All posts tagged Springfield 1911

IWB carry for a 1911

I have always thought that carrying a full size auto meant carrying the gun in a paddle holster or a shoulder holster, but that like many other conclusions has changed.   I have never been afraid to just carrying one firearm and not have to worry about carrying backup magazines although I’m not going to tell you that  you need to do the same.  With the prevalence of people carrying cell phones on their belts, you do have to be careful about where you are placing  your spare gun magazines.   There have been times where I have noticed that certain types of shirts and sweatshirts and even some jackets will ride up too high on my waist when I am trying to retrieve my cell phone.

If I am going to an environment where deep concealed carry methods need to be employed,  sometimes we may have to stick to just one gun and avoid carrying spare magazines on the waist.   I have thrown spare magazines for my Colt 1911 in a pocket, usually my Wilson Combat magazines but I have found all too many times that my 5.11, Woolrich Elite or Eotac pants will eventually work a bullet out of the gun magazine and that’s not a good thing.   I think the only other deep cover option I would consider would be a ankle holster that could carry spare magazines for an auto.   The good thing about the 1911 design is it’s slick thin design.

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Reliability of the 1911 GI or MilSpec guns

My first 1911 was a Colt 1991A1 that I picked up for $375 for a gun shop.   The gun was hardly used and I don’t believe it was ever shot.  Every 1911 that I own has been had for under $400.   I have had maintenance issues with my Colt 1991A1, but I believe the gun has well over 10,000 rounds through it and I’ve made a few customizations to improve it.   I miss my gunsmith, but he did mess up something on the gun when I took it to him to have the feed ramp polished.  When he was polishing the feed ramp he hit the slide stop and put a niche in it that I noticed immediately after test firing that the gun would not lock back.   He found the mistake was his and fixed it, but I thought that it was a good time to replace the slide stop with an extended one.   When I put Hogue gun grips on Colt, it made the grips a little fatter and it was a little difficult to hit the slide release with my thumb.

I messed around with polishing the feed ramp and using Wilson Combat magazines and noticed a good improvement in feeding SWC and HP ammo, but I was still not happy with it not running flawlessly.   At this point, I don’t care, I’ve seen enough junks of wood fly out of the back of backstops to notice the difference between a 45acp and 9mm ball ammo to know that one type of ball ammo is better than the other.   I would never use 9mm ball in a defensive situation, but a 45acp is fine by my book.   I have also noticed absolutely no difference between Wilson Combat magazines that are 7rd vs 8rd.   I have done the 8 +1 in the chamber on several occasions and never noticed any reliability issues as long as the gun wasn’t stored like this for very long.   Even though I believe manual safeties aren’t the best type of device to have on a CCW gun, I think 8rds of 45acp ball ammo in a GI 1911 is not a negative.

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Comfort is the primary goal

I am beginning to grow tired of carrying IWB anymore.   I guess it’s my present work load and the amount of physical work I’ve  been doing the last year, but I’m really starting to feel it when it gets to day 6 of the week and I’m carrying IWB.   I am growing more comfortable with smaller semi-auto guns and my Ruger LCP is a fun gun to shoot and carry.   I had some reservations about carrying a small semi-auto because I’ve shot some NAA 32acp guns and I though the bite was a little much.   Any gun is better than no gun, but I really don’t like having guns that I don’t enjoy shooting.   I have sent a good bit of lead downrange with the Rohrbaugh R9 guns, but they are more of a novelty backup gun and I’m honestly afraid of breaking the gun or wearing it out too soon.

Pocket carry is the most comfortable for me, but I am having a little bit of trouble with some of my wardrobe and the types of pocket holsters I have.   I am noticing an awful lot of lint building up in my gun holsters and I’m tracing it to the sweatshirts that I own.  Now that FAll is almost over and Winter is a few weeks away, I’m wearing things that cause lint build up to increase.    I prefer to carry guns that are combat proven, but CCW is another thing.   If I notice too much build up on my pocket guns I’m going to have to do some serious overhauls in my wardrobe.   The thought of having to clean my guns more than once a week is a little impractical and.

