"Duty gun": Glock 19X or 1911?

[Bill in Oregon]

Interviewing in a few for a part-time range officer job at our county shooting range. If I am selected, I'll wear a uniform and carry a handgun, more as a "badge of authority" than for LEO use. I have no LEO training, just concealed carry and live fire. That said, I like 1911s, but admit the Glock 19X possesses a lot of strengths and fits my hand very well.
Any thoughts from the gang here?
Wish this old guy some luck, please.

[marlinman93]

I'm sure I'm going to catch some flack from Glock owners, but I dislike Glocks. I'd go the 1911 route every time given this choice. But if my options were totally open I'd also carry my old S&W Model 59 in 9mm.

[Bill in Oregon]

Thanks, Vall. I have been a 1911 fan since first discovering Jeff Cooper as a teenager, and I have the muscle memory ingrained. I have had a number of Glocks over the years as well and liked them for what they were, but they never quite captured my heart like Browning's masterpiece. But I have to leaven this decision with a large measure of practicality and there is no getting around Glock reliability or capacity.

[Blaine]

Sounds like a BBQ-Worthy 1911 job...in a wonderfully tooled holster. Make George S. Patton wish he had one just like it.

[Bill in Oregon]

Blaine, amigo, I am unfortunately on a retiree's beer budget ...

[gamekeeper]

Good luck with the Range Officer job Bill, sorry can't help with your choice of sidearm .

[Tycer]

I’m not sure why you are limiting yourself. Carry ‘em all. Range officers get to shoot too at the ranges I’m familiar with.

[Blaine]

Blaine, amigo, I am unfortunately on a retiree's beer budget ...

Ah....HighPoint it is, then

[OldWin]

I have nothing against Glocks. I own a 19 and 21sf.
However, the 1911 is more than the sum of it's parts and I own a bunch of em.
I'm thinking a nice blued 1911 or Commander with a nice set of stags in a Milt Sparks SS (my particular carry).

[JimT]

I walked into the General Store/Restaurant here at the little crossroads town of Weir, Texas the other day. A policeman was sitting at a table having lunch. No big deal .. lots of cops stop by here to eat. What stuck out and was noticeable immediately was the cocked and locked 1911 he was wearing. It just advertised itself somehow. The other cops carried Glocks and looked professional and proficient. But that 1911 just absolutely stood out.

[Grizz]

I was parked in a cul-de-sac in a Mexican barrio, munching some chips and waiting for a call, when someone pulled up across the street, got out of the car with a sheaf of papers in his left hand. He was plainly dressed and appeared to be referring to the papers to select the address where he was headed. On his strong side in a leather holster was a nickel 1911 with what appeared to be bone grips, or a reasonable facimile. A BBQ gun if I'd ever seen one.

I exited the dead end slowly before the door opened . . .

[4t5]

Show them you're no beginner, wear a smith model 27 or a model 19.

[AJMD429]

My choice would be 'the best of both' - a 1911 in 45 ACP, but with the capacity of a Glock 9mm. The grip-girth of a double-stack 1911 is only 3/16 of an inch larger, and unless your fingers are unusually short, you will likely find the grip MORE comfortable than a regular 1911. You did say the Glock fits your hand well, so perhaps that is the case, but just try both and see.

Either can be very reliable, and either should be 'vetted' with a few hundred no-issue rounds fired before 'duty'.

Either 45 ACP or 9mm will stop a bad guy, although ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL in terms of shot placement, bullet type, followup shots, and so on, the 45 will have the edge.

I would go with whatever best fits your hand (close eyes and pick up an unloaded gun hastily and bring to 'shooting stance' then open your eyes - if sights are aligned, you have a great fit). If both fit, either choose the best compromise between the greater stopping power of the 1911/45 or the higher capacity of the Glock/9mm, OR DON'T COMPROMISE AT ALL, and go for a 14 to 18 round 1911 in 45 ACP.

My thirty something year old ParaOrdnance P-14 has fed well over 1,000 rounds of Golden Saber hollow points without an issue, so I would definitely depend on it in a crisis.

If you want something more compact, there are "Officer Model" 1911's available in doublestack mode as well - they are 'Officer Model' size, but hold 12 rounds.

[wm]

Show them you're no beginner, wear a smith model 27 or a model 19.

