Range officer ....Carry ?

[Boaz]

What would be your opinion of using a 9mm Ranger Officer for daily carry ? Preferred carry would be shoulder carry but also IWB at times when impossible to conceal with shoulder carry . Thank you !

[tazman]

The standard Range Officer target model is a fine shooter but the sights make it problematic for carry as they stick up high and would undoubtedly catch on everything.
The Range Officer Operator is set up for exactly what you are talking about with combat style sights. I expect it would be a fine shooter as well.
They also make a Range Officer compact model specifically for carry that is smaller and lighter.
Any of them will put the bullet where you want it to go if you do your part.
How much weight are you willing to carry?

[Boaz]

The standard Range Officer target model is a fine shooter but the sights make it problematic for carry as they stick up high and would undoubtedly catch on everything.
The Range Officer Operator is set up for exactly what you are talking about with combat style sights. I expect it would be a fine shooter as well.
They also make a Range Officer compact model specifically for carry that is smaller and lighter.
Any of them will put the bullet where you want it to go if you do your part.
How much weight are you willing to carry?

In a shoulder rig a 'full' size is not a problem . IWB a compact would be nice , of coarse the compact wouldn't make a pocket gun because of size . I'm a little torn as to which one as both would be nice but don't have the 'funding' for the luxury of both .

[LAH]

Boaz are you wanting a full size pistol? And most people after a while tend to get away from shoulder carry for some reason.

If you want a full size pistol IWB I have good success carrying mexican style & forget the holster. Try it you might like it.

[Mica_Hiebert]

My brother caries one daily, he likes it, it made him retire his xds9. He carries iwb apendix.

[Bigslug]

De Santis C&L Thumb Break Scabbard and call it done: https://www.desantisholster.com/THUMBBREAK-SCABBARD-C-L

[Petrol & Powder]

I'm not a fan of shoulder holsters unless there is some specific situation that demands their use. That's not holy writ and to each his own.


The 9mm Springfield Range Officer is a steel, full size 1911 pattern pistol. If you're proficient with a 1911 and that's your choice of platforms, great. However, as someone that carried the 1911 for some time (years), I can honestly say that the 4.25" barreled, lightweight Commander was as large of a pistol as I wanted to wag around.

It isn't the length of the full size 1911 that is the issue, it's the weight. When carrying a pistol day in, day out; weight becomes a factor. Something that Seems perfectly OK for 10 or 15 minutes may not be OK all day, every day.

If you are settled on 9mm in a SA 1911 style platform, I would suggest that you put a lightweight Commander style pistol on your list. This is a gun that is carried a lot and shot a little.
Just my $0.02

[6bg6ga]

I generally carry a 1911. I carry either a full size 1911 or my Colt officers 1911. I have had some trouble with the sights on the full sized 1911. The shorter officers and its sights are easier to get out of the holster for me. To be honest I would consider the XDE over the full sized 1911.

[Ramjet-SS]

Love that gun it is fine combat handgun with the right sights.

The way one carries is a very subjective topic what is comfortable for me may not be comfortable or even practical for you. That's what we have the famous holster box :veryconfu

[Boaz]

Boaz are you wanting a full size pistol? And most people after a while tend to get away from shoulder carry for some reason.

If you want a full size pistol IWB I have good success carrying mexican style & forget the holster. Try it you might like it.

LAH I agree that a lot of folks give up shoulder carry pretty quick but I carry a tuned up CZ 82 a lot during the winter shoulder carry then revert to IWC during the Texas summers . Frankly the last few years I have went pocket carry with an LCP because I got lazy and it's so easy . I might try the Mexican style ...I never have , thank you .

[Boaz]

I thank all for the suggestions , haven't made my mind up and still thinking about the compact . Would be easier and more versatile as far as weight and size .

[9.3X62AL]

Best part of this whole thread--learning that I am not the only member with a holster box! :-)

[tazman]

Best part of this whole thread--learning that I am not the only member with a holster box! :-)

Just one holster box? I guess I have been doing this too long.

