4" Barrel in 1911

[Geister]

Do any of you carry a 1911 with a 4" barrel? I thought about getting one of the 1911 with a 3" barrel but I've heard of reliability problems. I was wondering if a 1911 with a 4" barrel (overall length of 7" to 8") is much harder to conceal.

[gregthehand]

I carry one almost always in a Tucker TX Heritage IWB holster and find it very easy to conceal. I can carry it under a t-shirt and people don't notice. At first I like you thought it would be impossible to conceal but now after carrying it like this have start to wonder why I would need a 3" 1911 when I can conceal a 4" just fine!

[Houston1944]

I often carry a Kimber 4" 9mm. I put around 500 rounds through it before deciding it was reliable for carry. This is another 1911 that I can say has never had any malfunctions. I did eliminate a couple of mags along the way but that's not the pistols fault.
One nice thing about it is the 5" and 4" all fit in the same holsters and mag pouch. I can carrry the 5" 45 or the 4" 9mm without changing anything.

[flintknapper]

Do any of you carry a 1911 with a 4" barrel? I thought about getting one of the 1911 with a 3" barrel but I've heard of reliability problems. I was wondering if a 1911 with a 4" barrel (overall length of 7" to 8") is much harder to conceal.

Welcome Geister,

I carry a Para-Ordnance P-13 with a 4-1/4" barrel. I'm a fairly large person, so I have no difficulty concealing it. Your mode of carry, and your physical build will have much to do with how well you can conceal a particular size firearm.

Many of the Sub/Ultra compact weapons offered today, not only have shorted slides/barrels, but also shortened frames. Naturally, they conceal more easily. The 4" models come both ways (full size frame, and shortened frame). I have found that frame length contributes more to conceal-ability than does barrel length (within reason).

My brother has a Springfield Ultra Compact (6 + 1) with a 3.5" barrel. It absolutely disappears on him in a Milt Sparks IWB, also...I can not detect any difference in recoil between it and my 4.25".

I concur, that some weapons in the 3" barrel range have shown a propensity to be a bit finicky, but most people have no problems with them at all.

Again, welcome to the forum.

Flint.

[longtooth]

Welcome aboard Geister.
My daily carry is a commander length 1911. Never a bobble. Carry it strong side IWB in the summer & OWB in the winter.
I agree w/ flint that it is more the platform size than barrel length. Several on the board carry the shorties w/ no trouble.
Glad to have you.

[MrDrummy]

Several on the board carry the shorties w/ no trouble.

I'm one of those several, and have never had any trouble with my Kimber Ultra Carry. This is one of the shorties with the 3" barrel, and I, like Flint have found that there is little difference in recoil between my Ultra, and my buddy's 4.25" bbl Kimber.

[Texasdoc]

I carry a Kimber pro carry 2 which is a 4" barrel and its one of the easies gun to conceal .I am not a little guy I am pushing the up side of 300 lbs and with a IWB holster and a nice loose fitting shirt its gone from view.

I have put over 200 rds thru the kimber and have had NO FTF FTE and thats both myself and my oldest daughter shooting it





300shooter

[TX Rancher]

I have a Kimber Ultra (3 in) and a Les Baer Stinger (4 in) that I often carry concealed. I have no problem with either one from the concealment standpoint, but the Kimber is much more comfortable for all day carry (mostly due to the weight difference).

From the reliability side, both are excellent with carry ammo and have never failed (and I've put a lot of carry rounds through each). With my reloads, I do get a few failures after many clips at the range (I use Win 231, and it's a rather dirty burning poweder, and I load light for practice ammo). But again, with carry ammo, no issues.

I also have a Para 12 (did I mention I like 45's ), and I can't make the same claim for it. It's been known to act up from time to time, so I have problems with it as a carry weapon. I have worked on it, and for the last two years it's been reliable, but I just can't get myself to trust it for carry since I originally had so much trouble with it.

So not all short barrel 45's are created equal, and that goes for 4 or 3 inch options.

Like the other folks have said, from the concealment standpoint, there's not a lot of difference between the two, both are easy to conceal. My suggestion is to pay attention to the weight. All day carry IWB with a heavy weapon can be a problem for some (it is for me).

[cyphur]

I carry a Kimber Tactical II Ultra(3" barrel) and I can make it dissapear with just about any clothing.

