# Getting my CWP and looking for advice on Handgun



## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Hey guys! I am new here, and not a firearms expert so all help is a appreciated. I am getting my CWP and I am looking at either a Colt Officers 1911, or the Springfield XDS. I like the 1911 more so than the XDS (design), however I am not sure how well the 1911 will conceal. I live in South Carolina and it gets hot, so I want a firearm that can be concealed while wearing a t-shirt, and pants/shorts, but also Something I can carry hunting. 

Price wise :
Colt Officers Blued = $1000
Springfield XDS = Just under $600

I currently own a Ruger P97DC, but I believe I would have a hard time concealing it. Its built like a house brick. Thanks guys!


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

There are only two ways to answer a question like yours:
1. The Colt Officers' Model is a piece of junk, so buy the XDS.
2. The XDS is a piece of junk, so buy the Colt Officers' Model.

Friend, it is absurd to ask us to make your choice for you.
Go find a shooting range that rents time on various guns, try them both, and decide for yourself.

If you do that, you will probably find that you can shoot neither of your possible choices well. That's because small, powerful pistols are very difficult to shoot accurately and effectively.
You have to be pretty good with full-size, full-weight pistols, before you can successfully transition to a shortie.

Further, neither of your choices is appropriate for hunting. They are close-range, self-defense guns.


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

I didn't know if someone on here new some flaws about the 1911, or XDS. I am not an expert, but I am pretty good with my Ruger. A full size, full weight pistol. 

I plan to go to a range and try out some pistols, especially 1911 and XDS, Glock was also something a friend suggested. I will have to wait though because I believe the XDS goes into mass production in march this year. 

Also let me clarify, when I said hunting, I meant that moment when your tugging through the swamps and ridges with your shotgun across your back; and you run upon something not very nice.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Thank you for the clarification.
Now that we know your real questions, you might receive some useful answers.


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## Brevard13 (Nov 28, 2010)

I believe you will find it slightly easier to conceal the 1911 because they are somewhat slimer. Shoot them both and then decide. My advice is to get a good reliable gun that is easy to shoot, and conceal. Just my suggestions Glock, XDs, M&Ps, Sigs (some can be had at a reasonable price and some do cost a pretty penny. Also I wouldn't spend a ton of money on a gun right off the bat as you may find out it doesn't conceal like you thought it would. Use the difference for ammo, a good holster, and a good belt(one of the more important pieces that you probably haven't thought about...I know I didn't). Also having been to SC and knowing how muggy and humid it can get I would also recommend checking out the Ruger LC9. You also have the smaller .380s and some snubnosed revolvers. 

Good Luck!!!


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## 1jimmy (Jul 30, 2011)

best advice i can give, shoot first buy second. i find its too easy to fall in love with a gun for its looks and then find out it don't shoot worth a damn. glock 27 forty cal is nice size and easy carry as is the glock 30 forty five cal but a bit heavier


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

The slimness of the 1911 and XDS is why I was thinking those for concealment. I know the XDS is just under 1" wide, and 6.3" over all length, and 4.4 over all height, 3.3" barrel. The Colt Officers 1911 has an over all length of 7.75", and 4.25" barrel. 

Brevard13- Are you talking about a good pants belt?

I will defiantly shoot a Gock.


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## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

Try out as many handguns as you can.........to avoid buyers remorse......


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

I sure will! 

also guys I have ready that the compact models of the 1911 have extraction/feeding issues. Is this true? Has the quality of compact 1911's increased?


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

I also found this on youtube while searching.

Personal Defense - Colt Model 1911 Government - YouTube

What do you guys think, I was surprised to see the 1911 score so high. I know its not the Colt Officers model.


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## Brevard13 (Nov 28, 2010)

SCRebel said:


> The slimness of the 1911 and XDS is why I was thinking those for concealment. I know the XDS is just under 1" wide, and 6.3" over all length, and 4.4 over all height, 3.3" barrel. The Colt Officers 1911 has an over all length of 7.75", and 4.25" barrel.
> 
> Brevard13-* Are you talking about a good pants belt?*
> 
> I will defiantly shoot a Gock.


