Virginia Gun Owners Forum - VGOF

Well while waiting on my permit to finally come back, I have decided to pick up a carry gun.

I popped my 1911 cherry a while back with a Springfield Armory Loaded 1911 and LOVE the gun. Shoots great, though the last batch of PMC Bronze ammo yielded a few malfunctions. Gonna get her to Mario to take a look at soon.

I am thinking two options I am interested in.

#1 is a 1911 45 Compact, like the Rock Island CP or CSP. I know there are mixed reviews about this gun, but I am seeing alot of guys that own expensive Kimbers and Colts, that choose to carry this exact model as their carry weapon.

#2 is a local shop has a hardly used, XD 40 Sub Compact. They were asking 400.00 for it but i was going to drop in with 350.00 cash and see what happens.

My thoughts are the XD is lighter, smaller, holds more rounds....But I have drank the 1911 Koolaid and it taste good.

My dad has a XD40 V-10 and i just cant get over how much trigger the thing has vs. my 1911. Thoughts?

"[The 4.25"] ...is the only one of the shorter than 5" .45s that's really proven itself for cyclic reliability with all different types of loads." - Ayoob

I know 2 people that carry 3" Kimbers. One sold his because of reliability concerns while the other seems happy. I'm not a fan of small guns but sometimes you have to work within your circumstances.

#1 concern for a carry gun should be reliability. No use in carrying it if it doesn't work when you need it.
I carry a http://cz-usa.com/products/view/dan-wes ... c-bobtail/ and have had 0 problems of any kind for all of the 500 or so rounds I've put through it. I love it; now you know my bias.

Capacity is a valid concern. In my area I've read reports of as many as 5 (unclear if they were all armed) guys piling out of a van and jumping a guy. 8ish rounds in a 1911 is cutting it close. Do you expect to run into this sort of trouble?

Weight is a valid concern. 1911s are heavy. It's worth it for me. Is it for you? Will you be carrying it every minute of every day?

Are you worried about size because you'll be concealing your gun or for some other reason?

Almost any 1911 trigger should be nicer than a XD trigger. It's much easier to make nice firing pin trigger systems, than it is to make nice striker firing systems. Will it matter for SD? Do you expect to shoot it at the range a lot?

I can't speak to the exact RIA model but both are good guns. Your choice should depend on your lifestyle.

I really like the larger 1911 designs, but am not sold on the minis. There always seem to be questions about reliability, HP expansion is questionable with some brands/models, and I just don't think the advantages of a 1911 work well in such a small gun.They feel great in the hand though. For the faithful, I'm a heretic I guess.

The 1911 design has some great advantages which make it an ideal "fighting" pistol. However, for sub-compact (<4") carry I think the newer designs are superior. YMMV.

I have shot the XD-Sub Compact in 9mm. It was a nice gun and a pleasure to shoot. You might want to wait to get one though.They have already released the XDM Compact it's only a matter of time before they release the Sub-Compact. When they do the price of the XD Sub-Compact will be way more negotiable or maybe you will want the new one.

I have always preferred bigger/heavier handguns. I have fewer issues controlling recoil thanks to the added mass.

I have shot some of the Springfield XDs and they are decent guns for the price. Decently accurate, and reliable for not a bad price. I cant comment on the other guns mentioned, just putting in my 2 cents on the XD.

I have an XD 40 sub and it is has been very reliable. I don't remember a single misfire in about 700 rounds fired. The only drawback is it is a little bulky for its size, and for that reason I usually end up carrying my Glock 23 instead.

I too am a 1911 fanboy. I had a 3" Springfield Micro Compact ultralight that I was in love with, but it just didn't cut it for carry, IMO.

IMO, the good:
-felt great in the hand
-accurate
-trigger
-small + thin(for a 1911)

IMO, the bad:
-heavy, even the UL model
-sometimes reliability was questionable. i could feed it WWB 230RN all day long without a hitch, as soon as i fed it some HP or cast, I would have intermittent loading issues
-capacity - 6rds can do some damage, yes, but i would hate to need more.
-recoil - a 3" barrel and a .45 make for a slow followup shot. a lot of recoil from the shorter/lighter 1911s. it's not impossible, but for me, it just wasn't practical

I switched to a springfield xd-sub compact 9mm and love it.
the good:
-light
-accurate
-13+1 capacity without the grip extender
-feels good in the hand
-300rds, not a single hiccup from RN, cast or HP


the bad:
-trigger is mediocre at best
-not the smallest sub-compact out there. feels a little blocky on the hip, but not a deal breaker