1911 4 in. or 5 in. barrel ?

[tnextreme01]

I am new to all this so please forgive my ignorance. I have notice that must 1911s have a 5 inch barrel, but i have seen specs. saying some have 4 inch barrels is this true? If so which one is suggested by you guys?

[Magiccarpetrides]

You can get them in a few different sizes...for absolute reliability 4" or more is typically recommended. If your going to carry it(unless your a big guy) most people(myself included) would recommend a "Commander Size" which is 4"-4.25" for range work a 5" or bigger would be better.....just my $.02

[Guest Orionsic]

lol. If your going to get a 4", might as well get a 9mm. ;-)

[DavidD]

Longer is better.........

[Magiccarpetrides]

Longer is better.........

thats what she said

[Magiccarpetrides]

lol. If your going to get a 4", might as well get a 9mm. ;-)

Not everyone requires more then 4" of barrel to hit a target

[Guest Orionsic]

Not everyone requires more then 4" of barrel to hit a target

Not everyone can hit a target...

[tnextreme01]

So am I hearing that the 5 inch barrel tends to have better accuracy than the 4 inch?

I got to say I like the debate.

[Kenstaroni]

The longer the barrel, the easier it will be to aim being that there is a greater distance between the front and rear sights. The same amount of movement will affect a 4" barrel more than a 5" barrel if that makes sense. If you are going to carry the gun, then I would go 3" or 4". If this is going to be a gun to go shoot with and maybe just keep in the car, then 5" 1911's are a dream.

I carry a Kimber Ultra Carry II 3", in .45acp of course, and I can shoot it as good as my 5" 1911 up to about 30ft. After that, the 5" begins to show some advatages.

If your pocket can swing it, get a Kimber or a Colt, you won't be sorry.

[Hgunner]

So am I hearing that the 5 inch barrel tends to have better accuracy than the 4 inch?

I got to say I like the debate.

I have a Combat Commander Lenght that is 4.25" and its accuracy is more than acceptable. But I perfer the full size with a 5" barrel, I like the longer sight radius and I like the feel and balance better. Personal preference more than anything else.

[Tacblack]

The 45acp round is built and tested around 5" barrels and 9mm around 4". So stuff you read in reloading books etc. is based on that.

For matches etc. the longer is the way to go, mine are 5". For a carry gun thou I do like the 4-4.25 size.

And like said above they make 3.5 and 3 inch but for less picky more reliable 4 and above.

[krunchnik]

Most of the barrel length debate is valid,while the 3 inch 1911's have reliability issues depending largely on caliber and pistol maker,there are quite a few of us that carry 1911 style pistols in the 3 inch and have few problems with reliability.As for accuracy when the sight radius diminishes so does the ability to hit your target.Its always a must to practice with any firearm that is going to be used for defense purposes.A person can get quite proficient with the shorter barrels as well as the longer ones.

Springer EMP 40 target

RIA Tactical 3.5 inch barrel target

Springer Compact 4 inch barrel

Barrel length is not the most important factor,practice is.

[Hgunner]

Barrel length is not the most important factor,practice is.

Well I'm not going to argue with that!!!

[nightrunner]

some will argue that anything under 4.25" slide/barrel length is not going to be 100% reliable all the time. the government size is 5" and commander is 4.25", anything less is questionable. although most 4" guns are very relaible. 3.5" and less are iffy, most are bull barrel when you get that short though.

[Guest .45]

general consensus is that in the 1911 platform, reliability tends to drop off a bit the shorter you go.

I can't say 1st hand, as I've never owned a 3" 1911...

personally, I wouldn't go under 4.25".

FWIW, my Dan Wesson CCO is a 4.25, and I've had zero issues with it.

bottom line = you should probably choose the longest barrel that you can comfortably carry/conceal.

.45

[Guest vantoo]

If you're gonna carry a brick, might as well be a 5 inch brick.... ......ducking under my desk now....LOL

[JeffL]

If you're gonna carry a brick, might as well be a 5 inch brick.... ......ducking under my desk now....LOL

Brick? Hell, my 5" 1911 is much easier to hide than my Glock 23.