Yes and no. Not just any pants belt. IMO it is worth the money to get a top notch leather belt that has been made to hold a holster and possibly extra mags. A cheap leather belt over time will start to become worn. Then it will start fitting looser. You holster and gun will start to droop alittle. Most people just go and by a dress belt or regular leather belt (that will work FOR AWHILE). They don't think about the weight of the gun putting stress on the belt. A good, solid, stiff leather gun belt will be expensive (I have seen them for $70-$150) for a belt but well worth it in my opinion. You could also check into the nylon type belts.


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Thanks Brevard13! I have a good leather belt that I bought a couple of years ago for $25, but Its not a gun belt. Does the gun belt hold your pants up too, or just to gun?


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## chessail77 (Mar 15, 2011)

A good leather belt ..designed for concealed carry will hold your pants up and keep the weapon tight to your body and not sag.....regular belts often will sag under the weight of the firearm.......they are a good investment...get one......JJ


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Sounds like after I get my handgun I need to go gun belt shopping. Lol


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Be prepared to spend about $200.00 to $300.00, for a well-made holster, a magazine carrier, and a good, stiff pistol-supporting belt.
For ready-made, rather than custom-made, gun leather, I suggest Galco. Their stuff isn't cheap; it's _good_.


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## Russ (Aug 19, 2011)

*I've shot most pocket rockets and there is no such thing as the perfect ccw*

Choosing the right conceal carry is like trying on pants. I hate the feel of blue jeans but you may swear by the iron pants. I pocket carry my conceal so a nice slim not too heavy semi auto is my ideal carry. I prefer the 9mm over the 380 round so I will sacrifice on weight for the larger caliber.

I have shot most every pocket rocket in the 9 mm and there is not the perfect gun. There are props and cons to every gun.

I think the best looking and perfect fit conceal gun is the stainless Kimber Solo. I even put down $50 last year but pulled out after I shot the gun and read the reviews. If all you want to shoot is high pressure ammo at $1 a round the Kimber is ok but my interest is to practice with my conceal and cheap .20 ammo is my taste and the Kimber Solo is out.

The Glock 26 is most likely the most reliable of conceal guns but I am a pocket guy so out goes the Glock.

I shot the Rugr LC9. Decent gun but too many lawyers were involved in the design. A conceal gun needs to be simple to be effective. Look at the Rugers manual safety and ask yourself if you were under stress and your small motor skills are shot would you honestly want to deal with the tiny safety on the Ruger LC9

I owned a Kahr Cm9. Kahr is known for their trigger. It is a long trigger but the gun is simple. No safety other than the long trigger and a good pocket holster. Downside the magazine is a piece of junk. The plastic follower creates nose dives. Very frustrating when the gun is decent Kahr would cut corners on the magazine. I even had to tweak the magazine to get it to fall freely from the gun when released. There really is no excuse the magazine is a deal breaker for the Kahr.

Ruger LCR 357: I almost went the revolver direction looking for reliability. The snub nose has one big problem. Shooting a 357 round from a 1 7/8 barrel reduces the powerhouse magnum down to a 9 mm +P round fired from my Beretta Nano with a 3 inch barrel. To add to the insult the 357 round will punish you with a ruthless recoil and noise and in return you have a 357 round that is nearly matched by a 9mm +P round which I can assure you is softer on the recoil and noise.

Beretta Nano: I settled on the Beretta Nano but it has not been a smooth ride. Federal Champion 115 grain from Walmart is too light of a load to shoot consistent but S&B 115 and WWB is just fine. The Nano in the 9 mm caliber is in my opinion one of the strongest built pocket guns I have held and fired. Nano was built on a 40 caliber platform and it is obvious when you handle the gun it is very solid but the break in was not fun. I ended up locking my slid back for a week and fired 900 rounds through the gun before I felt the gun was broken in but now I can say it runs great and is extremely accurate. There is a post on Youtube of a person shooting very accurately with the Nano at 100 yards. I don't consider myself a good shot but I can nail a 8 x 11 inch piece of paper at 25 yards consistently and at 7 yards which is a realistic distance for defense shooting I can group my shots consistenly in 1 1/2 inch. (I shot a Sig 238 and the Nano was much more accurate) I still find it hard to believe that I can match the accuracy of a full size semi auto with the Beretta Nano that fits in my pocket.

