Compact 1911 45acp for carry

[txgirliegirl]

@TipBledsoe awesome first impressions write up, thank you! i think i see what you mean when you say the defender has sharper edges based on your picture...in a good holster, hopefully that will not matter too much...is it just the angle or is the barrel of the defender a little longer?

yes please update once you get to the range!

 

[TipBledsoe]

@txgirliegirl - You have very good eyes young lady. You are right - the Defender barrel and slide are about 1/8" longer.

 

[TipBledsoe]

One other difference I forgot to mention: with thumb safety off, grip safety depressed, hammer at half cock; pressing the Colt's trigger allows the hammer to fall; pressing the Kimber's trigger, nothing happens, hammer remains at half cock... Does anyone know if this condition should be of concern?

 

[AZ Refugee]

They're a bit elusive aren't they? I've found some on GunBroker but I've never held one or seen one in-person, and it seems sellers are quite proud of them. From what what little I know, the Detonics Combat Master is a step in the right direction, although IMO it has a couple other stikes against it; they made the limited sight radius even worse than necessary, and they removed the grip safety.

2 of them on THE in Austin , $1,100 each

 

[TipBledsoe]

2 of them on THE in Austin , $1,100 each

I saw one sold recently on GunBroker for $1500
What is THE?

 

[AZ Refugee]

I saw one sold recently on GunBroker for $1500
What is THE?

Spell Check!!! "TGT" Texas Gun Trader
https://austin.texasguntrader.com/c...ngs/1650556/Detonics-Combat-Master-45ACP.html

https://austin.texasguntrader.com/c...ngs/1650555/Detonics-Combat-Master-45ACP.html

 

[AZ Refugee]

Not a true 1911, but the Star PD is not a bad compact in .45

 

[oldag]

Does yours have the same type grips? I think the grips feel fantastic, but are darned ugly. I am more concerned about functionality than looks, but I picked up some pretty rosewood textured grip panels in case the ugly rubber ones get too much on my nerves.


I haven't made it to the range yet, but here's first impressions comparing Colt's Defender to Kimber's Ultra CDP after a day of handling, including disassembly:
- The Defender feels great in my hand. Like a glove. The rubber grips feel so comfortable; like they are melding to my hand. Added that the backstrap is nicely textured, the fit will surely make the gun more controllable.
- The Kimber feels good too. Although it doesn't have the half wrap rubber grips, it does have very nicely textured (and far more attractive) wood grip panels, AND the front strap as well as the back strap are also nicely textured.
- Overall the Kimber looks and feels better finished. The Defender has quite sharp edges. Not the Kimber; all its edges are nicely rounded.
- For better or worse, the Kimber is manufactured at tighter tolerances. This isn't necessarily altogether a good thing. Maybe a similar comparison between M16 to AK47 vs Kimber to Colt's. It might make the Kimber more accurate and the Colt's more reliable. The difference really stands out during disassembly/reassembly; the Colt very easy; the Kimber a little difficulty.

Important to note that the Kimber condition is NIB and the Colt is used. Hopefully I'll get to the range next weekend.

Old wives tale. Built to tighter tolerances does not mean less reliable.

 

[TipBledsoe]

Im still hoping someone more knowledgeable on 1911s than me can answer:
One of the differences I've found between the Colt's Defender and the Kimber Ultra CDP - with the hammer set at half cock and the grip safety pressed; pulling the Defender trigger let's the hammer fall; pulling the Ultra CDP trigger will not make the hammer fall.
- Which condition is proper?
- Is the Defender condition considered a safety issue?

Another thing I find odd; the Kimber trigger guard underneath side is textured and I can't imagine why. I could see texturing the front side of the trigger guard because some people grip with weak hand index finger placed there. Anyone know what the benefit of texturing the underneath side of trigger guard might be?

 

[Tex929rr]

I thought half cock was a safety feature to keep the hammer from engaging the firing pin? The manual safety won’t engage at half cock. I just checked two Kimbers and a Para and none of them will drop the hammer in the way you describe. The Para half cock is actually a very small distance back from the slide.

 

[oldag]

Im still hoping someone more knowledgeable on 1911s than me can answer:
One of the differences I've found between the Colt's Defender and the Kimber Ultra CDP - with the hammer set at half cock and the grip safety pressed; pulling the Defender trigger let's the hammer fall; pulling the Ultra CDP trigger will not make the hammer fall.
- Which condition is proper?
- Is the Defender condition considered a safety issue?

Another thing I find odd; the Kimber trigger guard underneath side is textured and I can't imagine why. I could see texturing the front side of the trigger guard because some people grip with weak hand index finger placed there. Anyone know what the benefit of texturing the underneath side of trigger guard might be?

Hammer should not drop when trigger squeezed from half cock.

 

[TipBledsoe]

I thought half cock was a safety feature to keep the hammer from engaging the firing pin? The manual safety won’t engage at half cock. I just checked two Kimbers and a Para and none of them will drop the hammer in the way you describe. The Para half cock is actually a very small distance back from the slide.

That's my understanding too; that half cock is a safety feature which prevents the hammer from engaging the firing pin.
Neither my Colt or my Kimber can engage the manual safety when the hammer is at half cock. Also, half cock on both of them is only a small distance from uncocked, somewhere between 1/8" to 1/4".
I have a full size PSA 1911 that behaves the same way as the Kimber - trigger pull does not drop the hammer from half cock.

 

[TipBledsoe]

@Charlie and @Moonpie - how do your Defenders behave? Does a trigger pull drop the hammer from half cock?

 

[txgirliegirl]

@Charlie and @Moonpie - how do your Defenders behave? Does a trigger pull drop the hammer from half cock?

hey there, asked my friend who has this gun and he said no, only works from fully cocked position...interested to see what moonpie and charlie say

 

[Charlie]

Half cocked is one of the safeties on my Defender.

 

[TipBledsoe]

Half cocked is one of the safeties on my Defender.

Yes, but what I'm very curious to know from you is; does the hammer fall from half-cock if you press both grip safety and trigger?

 

[Charlie]

Yes, but what I'm very curious to know from you is; does the hammer fall from half-cock if you press both grip safety and trigger?

No.
I'm retracting the "No". Upon checking what you described, I found that the hammer does move forward about a sixteenth of an inch (visual guess). I do not think it's enough to fire a round but I'll probably never check. I carry mine magazine in place, chamber loaded, safety on, fully cocked. Never had an issue.

 

[HardRock]

Id just like to hear your opinion, hopefully from experience, of several different compact 1911 choices.
I have zero interest in a Tupperware gun nor a hammerless sear-fired; I'd prefer all stainless steel single-action semi-auto, but an aluminum alloy frame would be acceptable.
My research has me considering Colt Defender, Kimber Ultra CDP, and maybe Kimber Aegis Elite Ultra Compact or Magnum Research Desert Eagle 1911 Undercover; all having 3" barrel. I don't know much about S&W SW1911 Pro. Remington 1911 R1 Ultralight Executive and Ruger SR1911 are pushing my size limits.
Maybe there's others you're aware of that I've missed.
Your thoughts?

I carry a Iver Johnson stainless thrasher officers 45acp, love it.

 

[OLDVET]

Half cocked is one of the safeties on my Defender.

Half cocked is a basic safety feature on all 1911 pistols. That is why the law enforcement guys carry them at half cocked.

 

[Fishkiller]

I think I will carry fully cocked. Do not want to go off half cocked!