[MOshtr]

Of course carry what you want to….that said I carry a 5 inch 1911 in .45 acp every day and have done so for more than 30 years as a LEO….. on occasion I carry other firearms…….it is concealable but you have to dress around it. As I age I have considered getting a lightweight commander sized 1911 but I just like the balance of the full size government model…..I also carry a model 29 in the woods or a Ruger single action when I don’t carry a 1911……and occasionally I carry a Glock or j frame but 95 percent of the time it is a 1911 full size. I have many holsters but prefer the Vedder IWB and/or a Fist IWB kydex for good concealment. In leather for IWB I like the Kramer holster and a Galco IWB holster. Good luck and unfortunately there are no simple answers and individual circumstances are always a factor.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

Always carry the most powerful handgun for personal defense that you can control and conceal.

 

[Buccaneer12]

5" 45 with +P for me, generally. If the gun doesnt feed any round on the shelf, it needs to be fixed. They shouldnt be picky.

 

[Falserain328]

I prefer .45 and a 5” 1911 but whatever the biggest round and pistol you can comfortably carry and shoot is the best option, my grandpa told me I shouldn’t carry a gun that’s caliber doesn’t start with a 4, and I had a salty old gunny tell me that if your life relies on it , it better be a full size pistol, both of those things rang true for ME everyone’s different, there’s no wrong choice if it’s what you like.

 

[LakeGuy]

I usually carry an all steel, 5" 1911 in 45, although I recently bought an all steel, 5" 9mm and carry that occasionally. I like how the 9mm is easy to rack the slide, I'm 70 and my hand strength is diminishing.

For me, it's all about the belt and holster. A nice strong, stiff, wide belt worn very snug around the waist with a pancake style holster that pulls the gun in tight is the answer.

When I first started carrying, 35 years ago, I hated any weight on my hip/in my holster. But I slowly worked up to bigger and heavier guns through the years. Now my body is used to the weight and I don't even notice an all steel 5" gun. Which is great because I've always loved 1911s, and for the last 10 years I've carried one every day.

 

[TankJones]

5" 45 with +P for me, generally. If the gun doesnt feed any round on the shelf, it needs to be fixed. They shouldnt be picky.

View attachment 1683669

Amen!

 

[Rex]

I've carried a Gov't 45 for years but went to the Commander so I can sit straight now, old age crap. If the recoil bothers you mellow out the impulse of the 45 unless you're happy with the 9. I'm oldschool with big bullets, the 40 did nothing for me. Put a flat bottom FP stop in my Commander and mellowed it out. Fixing to drop down on the recoil spring because it's a little on the slow side cycling.

 

[Greenleader]

and therein lies the interesting question. Is self-defense more like duck hunting or deer hunting?

A deer hunter will usually have 2-3 and sometimes 10-20 seconds to aim at a deer and shoot a vital spot. Duck hunting is point and shoot (and is obviously done with bird shot to create a spread to make sure you hit it).

when an attacker is charging at you with a knife from 20 feet away, is there any aiming involved or is it really just reflexive shooting?

lol, or a charging rino. Your point is exactly why I train the way I do. Paint a spot on it, draw and shoot that steel target as fast as possible, making contact each time from 7-10 yards with .45acp and 8 rounds. It creates quite a firestorm that would stop most threats but that first or second shot has to be perfect.

 

[1L26]

DW, TCP 45 ACP. Yeah, it's a 4 inch barrel but it carries so nice and with Underwood 230gr JHP +P I believe it would do the trick! Plus, the gun feels like it was made for me.

 

[Docsabo40]

Whatever you will consistently carry is going to be the winner. A .32ACP on the hip beats a .45ACP on the shelf, or something like that.

 

[45k]

Always carry the most powerful handgun for personal defense that you can control and conceal.

To me, this is the correct answer. I do have, and carry 9mm sometimes, but at the end of the day “Always carry the most powerful handgun for personal defense that you can control and conceal”.

 

[cjkent555]

. 38, 9mm, .38 Super, 10mm, .45 ACP. It depends where I'm going, what I'm wearing etc. I'm heavily invested in the 1911 so that covers .38 Super, 10mm and .45 ACP. I like the 2011, M&P, and the CZ SP01 so that's the 9mm. .38 covers small 5 and 6 shot revolvers and everyone should have them. Shot placement is everything, capacity it nice, but .45 doesn't shrink.

 

[Tom RKBA]

So 3/4 of an inch makes a pistol harder to conceal?

Yes. It pokes out the back pocket from inside the jeans. The extra friction causes a Government to tilt back. It feels annoying sometimes too.

AIWB it causes hot spots and can squish a nut when taking a seat. The Commander does not do this.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I like Butts of all kind that ain’t no lie

Backdoor man eh?

 

[Uncle Bob]

You. Don’t forget the butter.

Thank you Marlon Brando!

 

[Uncle Bob]

 

[Docsabo40]

I didn’t notice a 10mm fanboy in here yet so I’ll carry the torch here.

10mm is the best. You can download it to levels approaching the anemic 9mm, or hot load it to .357 magnum levels. It will also boost your T levels by 400-500%, and increase chest hair by an equal amount.

 

[Tom RKBA]

I didn’t notice a 10mm fanboy in here yet so I’ll carry the torch here.

10mm is the best. You can download it to levels approaching the anemic 9mm, or hot load it to .357 magnum levels. It will also boost your T levels by 400-500%, and increase chest hair by an equal amount.

Nah, that’s a myth. A study by the Democrat party called “Measuring testosterone seepage in guns” (Hogg, D, et al., 2025), upon peer review, discovered that the researchers were injecting artificial T and trying to steal it from their patients.

 

[CrystalClear]

I'm learning. Interesting discussion. I find IWB comfortable with the right belt and holster. AIWB, I've been experimenting. What is interesting a 5" Government to me carries better at AIWB. A commander size works with the sitting down and getting up, pretty stable. Weight of all Steel vs. Aluminum is a factor. We talk about mass on different aspects of the gun and loads. When an All Steel Commander is carried AIWB it works better for me than at strong side. Its just where I am right now. The mass of the gun's center of gravity is raised or focused to where there is a balance. I'm Sitting here with my SFX9L for today's carry AIWB. I find it interesting how I choose to carry for the day. Am I in a hurry or reaching for something comfortable and predictable? I don't think caliber really enters into the equation. 45 and 9 in Government and Commander are in the rotation, mainly All Steel. I don't have an Aluminum frame full size 45 to compare. I tend to prefer about 32 oz to 38 oz empty weight. I think I do a mental calculation on "Its heavy or not so heavy." I get up get dressed and put a gun on, whether around the house or going out. I've used the term "Sweet Carry" in describing those in my carry rotation. Its subjective, Every one has earned the right to be in the rotation, or its not carried. Meaning fully vetted magazines and carry load that have proven reliability, accurate in practice. Each of us has our own basis for that along with the role we carry for.

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

So 3/4 of an inch makes a pistol harder to conceal?

Not harder to conceal, just a bit more difficult for the vertically challenged like me when carrying IWB. When carrying OWB, not so much.

As for the weight difference, no one should notice or care about 5ozs.