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1911 compact comparisons/suggestions
- Thread starter Soundwave
- Start date
Soundwave
NES Member
Addressed the issue of no front strap checkering. Pearce rubber finger grooves that fit under stock thin grips. Feels even better in the hand now. May need grips with the huge mag release cut out though.
Any good gun plumber can checker the front strap for you. You would need to refinish the frame, of course. Certainly that rubber grip is cheaper, but it increases the grip circumference. If you've got big mitts, that isn't a problem. Personally, I prefer checkering, but more $$$ and everyone has their own budget...
Soundwave
NES Member
Because it already has thin grips the added width, which is minimal, is not bad at all. I'm trying this out first to see how I like it. I love my brothers beretta 96 with hogue grip. If I ever get it to a Smith for fine tuning I'll discuss checkering and refinishing in Black-T again. Honestly the smooth front strap wasn't an issue for me but that's one thing everyone railed on so I figured I'd try some "enhancements"
pinefd
NES Member
I just discovered and ordered one of these Pearce rubber finger groove front straps myself a few days ago, and it's due to arrive tomorrow. I have the Hogue finger groove grip on my Beretta 92fs (and my S&W 686) and love it, but they don't seem to make equivalent grips for my new Sig 1911 Fastback Nightmare Carry, which is why I thought I'd give the Pearce thingy a try. I'll have to trim the thin rubber part that goes under the grip to accommodate the round butt of my gun, but that shouldn't be a problem.
Meanwhile, enjoy that gun! I'd like to get something similar one of these days.
Frank
Soundwave
NES Member
If there was a nightmare carry available I may very well have walked out with that! I really had my heart set on a 4" barrel compact but the nightmare specs and bobtail were really attractive to me.
nstassel
NES Member
View: https://youtu.be/AJGYi6wyoo4
These are available in blue and stainless and a much better option than a rubber finger groove thing.
Soundwave
NES Member
I noticed those as well but after I found the Pearce grip. I actually like the rubber finger grooves but we'll see how it actually performs. I honestly didn't realise you could just replace the front strap like that before looking into this.
nice front strap checkering turns me on. just feels right. while i'm not a fan of sticking anything rubber on a 1911, on a really cold day that frame will be horribly cold and difficult to hold. i run rubber hogue grips on one of my beretta 92A1's and on a butt ass cold day I can still hold and shoot the thing whereas the bare aluminum frame frontstrap feels like an icicle.
it's BS that manufacturers sell 1911's with bare frontstraps. that is trash and I find it irritating. it's a low standard that somehow has become accepted so they do it as a cost cutting measure and for whatever reason people tolerate it. while I am far from a fan of current Sig Sauer products, at least their 1911's come with nice frontstrap checkering at reasonable prices. my Sig 1911 TTT has something around 4k rounds through it with no stoppages. it runs any mag or ammo. great 1911 workhorse.
it's BS that manufacturers sell 1911's with bare frontstraps. that is trash and I find it irritating. it's a low standard that somehow has become accepted so they do it as a cost cutting measure and for whatever reason people tolerate it. while I am far from a fan of current Sig Sauer products, at least their 1911's come with nice frontstrap checkering at reasonable prices. my Sig 1911 TTT has something around 4k rounds through it with no stoppages. it runs any mag or ammo. great 1911 workhorse.
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nstassel
NES Member
That is my genuine pet peeve too. Machine cut checkering looks fine and is perfectly functional. It strikes me as a real f-u to the consumer looking at a line like SA's less expensive offerings.
Yes, it is a kick in the balls especially considering that the cost of doing it during manufacturing, before coating/blueing/bead blasting, is much, much cheaper than the cost would be to have the consumer to go back and do it later. This has always been quoted out to me as a $150-200+ option "after the fact" because instead of the machinist being able to mill out X number of them, they have to do a special job just for your frame, and then theres the obvious "where'd my paint go" problem on anything other than a bare stainless frame.
They don't even have to get that fancy with the checkering either. What S&W did on the E series is enough.
I think part of the reason its been tolerated is a lot of the people buying the low end gun are just skinflint nippleheads and don't care, etc. They would choose to
omit it if it took the price of the gun down by 50 bucks.
The other reason is likely that with good side grip panels it doesn't matter so much, at least in .45 ACP. Given a choice, I like having the checkering though, and will gladly pay extra for it every time.
-Mike
Soundwave
NES Member
After looking into that WC thing that people are glueing to their frame and other say it can move around and scratch the finish I'm pretty sure I'm all set with that. I'll stick to the finger grooves for now. If I ever get it worked on I'll address the front strap as needed. Now to figure out my carry ammo. Alien gear cloak tuck 3.5 coming Friday. Never had a kydex or hybrid holster so this should be interesting.
if you're actually going to carry a 1911, get yourself a quality belt intended for CC. lots of options out there. most are steel reinforced. would invest some $$ into training with your 1911 particularly exercises drawing from holster.
IIRC the springfield armory 1911's do not have a firing pin block. in this case the gun is cocked and the only thing preventing it from firing is the sear. in the freak chance of a sear failure it will go bang. this is unlikely to occur in several lifetimes. regardless I value redundancy. for example, the M&P shield is a fully cocked striker mechanism although employs a striker block such that if the sear were to fail it will not fire. I am not saying that it's a bad idea to carry a 1911 without a firing pin block (that topic has been beaten to oblivion); I'm saying I personally wouldn't feel comfortable doing it.
