Carrying 1911?

[TTravis]

I carry a full size 1911. It took me a while to get use it. Now it feels pretty normal. I either carry in a solder rig or paddle holster. Sometimes I also wear suspenders.

Like others said, get quality carry gear and your experience will be better. I love my 1911 and I get a lot of compliments.

You may want to consider a compact or "officer's" size.

 

[TheBoss930]

Thanks so much for all your tips guys! Gonna look at more options before *pulling the trigger*

 

[NightFisher]

Here are my opinions.

1. Carry a gun you like. The chance of having a shoot someone commuting back and forth to your suburban home and your boring job in your lifetime is MICROSCOPIC. Carry a gun because you like carrying a gun, not because you honestly believe you are EVER going to be in a running gunfight. I know its a cool pipe dream, I do. I get it. But its not reality for most of us.
2. 1911s are great guns. I personally love them. I would suggest an aluminum framed commander model in 9mm, its lightweight, the AMMO is lightweight, and its a good size.
3. Holster selection is critical. CRITICAL.

 

[SteveM4A1]

Here are my opinions.

1. Carry a gun you like. The chance of having a shoot someone commuting back and forth to your suburban home and your boring job in your lifetime is MICROSCOPIC. Carry a gun because you like carrying a gun, not because you honestly believe you are EVER going to be in a running gunfight. I know its a cool pipe dream, I do. I get it. But its not reality for most of us.

How is getting in a shootout a cool pipe dream? I, for one, do not get it.

I don't carry a firearm because I enjoy carrying a firearm. I don't enjoy carrying a pocket knife, my wallet, or my keys. I do it because I may need to use them.

 

[NightFisher]

How is getting in a shootout a cool pipe dream? I, for one, do not get it.

I don't carry a firearm because I enjoy carrying a firearm. I don't enjoy carrying a pocket knife, my wallet, or my keys. I do it because I may need to use them.

I totally get it Steve. And good on you to be prepared. I carry a gun too. I think its important to be prepared for likely scenarios tho. I have been attacked by dogs 3 times in my life. Once last week a pit bull started gnawing on my leg while I was carrying a desk drawer down the stairs of my apartment to the car. I couldn't see it, and it hurt bad. The owner kept yelling the dogs name and telling it "STOP, STOP PRINCESS STOP" or whatever the dogs name was. All I knew was my leg was getting chomped on.

Did my gun help me? Nope. Can of pepper spray? Maybe. Thickass hipster style 20oz raw denim pants? Yep.

My gun hasn't helped out my life yet. Pants = 1 Gun = 0.

I am just advocating not going insane about the carry lifestyle, unless you WANT to live the carry lifestyle. Its not a requirement, or even a likely need. Don't force yourself because a bunch of gun enthusiasts say you should, do it because you want to.

And the other thing is, if you REALLY want to go to extreme lengths to save your life.....

Stopping a high carb high fat diet and working out will serve you far better than 8 HSTs will in your 1911. Make the 1911 the last stop on the life preservation train, too many fatass donut eaters make it the first stop.

Again, my opinion.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Here are my opinions.

1. Carry a gun you like. The chance of having a shoot someone commuting back and forth to your suburban home and your boring job in your lifetime is MICROSCOPIC. Carry a gun because you like carrying a gun, not because you honestly believe you are EVER going to be in a running gunfight. I know its a cool pipe dream, I do. I get it. But its not reality for most of us.
2. 1911s are great guns. I personally love them. I would suggest an aluminum framed commander model in 9mm, its lightweight, the AMMO is lightweight, and its a good size.
3. Holster selection is critical. CRITICAL.

1) A gun is not a fashion accessory. If you're carrying it because it's cool and you never expect to use it, then you are unprepared and are probably more dangerous with it than without.

which goes to:

Once last week a pit bull started gnawing on my leg while I was carrying a desk drawer down the stairs of my apartment to the car. I couldn't see it, and it hurt bad. The owner kept yelling the dogs name and telling it "STOP, STOP PRINCESS STOP" or whatever the dogs name was. All I knew was my leg was getting chomped on.

