourself. If you are the kind of guy that doesn’t mind tinkering with your Harley Davidson motorcycle to keep it running then you are a candidate. If however you treat your pistols like we all treat our lawnmowers then don’t get a 1911 – use a Glock.”
Note, both quotes were made prior the M&P. Yam is a big fan of the M&P and was an early adopter of the M&P. Don’t know what Larry has to say on the M&P.
if you are dead set on a 1911 i ask these two questions
do you shoot with both hands as in ambidextrously? if not then ambi’s are probably not something you need. They are all over “high” end guns but i see very few people who actually ever use them. Something to think about.
Also if you want to carry it, why a light rail? will you carry with a light? Rails make the gun much wider and bulkier, i have a railed 1911 but it isn’t one i would want to carry regularly, i would rather carry a non-railed one.
Anothe option if you dead set is a springfield professional, 4" barrel and railed.
Really for a 1911 i would stick to companies with known customer service like springfield or wilson and buy the nicest one you can afford.
If not buy a M&P, glock, etc and a ton of ammo and be happy. I’m not telling you not to buy a 1911 as I am a huge 1911 guy myself but too many people get into the platform without really knowing what they are getting into. Highly suggest reading Hilton’s and Larry’s articles about it.
I would like to stay around the $1000 mark, I would go up quite a bit for a better piece though. The ambi safety is because I am left handed and I do train with both hands. I am familiar with the 1911 and have owned a custom Kimber and a couple of springfields. The rail is a nice feature but not absolute. I could see it doing double duty around the house. I have several 9mm, .357, .44, and one .45 currently so ‘need’ isn’t really an issue. Around here the 1911 mags, are still available and .45 ACP is one of the few rounds you can still find. I like the platform and shoot 1911’s well and I conceal them well on my person. Yes other platforms are available and cheaper, but my experience with the 1911 keeps it as a very viable option for me.
see that background now makes sense.
look into a TRP or a colt rail gun, both excellent weapons and around your price range.
In that price range I would take a hard look at the Springfield Armory MC Operator or Lightweight Operator. They will be near your price range, the meet your description, and if anything goes wrong SA will fix it.
You have described a Springfield MC Operator. Here is my customized one:
Very similar to my Long Beach Operator set up. My has been trouble free.
MC Operator, Long Beach Operator, and the base TRP are all good options.
I also like the R1 Carry, and you can see why at the following review:
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=129070
I hear the STI Trojan is the cat’s meow, but have no trigger time with the blaster so I can’t endorse it. There should be plenty of reviews available though.
Cheers,
Dan
In no particular order…
Springfield MC Operator
Colt Rail Gun
S&W E-Series
Any reason for the neccessity of a rail? Do you plan on carrying with a light I assume? I hope you have a really good gun belt 
Either the LW Operator or what I picked, the S&W 1911PD. I have about a grand in mine WITH a set of CT grips (not pictured). If you get a steel framed gun, you’re a lot more likely to abandon the idea of using it for daily carry quickly.
I can’t reiterate enough the above thoughts on “marrying yourself” to the platform. It requires more thought and expertise than a plastic fantastic.
As we have already established that there are far better choices for most; however, as a left-handed guy that still regularly carries a 1911, I would offer the following …
If you can afford a used Wilson Combat CQB, buy it.
If your budget is more closely limited to $1,000, buy a Colt.
There is no substitiute for a 5" 1911. Rails are great for HD guns; less so for dedicated CCW tools. You really want to mimimize bulk if you can.
I do have a soft spot for 4" 1911s, but they are somewhat more difficult to shoot well and will be more prone to maintenance requirements. Buy a 5" first; then pick up that Commander or Compact Model you’re so fond of.
Avoid the trap of buying a particular model because it looks cool, or has every available option.
Invest in the options you need. A quality ambi will be one of them. Night sights (up front, anyway) are another.
Don’t skimp on magazines. Buy the best that you can afford, and test them thoroughly. Nobody ever went wrong with Wilson’s.
If you purchase a 1911 with a chopped frame, recognize that compact magazines will require more frequent spring changes.
