I love my Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380. I got some wadcutter man killers in there, holds seven rounds, its super light, has a safty, slide catch, and laser. Its light, small and accurate. Love it.
I also shoot my Springfield Range Officer 1911 .45 when I feel the need to feel like a man again 😀
Mostly price.....typical 1911 style pistol is in the neighborhood of $1200. Glock 22 .40 cal with 16 round clip is right around $500. Love 1911's, but it is a matter of price. If I carried 😉 then I would feel sick knowing the $1200-1500 pistol is getting sweat, dirt and no telling what else on it. Just my thought.
If something were to happen, your comment could be used as evidence of a predisposition. Hopefully, none of us are put in a position where we have to use our last resort.
Size is the main consideration. Like Kris said, they are hard to conceal, which is why when I do carry mine, it's in cooler weather when I have heavier clothes on. My Glock is easy to conceal in an IWB holster. A 1911 is most comfortable, to me anyway, in an OWB holster, with a heavy shirt or coat over it.
As Clark mentioned, I guess price could be a consideration too. You can get cheap 1911's for around $500 but 1911's can be finicky firearms. A dependable 1911 will run you at least $1,000 minimum.
Another consideration is capacity. A typical 1911 holds 7 or 8 rounds of .45 acp. That's usually going to be more than enough but I can hold 13 rounds of .40 in my Glock 23. That's 5 or 6 more rounds in a smaller, lighter, usually more dependable gun.
"I don't want to live anywhere I feel the need to carry."
You probably don't want to drive anywhere you feel the need to wear a seat belt either, huh? 😉
You carry wadcutters in a semi-auto? How do this feed for ya? 😀
I have a subcompact XD 9mm and like it a lot. the XDs 45 has been on my radar/wish list since just before it came onto the market. Don't know if it's on the CA AG's list yet or not. If it shoots as well as my XD 9, it would be my carry gun.
In CA, if you are licensed to carry, it is only for concealed carry. Open carry was outlawed a few years back when a bunch of knuckleheads tried to make a statement by carrying openly to local Starbucks and other businesses.
Several reasons to carry concealed rather than open:
1. No one will mistake you for a cop and expect you to charge in and make an arrest.
2. Bad guys don't know who may be armed and who isn't.
3. Ninnies panic at the sight of a gun, even a safely holstered one on a person who is not otherwise acting in a manner to give any reason for concern.
4. If it's out in the open, a determined bad guy has a better chance of grabbing it in a moment of inattention. Open carry requires a higher and constant degree of vigilance for that possibility over and above situational awareness. Notice that cops always have a hand near their sidearm when among groups of people. Not because anyone and everyone might try to take it, but because there may be that one in 10,000 whacko about who would try. It's likely that you have been standing or walking next to someone carrying multiple times every week and never even suspected it if you are out and about in normal public settings.
5. As someone else stated, in a really bad situation, it would be like wearing a sign that tells the bad guy to shoot you first, before you even know that you are in the midst of a really bad situation.
I have a Kimber 1911, full size. I really enjoy shooting it and like the power of the 45 ACP. The Kimber is probably in the middle class of 1911 replicas and is well made but not quite as nice or smooth as some of the $2000+ customs.
As others have said, the size is a limiting factor, making it a practical carry gun only when wearing a jacket or heavier cool weather clothes. Another issue I have with the Kimber is that I still get an occasional misfeed with it. They are notorious for that when new, and most get over it after a break in period of 300 to 600 rounds. I've put well over 1000 through mine but still, about once for every 40 to 60 shots, I get a misfeed. No big deal when on the range or in the woods, but I'd hate for it to happen when I need it to function flawlessly. My XD in 9mm has a lot less knock down power, but it's dependable. I've put somewhere between 700 - 900 through it and have never had a problem.
sfreshwaters, post: 318137, member: 88 wrote: Not saying I have a CHL nor carry, but if I did
I would consider the Springfield XDS in .45 cal.I have fired one and it seems to swallow up a lot
of the recoil.
yeah thats a nice choice. have carried one from time to time. it does shoot very well and is easy to carry. there was a recall on some of them for having safety issues. would recommend checking the springfield website for more info. great gun and the issue is minor to a specific range of serial numbers, which they correct for free.
I can't carry at work but otherwise my EDC is a Ruger SP101, 3" .357 Magnum with either Speer 125-grain Gold Dots or the classic Federal C357B 125-grain police rounds. The weight doesn't bother me at all, probably due to being used to carrying around a 24-ounce plumb bob for a number of years (recently switched to a 16 oz.).
Kris Morgan, post: 318235, member: 29 wrote: > Interesting there were only 2 that responded they carried a 1911 style.
> I wonder if there is any primary reason behind this?
>
> This post is somewhat timely since I am taking a CCW class next month.
> I'm taking it with a larger frame revolver, but intend to purchase something more suitable after I get my permit.Shooting one vs. carrying one are VERY different. They are VERY hard to conceal and truly, for safety, NEED to be carried outside the waistband locked and cocked rather than tucked in the waistband. I have a Kimber CDPII and it is small enough, but truly is a mule in your hands. No thank you. My glock 27 was designed to be conceal carry rather than forcing a duty weapon to do the work or a conceal carry.
That and I really enjoy the internal safety's of the glock and other polymer guns vs. the revolver or 1911. I'm clumsy. 🙂
I have carried the glock 26 quite a bit, its the same size as the 27 but in 9mm instead of 40. the weight and size of even a small framed 1911 turns me away from carrying it.
SellmanA, post: 360996, member: 8564 wrote: I can't carry at work but otherwise my EDC is a Ruger SP101, 3" .357 Magnum with either Speer 125-grain Gold Dots or the classic Federal C357B 125-grain police rounds. The weight doesn't bother me at all, probably due to being used to carrying around a 24-ounce plumb bob for a number of years (recently switched to a 16 oz.).
nice I am a big fan of wheel guns especially of the stainless variety. one of the things about the sp101 that impressed me is cleaning it. that little pin in the grips you use to decompress the main spring for disassembly. handy little feature.
