1911 for Home Defense — The Best Choice?

[HansGruber]

It's not as simple as ' if high-tech expanding bullets make the 9mm acceptable, then that same technology in the larger .45 ACP ought to be awesome.' I agree that the technology may help both calibers. However, the 9mm travels at significantly more velocity that the .45, which will affect expansion. My point is that it is not an 'apples to apples' comparison. FWIW I have a Prodigy on my nightstand and more often than not carry a single stack 1911 in either .45 or 10mm with at least 2 spare mags. Never feel inadequately armed with any of them.

Right. That may have been true 30-40 years ago, but not so much today.

Bullet design has more effect on expansion than velocity will.

Bullets are designed to open to optimum expansion *while still* ensuring proper penetration at a certain velocity window.

Overdrive the bullet, and you will often get *less* expansion as the petals fold back flat to the bullet shank.

So…in modern design bullets—HST, Ranger-T, etc…velocity is not as important. Look at .45’s that are getting .75-1.0+ expansion regularly, in reliable tests.

Again, all things being equal—a .40 will make a bigger hole than a 9mm, and a .45 will make a bigger hole than both of them.

 

[HansGruber]

1911 is good for gun fondlers or for beating someone around the head if you need to. But I've given up on 1911's decades ago. I'm all black plastic.

The guns I get now will all be burner, disposable guns. I've got lots of decent guns, but can't afford to lose them to confiscation while on the road. In bad SHTFF, gov will set up roadblocks and take your guns, just as they did in past emergencies.

Check out this YT video. Very good video to give an idea how things can go down in SHTFF with your guns.

He and others go into some detail with what happened with Hurricane Katrina and gov gun confiscation. And the guns were lost for good. He also talks about having burner guns that you don't mind losing if Katrina becomes a redo by the gov.

Last week I bought a couple of CANIK TP9SF as disposable car guns or as burner guns for gov. confiscation while in the field. I will add more when the budget allows. I have lots of Glocks, but the Canik is very cheap here...$350 - $380 out the door! For car shotguns I have 3 older '09 vintage Remington 12 pumps. I bought them when they were a lot cheaper and a somewhat better build. But for home use I have 2 Beretta 12ga. tactical and 1 Benelli M4 12 ga. I could not afford to lose those to the jackboots; but I could lose 1 or 2 Remington's and still keep going. Caniks or Taurus G3 are good disposable striker pistols. The Caniks are a better choice if you have a few extra bucks over the G3. But for $275, the G3 is a good value. Lots of good info in that video. Well worth your time.

I've carried snubs in cars for over a decade as a backup gun. But snubs are just too outdated except for use as an ankle gun. Here is something most gun fondlers don't know about revolvers. Pound for pound, revolvers are not as powerful as auto pistols. (I've done extensive penetration tests with both.) Think about it. A lot of the gas escapes from the gap between the barrel and the cylinder. Whereas an auto keeps the gas concentrated. Another plus with autos is they absorb some of the recoil, whereas the revolver gives ALL the recoil to you. Normally recoil is not a big issue if shooting a heavy Ruger, but try to shoot .357 in a snub.


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Ooh. A you-tube expert.

Yeah. No.

 

[southtex]

IMO the only thing you can prepare for in a gunfight is how you will handle your firearm.

you wont know any other parameters till it happens.

I know I can shoot. I know I can hit moving targets, even if I am moving. I know how to clear a firearm under duress and I know how to run away.

Everything else i have no F’ing clue till when it happens.

We have a bingo with the gentleman in the back

 

[HansGruber]

IMO the only thing you can prepare for in a gunfight is how you will handle your firearm.

you wont know any other parameters till it happens.

I know I can shoot. I know I can hit moving targets, even if I am moving. I know how to clear a firearm under duress and I know how to run away.

Everything else i have no F’ing clue till when it happens.

Stop being realistic.

We all know when the turd impacts the squirrel cage, we’ll instantly become the perfect amalgamation of John Wick, Wyatt Earp, and Jeff Cooper personified.

That’s my plan.

 

[KillerFord1977]

Stop being realistic.

