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what is your dream carry?

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
For a production (think affordable) I had it and traded it in. Springfield Full sized Loaded Lightweight 1911 (aluminum frame). I went back a week later after I’d come to my senses and someone had already bought it. Only thing I would have changed is chamber it in .38 super. They make/made an operator lightweight but I can’t stand seeing a rail on a 1911 dust cover.

If we’re taking anything goes I’ll need more time to think about it but it will be chambered in 10mm or 38 super.
No front serrations, either.
 
Kimber all steel Eclipse Ultra II in an IWB Del Fatti holster.
It was my first CC pistol and I still love the thing.
It is accurate, easy to shoot well, absolutely reliable, and chambered in 45 ACP.

I've shot a lot of handguns since I bought it and have yet to find anything that suits me as well as the little Kimber.
So, I guess I am in the unenviable or enviable position of already owning my dream carry pistol. I'm happy with what I have.

Bill.
Baby.jpg
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Kimber all steel Eclipse Ultra II in an IWB Del Fatti holster.
It was my first CC pistol and I still love the thing.
It is accurate, easy to shoot well, absolutely reliable, and chambered in 45 ACP.

I've shot a lot of handguns since I bought it and have yet to find anything that suits me as well as the little Kimber.
So, I guess I am in the unenviable or enviable position of already owning my dream carry pistol. I'm happy with what I have.

Bill.
View attachment 1552447

I really like that. I’m looking for a smaller Officer’s sized 1911. I really like the looks of the Springfield EMP in 9mm but I don’t prefer an ambidextrous thumb safety. Your Kimber Eclipse seems to be slim, simple on the controls and not busy without any sharp corners or edges, I like that.

Too many smaller 1911’s theses days seem to be too busy for me. Rails, flared and pointed beaver tail safeties and ambidextrous everything.

I’m guessing, Kimber doesn’t still produce the Eclipse?
 
I really like that. I’m looking for a smaller Officer’s sized 1911. I really like the looks of the Springfield EMP in 9mm but I don’t prefer an ambidextrous thumb safety. Your Kimber Eclipse seems to be slim, simple on the controls and not busy without any sharp corners or edges, I like that.

Too many smaller 1911’s theses days seem to be too busy for me. Rails, flared and pointed beaver tail safeties and ambidextrous everything.

I’m guessing, Kimber doesn’t still produce the Eclipse?
I have been told that Kimber doesn't make the Eclipse Ultra with a steel frame. I don't know if that is true. We have three Ultras laying around here (two with 7075 T6 aluminum frames) and all three are excellent pistols.

The Eclipse was originally a line of stainless pistols that had been black oxide treated, then the sides polished off back to the stainless base metal. All were quite fetching. They were also a bit 'spendy'. The Ultras are Kimber's smallest 45's, having three inch barrels. Recoil isn't objectionable and mine are both accurate and reliable. They carry well and with good gun leather, they conceal easily.

I don't own a 1911 with an ambi safety. When I buy a 1911, if it comes with an ambi safety, I order a new 'single sided' safety from Brownells and fit it to the gun. I do this because I have had the safety flipped off by brushing up against a counter or such and it has happened more than once. I didn't discover this till I was about to put the gun away at home. This convinced me to only have the safety where it was protected between the gun and the holster.

Good luck finding a 'mini' 1911 that fits your needs. Personally, I don't care for rails, lasers, and other doo-dads. It's a carry pistol, intended for use in the gravest extreme while under duress and incredible pressure. It should be intuitive, simple to operate, and reliable.

Bill.
 

nortac

"Can't Raise an Eyebrow"
Bill beat me to it, but it is relatively easy to swap out 1911 safeties. Another option is to reduce the profile of the right sided lever to just a small nub, similar to the original 1911 profile or smaller, less likely to be accidently swiped off but still usable if needed. YMMV
 
I just checked and Buds has Ultra size Kimbers in 9mm and 45. Do not expect Tisas or Rock Island pricing. You don't buy 1911s by the pound. The 45 Ultras seem to go for a few bucks short of a grand with the 9s running a bit cheaper. The 45s are available with steel or aluminum frames.

The point is that these little guns are available and if my experience is indicative of the line as a whole, they are excellent pistols.

Head up my way, give me a call, and we will go to the range and you can shoot mine.

Bill.
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Bill beat me to it, but it is relatively easy to swap out 1911 safeties. Another option is to reduce the profile of the right sided lever to just a small nub, similar to the original 1911 profile or smaller, less likely to be accidently swiped off but still usable if needed. YMMV

So swapping out an ambidextrous safety doesn’t leave a ugly hole on the right side of the pistol? :)
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
I just checked and Buds has Ultra size Kimbers in 9mm and 45. Do not expect Tisas or Rock Island pricing. You don't buy 1911s by the pound. The 45 Ultras seem to go for a few bucks short of a grand with the 9s running a bit cheaper. The 45s are available with steel or aluminum frames.

The point is that these little guns are available and if my experience is indicative of the line as a whole, they are excellent pistols.

Head up my way, give me a call, and we will go to the range and you can shoot mine.

Bill.

Thanks for the offer, I just might do that one day. Can’t resist a guy who is as knowledgeable with 1911’s as you forever. :)

I noticed the pricing for Kimber’s Ultra and a few of their custom Micro 9’s are pretty comparable on pricing at just under 1k.

