A new .45....maybe.

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Millie

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Since I've been carrying the Springfield 1911 in .45 on my belt for a week, I've about decided it's a tad too big for me....but I still want to carry a 1911 in .45!

This one has a 5" barrel if you measure to the ejection port from the muzzle. It weighs a ton, too, and all this length and weight make it really nice to shoot, but even all my fluffiness can't hide this thing very well...lol.

I don't want to put anything in the BST yet, but I want to find out what the gun people here have to say, and maybe trade (down the road) for a "smaller" .45. I did shoot one that had a 4" barrel and liked it. (SA Champion GI, I think, @MacEntyre ?) No extra recoil that I noticed. It was awesome.

In a defense situation I won't be thinking about recoil, I guess, but I love to shoot my guns, and I want it to be pleasant to do, since it will be my carry gun and I'll want to shoot it some, regularly.

Any ideas and experiences you guys want to share are welcome.

My .45 was bought used and has had no issues at all. (Well, it doesn't like a "speed rock"....lol...but neither did the G19.)

Also, any of these smaller .45s that I can try out, I'd be happy to have the chance. I'll be checking ones to try at Jim's in Fayetteville too.

Thanks to one and all. Again. lol.
My current .45:
20200607_125130.jpg
 
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I can carry a full size 1911 AIWB, but it's a big'un for that. Instead, I prefer a LightWeight Commander AIWB. Mine is a late 60s Colt LW Commander, with Chip McCormick Ultra Thin grips. It's a great carry gun.

If you want to try a Commander without paying vintage Colt prices, check out RIA. I think they make a LW Commander Wannabe...
 
You don't want to go smaller that a 4.25" commander IMHO. Going shorter than that even to a 4" you are setting yourself up for failure. You can consider an alum framed Commander but it is not going to last as long as a steel framed gun. If you go that route you want a ramped barrel for longevity. Please remember that you should never sell a gun that you know works so you can buy one that might.
 
Please remember that you should never sell a gun that you know works so you can buy one that might.
You're correct...lol.
Hence the request to try some, and the mention of Jim's try-before-you-buy thing.....I did that with the current .45.
 
Wait til you get here...……...
I told RS I'd see her next weekend....not going to do anything without all the info I can get....mostly from you...LOL.
It's just preliminary, to get us all thinking.

This gun is massive! (Making it nice to shoot.) Wait till you see me. There's not enough fat in the world to hide this sucker! lol.
 
You don't want to go smaller that a 4.25" commander IMHO. Going shorter than that even to a 4" you are setting yourself up for failure. You can consider an alum framed Commander but it is not going to last as long as a steel framed gun. If you go that route you want a ramped barrel for longevity. Please remember that you should never sell a gun that you know works so you can buy one that might.
What is it that makes a 4" barrel a set-up for failure? I need to know! LOL. Why does that extra .25" make a difference.
And I'm pretty sure I do want steel. I need all the weight I can get.
 
If you go with an alloy frame gun looking into the kimbers(yep I said it), and here’s why, the feed ramp is made into the barrel adding for longer life imho. I am no expert but I have seen feedramp issues in the LW rugers while working behind the gun counter.
 
I have a Colt Defender with a 3" barrel and Aluminum frame. It shoots just as reliably as my full size 1911. Weighs about as much as a Glock 19 and carries half the ammo. Probably why it stays in the safe. But it's my first and only Colt 1911 (that had to be improved by the Cylinder and Slide engineer to run well...) and IIRC @BatteryOaksBilly has one just like it, but without the Hogue grips. Get you a handful of that beast this Sunday (or whenever) and see how you like it.
The recoil is about twice as much as an all-steel Gov't model, but the muzzle flip will make you forget about it. It's a great carry gun. But I bought a P365 lol.
 
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I have a CZ Rami....love it, just don't shoot it as well as some others....
You should have never bought the CZ 2075 Rami if you were not going to carry it. You bought a carry gun and expect to shoot it better than a longer barrel gun? Come on girl. And you got rid of lighter weight guns in the Glocks? You should carry a rifle with a sling. Problem solved. LOL. LMBO. ROFL.
 
@Millie a 4 inch, or Commander size, 1911 will have the same size grip. Only the barrel/slide is a tad shorter. It will weigh nearly the same and be just as hard to conceal. If you go to an alloy frame, the weight will decrease. But, the recoil will increase. I have never been a fan of the Officer's size or 3 inch 1911's. I never have seen one that would run reliably. I'm sure that there are dependable ones out there, though. They are smaller in barrel/slide length and grip and will weigh less but, I'd bet that one of these will be a little too snappy for you. Go to Battery Oaks and demo some guns, you may change your mind. LOL
 
You should have never bought the CZ 2075 Rami if you were not going to carry it. You bought a carry gun and expect to shoot it better than a longer barrel gun? Come on girl. And you got rid of lighter weight guns in the Glocks? You should carry a rifle with a sling. Problem solved. LOL. LMBO. ROFL.

LOL, LMAO, ROTFLMAO.....

I'd carry the CZ and enjoy the 1911.

I am way more accurate with my Canik than I am with my EDC XDs. I'd love to carry the Canik, but it's a monster in comparison.
I'm not too bad with the EDC, but in the end I look at it like this... aim center mass and starting making holes in the bad guy/gal. I'm not worried that they're not going to be perfectly placed.
 
What is it that makes a 4" barrel a set-up for failure? I need to know! LOL. Why does that extra .25" make a difference.
And I'm pretty sure I do want steel. I need all the weight I can get.


Shorter Gun = Shorter Sight Radius = More difficult to align sights and keep them aligned....

then... RECOIL management...!!
 