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If you are looking for the ultimate 1911 pistol magazine

There’s a  famous old saying in the world and it applies to all of those accessories and gun parts that you are putting on your guns.   The saying if you’ve never heard it from your grandma goes something like this, “you get what you pay for”.     Long  before I got into the business of selling guns parts and accessories, I remember ordering stock parts and accessory holders that I broke while installing them improperly and then blamed it on the manufacturer.   Then I realized I better pay attention to how I am putting this on and to not force things into place.   The next thing I realized is that expensive version I saw on mounting optics on an AK worked much better and actually held zero while the other part that cost $20 didn’t hold minute of man at 50yds.

Although I do not have combat experience, I have a friends that have served in Iraq and have actually been there and done that.   They claim that they have seen guys take 9 rounds of 9mm ball ammo to take to the ground while it only took 2 or 3 shots from a 45acp to drop them.   Even the military has finally after decades of complaining, agree that 9mm ball ammo sucks and there is a new 9mm ammo that is ballistically superior to the previous one.   Well, for those that have the option to bring their own sidearms to Iraq, they are all carrying M4 Carbines and 1911 style handguns.   If they need lots of handgun ammo, they prefer to use a rifle, if they are clearing rooms they like using handguns.   Don’t take it from me, take it from the guys that are on the front lines and they all swear by the Wilson Combat magazines that are stronger than the standard magazine called the ETM, or Wilson Combat Elite Magazine.

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Don Hume paddle holsters

I have a pile of Fobus gun holsters that have served me well and I don’t ever question the money that I have spent on holsters for the firearms that I now own.  I guess I’ve gotten smarter in regards to which configurations of holsters to have around.   I rarely carry using paddle holters due to the fact that I am usually not carrying openly and when I’m carrying openly I’m usually working with an M4 Carbine.   I have had bad experiences with some belt clip on holsters but I blame 90% of the failures on the gun belts I used, but I still have had them come loose on me.

For anyone that owns a medium to large frame sidearm, a paddle holster is something you should consider having available for your firearm.   Fobus seems to be the most commonly seen paddle holster at my ranges, but since I am a fan of Don Hume holsters especially for concealed carry I decided to pick up a paddle holster from them.   The first thing I noticed when I was wearing it was that it looked nice and felt like the $50 I spent on it unlike the $20 on the fobus.   The only thing I still to this day do not like are the thumbreak release on the top.   If  you practice enough it is something you can learn to get use to, but they really aren’t for me.   If I am going to take a step from Fobus gun holsters, I prefer the Blackhawk Serpa holsters.

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CCW and thinking ahead

The Boy Scout motto is BE PREPARED.   When we accept our responsibilities in carrying a firearm, one thing we have to be aware of is making sure that we are concealing our weapons and not overdoing it.    There are a few placed in the Country where you may be fined if anyone spots your concealed firearm, and although I think the vast majority of criminals aren’t looking for citizens with guns, it’s best to not advertise it.   I’ve found that over the years of carrying duty size weapons on the job and CCW are different for me.   I’m not too comfortable carrying double stack spare magazines around all day.

Something to consider while carrying a CCW gun is, it is good to always have a backup magazine available, but don’t go overboard in carrying gun magazines.   Statistics show that most gun fights occur with shots fired being in the single digits.   Knowing how to retreat from a gun fight is more important than carrying tons of ammo and expecting to stand your ground.

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Rifle offset and laser setup

crimson traceI have had an above average level of firearm training, but I am very much aware that I’m no expert.   I think anyone that claims to be an expert tends to have the wrong attitude and will eventually fall victim to complacency.  There is a pretty well known youtube video of an “expert” showing students about firearms as he ends up putting a bullet into his foot in front of a class of school kids.   One of the most important things I have learned about close and personal fighting with firearms is rifle and pistol sight differentiation.   On a rifle you can shoot a bullseye at 300yds with your ACOG, but at 6ft, you might end up putting a bullet 3 inches over a bad guys forehead due to the barrel and optic offsets.