Did my gun help me? Nope. Can of pepper spray? Maybe. Thickass hipster style 20oz raw denim pants? Yep.

My gun hasn't helped out my life yet. Pants = 1 Gun = 0.

It didn't help you because you didn't use it, which is likely tied to your mindset of it's just a fashion bauble. The last pit bull that bit me did so once and then I shot it in the chest. It did not bite me again.

 

[churchmouse]

I totally get it Steve. And good on you to be prepared. I carry a gun too. I think its important to be prepared for likely scenarios tho. I have been attacked by dogs 3 times in my life. Once last week a pit bull started gnawing on my leg while I was carrying a desk drawer down the stairs of my apartment to the car. I couldn't see it, and it hurt bad. The owner kept yelling the dogs name and telling it "STOP, STOP PRINCESS STOP" or whatever the dogs name was. All I knew was my leg was getting chomped on.

Did my gun help me? Nope. Can of pepper spray? Maybe. Thickass hipster style 20oz raw denim pants? Yep.

My gun hasn't helped out my life yet. Pants = 1 Gun = 0.

I am just advocating not going insane about the carry lifestyle, unless you WANT to live the carry lifestyle. Its not a requirement, or even a likely need. Don't force yourself because a bunch of gun enthusiasts say you should, do it because you want to.

And the other thing is, if you REALLY want to go to extreme lengths to save your life.....

Stopping a high carb high fat diet and working out will serve you far better than 8 HSTs will in your 1911. Make the 1911 the last stop on the life preservation train, too many fatass donut eaters make it the first stop.

Again, my opinion.

Along this train of thought....

I am more of a hands on kind of fella. If I can get my hands on you I will do that 1st.
It has happened more than I care to elaborate on. The 1911 makes a wonderful bludgeon if one thinks about it and sets up to use it in that manor.
Far less paper work and legal issues this way.
Mindset. How we approach this is all important.

I tend to agree with BBI's thoughts (again) as to the pit bull thing. I might have considered ending Princess.
But in the context I stated above Princess would have been wearing the desk drawer and then the owner and I would have been discussing the incident.

To each their own way.

 

[VERT]

Anything interesting happen in this thread?

 

[churchmouse]

Anything interesting happen in this thread?

Meh.........not so much

 

[bobzilla]

How is getting in a shootout a cool pipe dream? I, for one, do not get it.

I don't carry a firearm because I enjoy carrying a firearm. I don't enjoy carrying a pocket knife, my wallet, or my keys. I do it because I may need to use them.

Well there you go, bringing in common sense. I carry mine because it makes my hips look smaller.

 

[churchmouse]

Well there you go, bringing in common sense. I carry mine because it makes my hips look smaller.

Depending on my outfit mine goes with my eyes.....

 

[1911ly]

I carry a full size 1911 IWB and cross draw. I am very comfortable drawing it and I don't notice that I am even carrying it anymore. I am a big guy though. I also carry a 642-3 as a bug in my pocket. And as CM mentions, the 1911 doubles as a nice club.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

I carry a full size 1911 every day. It is a slimmer design than pistols with a double stack magazine. I could care less if it prints, but this makes it very easy to conceal. It also makes it fit my hand better. I think the first consideration should be for a gun that fits your hand well. This will make you a better shot with it. I like the SA operation of the 1911 a lot, but it's the fit and feel that makes me love it.

 

[indyjohn]

sissy........................................

Agree. I carry a Gov't model everywhere.

 

[MohawkSlim]

Stopping a high carb high fat diet and working out will serve you far better than 8 HSTs will in your 1911. Make the 1911 the last stop on the life preservation train, too many fatass donut eaters make it the first stop.

Though I'm still a fatass donut eater I recently took this step.

