Colt defender for conceal carry ?

[bjb550]

Looking to get a conceal carry 1911. Narrowed it down to a Colt Defender. Anyone have any experiences with or opinions on these firearms

 

[lsu fan]

I'm not very familiar with the Colt Defender, but 3" 1911s aren't thought very highly of around here.

With good reason... there are some pretty significant reliability issues that have surfaced.

I know for sure that springfield and kimber have had their share of problems, with 3" 1911s, and I experienced problems with my EMP40 at first. Of course, there are also reports of issues with full size pistols from those companies, so it could be due to a QC issue.

My emp runs 100% after sending it back to springfield, and it doesn't seem to be picky with ammunition. There are also plenty of 3" 1911s out there that run fine, with no problems, it's hit or miss.

I trust mine, and I'm not saying you shouldn't get one, but it is something you should consider before purchasing one.

 

[SpeedRacer]

I'm not very familiar with the Colt Defender, but 3" 1911s aren't thought very highly of around here.

With good reason... there are some pretty significant reliability issues that have surfaced.

I know for sure that springfield and kimber have had their share of problems, with 3" 1911s, and I experienced problems with my EMP40 at first. Of course, there are also reports of issues with full size pistols from those companies, so it could be due to a QC issue.

My emp runs 100% after sending it back to springfield, and it doesn't seem to be picky with ammunition. There are also plenty of 3" 1911s out there that run fine, with no problems, it's hit or miss.

I trust mine, and I'm not saying you shouldn't get one, but it is something you should consider before purchasing one.

What he said. A 1911 with a 4" or 4.25" (commander) barrel and Officer size frame will conceal just as easily, the only difference is an extra inch in your pants (and who doesn't want an extra inch in their pants?!). It will be inherently more reliable and you'll also gain some velocity and increased sight radius.

 

[Baldrik78]

And if it's the length of the grip and not the length of the barrel that bothers you, you can look into a commander length pistol with a bobtail or a shorter officer's frame.

 

[Guate_shooter]

What he said. A 1911 with a 4" or 4.25" (commander) barrel and Officer size frame will conceal just as easily, the only difference is an extra inch in your pants (and who doesn't want an extra inch in their pants?!). It will be inherently more reliable and you'll also gain some velocity and increased sight radius.

THIS X2

Not to mention it will be much more stable to shoot, more reliable.

I currently carry a 4" railed 1911 with a bull barrel and she is a tack driver.

THe only REAL problem with 1911's would be the limitations of the platform as long as you understand those you should be good to go, she should service an average citizen very well, for those who train and carry expecting the worst there are other platforms that offer MORE for less.

As soon as my Glock 19 is finished with the upgrades I will be using her as a rotation with my 4" 1911 (seldom use), simply cant go wrong with heaving more BB's to fight multiple attackers which is where the 1911 lacks power, unless you want to carry 3 mags on your belt which I def DONT.

 

[bjb550]

Good info thanks, i'm deff gonna look at getting at least a 4" barrel. The kimber compact carry seems to be what i'll start looking at next.