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Soundwave
NES Member
I have a Jeffrey custom gunleather belt and an Amish leather belt or something that both support holsters etc very well. Ive used the Jeffrey for my fullsize 1911 with no issue and the other with my Glock 22. I'm hoping they work well with the alien gear, otherwise I'm belt shopping I guess. I would definitely love to so some training.
citoriguy
NES Member
I carry a much lighter gun (P238) in my Alien Gear Cloak Tuck and have it clipped to my normal belt. Anything heavier than that and I’d definitely pick up a special purpose belt. Hell - I may get one in case I want to carry my 92FS again one day, let alone a 1911.
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citoriguy
NES Member
I had the same experience with my P238. I ended up putting the Crimson Trace trigger guard laser on it, so I bought that shell and the same thing happened - there was some play. I took a little bit of moleskin that I picked up from CVS and put them in a couple of the main contact points and it cleared it right up. There’s no slop whatsoever now. I don’t think I’d line the whole shell with it though.
Happy feet
NES Member
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After having front strap checkering I wouldn't, buy a gun that didn't have it, unless it was a revolver
Soundwave
NES Member
This is too funny. When I was researching the e-series all everyone did was complain about the front checkering. I've already purchased the 1911 and even without front checkering it shoots just fine.
@citoriguy I actually meant the whole holster/platform just seemed too big for a microcompact. I have no hands on experience with aliengear yet but if I need to modify it, it's going right back and I'll go back to leather
@citoriguy I actually meant the whole holster/platform just seemed too big for a microcompact. I have no hands on experience with aliengear yet but if I need to modify it, it's going right back and I'll go back to leather
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pinefd
NES Member
@Soundwave , first of all, sorry for the thread hijack...but wanted to mention that I received my Pearce rubber front strap/grips and installed them today on my Nightmare Carry, after some slight modifications to accommodate the round butt. I really like them! For me, they took an already great feeling gun, and made it feel even better. And I love the way they look, too...although both looks and feel are obviously very subjective. Here's how the gun turned out:
Frank
Frank
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Soundwave
NES Member
I should probably change the topic title but I'm gonna go ahead and continue with my experiences with the compact 1911 and accessories. So I gave aliengear a try. Overall the holster is very slick and adjustable BUT anything with external controls will drag on the backing materiel leaving digs that over time will force a warranty return. I should have known this because the backing is flat and can accept outer shells for all pistol makes. So of course it wouldn't be a hand molded leather holster... I think they could certainly improve but not the end of the world. The other with it being interchangable is that unless your pistol is the perfect size for which ever base category (compact, fullsize etc) they put it in the whole setup seems too big. On top of that the metal core is probably too big or doesn't taper off enough so it doesn't conform to my body as much making a 90 degree turn at the end of the metal core. It made the 1911 carry barely better than my G22 in a leather setup. Which may well be the final outcome anyways... So ya I have a Milt Sparks executive companion on the way. They had one in stock so instead of waiting 4+ months for a Nexus I jumped on the Exec companion rough side out in black. That's it for now!
citoriguy
NES Member
Interesting. I’d like to hear your feedback after you’ve had some time with it. Alien Gear doesn’t have a shell for a G19 Gen 5 MOS yet, and I need one for an upcoming “Intro to IDPA” course at the end of April.
I suppose I can always try my 92FS OWB holster if push comes to shove.
I suppose I can always try my 92FS OWB holster if push comes to shove.
Finally grabbed a 1911, and went with a Nightmare Carry. Gorgeous AF.
Soundwave
NES Member
I prefer the nightmares aesthetic but I think I'd prefer emperor scorpions alloy frame.
Well my Milt Sparks executive companion came in today! It's definitely a very nice piece of kit. On par or possibly better than my Jeffrey,Woolfe and Tucker holsters. It's rough side out like my Tucker mini which I've grown to appreciate. It really helps holsters with a smaller footprint stay in place, even while drawing, as well as making the draw super smooth.
My one complaint is that I think I just tore my rotator cuff trying to do two one-way snaps attached to a single piece of leather that is curved... Holy crap I still don't even know if I ever got it fully secured. Definitely felt better for the 5min I had it on than the alien gear cloak tuck. I wish it had a little more forward cant but maybe my shoulder was just too sore....also new Kore belt may have helped but only because of the superior adjustment not the rigidity.
Well my Milt Sparks executive companion came in today! It's definitely a very nice piece of kit. On par or possibly better than my Jeffrey,Woolfe and Tucker holsters. It's rough side out like my Tucker mini which I've grown to appreciate. It really helps holsters with a smaller footprint stay in place, even while drawing, as well as making the draw super smooth.
My one complaint is that I think I just tore my rotator cuff trying to do two one-way snaps attached to a single piece of leather that is curved... Holy crap I still don't even know if I ever got it fully secured. Definitely felt better for the 5min I had it on than the alien gear cloak tuck. I wish it had a little more forward cant but maybe my shoulder was just too sore....also new Kore belt may have helped but only because of the superior adjustment not the rigidity.
Soundwave
NES Member
That's the other thing about the emperor scorpion. It's got a traditional slide which I prefer. Though I dont dislike Sig's modern take. Almost wish they pushed the envelope even more.
Oh and the executive companion is a sealed holster!? I've never had one before. Gonna have to keep an eye on any debris collecting in there.
Oh and the executive companion is a sealed holster!? I've never had one before. Gonna have to keep an eye on any debris collecting in there.