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This is what I know about @Millie . She has been here several times and we all love her company. As to All the advice we have All given her on All occasions.....Millie gone do what Millie gone do. She can't be swayed by firearms logic. This is what she is after:

1..45 caliber
2...Heavy for recoil reduction..5 pounds would be great
3...Light weight so she can comfortably carry it ...16 ounces would be great
Heavy to make it recoiless...60 ounces preferable.
4...3 pound trigger
5...NO safety....she carries a 1911 loaded, cocked and NO safety...Yep!
6..needs to hold Lotsa ammo And be small enough to carry IWB
7..No sight preference..she never sees them the same way twice.

All of the above can change or be intermingled. She Always brightens my day when I see her get out of her home on wheels.
Sometimes I wish she had taken up fishing. I know Nothing about fishing.
She is affable, humorous, clean, and as Andy Griffith says, she don't sweat much.
She travels great distance to be with us an always brings her own ammo.
As to all of your well thought out solutions for her.....Yeah But....
 
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This is what I know about @Millie . She has been here several times and we all love her company. As to All the advice we have All given her on All occasions.....Millie gone do what Millie gone do. She can't be swayed by firearms logic. This is what she is after:

1..45 caliber
2...Heavy for recoil reduction..5 pounds would be great
3...Light weight so she can comfortably carry it ...16 ounces would be great
4...3 pound trigger
5...NO safety....she carries a 1911 loaded, cocked and NO safety...Yep!
6..needs to hold Lotsa ammo And be small enough to carry IWB
7..No sight preference..she never sees them the same way twice.

All of the above can change or be intermingled. She Always brightens my day when I see her get out of her home on wheels.
Sometimes I wish she had taken up fishing. I know Nothing about fishing.
She is affable, humorous, clean, and as Andy Griffith says, she don't sweat much.
She travels great distance to be with us an always brings her own ammo.
As to all of your well thought out solutions for her.....Yeah But....

I have not met @Millie ftf. But from what I know, Billie just nailed it!
 
Second vote for a Colt Defender. I have one in the Lord’s caliber. Love it. Not one mishap outta it. Check into them. I actually for some weird reason shoot it better than my 5” Springfield. I dunno.
Somehow, I kinda thought you might suggest a Colt Defender. Don't know why, I just had a feeling. :rolleyes:
 
You should have never bought the CZ 2075 Rami if you were not going to carry it. You bought a carry gun and expect to shoot it better than a longer barrel gun? Come on girl. And you got rid of lighter weight guns in the Glocks? You should carry a rifle with a sling. Problem solved. LOL. LMBO. ROFL.
First of all: I didn't buy the Rami, and I did carry it until a week ago, when it seemed like it might be a better idea to carry a .45, just in case. Maybe I was paranoid, I don't care.

I actually much prefer heavier guns to shoot, but the .45 is huge for a carry gun, hence my post about finding one a little smaller and more concealable. I've wanted to carry a .45 for a good while, anyway.
Also, I didn't shoot the Glocks nearly as well as I do 1911s. (Which in my newbie-shooter case might not mean a lot, but any advantage I can get, I want, and if I shoot a 1911 better than I did my 2 Glocks, I'm inclined to go with that. I could be wrong, but it doesn't feel like it to me.)
 
@Millie a 4 inch, or Commander size, 1911 will have the same size grip. Only the barrel/slide is a tad shorter. It will weigh nearly the same and be just as hard to conceal. If you go to an alloy frame, the weight will decrease. But, the recoil will increase. I have never been a fan of the Officer's size or 3 inch 1911's. I never have seen one that would run reliably. I'm sure that there are dependable ones out there, though. They are smaller in barrel/slide length and grip and will weigh less but, I'd bet that one of these will be a little too snappy for you. Go to Battery Oaks and demo some guns, you may change your mind. LOL
I'm doing research as we speak. I'll be seeing Billy and RS next weekend, The Boss has said I can come down for a visit. (You can decide which one is the boss there!)

I definitely don't want to get into the really short barrels. I don't mind a little recoil, but I'd like to be able to shoot the gun a fair amount and enjoy it.

The issues with my massive 1911 aren't just about the grip length, the dang barrel jabs my leg when sitting.
But I'll keep trying things out......I'm sure all this will get sorted out eventually, right?

If nothing else works out, I still love my .45, and I'll be happy to keep it in my little gun group. I just can't afford to buy another .45 right now.
 
This is what I know about @Millie . She has been here several times and we all love her company. As to All the advice we have All given her on All occasions.....Millie gone do what Millie gone do. She can't be swayed by firearms logic. This is what she is after:

1..45 caliber
2...Heavy for recoil reduction..5 pounds would be great
3...Light weight so she can comfortably carry it ...16 ounces would be great
4...3 pound trigger
5...NO safety....she carries a 1911 loaded, cocked and NO safety...Yep!
6..needs to hold Lotsa ammo And be small enough to carry IWB
7..No sight preference..she never sees them the same way twice.

All of the above can change or be intermingled. She Always brightens my day when I see her get out of her home on wheels.
Sometimes I wish she had taken up fishing. I know Nothing about fishing.
She is affable, humorous, clean, and as Andy Griffith says, she don't sweat much.
She travels great distance to be with us an always brings her own ammo.
As to all of your well thought out solutions for her.....Yeah But....
You are perfectly correct on each count, as usual!!!!!

(Well, the safety is on as I carry the 1911 in .45--other than that, you're good to go. You may have got some sense into me after all, so don't despair.)

I want the perfectly perfect carry gun, that has all the perfect stuff I want...and we all know how that goes.

And, Billy: LOL. And fishing sounds boring.
 
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