Keep in mind that the key to carrying a large (though wonderfully flat) pistol like the 1911 is a top-quality carry rig/holster. Street wisdom still tends to hold that polymer guns carry well in Kydex, but a 1911 deserves leather.
A great holster is of very limited value without a great gun belt. This is especially true with a 1911 because of the pistol’s weight.
Finally, avoid the tendency to buy a 1911 based upon sentiment. The gun features a fine trigger and excellent shooting characteristics; however, none of these will do you any good if you don’t go out and shoot the gun.
For some reason, the nicer the 1911, the less-interested the typical owner seems to be in shooting it. Again, don’t be a poseur/fondler/collector: go out and shoot the gun.
The 1911 very much represents a “you get out of it what you put into it” proposition. If you’re 100% committed to this, proceed with confidence; if not, do yourself a favor and go buy a Walther PPQ or a S&W M&P. 
AC
I’ve been a 1911 carrier for nearly 20 years, always in good leather. A few years back, I switched to a glock so I could carry with a light. Recently, I decided that if I could carry a g17 for 15+ hours a day, IWB, then I could do so with a 1911.
Now I run a Novak built Colt, with a surefire x300U, in a Raven rig. 15-18 hours a day, IWB in jeans and a polo. It took a bit of getting used to, and I had to modify the Raven rig, but I’m happy as a clam. Now, I’m one of the few people that thinks an all-steel 1911 is “light” :lol:
as with all things 1911, get the best you can afford, and if that’s still not sufficient, save up till you do.
Kent
I carry a 1911 everyday anymore. I strongly suggest you learn as much as you can about the 1911 as it requires more attention and maintance than a Glock. Go 5" carbon steel in 45ACP. A Lightweight Operator might be good if your use to a polymer pistol. Get a good belt and be prepared to try many holsters to find the one that’s right for you. Also take some classes from LAV and Ken Hackathorn. They have forgotten more about the 1911 than most other instructors know.
That’s what will tell the tale, right there.
Any time I think I have a good carry plan, I’ll take a class with either a local training group or with Suarez International.
If you take a class with some training groups, you will have to contend with what is actually the artificiality of trying to keep up with a high volume of fire using 7 or 8 round magazines. Throw that artificiality out and you will still find out in training whether your carry plan is good or not.
I had it happen too many times that I would draw my 1911, pull the trigger, nothing would happen, I would tap, and when I went to rack I couldn’t move the slide. At that time, I would realize that my only problem was that I had failed to disengage the thumb safety. Knowing that I didn’t care to pay for enough training to do well with the 1911, I moved to the Glock.
It does happen that I will occasionally carry one. I’ll carry a WC Tactical Elite (10mm) in a VM II simply because it’s probably just about the easiest thing in the world to conceal. That, and it’s hard to leave a 10mm at the house these days.
This using an ARES Ranger belt (buy it from LaRue). Leather belts are another thing I don’t do anymore. The problem with them is that when you go to buckle them, you’ll typically have only 5 or 7 holes to choose from. Likely as not, those holes aren’t where you need them to be. Most folks swear by good leather, and that’s fine.
Most times I’ll carry an RMRed Glock AIWB. If you were to ever try that, you might not ever do anything else.
In any case, if what you’re doing is working for you, then do it.
I wouldn’t expect you to do anything different based on what someone on the internet says.
One thing I am sure of is that if you ever do some really good training, you’ll find out what’s going to work.
Or not.
.
I bought my first 1911 a while back, to see if I liked it. I’d been carrying and shooting a SAO gun(P220) for a long time, and wanted to see how the slimmer 1911 worked out for me.
I ended up with the Sig 5" TacOps, as it had a lot of the features I’d wanted: US made, decent sights, all steel, etc. It came with 4 mags, and priced at $900, I figured if I liked it, I’d move up to a higher end gun. So far I haven’t felt the need, and I’ve carried it pretty much daily since confirming it’s reliability.
I have probably close to 2500 (stopped logging at 2k) rounds through it, no malfunctions of any sort. It is plenty accurate, slide to frame fit has zero slop. All I’ve done is swap the plastic grips out.
Carries great in the VMII, with a good belt, I don’t notice the weight.
I know some folks don’t like the external extractor on a 1911, or have had issues with the “new” Sig. I’m just relating my own experience.