We all know when the turd impacts the squirrel cage, we’ll instantly become the perfect amalgamation of John Wick, Wyatt Earp, and Jeff Cooper personified.

That’s my plan.

I prefer Annie Oakley myself

I have training.. pray training takes over and I knock them down .

 

[Hammer67]

We all know when the turd impacts the squirrel cage, we’ll instantly become the perfect amalgamation of John Wick, Wyatt Earp, and Jeff Cooper personified.

That’s my plan.

To paraphrase, "We don't rise to the level of our training, we sink to the level of action movies we have watched and studied repeatedly."

 

[HansGruber]

I prefer Annie Oakley myself

I have training.. pray training takes over and I knock them down .

Aye…there’s the rub.

My training regimen is waaaay down this year.

It’s been a mild winter so far, though. Gotten out a couple of times; even if it’s just 100 rounds of .22, and 50 or so rounds of centerfire…it counts.

 

[HansGruber]

To paraphrase, "We don't rise to the level of our training, we sink to the level of action movies we have watched and studied repeatedly."

Ladies & gentlemen—I have a new defensive philosophy.

 

[Snake45]

Ladies & gentlemen—I have a new defensive philosophy.

And I have a new funny line and discussion point. There's actually something to this--not something to be taken as an Eternal Truth, but something to think about and discuss.

 

[.45 Cal guy]

I have a MIL-SPEC SA plus a V10. The V10 is 6 plus 1. Always with both a back up mag ready available. The V10 is a ported barrel. Extreme caution n training on your strong arm firing. If SHTF n I must engage. .45 is always my choice. I do Love someone posted about "Drywall" inside the house. It can be a tactful advantage if your training is adequate.

 

[Rifleman71]

My choice for home defense is an XD-45 5" Tactical with a light/green laser under the rail and a full 13 round magazine in place loaded with 230 grain Gold Dots.

 

[HansGruber]

I have a MIL-SPEC SA plus a V10. The V10 is 6 plus 1. Always with both a back up mag ready available. The V10 is a ported barrel. Extreme caution n training on your strong arm firing. If SHTF n I must engage. .45 is always my choice. I do Love someone posted about "Drywall" inside the house. It can be a tactful advantage if your training is adequate.

So…

Explain this in depth, please.

Because on the surface, this sounds like “shoot blindly through walls”.

 

[The Night Rider]

My M1A Tanker is in the kitchen. My M1A NM is in the den.

So if somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night and goes through your kitchen the odds are you're going to be facing a burglar armed with your gun?

 

[Snake45]

I do Love someone posted about "Drywall" inside the house. It can be a tactful advantage if your training is adequate.

This just might be the Freudian Typo of the Day!

 

[Snake45]

So…

Explain this in depth, please.

Because on the surface, this sounds like “shoot blindly through walls”.

It sounded pretty tactful to me.

Hey, I once seen Inspector Callahan shoot a terrorist right through the cabin bulkhead of a Big Ol' Jet Airliner! With a pick-up gun he stole from another terrorist, no less!

 

[Snake45]

So if somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night and goes through your kitchen the odds are you're going to be facing a burglar armed with your gun?

Ouch!

That's gonna leave a mark!

 

[Bassbob]

Ouch!

That's gonna leave a mark!

I have a gun in my kitchen. I’d bet a months salary no one could find it.

 

[Ginkus]

So if somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night and goes through your kitchen the odds are you're going to be facing a burglar armed with your gun?

Well, I suppose so if he turns on the lights and starts opening cabinets in my summer kitchen; however, the 20 round magazine is in the drawer.

 

[Hammer67]

So if somebody breaks into your house in the middle of the night and goes through your kitchen the odds are you're going to be facing a burglar armed with your gun?

Possibly, but only if they slice into the Bundt cake.

 

[peace officer]

Hello all, here is today's article posted on TheArmoryLife.com. It is titled “1911 for Home Defense — The Best Choice?” and can be found at https://www.thearmorylife.com/1911-for-home-defense/.

You carry what you are most comfortable and proficient with. UCRs depict majority of gunfights reported ar close up and personal and over in seconds. Itis about practice shot placement and cover, not spray and pray