1911s are winning guns.
What do I mean by that? Well, they’ve been around for over 100 years now, fought in two World Wars (which we won) as well as countless other conflicts, and is probablyy the winningest competition pistol ever. My Dad and I have both used 1911s (and high-capacity 2011s) to reach a relatively high level in competition.
Carry Concerns
So why not carry one? Well, for me it’s more of a legal question (congress apparently doesn’t like the idea of teenagers packing heat), but for most it’s a question of size and weight. A “standard” (if there is any such thing) Government-size 1911 weighs in at a little over two pounds unloaded. Compared to something like a Glock 19 (29 oz.), it’s a little on the heavy side. Also, at 1.3 inches, the grip is a little fatter than the Glock (1.18”). And the Glock isn’t exactly a skinny gun, holding 15 rounds of 9mm in the magazine.
Another issue that made my Dad reluctant to carry the 1911 was the trigger pull. A “standard” 1911 trigger (again, if there is any such thing) from a reputable manufacturer is between 3.5 and 5 pounds, (down to under 2 lbs. on a custom gun) always with very little pre- and over-travel. Compare to a Glock 19 which comes stock at five ‘n a half pounds and a long, almost revolver-esque trigger. Glock also sells the “New York” trigger gizmo that can bring the trigger pull all the way up to 12 lbs. (depending on which one you get).
For me, the light trigger is a non-issue. As long as you “keep your booger hook off the bang switch” the gun ain’t going off. And you’ve got at least two safety mechanisms to keep the gun from going off in the holster (besides, any holster you should even consider for use will protect the trigger from outside objects.
The Custom Solution
There are a lot of super-light, super-small factory 1911s out there. Stick with a reputable manufacturer and your 1911 will bring you years of comfort, enjoyment, and security. However, if you really want to get just exactly the right carry gun for you, then a custom gun is in order. Now when I say “custom”, that doesn’t mean a multi-thousand dollar gun that you have to wait months for. The 1911′s super-customizable and it’s been around for more than a hundred years. There’s plenty of work that you can do yourself.
A couple custom CCW guns I’ve built. My Dad’s Kimber Stainless II and a Citadel “Officer’s” model .45 (CeraKoted by Justin Sip)
Reducing Weight
There are plenty of lightweight parts out there for a 1911, polymer grips, triggers, and the like. But in the end, the best way to get a lighter 1911 is to get…a lighter 1911. Several manufacturers make guns with aluminum (or other alloy) frames. Smith & Wesson’s 1911PD is a nice, very lightweight .45 with a Scandium frame, and Kimber offers quite a few aluminum framed guns in both .45 and 9mm. Caspian also offers their frames in titanium, if you plan on building a gun from scratch. My Dad’s carry gun, based on a Kimber Stainless II, weighs 26 ounces. That’s two ounces less than a Glock 19.
My Dad’s carry package: a custom Kimber Stainless II, a Milt Sparks “Summer Special”, and a Crusader Tactical FIFP folder.
If you can’t get yourself out of a fix with these tools, you need a tank.
Another way of lightening a 1911 comes from competition gunsmithing. We mill holes, slots and scallops out of our slides to cut down on the mass coming back at us during recoil. This cuts down on muzzle flip and the overall weight of the gun.
This Citadel .45 was lightened by Tony Berry of Berry’s Mfg. The slide on the bottom is from my custom STI Eagle and weighs nearly 1/4 lb less than a full slide.
Taking weight off the slide also lets you mount a red-dot sight without adding too weight.The Trijicon RMR in this picture was a christmas gift for my Dad that will go on his carry gun’s slide when it is sent off to a gunsmith.
Cutting back on size
If you’ve read this far, you’d guess I’m a fan of the 1911. But the standard (5” barrel) “Government” model is a little uncomfortable to conceal. When I build a carry 1911, I usually start with either a “Commander” or “Officer” style gun. The Commander is basically a standard Government frame with a shorter slide and a 4.25” barrel. The Officer is the 1911 equivalent of a sub-compact gun, with a 3” or 3.5” barrel and shorter grip area.
To cut back on the width, I fit it with a pair of “slim” grips. This type of grip is so slim (more than a tenth of an inch slimmer than a standard grip) it requires a different bushing on the frame. My personal favorite pair of grips are “Alumagrips”. They’re called that because they’re made of, you guessed it, aluminum. They’ll never crack and you can get them in different colors, with different types of engraving and checkering.
This particular Alumagrip has “flattop” checkering. It’s less sharp, which is nice for carry, but still very grippy.
Internal Parts
Some weight can be taken off by using lightened parts. Most factory 1911s these days come with a skeletonized hammer, but depending on the manufacturer it may not be of the highest quality. I’ve seen 1911 sears and hammer hooks (generally in foreign made guns) with cast marks down the middle, or uneven edges. That leads to a less than stellar (i.e. terrible, gritty) and possibly unsafe trigger pull. Also, you may want to replace the factory thumb safety with an ambidextrous safety (or vice-versa, depending on your feelings about them).
You have to be careful about installing new internals on the 1911, though, since “x” safety might not work with “y” sear, etc. though. In my experience, an EGW sear coupled with either an STI or Wilson Combat hammer will yield a darn good trigger pull (about 3.5 lbs.) out of the box, and work with most any factory safety. If you want to replace the safety, you will need some fine files and patience, since they are built to be over-sized.
Final Thoughts
I hope I’ve given you some thoughts about carrying the 1911 and on the options available to customize it. For more information, try reading Patrick Sweeney’s “Book of the 1911″ and “Gunsmithing Pistols and Revolvers”.
It’s called the G28. Based off the HK 417 (the .308 version of the 416), it weighs in at 17.4 lbs. with all the optics and loaded 20 round magazine. Pictured optics look like a really big scope, night vision device, and a backup red dot riding piggyback on the big scope. Plus a bipod and vertical foregrip. And of course a tac light for when you feel like doing some CQB weight lifting at night.
