Time for a new CCW.

[Panzercat]

Not that i don't like the 1911, just that it's a huge chunk of metal in the small of my back.
Anybody mind if I buy a XDm45c 3.8in?



Caliber: 45 ACP
Magazines: 1- 9 Round; 1- 13 Round, Stainless Steel
Barrel: 3.8` Steel, Melonite, Fully Supported Ramp
Sights: Dovetail Front and Rear (Steel) 3-Dot
Trigger Pull: 5.5 - 7.7 lbs
Frame: Black Polymer
Slide: Forged Steel
Overall Length: 7.00 in
Height: 5.55 in

[shooter]

I love my 1911. In fact, the 1911 is one of the only semi-auto pistols I really like. It has character. It has soul. Most of the others are just tools to me, especially the plastic ones . Nothing against them, but I don't feel the same way about them. With that being said, I think I'm going to go with something a little smaller and lighter for my ccw. I'm thinking a Springfield XDM exactly like the one pictured above, or maybe a Kahr. I just don't know that much about the Kahr.

[Sixgun]

I love my 1911. In fact, the 1911 is one of the only semi-auto pistols I really like. It has character. It has soul. Most of the others are just tools to me, especially the plastic ones . Nothing against them, but I don't feel the same way about them. r.

Thanks for saving my typing fingers.

There is only one semi-auto and I'll take that a step further...it needs to be made in the U.S. of A. by Colt---6

I'm not sure about those new Springfields. Are they made here?

[Pete44ru]

.

To each, their own.

The steel Springer's are made in Brasil; the plastic/fantastic Springer's are made in the Balkan's (Croatia).



.

[Grizz]

I have a 1911 that I like shooting a lot,
and an xd45c that I also like shooting a lot.

the 1911 doesn't like the cast loads I have
the XD loves them. it's a little looser maybe.

both shoot to where the sights are.

I'd say the XD is an improved combat pistol
and less tempermental and lighter and
higher capacity and concealeable. with
less mickey-mouse internals.

not that there's anything wrong with that !

Grizz

[Panzercat]

I just don't know that much about the Kahr.

Single stack pistols, mostly. At that point I'd just buy a commander or something like an ATI Titan.

[Blaine]

I'm not going to be much help....I love my G30S, and might get another.....(AnyHoo, I can't reach the small of my back anymore....so I carry the LCP in a leather vest pocket)

[Marlin32]

I carry the Springfield Compact in 40 S&W. I like it.
If into 1911's the EMP in 40S&W might be a choice.

[walks with gun]

I love my 1911's but for concealed carry those little XDM's really shoot, I'd kinda like one myself, after all nobody's gonna see it anyhow.

[claybob86]

That pistol does not appeal to me in the least, and it's foreign made. But that's just me. If you like it, go for it!

[7.62 Precision]

You'll probably like the XDm. Most people shoot them well. I like the grip safety - it protects you from getting Glocked if something gets in the trigger guard during reholstering.

Police departments switching to the XD from Glocks often found a slight increase in qualification scores, they said (though I never really take that at face value - did the officers shoot better as a result of the XD, or did they go through a bunch of familiarization fire and training and then qualify with more recent training than they had when they qualified with Glocks . . .).

I think the ergonomics are even better on the XDm than the XD, and the thing I like most about the XDm over the XD is not the match barrel and trigger and all the other stuff that people talk about, but the non-stepped slide. You can get a much better grip on the non-stepped slide of the XDm.

By the way, please don't carry in the small of the back. A fall on a hard surface can leave you in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. On top of that, it is an awkward draw, poor area of the body for concealment, and makes the pistol almost inaccessible any time you are sitting down.

If you get that pistol, I have a used holster sitting around here somewhere that I will send you to try and see if you like it, if you are willing. It is a really great holster.

[Panzercat]

You'll probably like the XDm. Most people shoot them well. I like the grip safety - it protects you from getting Glocked if something gets in the trigger guard during reholstering.

And conveniently fits your KPOS system!
Actually my friend has been after me to get a Minotaur Comp-tac for a bit now, so your warning is well heeded.

...And at least it doesn't look like I'll be carrying a CCW Cheezeburger around.

[Old Ironsights]

[...
...And at least it doesn't look like I'll be carrying a CCW Cheezeburger around.