[Catshooter]

You're not really a gunnie unless you have at least one holster box.


Cat

[Boaz]

Dang it ! Now I have to get a holster box .

[Petrol & Powder]

There are two types of handgun owners: Those that have a holster box and those that will have a holster box [smilie=s:

[square butte]

I have an alloy frame compact ( 3 and 1/2 inch ) in 9mm. Its pretty easy to carry even if my back is bothering me. Kinda wish i had a lightweight in commander length, But i'm gonna keep the all steel for target work. The list of wants is never ending. Need a holster box - and a gun box

[sac]

There are two problems with it for CCW, 1st is the sights like said earlier but Harrison Design has excellent replacement sights for the LPA cut sights. The 2nd is the biggest and I am going to get flamed for this one and it is that it is a 9mm. Now before everyone and their brother starts telling me that their fill in the blank 1911 in 9mm runs like a singer, when in truth they only put 50 to 100 rounds out of it. The 1911 was designed around the 45 acp and 38 super. A good read about making a 1911 run in 9mm is at Bill Wilson's web site, and after you read that get off the square range and shoot your carry 1911 in a local USPSA or IDPA matches and see how it does.
I'm not trying to be an A##hole, but I take CCW very seriously and practice and take training classes when ever I can. You learn a lot about your self and your carry gun when you do. And yes I do carry a 1911 in 38 super same amount of rounds more reliable and an edge at stopping power.

[KVO]

Have you considered the Springfield EMP4? Same build quality, slightly smaller alloy frame built around 9mm dimensions. I've been eyeballing one for awhile, the catch is they are expensive!

[tazman]

There are two problems with it for CCW, 1st is the sights like said earlier but Harrison Design has excellent replacement sights for the LPA cut sights. The 2nd is the biggest and I am going to get flamed for this one and it is that it is a 9mm. Now before everyone and their brother starts telling me that their fill in the blank 1911 in 9mm runs like a singer, when in truth they only put 50 to 100 rounds out of it. The 1911 was designed around the 45 acp and 38 super. A good read about making a 1911 run in 9mm is at Bill Wilson's web site, and after you read that get off the square range and shoot your carry 1911 in a local USPSA or IDPA matches and see how it does.
I'm not trying to be an A##hole, but I take CCW very seriously and practice and take training classes when ever I can. You learn a lot about your self and your carry gun when you do. And yes I do carry a 1911 in 38 super same amount of rounds more reliable and an edge at stopping power.

Consider yourself flamed. My Springfield Range Officer in 9mm has something over 4000 rounds through it with only one failure to feed in that time and that one was my fault.
I am old enough to know I can't compete in USPSA or IDPA matches because of my eyes and other physical challenges. My usage is mostly for home defense but with a good holster, it will serve for CCW as well.
I understand your reasoning about the design of the 1911(I don't necessarily agree with that) and I read Mr Wilson's comments on 9mm in 1911 pistols. He had nothing bad to say about them that I saw, in fact was in favor of them.
I like the control and accuracy I get with mine. Putting the rounds where they need to be is the name of the game. I can do that with this pistol.

[6bg6ga]

They are a fine gun. My problem is that if I have to use it I would like to put something down with one round instead of three or four and that is why I select the 45acp round over the 9mm. Failure rates? not with the never designs out there now. My only real problem is the sight might catch that and the small round. Then again there is the plus P stuff.

[sac]

Consider yourself flamed. My Springfield Range Officer in 9mm has something over 4000 rounds through it with only one failure to feed in that time and that one was my fault.
I am old enough to know I can't compete in USPSA or IDPA matches because of my eyes and other physical challenges. My usage is mostly for home defense but with a good holster, it will serve for CCW as well.
I understand your reasoning about the design of the 1911(I don't necessarily agree with that) and I read Mr Wilson's comments on 9mm in 1911 pistols. He had nothing bad to say about them that I saw, in fact was in favor of them.
I like the control and accuracy I get with mine. Putting the rounds where they need to be is the name of the game. I can do that with this pistol.

