[gbusmech]

I have been pondering getting a different carry pistol for winter time up here in the northland where everyone wears about four layers of clothing all winter long and that little LCP just gets lost in what ever pocket you put it in. My winter carry has been my Taurus M85UL or my 1911 Commander but recently I have lost weight and all of that weight seems to have been in my butt and I find it harder to belt carry my 1911's without it pulling my pants down. I was wondering if any of you have experience with any of the alloy frame Officer or Commander size 1911 .45's?

 

[GhostHorse]

Winter time, lots of clothes, belts pulling?

Two words.

Shoulder rig.

Oh, congratulations on losing the weight!

 

[bmbroker]

I carry a Para Elite Carry as part of my winter rotation. It is a compact .45 with a 3" barrel. It is all steel and shoots well with very manageable recoil. The weight is not a problem with a good belt and holster. I carry it mostly owb under a jacket or vest, but do have a good iwb holster for when I do carry under a shirt. I like steel frames with larger calibers because I really dont like snappy handguns .

 

[olfarhors]

Yea, I got an alloy framed officers model and a alloy framed Commander.
Generally IF I carry a 1911 then its one of these.
I almost always carry a CZ P-01, an alloy frame compact.
The officers alloy weighs in at about 24 ounces, the commander at about 28 ounces, that's without a mag.
I like the nice light weight, flat weapon for carry.
The most important thing to me is reliability and both these weapons are very reliable, not as much reliability as the CZ but still very reliable.
and of course the CZ has 14 rounds.

 

[Fredward]

When wearing bulky clothing, I generally stick a large bore revolver in my outer coat pocket, in addition to whatever else I am carrying. I find it is very slow to access anything under a lot of clothing, even a shoulder holster.

 

[Bellows1]

I have a Kimber Ultra Carry II, it's light enough to carry (25oz empty), but I never have. Good reliable gun at the range, no complaints.

 

[darbo]

Maybe suspenders in addition to the belt?

Congrats on the weight loss! I know what it takes.

 

[garyh]

I agree with the suspenders in addition to the belt.

 

[gbusmech]

I agree with the suspenders in addition to the belt.

I know that I'm getting old but have I came to that? I'll look and feel like I'm older than god's dog....

 

[gbusmech]

Olfarhors What brand's 1911's are you talking about? My commander size 1911 that I have had forever ( sn under 500 ) is a old ATI that must weigh about 3 pounds. It is very reliable though, never having a failure that wasen't ammo related. Recently a friend bought a Ruger 1911 commander size pistol that I like the weight of but being new I don't know if there are any issues with it.

 

[Czechbikr]

Maybe suspenders in addition to the belt?

Congrats on the weight loss! I know what it takes.

I've been considering suspenders also. My carry right now is the S & W Shield in 45 ACP in an Alien Gear IWB. Loaded with 6 +1 Federal HydroShok and have two extra 7 round magazines on the weak side in a DeSantis leather holder.

 

[olfarhors]

Olfarhors What brand's 1911's are you talking about? My commander size 1911 that I have had forever ( sn under 500 ) is a old ATI that must weigh about 3 pounds. It is very reliable though, never having a failure that wasen't ammo related. Recently a friend bought a Ruger 1911 commander size pistol that I like the weight of but being new I don't know if there are any issues with it.

The Commander is the Para LTC , not sure since Remmy took them over IF they produce it any longer.
the Officer is a Springfield Armory Micro Compact.

MY opinion, IF I was looking for a new (another ) light weight Commander I would certainly consider the Ruger SR1911.
IS the Ruger Commander an alloy frame??
I have handled them but don't remember the weight, likely cause my eyes were on the SR1911 target model in 10 MM.
here they run in the 725-750 range.

 

[gbusmech]

Yes my buddy's new Ruger 1911 commander is a alloy frame pistol. Yeah the price is about the same here but at my favorite dealer they will give me something of a break.

 

[Czechbikr]

Yes my buddy's new Ruger 1911 commander is a alloy frame pistol. Yeah the price is about the same here but at my favorite dealer they will give me something of a break.

Pretty sure DatonaRedEye has that one and I like the pics a LOT...I still remember drooling over it.

 

[olfarhors]

Yes my buddy's new Ruger 1911 commander is a alloy frame pistol. Yeah the price is about the same here but at my favorite dealer they will give me something of a break.

Honestly that would seal the deal for me!
it being an alloy frame.
The SR 1911 has everything that I would want on a 1911 and nothing that I would not want.
add to it the quality of the build (look at the gun closely), see if the shop will remove the slide and let you inspect it, and the reputation that Ruger has, along with it being stainless and aluminum alloy, whats not to like?

 

[pegasus]

I have an alloy framed .45 SA that is slightly smaller than a Commander. (empty weight is supposed to be 25 oz) Although it's lighter and better for carrying than a steel frame 45, the felt recoil is worse, even with rubber grips. My PT111 G2 has twice the capacity and maybe half the kick. (just guessing) Despite this, when I ran into that bear, I was not thinking at the time "Gee, I wish I had my 9 with me instead of this 45"

Of course that's just an unsubstantiated feeling, as I've never shot a charging black bear before, and have no idea if either caliber would've been effective or ineffective if I would've been forced to shoot.

 

[gbusmech]

Bears need to be dealt with rapidly with big guns and perfect marksmanship....

 

[pegasus]

Bears need to be dealt with rapidly with big guns and perfect marksmanship....

:lol: The black bear I saw was a little bit smaller than whatever the one pictured is. (grizzley, brown bear ?)

According to the locals this particular bear prefers leftover human food anyway. At first glance I thought it was just some huge dog until it turned around and I could see it face to face. When I told my relatives, I thought they wouldn't believe me without pics, but they already knew about it. One relative saw it on her way back from work, and took pics of it with her phone (from inside her car of course )

 

[jonrjen]

OK, there is always one in the crowd that needs to be flamed. So strike up a match and get ready to light me up. Wife says no lighter fluid needed as I am usually gas fired.

First off, I like the 1911 platform. I still have a few, but have had many more in various size frames and caliber. For the greater part they are heavy, even the light weight alloy frames. Sure you can cut back on barrel size as well as grip length. Now you have a smaller 1911 that is still on the side of heavier than other offerings in the market place. Not to mention that the compact 1911 has some history in having some cycling issues at times on many models. Usually this issue will work it's way out with a few hundred rounds thru the pistol however.

Another downside to the 1911 is the round capacity unless you are going double stack which then goes back to the weight issue.

Now there is one big positive factor as to carrying a 1911, they are intimidating when seen strapped to ones waist and presented in a good grade holster. The looks are almost as intimidating as hearing the racking of a shotgun.

Hey, I am just calling it as I see it from a personal stand point. I just feel that there are better choices for conceal carry.

But, then I have also become a big fan of multi caliber capability firearms. This allows the same pistol for familiarity yet allows for large or smaller caliber ammunition choice. Usually combinations will be 45acp/10mm, or 9mm/40sw/357sig. Most of the firearms that offer such abilities will be poly framed. Not that this is a bad thing. These are available with or without manual slide safety. Also offer lighter carry weights and greater round capacity.

Just saying.

Knowing that you will never talk a 1911 owner out of a new 1911........I wish you the best in your new 1911. Great Choice!!!

 

[gbusmech]

My luck with striker fired pistols sucks so I will never carry another one. I am very familiar with the 1911 platform and have carried one since Viet Nam and have several and in full size and commander size's 1911's in .22rf, 9mm and .45. But I'm wanting a new alloy framed .45 and just wanted to know if members of the forum had first hand knowledge of any to help me make a informed choice before I buy.