There is no debate that the 1911 Pistol is a wonderful handgun – maybe one of the most prolific and successful handguns ever made. But what makes the Best Carry 1911 Pistol Ever? That depends on the most important factor of a firearm: You.
What’s your purpose for owning this legend? Daily carry? Competition or Range Day? There are particular combinations that make the Best 1911 Pistol, ever. Let’s dive into what that looks like for you
Features Of The Best Carry 1911 Pistol
1. The Best 1911 For The Range Shooter
It’s pretty basic here, guys. Stick with the classic 1911 configuration. You’ll want a full-size, Government 1911 with a 5” barrel and an ar 15 soft case to go with it. This will net you the most recoil management and accuracy. You’ll want a grip that’s meaty and affords your hands plenty of real estate. And also a good quality holster to keep it secure.
We recommend a big mainspring housing, too. This will only further aid in a good, ergonomic grip. Much debate centers on whether shooters should invest in 9mm or .45 ACP. Without drudging up pages from forums and arguments from so-called “experts”, it boils to this. The shooter makes the pistol accurate when considering these two rounds.
2. The Best 1911 Round For The Range
Now, 9mm does offer slightly less recoil for quicker follow-up shots. So if you’re one who fights recoil and good trigger squeeze, we might suggest sticking to the ole’ 9mm. There’s something to be said about the 1911’s design being centered on the .45 ACP. You could go either way and expect generally equal results.
3. The Best 1911 Sights For The Range
We recommend looking at a night set of Novak-Cut Sights with white or fiber optic dots. This will aid in quick target acquisition, clear sight picture, and easy follow-up in all shooting conditions.
Lastly, we recommend looking at a nice competition trigger. Even though the 1911’s stock trigger receives critical acclaim, there is room for improvement. A lighter, shorter pull will make for a great range day.
To finish the package off, we recommend a relatively flared or beavertail grip safety. This will reduce slight bite and it’ll ensure you’ve got an easy, repeatable grip for consistent groups.
4. The Best 1911 For The Daily Carry
Obviously, carrying a full-size 1911 chambered in .45 ACP would be a challenge. Most agree it’s less than ideal. In this case, the best carry 1911 pistol will use a Commander frame over a Government. We’re also partial to the 9mm for daily carry because its wound track is very similar to .45 ACP. Although magazine capacity goes up and recoil goes down.
5. The Best 1911 Setup For Concealment
You’ll want simpler, slimmed down grips and perhaps a thinner mainspring housing, too. Sticking with smaller stuff will make for a comfortable daily carry and it’ll reduce the chance of printing. Alongside that mainspring housing, we recommend a more minimalist grip safety. A large, beavertail grip safety will provide plenty of risk of printing and it could easily snag on clothing if you find yourself quickly drawing.
A good, concealed 1911 will afford quick sight picture acquisition and an easy method of trigger squeeze too. We recommend sticking with those Novak-cut sights for that same quick pace. However we’d strongly recommend investing in sights equipped with tritium or another glow point. You’ll likely be indoors or engaging in low-light or night-time conditions and this extra visibility will count.
6. The Daily Carry 1911 Trigger (Keep it Simple)
Finally, we recommend sticking with a factory trigger with a little polish. A competition trigger affords low pull weight and it could catch you by surprise. You never want to send a round flying in an unintended direction. The factory trigger affords just enough resistance to ensure you’re pulling only when you’re truly ready.
Why I Now Carry A 1911 Pistol
An Attack Close To Home
On June 3, 2017 a truck of Islamic radical terrorists drove into a mass of pedestrians on the London bridge. This was one of our first looks at the terrorist’s latest weapon and how they planned to use vehicles like this to incite terror in the western world. Now, if it had been a hit and run on the London Bridge that would have been bad enough.
What happened next changed my life forever. The monsters exited the truck and started stabbing people. Even wounding an unarmed police officer. The people of the UK were powerless to stop men with knives. In 2017 the people of one of the most advanced nations were POWERLESS to protect themselves against knives.
Changing My EDC From Then On
On that day I started carrying a firearm as part of my EDC. I vowed to never be powerless against someone carrying a knife and that was just part of my evolving EDC. My daily carry already consisted of a Kershaw blade, flashlight and a Dango wallet along with a few other, less tactical things. That day I knew I needed more.
I got a lot of push back from people about carrying a big gun, but I thought it would be a good idea. I wanted reliable stopping power or else what was I carrying the gun for? Here's another tid bit about the London Bridge attack. It was reported that those attackers were juiced up on steriods at the time of the attack. Maybe a .22 wouldn’t stop an animal like that?
1911 Is Now EDC Pistol Of Choice
Well, that wasn’t a risk I was willing to take. Instead, I began seeking out weapons to keep on my side. I had a Ruger p95 9mm which was a big gun to carry. However I was very confident in its power and I was also very comfortable with it. Then I met a man who carried a 1911 at the range. He had carried it for 20 years and swore by it.
After putting a few rounds through the gun I decided it was time to consider a powerhouse like the 1911 for my EDC setup. What did I have to lose right? I was over the idea that I should hide my concealed weapon. I had reached the point that my EDC was just as much about threat elimination as it was about convenience. And that my fellow readers is why the 1911 is now an essential item in my Everyday Carry Gear.