so im planning on getting a 1911 in 45 acp. this weekend ill be hitting the gun stores to see them in person and get a feel for it. i love the looks of the gun and metal frame. i know it doesnt have as high of a round capacity as most, but honestly its enough for my day to day life. any one use them in the woods though? i hear alot of bad things about semis in the woods.
1911 style guns seem to fit a certain niche, just as any other gun model/type does. There are numerous companies that make 1911 style guns, so be wary of cheap or knock off models.
There are mass produced models, and then there are high quality, limited edition pieces/high end pieces. Names to look into (in my opinion) would be Colt, Kimber, Springfield, Sig Sauer, DanWesson, Wilson Combat. I’m sure there are others, but I am not a huge fan of 1911s due to price and low carrying capacity.
That being said, Kimber Carry models are my favorite for quality and PRICE. Some 1911’s can become very pricey, so set a price range and stick to it.
As far as reliability goes, they will be just as reliable as the next gun. It is how you handle situations of jams/misfires, etc. Tap and rack is the preferred way to handle these situations with any semiauto. The beauty of the revolver is to keep pulling the trigger. On a side note, there are many nice options with CC revolvers out there as well, and if you are on the 1911 track, you will not lose out much in carrying capacity (rounds) with a revolver when compared to 1911.
I personally use and abuse my guns, so I’ve stuck with synthetic type models, and typically striker fire such as glock/kahr. They are fairly cheap, hardly any maintenance, and will eat any ammunition that I feed them.
Sorry for the long winded response, but I love handguns.
Also, a little praise for the 1911.
The quality models tend to have very good tolerances, meaning all the pieces fit very tightly. This does improve accuracy, and I do find that I shoot better with some 1911’s vs the glocks/kahrs that I carry. I owned a Kimber Carry model for a few months, and noticed that it liked to be squeaky clean to perform well regularly. On the contrary, I clean my glocks/kahrs every few months/thousands of rounds between cleanings without any rust build up.
Others may disagree but I would venture out there and say the .45 ACP is not a hunting round and would be a bad choice for that job.
for hunting the 45 may be a little strong i agree. i however am just wanting to buy one gun that fits most purposes. worst case cenario for me is while camping and hiking in the mountains in montana forf example and cross paths with a bear or mountain lion. of course im going to try every measure of prevention i can first, but should the situation go south i want to be able to protect my family. the likely hood of me having a shoot out with a bad guy is rather low, but want to be prepared for everything. the only thing im not sure on with the 1911 is the meathod of cocked and locked while carrying. anyone that owns one ever have the safety release?
I also want to add that I like the simplicity of a revolver like the colt peace maker also in 45. If anyone uses one of these for concealed carry I would like to hear from you. Again, likely hood is low that I would ever have to use it. I live in iowa, not new york or california lol. Only downside to the peace maker would be concealment I think.
IMHO, a 1911 is a lot of gun for carrying concealed (unless you’re looking at one of the smaller versions specifically designed for that). I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a gun that is comfortable to conceal yet will off you much protection versus a cougar or bear. A snub-nosed .357 mag would probably do it, but I don’t think I’d want to shoot a snub-nosed revolver loaded with .357 mag.
Also keep in mind that for hunting in WI, the barrel of whatever handgun you use for huntinghas to have a 5.25″ barrel from firing pin to muzzle with the action closed 
in my state while open carry is legal by state, from what i read, local law enforcment still frowns upon it and can revoke your permit. this is something i will definatley be looking into for other states. where allowed i plan to carry in a holster at my side for easy reach worst case scenario. the chance of ever crossing paths with dangerous animals is remote i relize, but i would rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. i hate sounding paranoid but i wont take chances where my family is involved. thanks for all your help and advice.
I think I mis-interpreted your use for this weapon. I always thought one handgun would be able to fulfill a variety of roles, and soon learned that this is not the case.
If you are talking .45ACP, then basically you have a slow, heavy bullet that is typically good for short range self defense, not hunting. .45 Long Colt is a different story, especially in a long barreled revolved. I feel that 6″ of barrel is a minimum if you intend on using it to hunt. Also, .357 is on the low end for hunting power, in my opinion. If you are looking to hunt with a handgun, look more into the .44, .454, etc..which obviously takes the concealment factor out of it. I originally thought you wanted a sidearm to carry while you are hunting, and definitely check your regulations, because in MN you cannot carry a sidearm while archery hunting whitetails (but you can for bear). If you are hiking around in the woods and just want some protection, a heavy revolver does you little good. Look into .357SIG, .40, .45, and my favorite, 10mm.
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IMHO, a 1911 is a lot of gun for carrying concealed (unless you’re looking at one of the smaller versions specifically designed for that). I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a gun that is comfortable to conceal yet will off you much protection versus a cougar or bear. A snub-nosed .357 mag would probably do it, but I don’t think I’d want to shoot a snub-nosed revolver loaded with .357 mag.
My younger brother has carried a full sized Springfield GI 1911 for years now concealed. You won’t even notice it with the right holster on your hip. Check out Element Arms in Becker MN
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