Handgun for CC

[Neil S.]

Alright guys I have decided to start carrying and am looking at pistol options. I am a 1911 fan, and I am looking at three pistols currently:

1) Kimber Super Carry Pro. Yes its pricy, but I like the 4" barrel and the rounded butt which seems like it would "print" less and be more comfortable than a standard grip, right? Plus 8 +1 rounds of 45 acp should be plenty of firepower!!!

2) Kimber Compact CDP II. It still has the 4" barrel, but has an officers length grip. This seems like it would be more concealable/comfortable than a full length grip, and your only giving up one round to a full size. Would it be much harder to shoot? (I have average size hands)

3) Springfield EMP in 40SW. There is just something appealing about a scaled down 1911, which still has 40 cal power!

If there are any other guns I should be looking at please let me know. Keep in mind that I have no CCW experience, this is all new to me! Any and all advice appreciated!

[Joe O]

http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProductD ... tmare.aspx

I would check this one out.

[Vartarg]

FWIW: I have four very nice 1911's......2 Springfields and 2 Kimbers.....

But I carry a Glock 27 .40 S&W......decent level of "power" (in a handgun), 10 rounds and convenient size.

YMMV,

George

[Bill K]

Of those three go with the Kimber Super carry pro... Think you would be well served from what you are asking. Bill K

[huntsman22]

no regrets, here....

[Neil S.]

Thanks for the replys everyone. Ill have to think about this one for a while as I'm setting aside the cash. In the meantime, I'm gonna start carrying my Taurus 1911. That should give me a good idea of whether or not I want to carry a full size grip all the time!

[huntsman22]

The EMP ain't a full size grip.....

[acloco]

Don't overlook Bersa Ultra Thunder 40 or Ultra Thunder 45.

I have a 1911 and XD Service model (40 S & W, with aftermarket trigger). I use the XD for teach CC classes. This past weekend, one of the clients had a problem with their pistol and I offered my XD. Gent asked how much when he was done shooting. Love my XD. Very accurate. Very easy to group with.

The Bersa UT40 is persnickety about bullets. Does not like 180 gr bullets, but DEARLY loves 155 gr Hornady XTP's.

The Bersa UT45....well...if you load rocks in it..it will shoot and group them. Just eats 230 gr FMJ's and groups them as good as my 1911, if not better.

[TONK]

If your going to carry a 1911 model, Kimber is one of the very best! I have over a half dozen model 1911's but I shoot a GLOCK because of arthritis in the hands, no safety to unlock etcl. just draw and pull the trigger. The last couple of years, I have carried the Glock in 10mm, it penetrates deep and has over 750-lbs of energy and that is a whole lot more than any .45acp will do. It still has a lot of "smackdown" at 25 yds, where the 45acp is getting a little tired. The Glocks are one TUFF pistol and have surpassed all of the tests in the last 20 years with flying colors. I hate the poly frame but it works everytime I draw and pull the trigger, with any type of ammo.

[Rick in Oregon]

I feel obligated to throw in here, being a lifelong user/carrier of the 1911 .45. I've used it in combat, used it for LE work, and it has been a lifelong companion in forms from 5" Colt's, all the way to 3" Kimber Ultra's with many stops in between. (Kimbers seem to breed in the safe....) I'll just say that if you decide to carry, be sure to train and practice ALOT. The 1911 needs special study if you ever intend to carry cocked & locked the way it was intended.

The .45 ACP needs no qualifications for carry, it's the best, most trusted personal protection round ever devised, and has a stellar 100 year history to that effect. Beware of some calibers that are more suited to "bear-carry" for Alaska such as the 10mm, which is far too much for street carry, even the FBI dumped it because of being overpowered and gave excessive penetration, setteling on S&W's rebirth, calling it the .40 S&W, just a shortened, de-tuned 10mm. Both excellent calibers, one just not suited for CCW. Anyway, go with the proven proformer, I can personally say "it works as intended".

My personal, daily carry:



The other most important thing besides carry ammo, is your holster. Don't scrimp, buy the best first, cry once and be done with it. Avoid what professionals call "fruit of the loom" holsters, the flimsy nylon crap some pass off for gun rigs. My personal choice is Milt Sparks. Good luck with your choice.

