1911 as first gun?

most special forces carry 9mm pistols, not 45

 

And if you carry, I'd skip FMJ's and go straight with HP's.

 

O.k. First, a 1911 is the ultimate in handgun design (if you buy a good quality firearm). It is nearly indestructible but does take a lot of practice to become efficient with. I carried one for years, for as security for a congressman, then while off duty as a LEO, then as a private security officer. I absolutely love that weapon. That being said, it takes PRACTICE. Cocked and Locked carry isn't for the faint of heart or the dude witha RAMBO complex. The beauty is that the 1911 comes in every size, caliber, and configuration imaginable. It is usually inherently reliable and accurate. That being said, I am a die hard wheel gunner. Simple, effective, and just plain beautiful. My current weapon of choice is a S&W 627-5. It is an 8 round .357 mag with a 5" barrel. Yep, I said "8" rounds. And it weighs no more than a full size 1911. Lovely.

 

Oh, Burgman. That is actually not the case. It has been my experience that most military, law enforcement, and civilian special ops guys carry the 1911 in some configuration or another. Trust me on this.

 

Keep in mind that per the Geneva convention, all military is restricted to using FMJ non-expanding ammo.

 

Lovely NATO rules, 9mm is the standard. You want a handfull of Semiauto asswuppin?
10MM in a Colt Delta Elite or the Glock . Bullets are getting really expensive but its magnum power in a semi auto. Read the Wiki article about the FBI development of the 10MM. Tragicly sad

 

Ah, the Geneva convention gets my blood a boiling...

If I had my way, it would be .45's with hollowpoints, mabye napalm if I'm in a particularly good mood.

 

My dad has an Ultra compact Springfield 1911-A1, He was shot at and returned 4 rounds at the guy. It was about 10:30PM so it was dark, and the guy was in his car about 50-60 yards away. All 4 rounds hit the vehicle with one going through the car door and into his leg. I carry my full size 1911 just fine. It fits my hand very good, and I don't have the XDM yet. The problem with asking questions about guns ANYWHERE, is that everyone has their own preference. Until you go out and fire every weapon you can, you won't have a clue as to what YOU need.

 

I suppose everyone has their own opinion but if you are truely interested. here is a great website. The 1911 is in use by the FBI, LAPD SWAT, DSS, US SPECIAL FORCES (mission specific), and numerous other units across the country. There are even a few police dept.s that still issue it. One in Washington state issues Kimbers (must have a good budget).

http://www.sightm1911.com/1911nj.htm

 

Regarding 1911s, current manufacturers are trying to make the slide-to-frame fit as tight as possible. This goes away from the original design. So don't worry if you get a unit that is a little loose.

If you really want to carry a 1911 I suggest you go to the range and fire at least 300 rounds of your defense ammo of choice. This drill is actually recommended by Kimber. These pistols have a "break-in" period Aside from stove-pipes which is caused by user error, if the gun does not malfunction then you have a keeper. Otherwise, you my friend have a safe queen.

On a lighter side... if you find room to carry a shotgun, the Beretta Urika 2 is a great weapon.

 

A bit of the reasoning for this is due to the ramp of the barrel. Once you get a good layer of copper on the ramp it helps feed the rounds. My 1911 has only jammed once, and that was in the very first mag. put through it. Since then I have had none. The full size models have less of a ramp than the smaller cc sizes. Mine prefers either FMJ, or any type HP that has a relatively "normal" FMJ shape. The 1911 is a tried and true design. It will be around for a LONG time. And if you want to, you can buy the .22 conversion for them and taget shoot.

 

I am a dedicated wheel gunner for life. But as far as semi-autos go, a nice Kimber 1911 is a must for every collection. As far as CCW goes, i've nevered carried the 1911 around, but the only complaint i have heard is that it's big, it gets alittle bulky to carry but that depends on the holster type,IMO. I have carried the Beretta 92fs, which is the same size as the full size 1911, it might be a little lighter though since its a 9mm. i had no problems carrying it,
Like said above, don't carry if your not practiced, and don't carry if your not ready to, meaning, don't carry with out a round in the chamber.