Laser grips are no different when it comes to knowing that you will still have an offset. Most laser grips sit high above the grips and off to the right side of a pistol.   This will give you a windage offset and will be something you will have to put some serious thought into before you set your zero.  I’d recommend thinking about this while measuring rooms in your home and knowing the distances you may be defending yourself in, and then taking the firearm to a range for zeroing.    I personally prefer laser grips that turn off and on with a grip button and do not need to be switched off and on.    Like lights on a firearm, sometimes it’s a liability to always be projecting something from  a given position.

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Defensive training with laser grips

crimson trace laser gripsI was not a big fan of putting flashlights on rifles until I started working in the field and realized that having a light on a rifle was the most practical thing to have with a firearm after having bullets.   It may sound funny to hear such a simple observation, but it’s true.    How many times during the day do you think you’ll need to pull a firearm for defense in your home and how many times do you think you may need it at night?  Most criminal activity occurs in low light and not having a light means not identifying your target.

Lights and lasers as they say, can go both ways.   The bad guy can see them and you can see them.   I put a crimson trace laser grips on my S&W and I believe I have increased the effective range and accuracy of the firearm by atleast 25yds.  Heck, I may attempt to hit targets out to 100yds with it and see how well it does.   I don’t think I’d ever use a 38 special at that range, but it’s always nice to know that it’s possible, but let’s be realistic.    Many novice shooters may feel more confortable knowing that the little red or green dot is approximately where the bullet is going to go and giving them this comfort level as opposed to spending 20hrs or more to teach them to be a bullseye competitor.   There are times where someone needed to acquire a weapon for self defense and sending them for 20hrs of training wasn’t practical.

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Deep cover, to secondary holster options

gun holstersIf I am carrying a j-frame in a paddle holster, I’m usually carrying a speed loader and about 3 reloads.    J-frames work very well for deep cover and my primary mindset it to shoot and move and not expect to put up a fight for very long when I’m starting out with 5 rounds.   I can increase my firepower and comfort by carrying the same gun, but with an OWB holster that can easily be reloaded.   I strongly recommend that everyone considers having a paddle holster for every handgun they own.   They also come in handly when going to an outdoor range where you don’t have to worry about putting the gun down on the table after every cease fire.

 

Sometimes smaller guns can work very well in pocket carry, but there are some situations where carrying in the pocket can be cumbersome in certain physical situations.   If you are going to an environment where you don’t want to have to carry another gun,  sometimes it’s a good idea to carry IWB or OWB with a paddle holster.  Galco gun holsters has a paddle holster that can work very well for even a small 2 inch j-frame.   I use one as a secondary holster option if I don’t want to pocket carry.   We can always practice to improve our performances in drawing our guns, but there are certain methods of carrying that are defanitely easier and most likely faster.

 

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Carrying full size handguns

gun holstersComfort is very important for those that are carrying 8-10hrs or more a  day.   I’ve carried various firearms over my life and sometimes it’s fine carrying something Monday-Friday, but if I’m still carrying it on Day 6, I can really feel it.   I’ve found that driving in a car for long periods of time can really make IWB and paddle holsters feel annoying after a couple hours.    I can use an ankle holster is some situations, but I’ve found that the most comfortable way to carry a full size auto for long periods of time is in a should rig.   Leg holsters are probable a 2nd favorite, but that’s not going to work for concealed carry purposes.   One thing to always be aware of is not sweeping body parts when pulling  a firearm in the seated position while wearing a should rig.

There are so many methods of carrying a gun, but no firearm or holster is going to do it all.   Nobody carries a airweight 38 special in a leg holsters and it’s not a very good idea to carry a Beretta 92FS in your pocket, even if you can.   I’ve changed my thinking when it comes to CCW and the caliber debate.   Some of the best self defense instructors I know carry the smallest caliber firearms because they know that situational awareness is the best defense and if they have to deal with a threat, a good shot in the right spot is all that counts.   One method of carry that seems to be bashed a little too much is the shoulder holster rig.   These  gun holsters may not work very well for some body types and for warm weather because I admit it is easy to pick out the should straps if the appropriate clothing is not worn.

 

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