The 1911 and 8 HSTs might save you in a short, close range fight. But what if your buddy is getting attacked across town? What if your kids are on the other side of the park and something bad happens to them? Could you get there fast enough and take decisive action?

And the big push for me to stop being a fatass was what happens to the human body after an adrenaline dump or super high stress encounter. If my heart rate shot up over 200 bpm and all that jelly and grease was moving through my veins, it's quite possible I could survive the stressor, and then have a heart attack immediately after. That's still a concern for me since I eat whole pizzas (they put bacon in the crust!) but the difference between taking 20 minutes to catch my breath after walking up a single flight of steps as opposed to running a few miles and taking maybe 20 seconds to catch my breath is encouraging. I feel like now, even if I'm super stressed, I probably won't die after a fight.

...and the ladies notice too, so there is that.

1) A gun is not a fashion accessory. If you're carrying it because it's cool and you never expect to use it, then you are unprepared and are probably more dangerous with it than without.

I have to disagree with this.

Guns are relatively simple tools to use and operate. Just because someone lacks a bunch of training doesn't mean they're incapable of handling one safely. And not all of us need to be in that 24/7 head on a swivel mindset. Plenty of Americans go through life without noticing anything at all. Should they be less able to defend themselves?

It didn't help you because you didn't use it, which is likely tied to your mindset of it's just a fashion bauble. The last pit bull that bit me did so once and then I shot it in the chest. It did not bite me again.

Dare I say you have a bit less worry about prosecution than the rest of us?

I see your point of mindset and being ready to use the gun you're carrying but most of us have to consider the very real possibility of being prosecuted for something like discharging a firearm in a building. Also, shooting someone's dog will probably lead to a person-to-person confrontation which could lead to a shootout with that person.

I'm not implying you're above the law or anything like that. What I'm saying is, "You need to watch your tone when you're talking to me. I'm a cop." could quite possibly shift the dynamic of the person-to-person interaction in the immediate aftermath of a dog shooting. Most of us don't have the option.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Agree. I carry a Gov't model everywhere.

On the center console of your SUV doesnt count as "carrying". (yes, I noticed. )

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I have to disagree with this.

Guns are relatively simple tools to use and operate. Just because someone lacks a bunch of training doesn't mean they're incapable of handling one safely. And not all of us need to be in that 24/7 head on a swivel mindset. Plenty of Americans go through life without noticing anything at all. Should they be less able to defend themselves?

Guns are relatively simple to operate. Yet over 40 people have put a hole in a person they didn't mean to so far this year in my county.

However that wasn't what I was addressing. The mindset is. If you believe you'll never have to use it, when confronted with a situation where you do then you've put yourself behind the curve. You've got to go through the process or reordering your thoughts to "I do have to use this" and while it seems simple while you're sitting at a computer and not under any stress...it isn't. It leads to things like not shooting robbers while they are robbing you, but catching up mentally and shooting at them as they are fleeing. It leads to things like watching your loved one get shot in a Craigslist robbery while you are stuck in denial and working your way through the OODA loop too slowly to intervene. The "it will never happen to me" mindset is great right up until it happens to you. So, if you're worried about my less leeway in prosecution (which wasn't an issue. If you shoot a dog that's already bit you and is coming back in for more there's no prosecution there) what about shooting at people who are no longer a threat?

 

[SteveM4A1]

Excellent point BBI

 

[ram77]

9 or 45 is great. Usually I carry my 9 now just cuz its ally lighter and holds as many rounds. I used to carry 45 because I shoot well with it and i know it'll have some serious stopping power but got tired of how big it was and Its tough to conceal. I carry an xds 9 now with +p rounds and it should do the job is accurate easy to conceal and doesn't way my pants down too much. 1911's are my preferred gun though and if you get a shorter 4 inch barrel 1911 it wouldn't be too bad.

 

[Drail]

It's all in the carry rig.