Springfield has a EMP Ronin for just under a grand also. Decision’s, decision’s. :)
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
A micro 9mm version of this. I’ve been chatting with @OkieStubble about it.

This is a completely re-worked 1911 hardball target gun. It’s from the old days when things weren’t so modular and easy. It’s had the frame and slide welded up and re-machined, the barrel/and bushing have been re-worked to engage sooner, and the trigger is a two-stage by my old boss, James Carroll. The front grip is stippled. The rear sight is a Kensight. In my youth many decades ago I could shoot a 1-2” group at 25 feet with it. It is finicky though, because it’s a target pistol never intended to shoot soft nose or hollow point ammo. Just feed it hardball and both of us are happy.

The problem with choosing a micro 9 version is that there are so many of them, and many of the guns have a lot of doo dads as Bill put it, that I am not interested in. I can see a grip activated laser on such a small gun as a micro 9, but that’s about it.

Steve
360C7508-15F9-4D4A-89F6-87E4308DA050.jpeg
 
So swapping out an ambidextrous safety doesn’t leave a ugly hole on the right side of the pistol? :)
Most Ambi safeties have a blade and fork junction in the center of the pivot.
I rifled through my "pile-o-parts" and came up with one (no surprise there)

IMG_0385.jpg


When you insert the right half in the gun, the fork engages the blade
IMG_0388.jpg


A single sided safety is just that. Left side only with solid pin

IMG_0389.jpg


One of my objections to ambi safeties is that 'joint' in the middle. This is a weak point in the design and since I don't like them anyway, none of my guns have them anymore.

They do require fitting, but if you leave the grip safety off while doing the fitting, you can see exactly where to remove metal so that the safety engages the notch in the left side of the slide. I fit mine to almost touch, but not quite. I know that the part of the safety that blocks the sear is fully engaged, a condition I couldn't be sure of without that tiny bit of clearance. That is how I do it, but note that in most production guns, there is no gap there. It's a bit difficult to see. Sorry.

IMG_0390.jpg


I hope that de-mystifies some of this.

Bill.
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Most Ambi safeties have a blade and fork junction in the center of the pivot.
I rifled through my "pile-o-parts" and came up with one (no surprise there)

View attachment 1552792

When you insert the right half in the gun, the fork engages the blade
View attachment 1552793

A single sided safety is just that. Left side only with solid pin

View attachment 1552794

One of my objections to ambi safeties is that 'joint' in the middle. This is a weak point in the design and since I don't like them anyway, none of my guns have them anymore.

They do require fitting, but if you leave the grip safety off while doing the fitting, you can see exactly where to remove metal so that the safety engages the notch in the left side of the slide. I fit mine to almost touch, but not quite. I know that the part of the safety that blocks the sear is fully engaged, a condition I couldn't be sure of without that tiny bit of clearance. That is how I do it, but note that in most production guns, there is no gap there. It's a bit difficult to see. Sorry.

View attachment 1552798

I hope that de-mystifies some of this.

Bill.

Yes it does.

I feel like I am a young Luke Skywalker and Bill is the Yoda of 1911’s…. ;)
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
A micro 9mm version of this. I’ve been chatting with @OkieStubble about it.

This is a completely re-worked 1911 hardball target gun. It’s from the old days when things weren’t so modular and easy. It’s had the frame and slide welded up and re-machined, the barrel/and bushing have been re-worked to engage sooner, and the trigger is a two-stage by my old boss, James Carroll. The front grip is stippled. The rear sight is a Kensight. In my youth many decades ago I could shoot a 1-2” group at 25 feet with it. It is finicky though, because it’s a target pistol never intended to shoot soft nose or hollow point ammo. Just feed it hardball and both of us are happy.

The problem with choosing a micro 9 version is that there are so many of them, and many of the guns have a lot of doo dads as Bill put it, that I am not interested in. I can see a grip activated laser on such a small gun as a micro 9, but that’s about it.

SteveView attachment 1552767

Yeah, that’s Purdy!
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
I really like that. I’m looking for a smaller Officer’s sized 1911. I really like the looks of the Springfield EMP in 9mm but I don’t prefer an ambidextrous thumb safety. Your Kimber Eclipse seems to be slim, simple on the controls and not busy without any sharp corners or edges, I like that.

Too many smaller 1911’s theses days seem to be too busy for me. Rails, flared and pointed beaver tail safeties and ambidextrous everything.

I’m guessing, Kimber doesn’t still produce the Eclipse?
Rails on a 1911 should be outlawed. :)
 

OkieStubble

Dirty Donuts are so Good.
Rails on a 1911 should be outlawed. :)

I bought and sold a full sized Sig Sauer 1911 ‘Extreme.’

Nice gun, very reliable, but it had a big ole’ picatinny under it. I just wasn’t feelin’ it, so I sold it.

There’s just something’classic’ about a 1911 that should stay, you know…. Classic.

And this is coming from a tacticool kinda fella. If I want rails, lights and red dots, then I will grab a true combat gun out of my safe, which is a Glock. ;)
 
Just like @BradWorld I'm from NJ and I will be stuck here for ever. I did start my journey to acquiring my handgun permit. Also you can only carry the gun you qualify with, You can qualify with two different guns, each separately at $300+ each. So it's going to be a lot of research to find a carry gun. So in my case my dream carry has to be affordable, very affordable. It has to fit my body and my hands.
 
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