When you truly love something, you acknowledge and accept it for its shortcomings. You must be willing to admit when it’s not the best choice for your task at hand. When the task is defending your or your loved one’s lives, is it up to it?
A Brief History
Although the 1911, designed by John Browning, had been created in the 1890’s, before its namesake year, it wasn’t until that year it was adopted by the Army. And it was kept all the way to 1985 was “replaced” by the 9mm Beretta M9.
Despite the official adoption of the M9, the 1911 still continued to serve in the hands of Special Forces and law enforcement agencies including SWAT teams and the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team. Now Glocks and Sigs have been coming in as the new sidearms for the military.
Of course, the operative word there is “sidearm”. They are intended as back-up weapons for soldiers generally. A well-known wartime exception would be the tunnel rats of the Vietnam War. With nothing but a 1911 and a flashlight, they’d crawl through enemy tunnels.
When compared to a revolver the 1911, using magazines to reload much faster, was a no-brainer. But when going toe to toe with a modern striker-fired pistol or something toting double-stacked high-capacity magazines… Where does it stand?
As long as you’re looking at the 1911 platform as a whole and not just the original .45acp model then you’re in a good spot in my opinion.
Built for a Purpose
I often see it mentioned occasionally that even with the newest addition the military’s sidearm roster that there are SpecOps members who still carry 1911’s
I imagine these are fitted with threaded barrels and suppressor sights at minimum. Also, the slower .45acp tends to inherently be a good round when using a suppressor.
But why do some still opt for the 1911 when there are other options with the same general capabilities? And does that mean we should consider it for our personal purposes?
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” – Someone smarter than me.
Even today the 1911 is still being emulated. Springfield Armory not only produces 1911’s but have infused features into their XD series of pistols, primarily the grip safety and frame ergonomics.
Although one could argue that the 1911’s superior ergonomics are due to the fact it uses a single stacked magazine. And that is sometimes considered a “con”.
When we’re comparing options for a battlefield sidearm where your primary is an automatic rifle with a 30-round capacity, then I probably would too. In that scenario when you’re more likely to participate in prolonged firefights capacity is king.
Self-defense is the topic on deck today though, and in the self-defense arena comfort rules.
Anyone who concealed carries (or even open carries) will more than likely tell you that the extra weight from an additional 8-10 rounds adds up over a day of carrying. Not to mention how many rounds is “enough” to defend yourself?
Realistically speaking, a minimum of about 15 rounds is what I would consider sufficient for 99% of self-defense scenarios. Keep in mind the likelihood of something happening in the first place too. My pocket 9mm holds 7 and I carry a 9-round extended magazine as an additional. When carrying larger pistols, I still carry a spare magazine, but the reason isn’t because I think I’ll need 30+ bullets. I carry the spare because if I have to clear a jam, I’m not putting the same magazine back in my gun, that’s literally the only reason.
A 9mm 1911 with a full-length grip will hold 8-9 rounds. With an extended magazine as a backup, you’re looking at 20+. This weapon will also sit on the hip a lot more comfortably through the day, especially in 4” barrel configurations like the Colt Commander.
But it’s not because it weighs less. A full metal 1911 with a loaded mag will weigh a handful of ounces more than a Glock 19!
So why would it carry better? Glocks and other high-capacity polymer framed pistols carry a majority of their weight in the grip. This causes the insufferable carry “flop” when carrying shorter barreled guns and most of the weight sits above the belt in the grip constantly wanting to flop out.
The balance offered by a 1911 doesn’t only affect how it shoots but also how it carries. Thin enough to conceal and with a balanced weight it’s more comfortable and predictable to conceal.
Reliability
A valid concern with any firearm is reliability, as it should be. You want to know that when you need it your defensive pistol is going to function. This is why you should never carry something you’ve never fired yourself. And like many other things there can be a “break-in” period for your pistol. I personally don’t like to have less than 500 rounds through a gun before I trust it, and even then, I carry a spare mag in case of jams.
Five hundred rounds may not always be feasible for some people but it’s important to try and at least a couple boxes of ammo and a mag of your defensive ammo of choice.
As a pro tip, lock the slide back overnight on a new gun before taking it out to help break in the recoil spring and greatly reduce the chance of a jam while breaking it in. The recoil spring being too stiff is going to be the most likely culprit in causing a jam in the first 100 rounds.
Considering I’ve seen even the venerable Glock jam when brand new out of the box, and never again after, this is the most important part of any defensive pistol purchase. If your gun functions fine during your first break-in shoot then you should be able to trust it.
Should You Switch to a 1911?
At the end of the day, if I’m going to recommend a gun to anyone for self-defense, I’m going to recommend what they shoot the best with.
If you’re here because you shoot a 1911 better than anything else and are wondering if you should carry it? Then the answer is yes as long as it’s a weapon you’ve had the ability to test thoroughly and have faith in.
If you’re considering switching to a 1911 from something like a Glock for some of the reasons here, I wouldn’t say don’t do it. I’d recommend exploring your options. The single stack magazine is making a comeback, as are magazines that blur the line between the two. A lot of manufacturers offer single stack options in hammer and striker fired options. If possible, rent what you’re considering to try it out, or at the very least find it at a gun store to see how it feels in the hand. Good luck!