I like that reply

Wm

[2ndovc]

There's a 3rd Gen G19 on my nightstand with a Streamlight attached to the rail and a Tuffgrip sleeve. It was my IDPA pistol for years and I won several matches locally with it. If something is about to go down, its the gun to do it.
But! I think if I were to be doing that job for more fun than just defensive purposes I'd be packin' something a bit different, but still capable of what it may be needed for. As much as I love 1911s, this one is always my go to. Can't go wrong with a .44 Magnum!



If you really want to make a statement, throw a big old Bowie knife on the other side and lean a .45-70 up against a post.


jb

[Griff]

Your question is already answered by: Springfield Armory's "Range Officer"!

[M. M. Wright]

1911, 1911, 1911, etc. If you're only after capacity from the Glock there are double stack 1911s. Heck, Rock Island is making them now so they are cheap! And the RIAs I've had the last few years have been very good after I replaced the recoil springs in them.

[Lastmohecken]

Well, I love the 1911 and I have shot one extensively in IPSC and IDPA, even NRA Bullseye and carried a Lightweight Commander for many years as my usual go to carry gun in a Milt Sparks Summer Special. But I have also carried and shot the Glock's a lot, mostly the 40 caliber G22 but also the G17 and G19, mostly I prefer the G22 first, and the G17 second, with the G19 a distant 3rd.

But, I have in the last year or so, shot and handled the 19X, some, and found it to be very good and would choose it over a regular 19 any day. I own several other Glocks, but my next Glock purchase if I ever buy another one, would be the 19X because it's just pretty darned good, and I like the full length grip of the 17 over the shorter 19 grip, and the new 19X (unless they have come out with another version) has very good steel night sights on it from the factory.

If you are going to be range officer, over cops, then I would probably consider the 19X, but then again, a nice 1911, looks great in the holster, and is still yet no slouch when it comes to getting the job done, although in a 5 inch steel gun, it's heavy, one reason I love the Lightweight Commander so much for CCW.

[marlinman93]

I have a friend who is a firearms instructor for the local sheriff's office. He jokes that "A Glock is the safest pistol you'll ever accidentally shoot yourself with." He's got records of numerous accidental discharges by officers, and fortunately not many involved the officer shooting himself or anyone else. But the fact is they all could have been avoided if the officer's Glock had a external safety built into the design, or they kept their finger off the trigger. Still it's a common issue among agencies all across the USA for accidental discharges among those who chose to issue Glock handguns.
It's funny that he told me his agency only allows 1911 as carry guns if the officer passes testing using a 1911. Those who do so have had no accidental discharges while carrying their 1911 style handguns.

[KWK]

Your question is already answered by: Springfield Armory's "Range Officer"!

I'm a big revolver fan, but I have shot one of those Range Officer's in 9 mm at a local indoor range. It was the most accurate handgun I've ever shot; certainly more so than any of the other 9's I've tried. I'll keep my .38, though.

[Blaine]

Your question is already answered by: Springfield Armory's "Range Officer"!

I have one of those in 9mm. I'd say they were about flawless. The Mags are a real PITA, so a good mag loader...I have Uplula...is in order unless you have a steel thumb.

[piller]

I have a couple of Rock Island pistols. Inexpensive and very reliable. The 1911A1 type does not like certain varieties of ammunition, but I have found that mine likes Hornady Critical Defense. Might be better ammunition around, but it is good, accurate, and feeds and ejects reliably. No complaint from me.

[Bill in Oregon]

Lots to "chaw on" here gents. Gracias for sharing your thoughts.

[1894c]

I am an unrepentant Glock fanboy and long time end-user. My Agency allows for Glocks and Sig P320's, but since you will be a range-officer I would go with the 1911, because the young LEO's that you will encounter will be impressed with something different... :)

PS -- and if they become curious to why you carry a 1911 in .45ACP, unload your 1911, keep the slide back, ask for one of their service rounds (9mm or .40S&W), and show them how their round falls right through the .45-caliber barrel...then look them in the eye and tell them that this is why you carry a 1911. I saw this once, really cracked me up.

[jeepnik]

I’m pretty fickle. I’d do what I do now for concealed carry. Open the safe in the morning and take what strikes my fancy. Change is fun and interesting.

[marlinman93]

When the weather is cool enough to cover it, or when it doesn't matter if it shows. I carry my Colt Commercial .45 in this SD Myres basket weave holster.