Then you didn't read the part about making them run right. If have put that many round through yours then good on you and you know your pistol. Most out of the box don't fare so well.

[LAH]

He had nothing bad to say about them that I saw, in fact was in favor of them.

Well you blind, stiff senior citizen:razz:.........I tend to agree with you. I read through that stuff & Mr. Wilson said:

Previously there have been several legitimate reasons for the lack of popularity of 1911 pistols chambered in 9mm Luger. Primarily, poor functional reliability (mostly due to magazines and lack of proper extractors), poor accuracy and inadequate terminal performance of 9mm ammunition.

And then he said:

Several manufacturers of 1911 pistols now know how to build reliable 9mm 1911s. With our local shooting group (we shoot a LOT) and classes, I rarely see a firearm-related function problem with 9mm 1911s, and certainly not as many as we do with .45s. My buddy Ken Hackathorn does a LOT of training these days and he tells me he observes the same thing.

Mr. Wilson then ends with this comment:

Quality 1911 9mm pistols just work. I know at Wilson Combat® we have put much effort into quality components for 9mm and figuring out how to improve their function and accuracy.

Notice he uses the word "Quality". And I believe we can all agree that his pistols are "Quality." But there must be others also as he says. And I guess though you Mr. Tazman [smilie=s: can't see or move much like yours truly, I do believe you have a 1911 in 9MM that works & sounds like many others do also.

[sac]

Sorry I owe an apologies, Right text wrong author. Wilsons was making a shorter then commander length work and Hilton Yam was the 9mm.

[tazman]

I must admit that the 1911 pistols I own are good quality firearms. I knew I was going to have to spend some money in order to get a reliable pistol. I didn't get the most expensive models out there.
I bought Springfield, Sig, and one Rock Island that had been worked over by a gunsmith who likes his guns to work. If the Rock Island had not been worked over, I probably would not have purchased it. I also knew the gunsmith and his history so that effected my decision as well. I read reports and talked to lots of shooters before making my decisions. I also consulted my wallet since I can't afford to just go out and buy the most expensive firearms out there.
Most are 45ACP. Two are 9mm. Both of those are Springfield. The one has lots of rounds through it. The other not so many yet but it performs as well as the first one so far.
I found that tailoring the ammunition specifically for the dimensions that the 1911 likes is the biggest key to getting things to run reliably. I did a lot of manual operation feeding rounds through the gun before I came to understand just what the differences were.
I had been loading 9mm for a Beretta 92FS which will eat anything you put in it. You can be really sloppy with loading specifications and it will still feed and go bang. I found I needed to up my game with the ammunition I put in my 1911.
I started with the 1911 in 45ACP and got it going reliably. I had some failures in the beginning and learned from them. I applied the same learning to the 9mm ammunition for the 1911 and found the OAL range that the pistol liked and the largest diameter boolit it would reliably chamber before I ever fired a round with it. That was a tedious process but it paid off in functional ammunition.
I keep the pistol well oiled and clean in between sessions. During a session, I will add a couple of drops of oil to the rails. This seems to be enough to keep it running. Some of my range sessions go as much as 500 rounds in an afternoon.
I also found that my 9mm 1911 likes near full power loads. It will function with lighter loads, but accuracy is better with top end loads.
I am still testing loads for the guns. It seems like that aspect never stops. A new powder or a different bullet or boolit. There is always something different to try. Most combinations work quite well. A few work outstanding. Occasionally, I will find one that while it functions ok, the accuracy just isn't there.
Notice that I am not listing specific data. I think that this type of data may be just what happens to work for me. I would be happy to list OAL measurements that I found to work but will not usually offer powder charge data. That you can find in your reloading manuals or online.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I can't abide a 1911's weight. An alloy framed Comander is fine though. The SW MP 2.0 are light and good shooters.