[ScottB]

In a 1911, look at the CCO configuration (Commander length slide, Officers frame). Dan Wesson makes a nice one. Mine is a custom built by John Harrison on a Caspian slide and frame:



For a full size, Kimber makes some nice ones. This is a very early Yonkers marked Classic Custom. I shot that gun in stock configuration in USPSA competitions for years, and put a lot of rounds through it. It was also my daily carry gun for many years. I recently had John Harrison do a complete face-lift on it. I am rather fond of it.







After both carrying a gun and competing for many years, I now only recommend a few carry guns. In no particular order, they are:

1911
Glock
S&W M&P
S&W or Ruger revolvers

There may be some that come close to these, but you would be hard pressed to find any that surpass them.

[Neil S.]

Thanks for all of the replys guys. I have been carrying my taurus PT1911 for a few weeks now in a Galco V-HAWK IWB holster. At first it was pretty uncomfortable especially when driving, but wonce I found the right position and belt tension I forget I'm even carrying it! I am still in the market for a compact model, probably a kimber with 4" barrel. Just waiting for the funds!

[TONK]

I must conclude that the reason the FBI decided to NOT go with a 10mm, was not because of overpower, it was because the women could not handle the steel frame version's of the 10mm Smith & Wesson model and neither could a lot of the smaller handed men at that time. The FBI standards had gone down some according to size back in those days, getting people to come into the FBI was not as easy back in those days.

The recoil of that particular 10mm pistol was not easy to handle for most people (marksmanship was not as good either) on the firing range, Strike ONE!
The weight of carrying that steel frame pistol all day was a challenging (large & bulky) task for many in the Bureau, Strike Two!
The ability to obtain ammo was a real task for anyone trying to purchase it on the streets anywhere, Stirke Three!

Now days the GLOCK model 20 full size or the sub-compact model 29 is for one lightweight and carries twice as much ammo as the former Smith & Wesson models.
The recoil difference is just about the same with the GLOCK 10mm verses the older S&W is about the same as firing a .357mag round verses a .38-spl round. The Glock 10mm recoil is not much more than the .40-cal Smith & Wesson, which makes accuracy much more easier to accomplish at the firing line. I really dislike any of the "Poly" made pistols but they are here for the count down, that simple. More and more manufacturers have seen the light and the things that can be done with this new technology. I also have a GLOCK .45acp and it is darn accurate out to 25 yards. NO it is not a 2-inch pistol at 50 yards but it sure will handle most things one might have to deal with on the street.

I myself do not worry about over penetration with the 10mm pistols I carry. I do not use the 180 or 200 grn bullets either for CCW work. Instead I use the 165 grain in my 6-inch model 20 (after market stainless barrel) and also use 165 grain ammo for the model 29 also. They do take care of the over penetration worry on the street. One can view this on the place called the U-Tube. Now until my arthritis goes away (FAT CHANCE!) I will stay with whom I brought to the dance gents. The GLOCK 10mm caliber pistol!!!

[Pmoper]

Alright guys I have decided to start carrying and am looking at pistol options. I am a 1911 fan, and I am looking at three pistols currently:

1) Kimber Super Carry Pro. Yes its pricy, but I like the 4" barrel and the rounded butt which seems like it would "print" less and be more comfortable than a standard grip, right? Plus 8 +1 rounds of 45 acp should be plenty of firepower!!!

2) Kimber Compact CDP II. It still has the 4" barrel, but has an officers length grip. This seems like it would be more concealable/comfortable than a full length grip, and your only giving up one round to a full size. Would it be much harder to shoot? (I have average size hands)

3) Springfield EMP in 40SW. There is just something appealing about a scaled down 1911, which still has 40 cal power!

If there are any other guns I should be looking at please let me know. Keep in mind that I have no CCW experience, this is all new to me! Any and all advice appreciated!

Have you checked out the CZ line of handguns...? Yes, they make them and very good ones at that.....I have a CZ 75 P-07 duty in 40S&W.....handles very nicely and shhots even better

[Rick in Oregon]

Have you checked out the CZ line of handguns...? Yes, they make them and very good ones at that.....I have a CZ 75 P-07 duty in 40S&W.....handles very nicely and shhots even better

If you're fond of the CZ75, read what Jeff Cooper had to say about them in his book "Cooper on Handguns". Good read, and you'll find that the CZ75 was the platform for what became the short-lived Bren-Ten; Cooper thought that highly of it, and that is from one of the world's most enthusiastic 1911 .45 proponents. The CZ is rated as one of the world's finest fighting handguns, and the colonel knew it too.

Congrats on yours.