Compact 1911 recommendations

[RuffLock]

Here's the catch. My department will only allow the following manufacturers for now: Smith & Wesson, SigSauer, and ParaOrdinance. We also allow Glock, HK, and Beretta, but I'm not aware of any 1911 formats from them. Hint, hint, hint.

I've definitely fallen in love with shooting 1911s, ever since I picked up my STI Spartan 9mm. I'm working with the instructors on getting them to change our policy to allow any firearm to carried off duty as long as a department armorer inspects and approves them. Maybe we sign a contract forbidding any modifications without armorer approval, or something like that. The way I figure it, if I'm forced to pull my gun off duty, it should be something that feels 100% comfortable in my hands. As police officers, we are responsible for every bullet, no matter where it ends up.

I'm guessing a 4" barrel would be about perfect. Any thought?

[jbrescue]

The Smith and Wesson 1911 or the Para would be a good choice. Either one would be a good choice. Why wouldn't they let you use a Kimber or Springfield?

[hogger129]

How compact does it have to be? What about the Smith & Wesson Scandium Commander? http://www.gunblast.com/SW1911Sc.htm. Not totally sure if they still make it.

[bluesea112]

As far as reliability, you can't beat a Sig. I'm with JBRescue on the Kimber/Springfield question. Sounds like your department is in bed with a few manuafacturers.
I find it hard to believe that they can dictate what you carry when you are off duty. "Off Duty" means just that.....you are not at work.
Back to the subject of brand, I have fired thousands and thousands of rounds through my Sig .45 auto and never had a misfire, jam, or cycling issue. Not one single time. I used to swear by my Sig until I had an opportunity to shoot a compact Citadel. The pattern I shot with the compact Citadel was half the size of any pattern i had ever shot with my Sig. I bought a compact Citadel the very next day, and that is my new carry weapon.

[RuffLock]

Many departments have policies like this. It has to do with their liability insurance policies. Most don't want to risk any off-duty officer mishaps. Personally, I feel if they did a better job with training and ensuring officers are more than just competent with their firearms, then these would not be issues. I've always been of the mind that an identical trigger pull each time is critical to consistent accuracy, especially since most police officers had never touched a gun until they reached the academy. Two weeks of intense training is not enough. And we only requalify twice a year (even though G.O.s say we only need to do it once), which is not a lot of time. Most officers only shoot during those requals, and it shows. I shoot more than that, but even I can tell when I've not been putting in the required time (fishing season always seems to get in the way).

Thanks for the recommendations so far. I'll check those out and try to get my hands on one during the next gun show to play with them. Keep em coming.

FYI, our duty weapon is the SigSauer P229 in DA/SA.

[jacksonco]

The Citadel 3.5" Tactical 1911 Compact is an excellent weapon at a very good price. I have one and love it. There are a few others on the forum that also own them and speal highly of them. It is a great $500 -/+ range weapon.

Since the Citadel is not on your departments approved list try a 1911 SIG compact model. I have a full sized and it is awesome.

[hogger129]

Sig C3 I think is a compact 1911. http://www.sigsauer.com/CatalogProdu...s/1911-c3.aspx

[gdmoody]

My son's department had the same rules for what he could carry. I let him borrow my Citadel compact and after he qualified with it, his chief let him carry it. The department even bought him a duty holster for it. You might inquire of your chief if there could be an exception to the rule!!

[3/2 STA SS]

Our policy for carry was .380 to 44 Special as a backup weapon. Other than that we carried Model 23 .40 Glocks. Patrol Carbines were .30 Cal M1 carbines. More suited for the Everglades where I worked.

[RuffLock]

Just found out that Springfield Armory is also included in the approved manufacturers list (no Kimbers though). I've looked at the previous recommendations and really like the Sig 1911 C3.

Next question...which of these manufacturers makes a 1911 that holds up to +P+ ammo over the long term? I'm concerned about the scandium and aluminum alloys compared to an all steel version. Also, I've been reading about some 1911s having feed issues with JHP rounds. Anybody with hands on experience or knowledge about manufacturers addressing these concerns, feel free to chime in. Thanks again for the helpful responses.

[Double D]

Most feeding issues can be corrected with a magazine change to a wilson combat or something comparable and making sure your feed ramp is polished. Most new 1911s are coming from the factory with polished ramps but not all of them. So, when I buy a new 1911, thats the first two things I do. You should be able to feed anything you want.

[Shooter45]

+1

[RuffLock]

Sounds good. I'll keep that in mind for all future purchases.

[vaskeet]

On your list springfield would be the way I would go great service with a lifetime warranty Randy