1911 compact or commander?

[Robk]

So I am in the market for a new 1911.

Have have decided that it will most likely be a Sig 1911. That said, I am partial to the Sig Ultra Compact and Sig C3.

I know of the the reports of sub 4 inch 1911s having major issues, this Sig however has not had any bad feedback that I can find (3 forums came up in my search, but it was a quick search). Nice looking pistol and very nice carry piece if I decide to go that way. The Sig C3 is a commander lenght 1911 that I believe comes with Crimson Trace grips. So please help with personal experience of commander and or compact 1911 and the pros and cons of each, does not have to be a SIg 1911 experience tough. Thanks.

 

[loose_holster_dan]

love my colt defender. it's sub 4in and runs great.

 

[KyJim]

The Sig C3 is a CCO sized pistol -- command length slide and officer length grip frame (one less round that full govt. size). I have one and it is one of my three carry 1911s. My others are a Brown Special Forces Carry (Bobtail), Les Baer Stinger (all steel CCO) and the Sig:

I have owned two compact size 1911s. One was completely unreliable. The other ran but shot 18 inches low at 7 yards (not kidding). Got rid of both. I do still have a Colt Officer's model (3.5 in barrel) which is really more of a safe/BBQ gun:

The commander length barrel is not one bit harder to conceal in a waistband holster than a three inch barrel. It's the grip length that can be harder to conceal. That's why I like the CCO or bobtailed guns.

 

[Mosin44az]

Commander-length barrel generally considered OK. Less than that, lots of reported problems. My 1911 gunsmith won't even work on them any more.

That said, the Colt Defender seems to get good reviews consistently. Also 9mm shorties might not be so extreme.

 

[DasGuy]

Here's another option you could look at. www.cdnninvestments.com is selling the SIG P220 Compact Elite SAO for a mere $570 shipped, NIB. It is a CCO sized firearm (4in barrel, 6+1 capacity), beaver tail and ambidextrous thumb safeties. It comes with all the bells and whistles and is about as high end as SIG gets.

Here's a good write-up of it:

glocktalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1348281Cached

 

[jmstr]

I also vote to avoid the 3 or 3.5" 1911 pistols [unless it is the SA EMP in 9mm or .40S&W]. I tend to hear way more problems with reliability and accuracy than I do satisfied customers. I'd rather have a Kahr P45 in a 3.5" than a 1911 in a 3.5" or shorter barrel.

It isn't just about reliability either. .45acp performance out of a shorter barrel. Some hate the thought of any decline in power from a .45 out of anything shorter than 5". Most FPS and FT/LB numbers for ammo are based in 5" .45acp pistols.

Someone can chime in and clarify with TRUELY accurate numbers, but I will give a hypothetical example.

One of the standard pressure .45acp ammos [mag tech] lists a 836fps rating and a 356 ft/lb muzzle energy. That is in a 5" barrel. A 4" barrel drops the velocity to something like 800fps and the muzzle energy to something like 325 ft/lb. A 3" barrel would drop the same categories to something like 770 fps and 290-310 ft/lb of muzzle energy. This means a 3" barrel sacrifices something 'like' 14% or more of the power of a 5" barrel, or more.

This requires changes in recoil spring and barrel lock/unlock timing, that are more challenging to fine-tune than in a 4-4.25" or 5" barreled 1911. Thus the true officers' sized 1911 can be more ammunition sensitive for this reason.

I have a couple of 5" 1911s that shoot ANYTHING. My CCO-esque 1911 is a Kimber Compact II, with a 4" bull barrel [instead of the CCO 4.25 or the Commander 4.25] but an officers' grip length [which I have a McCormick flush-fit 7 round mag inserted into, despite officers' lsized Colt mags holding only 6 flush. I have had NO problems with the Kimber Compact.

For shorter that is for CCW, I'd avoid a 1911. If it is for range/fun, then it doesn't matter how often you get FTF or FTE, so it is fine. For nightstand or carry, I'd stick to 4" or larger barrel, in either officer or govt length grip.

But that is just me.

 

[stephen426]

If I was going to go with a 1911, I would go with the Commander length slide and Officer grip. The hardest part to conceal for most people is the grip and not the barrel. The shorter slide helps when sitting down, but other than that, it is tucked in your pants and not visible. The grip is what usually sticks out, unless you are thick in the middle.

 

[Chesster]

Commander. Not as easy to conceal but a whole lot easier to operate when stress time hits.

 

[icedog88]

^^^^^How so? Aren't the controls in the same location? The grips are a bit shorter and the barrel shorter, granted, but how is it easier?

 

[plateshooter]

I have a Sig C3. I like it better than any of the 1911 pistols that I have had over the years. I have tried a couple of the smaller 1911s with frustrating results. The C3 I have can be mag picky. The magazines I tried fed well, but would fail to hold the slide open after the last shot. I settled on Les Baer mags that I modified the followers in, and now have what is for me a very reliable package. My C3 shoots exactly to point of aim for me, with 230 ball or HP ammo. I can't say that for some of the other 1911s that I have owned.

 

[Simmy952]

I have a Sig 1911 Compact and absolutely love it. Has been 100% reliable since day one. Have about 400 rds through and is my EDC. Conceals better than my P239 and shoots better than my G27. With the slimmer frame and smaller grip, it fits very well in my hands. Sig makes a great 1911 for the money. Cannot tell you about the Ultra sized model but my Compact with the 4.25 barrel is great. If you happen to get the Compact model or before you buy one, go to the M1911 forum and check out the thread on the Compact barrels. They had some issues with the barrel lugs/links but the newer models they have the issues fixed. I would put my Sig up against my Les Baer any day any time and still have a bit of $$ in my pocket.