Russ


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Be prepared to spend about $200.00 to $300.00, for a well-made holster, a magazine carrier, and a good, stiff pistol-supporting belt.
> For ready-made, rather than custom-made, gun leather, I suggest Galco. Their stuff isn't cheap; it's _good_.


I found a manufacture called Crossbread. They make their belts custom, they are a small business so its 4-6 week wait once ordered. From them I am looking at about; Belt=$90, IWB holster=$70, IWB mag holder (single)=$50. (The IWB mag holster (dual mags)=$70). So I am looking at a minimum of $210.

And thanks Russ for your input.:smt023


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

The "perfect CCW" is the one you're carrying at the time.

(I do not remember which sage came up with this pithy bit of advice, but it certainly is an aphorism that will outlast the ages.)



SCRebel said:


> I found a manufacture called Crossbread. They make their belts custom, they are a small business so its 4-6 week wait once ordered. From them I am looking at about; Belt=$90, IWB holster=$70, IWB mag holder (single)=$50. (The IWB mag holster (dual mags)=$70). So I am looking at a minimum of $210...


I wasn't far off, was I?
(I believe that $210.00 is somewhere between $200.00 and $300.00.)

Beware: All of us experienced shooters have at least one box full of holsters that seemed to be the bee's knees when we bought 'em, but which ended up a good deal less comfortable than first imagined.
This will not be your last holster purchase.


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> I wasn't far off, was I?
> (I believe that $210.00 is somewhere between $200.00 and $300.00.)
> 
> Beware: All of us experienced shooters have at least one box full of holsters that seemed to be the bee's knees when we bought 'em, but which ended up a good deal less comfortable than first imagined.
> This will not be your last holster purchase.


I wasn't saying you were wrong, I was just informing you of what I found. So what your saying is the mag holsters are uncomfortable?

Also I was informed the 1911 is an "Experts" weapon, and I should stay away since this is my first Conceal weapon.


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## Bisley (Aug 24, 2008)

The Crossbreed belt is a good one, and their hybrid IWB holsters are among the most comfortable (if there is such a thing), although they are a bit pricy for a plain piece of horsehide or leather and a bit of kydex. I've bought a couple, and made a couple of similar ones myself, for about $10 apiece, and I rate the design as top notch.


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Yeah, I have read alot of good things about Crossbreed and their products.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

SCRebel said:


> I wasn't saying you were wrong, I was just informing you of what I found. So what your saying is the mag holsters are uncomfortable?
> 
> Also I was informed the 1911 is an "Experts" weapon, and I should stay away since this is my first Conceal weapon.


Not to worry...
I was just gloating over the accuracy of my advice.

I've never worn a Crossbreed rig, because I find IWB carry uncomfortable. But many other people swear by them.
I was merely pointing out that, according to my experience, you are starting out upon a journey during which you will be trying and discarding various holster designs by several different makers, until you finally find "the one." (It's a lot like dating.)

I don't know who told you that "the 1911 is an expert's weapon," but whomever he is, he's either ignorant and inexperienced, or a complete fool.
The full-size 1911 is far and away the easiest pistol with which to learn how to shoot effectively. Further, it requires you to pay attention to a safety lever, forcing you to be aware of safe shooting procedures at all times.
The .45 ACP cartridge, in a full-size, full-weight gun, has a soft "push" of recoil, which beginners who have practiced a firm grip and good follow-through find very easy to control. Further, the single-action trigger of the 1911 requires you to pay attention to your trigger press (never "pull"), while never straining or fatiguing your trigger finger.

Pay no attention to the advice of "gun shop commandoes." They talk a great game, but they know very little.


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Ok, well gloat away. Lol. 

So the 1911 is a great weapon for "non experts", got it. My Ruger I currently have is similar to the Colt Commander 1911. So far as barrel length and frame size. So I don't believe the Colt CCO will be much different. 