 

Berettas are fatter because of the double stacked magazine. 1911 is a slimmer pistol, but with less capacity. Carry it until it becomes part of you and you wont feel awkward.
Again PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Empty, drawing drills and getting your weapon in condition 1 from which ever condition you choose to carry it in. Shooting your weapon until you KNOW where the bullet is going without having to think about the steps. I shoot a bow (a LOT) and the isometric exertions of drawing and aiming the bow have really helped my pistol shooting

 

I would recommend a 1911 for a first gun. They are great shooting pistols, plus very safe. I bought a Kimber Covert 5" for my first pistol. I mainly use it for target shooting but I carry it occasionaly. I am deadly accurate with it up to 50yrds. My friend has a kimber with a 4" barrel that he carrys, it is very accurate and very concealable. My normal carry gun is a Ruger LCP .380 only because it is so small and concealable. But if I know I am going to bad territory, I carry my 1911. So basically 1911's are great shooting guns and easy to carry. I would recommend a 4" barrel for a carry pistol.

 

aahahaha nice

 

That's my thoughts too...

 

One hit with a .22 can kill. I vote for "gun control" ...hitting one's target. Caliber is not the most important factor.

But I'd never recommend a .45 auto as a first gun. Needs to learn safety and trigger control first.

 

Kimber makes VERY good pistols. My dad had the crimson carry 2, my brother has a stainless pro carry 2 and I shoot the tactical custom 2, which is the full length model, for my action pistol shoots. You can't really go wrong with a kimber and as someone stated, kimber also has the .22LR conversion kit available for most of their models. So you can shoot your pistol A LOT and get very use to it and then switch it back to .45ACP and start prepairing to qual on the range with it. I shot the CCW qual for fun because my dad is a CCW instructor and i got 293/300, you need 230 or something rediculous like that to qualify. With the whole carrying condition 1 idea, as shook02 stated, if you carry condition 3 and need to go to condition 1, the time it takes to draw your handgun, cycle the slide, and get on target to deliver accurate fire can mean the difference between life and death. When it comes down to a situation that puts you in survival mode, your IQ is halved, but If you practice enough and develope muscle memory with your weapon, you will resort to what you trained your body to do when the time comes. Thats why in the military, IDPA, and other stress shooting clubs, they shoot shoot shoot and do everything the same way so when the bullets start flying and the stress is put on you, you do what you trained you body to do.

 

Not to start the .45 vs. 9mm debate but before you cite incidents as evidence against a calibre you should give all of the facts. The British chap who was shot in the chin, was caught with a glancing shot. The bullet caught the tip of his jaw and exited his cheek. An ATF agent I have trained with was shot with a .45 in the cheek. The bullet glanced off the cheek bone fracturing it. I would hardly use that incident as evidence that the .45 is a lousy round.

The truth is any gun will do in a fight. I'd rather have a .22 than no gun at all. I carry a P380 as my "American Express Gun" (never leave home without it). I will alter between a Wilson Combat Protector compact (1911 commander in .45) and a Glock 19 in 9mm.

Our agency moved back to 9mm from .40 S&W. The new +P+ 124 gr from Winchester crono's at 1380 fps! This is similar to a .357 mag round, but you get 17 of em! I don't think anyone ever argued with .357 mag being a good defense round. (ballistic testing showed the 9mm round to penetrated further and open larger than the .40) We also subscribe to the theory that one shot stopping power is a myth. Unless you hit central nervous system or the guy gives up, many holes leaking blood is more desireable than one. We teach if a bad guy is worth shooting one time, he's worth shooting a whole bunch. Shoot him to the ground.

Back to the topic at hand:
For a novice I'd go with the reliability, and lack of external safety of a glock. Point and shootability of a revolver, cop proof, and the parts are CHEAP!