It sometimes acts up with the "value" practice rounds, ie Remington UMC or WWB target loads, but I've never had it hiccup with JHP - even Remington's PD stuff(not the top of the ladder). My gun had a trip to Kimber due to feeding issues when I first got it, but they replaced the slide and changed it to an internal extractor and now I have no issues with JHP(still some issues with FMJ, going to call Kimber about that after the new year).

[Thane]

I carry a Kimber 3" 1911, and have no problems with it, not even with Corbon's "flying ashtrays." I have had magazine problems, but every failure to feed I've had has been traced to one magazine in particular; I think the follower is shaped slightly wrong. I'll likely at some point replace all the followers with something more reliable and less finicky, but the other mags work fine right now, and so the offending mag only gets range time.

I think the bad rep of the 3" guns came with some of the early ones, before they'd got all the bugs worked out. Anymore, I'd be surprised to find an unreliable 3" from any of the major manufacturers (Kimber, Springfield, Colt, etc.). The biggest reason nowadays to carry a 4" gun, IMO, would be personal preference, not reliability.

[dws1117]

I've been carrying a Dan Wesson Commander Bobtail with no problems. It's been in a Tucker OWB holster. It'll be carried IWB as soon as I find the right holster.



BTW it's a 4 1/4" barrel.

[Geister]

Thank you all for the replies. I still haven't made up my mind regarding a 3" barrel or a 4" barrel.

For those who have a 3" 1911, is it small enough to carry in, say, the pocket of cargo pants? Or should I just stick with IWB for any 1911?

Also, what is the approximate difference between the sight radius of each?

I'm still considering the Para P10 or Warthog with the double stack magazine. Do you think that the double stack magazine, making the gun thicker, would be much harder to conceal?

Dws, that would be the 1911 for me if I opt for a larger gun. I have a Dan Wesson revolver and love it. I've heard great things about their current line-up.

[dws1117]

Thank you all for the replies. I still haven't made up my mind regarding a 3" barrel or a 4" barrel.

For those who have a 3" 1911, is it small enough to carry in, say, the pocket of cargo pants? Or should I just stick with IWB for any 1911?

Also, what is the approximate difference between the sight radius of each?

I'm still considering the Para P10 or Warthog with the double stack magazine. Do you think that the double stack magazine, making the gun thicker, would be much harder to conceal?

Dws, that would be the 1911 for me if I opt for a larger gun. I have a Dan Wesson revolver and love it. I've heard great things about their current line-up.

The slight, if you want to call it that, advantage with a 3" gun over the 4" is that most models have a shorter grip. Kimber makes a 3" gun with a full sized grip if I recall correctly.

From my experience the shorter sight radius wasn't an issue at distances of 7 and 15 yards. Beyond that I do much better with the longer 4 1/4" & 5" guns.

I have no personal experience with and Para gun except holding them at gun shows. The Warthog does seem like a fine gun, but It seems like by going to a wider frame with the double stack you loose the thinness that makes the 1911 so easily concealed. You also loose something in parts availability as most of the frame parts will not interchange.

For me, the barrel length isn't as important and the width of the gun for concealment purposes. I do as well with my 5" 1911 as I did with my former 3" Kimber. The difference was the grip length. The Dan Wesson eliminated that issue. I didn't have as much success as other in concealing the double stacked guns. I'd tried Glocks, Berettas, CZ (which I really liked), and a few others. None work as well on me as a 1911 of any size.

Just to add, I firmly believe that the gun is only part of the concealment package. A good holster and belt that fit both you and the gun make the package. Now, by good I don't mean it has to cast half your paycheck. It's is an ongoing and likely expensive project to find the combination of all three that fits you best.

[dws1117]

Also, the Dan Wesson is a terrific gun. I couldn't be happier. It is a very good copy of an Ed Brown for a whole lot less money.

If you live in the Houston area or plan to visit I'd be happy to let you shoot it.

[Skiprr]

Dws, that would be the 1911 for me if I opt for a larger gun...

For me, the barrel length isn't as important and the width of the gun for concealment purposes. I do as well with my 5" 1911 as I did with my former 3" Kimber. The difference was the grip length. The Dan Wesson eliminated that issue. I didn't have as much success as other in concealing the double stacked guns. I'd tried Glocks, Berettas, CZ (which I really liked), and a few others. None work as well on me as a 1911 of any size.

Just to add, I firmly believe that the gun is only part of the concealment package. A good holster and belt that fit both you and the gun make the package. Now, by good I don't mean it has to cost half your paycheck. It's is an ongoing and likely expensive project to find the combination of all three that fits you best.

Masterful post.