This is a follow up to my previous post about the 1911 Commanders. Every gun writer who gives the weight of a gun does it unloaded, as do the manufacturers. I wonder why, since none of us carry an unloaded gun for personal protection. Anyway, I decided to do my own measurements in regard to my carry guns and I weighed them on a digital scale fully loaded. Here’s what I found:
Weight (oz.) Gun
41.75 Ruger 1911 Commander
44 Remington R1 Carry Commander
34 S&W 1911 SCE Commander
43.85 Remington R1 Carry (full size)
44 Springfield Loaded 1911
36 S&W M&P 45
39.35 Springfield XDm 45
34.6 S&W M&P 9mm
40 Colt SAA 45
34.55 Glock 22
Based on the weights I recorded there really is a decided advantage in the Scandium/Aluminum frame of the S&W 1911 SCE Commander as compared to the Ruger or Remington Commanders, but I’ll tell you honestly that with my Crossbreed SuperTuck IWB holster, I don’t really feel it. Maybe my back does with an all day carry, but I’m not consciously aware of the weight when I put on the gun or go through the day. Bottom line for me is 1) a good holster and 2) a good, heavy duty gun belt. People don’t really pay attention to me when I stress the importance of a good gun belt, but if they carry for any length of time, they’ll figure it out.
David Freeman 