1911 as first gun?

So, a buddy of mine found a sweet deal on a Kimber Pro Elite (brother needs cash quick). He's looking for a first gun and wants to CCW. What do you think? He's new to guns in general. It is a very good price, but I'm not sure about the whole novice carrying cocked and locked thing.

 

I will never carry my Kimber. It's my most accurate range pistol. But I won't load it with anything other than FMJ.

I think the 1911 design best performs with a 5" barrel, and no shorter than that.

 

the 1911 platform is one of the safest ever introduced. I don't recommend carrying it in condition 1 unless the situation dictates it he should read this:


http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_8_46/ai_63772593/?tag=content;col1

copy and paste
I carry a full sized 1911 and it is a big hunk of metal. He should take safety and tactical courses and the most important thing :
practice practice practice

 

I would buy a Glock for CCW. The reliability is unmatched, leave the 1911 for the range. I depend on a Glock 21SF on duty, and a 19 off duty. I've seen the abuse these Glocks can take and my life depends on them. If the price is that good I would buy it because every gun collection needs a 1911. Buy a Glock 19 or 26 when you can for ccw.

 

I don't think I'd ever carry with a bullet chambered, and it scares me that people do. No matter how trained you are, that in my opinion, is asking for trouble...

As for the Kimber, if it is a sweet deal, I'd get it.

 

1911 is a great pistol, just maybe not so great as a first gun!!!!!!

 

You do realize that if you ever need to fire you weapon in defense of your life, your not gonna be able to call a timeout to chamber your weapon. The gun won't go bang if you don't pull the trigger.

 

I don't think a 1911 is a good first gun for carry. 1911's can be picky with the ammo, so you need to find what it likes to eat and keep it clean. I carry a Kimber Pro Carry without any problems. A Glock sounds like the better choice, its a lot easyer to maintain..

 

If it's a smokin deal, buy it (as long as he's legal)
Then, buy a 22lr conversion kit and work a thousand rounds of 22 through it and become familiar.
I don't think C1 on a 1911 is as dangerous as a Glock.
22lr belongs in every gun owners collection.

 

I vote other, buy a Sig for CCW. Sig or Glock, either or. Just go put one in your hand, one will feel better than the other.

 

X2

 

x2, I was thinking the same thing. JMHO, but why even carry if you're not going to have one chambered.

Ohh, and make sure he goes to the range and is confident in his abilities before carrying!!!

 

This is extremely dangerous and if you're going to carry a weapon without a round chambered, you should not being carrying at all. Pulling a gun in any dangerous situation immediately escalates that situation. If you're fumbling around trying to rack the slide you would have been better off without the gun because your opponent would less likely view you as a threat and you might get away alive. Every law enforcement agency and CCW course teaches you to carry with a round chambered and the safety engaged.

As for a 1911 for a first pistol, I say go for it. The army trained new recruits on the 1911 for 75 years. Don't be intimidated by a .45 or single action and if you do carry it, carry it the way it was designed to: chambered, cocked and locked.

 

Of course I realize that...

Just stating my opinion, and you can rest assured you won't talk me out of it...

The extra second it takes to chamber my weapon is a reasonable risk for ME.

 

i like this article....

 

The bottom line is find a weapon you are comfortable with, Practice Practice Practice, and carry that bad mofo because it doesn't help you at all if its at home in the safe.

 

X3...

I agree... Although for CCW, I definitely wouldn't be carrying a 1911. Too big! Get a nice&small 9mm/.38 special or a .380 like the Ruger LCP or Ruger RCP. That is for concealed though. If you are just looking to carry for open, then I'd get a .45 ACP. I love to shoot a .45! When my dad had a suit on, he would carry a Dirty Harry .44 Magnum, a .45 ACP Smith for open carry, and a .38 +P for concealed. All did their job and worked well. Good luck!

And I will add, Glocks will shoot in the mud. Same with an XD.

 

One more thing, I was in a discussion with a co worker who said "I'm not sure I am comfortable with people around me carrying concealed guns" I said to her "Carrying a weapon is a HUGE responsibility, you have made the decision to take another life in defence of your own or that of others, and you have to be aware of the leagal consequences of doing so. The very act of carrying a weapon is in itself inconvenient, its heavy, the holsters are hot, uncomfortable and maintaining the level of proficiency is expensive. However I am responsible for my loved ones and must protect their lives and my life to provide for them. And by proxy the lives of those around me, even yours. The Lord forbid, there might come a time when you are assaulted, robbed, beaten or worse and you would pray to Him for someone to come and save your life, then your opinion will change."

 

I'm not a fan at all of anything less than .45. We had a guy shoot a game warden with a .380 and it never penetrated his thick cold weather gear. And there was that soldier in Iraq that got shot right in the chin with a 9mm, it broke his jaw but he snatched that gun out of the guys hand and beat the crap out of him with it.
The 1911 is slim and hides well under a light jacket in a shoulder holster during warm weather, and a paddle holster under a loose shirt not tucked in the summer. Yes some out of the box 1911 might have some issues with reliability, but a trip to the gunsmith for a ramp and throat polish job works wonders. Mine cycles anything. The only Glock I would consider for CCW is a Model 30 or 36 in .45ACP. Those are every bit as accurate as my full size 1911. Remember WHY ther is a .45 ACP round, the .38s werent stopping the Morrow tribesmen in the PI. But you have to be able to hit your target in the first place. Practice practice practice.

 

I understand what you're saying, but 2 shots of .38/.380 is better than a .45 left at home (size, unless you have a Glock 36). My dad has a LCP that he wears on his ankle and that shoots great and is very concealable. Like you said, practice is the key to a good marksman!