How about something a bit more Old School... but still with Optical Night Sights?

[7.62 Precision]

You'll probably like the XDm. Most people shoot them well. I like the grip safety - it protects you from getting Glocked if something gets in the trigger guard during reholstering.

And conveniently fits your KPOS system!

Actually, I have a .45 ACP XDm (the full-size) that has been sitting around waiting for a .460 Rowland conversion that I can't afford. The .45 version of the XDm does not quite fit the KPOS. The other calibers do, and I assume that the .45 XD probably does, too. The XDm .45 needs just a little material taken off (the KPOS, not the pistol) in order to fit.

Keep my holster offer in mind - everyone says it is the most comfortable and concealable that they have worn. I use that model myself.

[4t5]

Smith & Wesson M&P series are well received guns, and usually less expensive, I like my shield, xd's are good guns also.

[Hillbilly]

My son went with a XD out of academy.

Traded for a Glock 26 when he went plain clothed....and he still has the glock as a lawyer.

For me it's a toss up. Glock is a tad easier to service.

Small of back isnt a very efficient way to carry....

[cas]

I had a full sized one for short time. It worked, but I couldn't warm up to it. Top heavy.

I've owned a super accurate, reliable Colt Officers ACP for 20+ years… love 1911's but most everything else is easier to carry to me. Less pokey, and if the ugly plastic utilitarian guns rust or get dropped… so what.

I've owned a couple SIG P245's, got a Glock 36, and XDs (different class of gun) all of which I really like, but if I was looking into compacts I'd be looking at M&P C's. (like my full size 45M&P) Almost bought an M&P 40c with no use what so ever.

[jdad]

The first time i shot my XD-S (45) I was so impressed, with the handling and accuracy, I sold off my S&W Shield. I can carry it in a pocket holster if I'm wearing loose fitting pants.

[Streetstar]

These are not my pics ---- but i love the Colt New Agent for a CCW piece in a serious caliber -----

my choice, i have either a Sig 238 or a Colt Det. Special on me at all times, but when i want to "go heavy" -- i pack a Glock 29 (compact 10mm)

The Colt New Agent could easilly replace my Glock for the times i have to pick friends and relatives out of crack houses and i would be happy (that actually doesnt happen ----- but i still like the New Agent )

[7.62 Precision]

The first time i shot my XD-S (45) I was so impressed, with the handling and accuracy, I sold off my S&W Shield. I can carry it in a pocket holster if I'm wearing loose fitting pants.

I have an XD(s) .45 that I bought to test night sights on. I shot it, installed the adjustable sights, and shot it again. That thing is so incredibly accurate, it is scary. I was shooting cloverleaf groups. I can't shoot a 3" 1911, for some reason - I get 4" groups at 10 meters - but with that little XD(s) I can shoot better than I can shoot most pistols. I need to sell the thing so I can get my money back out of it. I will be writing a review though, so when I get that done, you will see photos of the groups.

When I first bought my 4" XD years ago, I shot a blue grouse with a neck shot at around 25 meters. I can't do that with most pistols. I was into day two with no food, though, so maybe it was the hunger.

(By the way, lest you guys think I'm knocking 1911s, I shoot the 5" and 4" 1911s fine, I just can't shoot the 3" pistols as well. It's me, not the guns.)

[JohndeFresno]

Poly guns have gotten a lot of attention, but why do we still hear of them blowing up? Whether it's the reloader to blame or whatever, in the words of a well known politician, "Does it really matter?" Not too many reports on 1911's exploding.

I prefer to carry a concealed handgun that has the safety on some place besides the trigger. That never made sense to me. Drawing in the heat of the moment, possibly getting snagged by a shirt...brrr.

A flat, powerful 1911 still fills the bill for me. It's a bit heavy, but a tight belt or suspenders can take care of that. And heavy equals quicker recovery for that second aimed shot.

But - to each his own.

[cas]

What you "hear" depends on where you're listening. Glock's had lots of problem with "kabooms" over the years, due to a combination of things. Large unsupported chambers (which made them so reliable) combined with a design that's not supposed to allow the gun to fire out of battery (but seem that some times it can when the stars align), then throw in a round with funky pressure like the 40 S&W and you heard about a lot of them.