[Mykltn]

I own a 5" SA and a 3.5" RIA and shoot one as well as the other. The RIA is for carry and fits nice is a belt holster. The SA is more for the house and range. I wouldn't trade either as they are both great guns. Practice is your best friend when it comes to hitting a target with any size barrel. I say find someone with the lengths you are interested in and invite them, and their 1911's, to a day at the range and decide for yourself.

[Guest cheez]

I have owned several 5" 1911 guns and one 4" Commander and now a 3" Kimber Ultra CDP II. As far as reliability I have seen no difference whatsoever. In 350 rounds my little 3" Kimber has only given me 3 fail to feeds. They were all with a totally filthy gun, Blazer aluminum ammo and the Kimber factory mag. With a reasonably clean gun and either a Wilson or a Chip McCormick mag and Speer Lawman ammo I have had zero malfunctions of any kind. I guess I must have a good one. The Ultra CDP is easier to conceal than any gun I have ever owned in it's class

[Guest Oaklands]

I have a full size Metro Arms American Classic II, Kimber Pro Carry II, Kimber Ultra Carry II and a Dan Wesson PM-9 (Just had to get a 9mm 1911). I love all the first 3 listed. They have all been reliable. I had a little problem with the Pro Carry II but Kimber sent me a new slide stop and that fixed the problem. By far the full length Metro Arms is best at 25 yards.

My Ultra Carry has the Crimson Trace grips on it and I set them for 15 yards. It shoots great at that distance w/or w/out the laser turned on.

[railfancwb]

So am I hearing that the 5 inch barrel tends to have better accuracy than the 4 inch?

I got to say I like the debate.

I suspect that, for a given brand/quality, the three barrel length groups would achieve almost identical accuracy from a Ransom rest, which would eliminate sight radius as a variable.

[Links2k]

thats what she said

Why did I know that someone would say that?

[safeandsecure]

Springfield UltraCompact ... so far, mine has never failed to go "bang." And it ain't particular about what ammo I feed it, from cheap ball to the best defense round I've tried. (It has had a little custom work, though. JMR Gunsmith, Brush Creek)

And although I don't claim to be a great shot ... ... I hit what I aim at, out to about 15 yards. I don't practice a lot at longer distances. Figure that's plenty far enough for my purposes. I need something for a threat further away, I'll take a long gun. 'Course, if I can't get to a rifle, guess I'll just have to hunker down and wait 'til the threat gets closer.

FWIW, I ain't any better with my 5" SA than I am with my shorter version. Just my

[Guest bart_p]

JMB is rolling in his grave right now. To think of the blasphemy in this thread! You should all be ashamed! 5" Government or reap what you've sewn my friends! Seriously though, not to sound like a jerk, but the OP sounds like they are new to handguns. If that is the case, I would strongly suggest steering clear of a 1911 as your first sidearm. They are fantastic no doubt, but someone who knows little about sidearms would have a great deal of trouble with upkeep of such a weapon. Aside from that, 1911s make lazy marksmen. I say that because they are just so easy to shoot so well. Point in case, I can guarantee you that my HK45 will shoot just as well (not almost as well, JUST AS WELL) as an Ed Brown, Les Baer, Wilson, Nighthawk etc... but I would have to nearly double my efforts than if I were shooting the 1911. Get the fundamentals down, get consistent, then buy something that will truly make your skills shine.

Bart

[Guest tbone]

I have both the 5in (S&W) and 3.5 and 3.0 (Colt Officers and Defender) and saw no difference in reliability. At this point, I have shot over 2,500 rnds between all three. It comes down to what you want to do with the gun. If this is going to be a range and household defense gun, I would go 5in. If it is to be a EDC, I would go with 3.5 or 3.0 in model. I must respectfully disagree with bart p, in that a 1911 is not a good first gun. The only thing I see that would be more difficult about the upkeep would be the disassembly, which is not really a big deal. Personally, I want a gun that makes me a "lazy marksman", especially if it is one that I might have to defend myself with. Regardless, whatever 1911 you choose, I am sure that you will enjoy it.