I plan to fire one of course, but I like the Colt CCO 1911.

I also found this and it makes sense: From Backwoods home Magazine

"The 1911 is best carried fully loaded with a round in the chamber and “cocked and locked”—the hammer cocked on the live round, and the thumb safety “on safe”—you want to learn to wipe that safety lever into the “fire” position as you bring the gun up on target.... One big advantage of cocked and locked carry is that it mandates the gun be “on safe.” If the wrong person gets the gun away from you, he has to figure out which of those little levers “turns on the gun.” This will buy you time to either rectify the situation up close and personal or run a considerable distance, either of which beats hell out of the bad guy holding a “point gun, pull trigger” weapon on you at contact distance."

1911: The classic
homeland security pistol

By Massad Ayoob


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## Holly (Oct 15, 2011)

SCRebel said:


> I found a manufacture called Crossbread. They make their belts custom, they are a small business so its 4-6 week wait once ordered. From them I am looking at about; Belt=$90, IWB holster=$70, IWB mag holder (single)=$50. (The IWB mag holster (dual mags)=$70). So I am looking at a minimum of $210.


Just my two cents, if you are serious about Crossbreed, check this out: Comp-Tac : Top-Quality Firearm Accessories

They are the same price, but you can replace the kydex piece, should you buy a different gun, which is cheaper than buying a new holster. Also, the belts are great! So great I hurt my foot every time I step on one lying on the floor...


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Holly said:


> Just my two cents, if you are serious about Crossbreed, check this out: Comp-Tac : Top-Quality Firearm Accessories
> 
> They are the same price, but you can replace the kydex piece, should you buy a different gun, which is cheaper than buying a new holster. Also, the belts are great! So great I hurt my foot every time I step on one lying on the floor...


thanks for the link!


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## Holly (Oct 15, 2011)

You are most welcome.


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## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

Check out Cleveland Holsters.....they are not pretty, but get the job done......


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Cleveland holsters, got it. 

Also there are a lot of manufacturers that produce the model 1911. And prices range from $500-and upward. Are the cheaper guns any good? Are they worth depending on?


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## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

Cleveland holsters......not pretty, but like the Crossbreeds.....


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## berettabone (Jan 23, 2012)

I would stick to the more well known 1911's......and the more expensive.......it seems that with 1911's in particular, the cheaper you want is the cheaper you got....issues


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Yeah I did some more research, any decent 1911, are about the same price. Para Ordnance=$900, Springfield=$850, Colt=$1000


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## carterrob (May 11, 2011)

My $.02 for you:
I carry my Colt Combat Commander in an inside-the-waistband Scorpion holster. 
Officer, Defender - DeSantis Holster
This holster keeps the weapon in position without any shifting or turning. It's easy to re-holster (not a big concern, I'm more interested in getting the thing out quickly, but a nice feature) and a comfortable carry for a hand cannon. 
I've had this pistol for 20+ years and love it. I don't carry cocked and locked however. I do carry with a round in the chamber and the hammer "one click" back. I know that isn't what the experts recommend but I feel safer and don't think it will take me any longer to pull the hammer back than to disengage the safety. Your mileage may vary.


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## SCRebel (Feb 15, 2012)

Thanks!


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## rex (Jan 27, 2012)

If you're going to go 1911,you picked the best ones if you take out the Para.I shouldn't say it but they make Kimber look good.I still regret not buying a frame kit when they came out,that was their best in general.

Leather is another story,and you'll be stuck with the rest of us trying.Test for IWB carry by simply stuffing it in your waistband around the house.If it seems comfotable in the spot you like add 1/2" to the width.I can some with a 1911 or fullsize USP but it's only if I'm standing almost exclusively and it isn't long.I carry a 1911 OWB in an old belt slide or TT Gunleather DDOS concealed and a Bianchi 19 scabbard for whatever.As soon as I get a USP holster for the shoulder rig I can hide that easier than on a belt.When I carried a Beretta it was mainly in the shoulder rig but for some odd reason I can IWB it the most comfortable,weird.Was never really a 9 fan so that hasn't been carried for a good 15 years.


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