if you want concealment, go for the Ruger LCP 380. it's lite and very comfy to wear if you jog or anything, you won't even know it's there.6 in the clip & 1 in the hole- you got 7 reasons why someone shouldn't mess with you, lol. Videos are on you tube, and go to www.crimsontrace.com for a laser!

 

I'll only comment on the ones you suggested. If you gave more info on lifestyle, we might be able to pick a better fit.

My comments on your choices...
They both suck. Pick something else.

 

HA!! i love it.

I know that guns/carry guns are hugely dictated by choice. If it was purely concealed carry i would prob buy a Kel-Tec. Since i am looking for something a bit bigger, and i have shot both...gotta start somewhere!

 

I like the Ruger SP101. It's small ("3" BBL), easy to conceal and packs a .357 mag round.

 

Ok your two choices include one that it's predecessor underwent a massive recall. (Not something I'd wanna trust my life to). The other one has already been revised and updated by the manufacturer whose only reason for creating such a pistol was to make a pistol that could compete with the success of GLOCK.

If your heart is set on those two. Go for the XDm 3.8 coming any day now.

 

I'd go with the Springfield just because it's one of the best handgun companies out there. I plan on getting a 1911 Operator from them one day.

 

Go with the xd.
Fired one around Christmas time, put a hundred rounds through it and I liked it but being that I just stuck some money into my Kimbers and SIGs I didn't have the cash for it.

 

This is my everyday carry gun. I love my Springfield Operator. I've owned a Glock 23, Beretta 92F, Sig Sauer P226, Para Ordnance P12, S&W 686, and a J frame S&W .38 and while I like all of them in their own right, for me at this point in my life nothing beats a classic single stack 1911.

To the OP I've never shot the weapons you mentioned but if you're not dead set on the two guns you mentioned I would recommend you check out a quality full size 1911. Kimber and Springfield Armory have some some good options out there. I was fairly surprised that I am able to conceal a full size 1911 in an inside the waistband holster as long as I throw another t-shirt over it or better a camp shirt or similar. And I'm not a big guy by any means.

I've started using a Maxpedition Remora Gearslinger though as it allows me to carry more mags (8) and an XD200 weapon light all in a nice compact package. Gun people may know what's in it but most others won't. I carry it pretty much everywhere I am legally allowed (and stay out of places I'm not allowed to carry if I can). I even keep it with me at the gym when I'm working out.

Glad to see some fellow gun owners on this board btw.

 

Lucky SOB!

I really want one, but they're so damn expensive, $1400.

I'll get one when ever I start getting into law enforcement.

 

If you do decide on a 1911 platform, take a serious look at the Rock Island. It's not near the fit and finish of a Bauer or a Colt but all of them I've shot will shoot with the thousand dollar pistols all day long at 1/3 the cost. Groups well under an inch at 25 yds from bags is expected, not the exception. They are a bargain if this is the platform you are looking for. Otherwise, buy what feels good to you. Everybodys hand is not the same. What feels good to me might not work for you. If it doesn't feel right, you'll never be worth a crap with it.

 

I personally would not recommend a 1911 if you haven't shot/tried a bunch of them and have a lot of time on them.

The 1911 is a fantastic platform, I love 'em to tears, but they are a unique weapon in that they require a fair amount of care and dedication when putting them together, and they require some quality bits and pieces to function properly.

That's not to say that you need to spend $2000 on a Nighthawk, Baer, Wilson, etc. to get a decent gun (that Rock Island Labnerd mentioned is a lot of 1911 for the money if you can live with the tiny USGI sights and basic no frills design, I personally can't, but that's me), it's just that most "consumer grade" 1911s (read: sub $1K or so) tend to be a little inconsistent in terms of fit, finish, and function IMO. Either you get a really good gun, or you get a really big piece of crap, or you can get something in between that you gotta work with a little.

Whereas most of the readily available wonder-nines/forties/.45s/etc from Glock, Sig, HK, Ruger, Springfield, S&W, Taurus, etc. while not as sexy and good-feeling as a 1911, generally go boom every time right out the box without too much fussing and fighting.

I've owned four different 1911s, and they were all fine, after I tweaked on them a bit with extractors/extractor tension (two different Springfields and a Colt), replacing some cheap bits on a Kimber I had (safety and slide stop), working to find reliable mags (contrary to what a lot of folks will tell you, Wilson Combat 1911 mags are not the end all/be all of 1911 magazines), testing various ammo, etc. And even after I got them working well, on a couple of them the fit and finish was still iffy (barrel lugs were cut/fitted wrong from the factory on a Colt Commander I had, it didn't affect the function any, but the back of the slide did not fit flush with the frame, and that's unacceptable IMO for a pistol wearing the Colt name and costing what that thing did).

I like to think of the 1911 as an enthusiasts pistol. People who own/carry/shoot 1911s genuinely like to shoot. I know we all like to shoot, but there's a certain line that's crossed by the serious 1911 fanatic, it's like people who own old British cars and put up with all the crap that comes with them. Properly set up, it's hard to beat a good 1911, but then again it seems like it's hard for the mass manufacturers to properly set a 1911 up.

 

As Quinten and Labnerd have said the 1911 is a great platfrom and its tried and true as well as very dependable but like most every thing great things are rarely bought they are built. If you have your mind set on a .45 1911 find your self a great amorer and build one to fit you and you alone. I made this mistake when I picked up my Para Ordanace LDA 1911 I didnt do enough research but dont get me wrong it was a good gun and served me well. But with that being said after I get done with my AR-15 my next build is going to have a .45 1911 built to my tastes and likes in mind not a mass produced gun.

 

Well, I wouldn't say that you need to have one built by a big name smith, but more than anything, I think that when buying a 1911 you should be prepared for the possibility that you're gonna have to mess with it and tweak and experiment to get it to exactly what you want.

And avoid the compact guns. Anything smaller than a Commander is a pain in the ***, IMO, to shoot and to make it work right.

 

Not saying you need to have one built buy a big name either just find a guy localy that does excellent work and use him for the work. I use to have a local guy that did some smithing for me on a rifle and he did excellent work but has since left the area.

But since I started my AR build I have come across another gentelman in the area that does work for a local gun shop in town and I am going to give him a try with doing a trigger job on my Glock 30 and if it turns out well I will probably have him do the work on the 1911 build as well.

 

Any sort of trigger job on a Glock is something you could easily do yourself... If you can assemble/disassemble the frame, you can do a trigger job.