That's not as common as it used to be. I think the reason you hear about so many blown up plastic guns now, is that so many people are shooting them. Again, where you listen dictates what you hear. I see just as many blown up 1911/2011's as plastic guns.

[7.62 Precision]

Poly guns have gotten a lot of attention, but why do we still hear of them blowing up? Whether it's the reloader to blame or whatever, in the words of a well known politician, "Does it really matter?" Not too many reports on 1911's exploding.

Which polymer guns? A lot of polymer guns are very strong. A lot of Glocks have been blown up by improper loads, shooting lead bullets excessively in the factory barrels, out-of-battery fire (often due to improper reloads, etc. Most are .40 S&W.

Others have very little record of blowing up. I bought a used .40 S&W SA XD years ago and grabbed some Federal HP ammo on the way to the range that night to try it out. I noticed that recoil was very inconsistent and accuracy was terrible with the first couple shots, and then recoil was even more inconsistent and it shot way high at 25 meters. I started stopped shooting and ejected the cartridge in the chamber and the bullet was set back so far that the tip barely extended past the case mouth. I manually cycled it and all the bullets were set back after chambering, with about one out of three severely set back. By pushing with my hand, I could cause bullets to set back a little. If you look at the numbers Glock gives from their testing for the amount pressures increase from just a little set back, I can't imagine how high the pressures were in some of those cartridges I shot. According to the information from the testing, bullets set back less than these would likely have caused a Gock to come apart, yet the XD had no noticeable damage.

I spoke with one of the gunsmiths from Springfield Armory about this, and he said that most of the pistols returned for repairs are due to improper reloads, generally bulged barrels from a squib round fired in front of a full-power load. He said that every week they receive 1911s or XDs back that have bulged barrels from a squib load, often with damage resulting from someone beating the bullets out of the barrels, and often showing evidence of multiple rounds fired behind the squib. That the XD and the 1911 can usually handle this kind of abuse without injuring the shooters shows that both are strong designs.

I have seen plenty of photos of blown-up 1911s, by the way, they just blow up in a safer way than Glocks do - magazines blow out and break your foot and grip panels shatter and embed in your palm, which is better than having a mangled trigger finger.

I prefer to carry a concealed handgun that has the safety on some place besides the trigger. That never made sense to me. Drawing in the heat of the moment, possibly getting snagged by a shirt...brrr.

Drawing under stress is the place where you are most likely to get your finger n the trigger too soon and cause an ND.
Re-holstering is where you can really get in trouble with a Glock-style trigger - your shirt, the little stupid drawstrings on your jacket, your finger, part of your cheap holster - all kinds of stuff can get in the trigger guard and cause a round to slam through your thigh.

This is why I like the grip safety on the XD, XDm, and XDs, manual safety on a SA auto, or a de-cocked DA auto. In each of these cases, when re-holstering correctly with the thumb behind the slide, there is something in place to prevent a discharge if something ends up in the trigger guard. With none of the above, you are just hoping you notice resistance before the trigger moves to far.

This is also why we do not teach speed re-holstering. I see no reason for it. If I have to deal with a threat, my pistol will be in my hand until I am totally sure that the threat is gone and that he does not have any buddies that are going to show up unexpectedly. Then, once things are calm, I can carefully re-holster. Or if the police are showing up, the pistol can go on the ground, I don't care. But I think it is poor practice for all these instructors to teach speed-re-holstering, especially since a lot of them teach that it should be done to prevent problems with responding police. The result is that is is not only likely that a shooter will have an ND from shoving the pistol back into his holster, it is also likely that someone trained this way will drop a threat, take a quick glance around, and automatically re-holster without ensuring the threat is no longer a threat or that there are no other threats in the area, and on top of that, police officers will likely resound differently to someone who has put a pistol on the ground and is responding calmly to their arrival than to so m guy desperately trying to shove his pistol into his pants.

A flat, powerful 1911 still fills the bill for me. It's a bit heavy, but a tight belt or suspenders can take care of that.

I don't carry a 1911, but I do test holsters all the time. I find that even a full-size 1911 is not so heavy, pretty slim, conceals nicely, and carries comfortably. Weight adds up quickly in double-stack mags, so the weights tend to balance out between the polymer double-stacks and the steel single-stacks.