Two Bodacious Belly Guns

Not too long ago, I posted the Model 60 handjob blog, which was a story about fitting a new hand to the revolver to correct an out-of-time situation.  When I took the reworked Model 60 to the West End Gun Club to check its performance, I brought along my Rock Island Compact 1911.  Both guns are on my concealed carry permit and I thought it might be cool to rapid fire on the police qualification target at 7 yards.

As you can see from the photo above, the guns appear to be comparably sized, but that photo is a bit misleading.  I don’t feel like I’m printing with the Compact 1911 (you know, allowing the gun’s outline to standout against my shirt), but the 1911 does hang heavier and it presents a bigger shape under an untucked shirt.   I’ll get to the specs of both guns in a minute, but first let’s take a look at how they compare on target.  The first target is the Model 60; the second is the Rock Island Compact 1911.

I shot both targets using a two-hand hold from the standing position.  Both are accurate and close enough, as they say, for government work.

The loads were fairly stiff.  I used a cast 158-grain truncated cone bullet with 4.4 grains of Unique propellant for my .38 Special ammo, and a 185-grain cast semiwadcutter bullet with 5.0 grains of Bullseye for the .45 ACP.  Given the choice, I wouldn’t want to be hit by either one.  But I’m betting that the 1911 hits harder.

The Model 60 Smith and Wesson weighs 19 ounces empty and it carries 5 rounds (which adds another 1.8 ounces, for a total of just under 21 ounces).  The 1911 weighs 34.6 ounces empty and it carries 7 rounds in its 7-round mags (that adds another 3 ounces, for a total of 37.6 ounces).   The loaded 1911 weighs almost twice as much as the loaded Smith and Wesson revolver.  Anything you measure in ounces may not seem like a lot, but trust me, when you carry it all day, it is.  From a weight perspective, the Model 60 has an advantage.

I know all you keyboard commandos want to tell me I could carry 8 rounds in the 1911, but I won’t carry with a loaded chamber in a semi-auto.  Save your breath if you think I should.  The Israelis don’t carry with a round chambered and they seem to know what they’re doing, we didn’t carry with a round chambered when I was in the Army, and I’ve seen more than a few accidental discharges from folks who carried with a round chambered in a semi-auto handgun.  Nope, it’s an empty chamber for me.  Your mileage may vary.

From an accuracy perspective, you can see from the targets above that I shoot the 1911 better.  I don’t think the 1911 is inherently more accurate than the Model 60.  But in my hands, and with my old eyes, I can hold a tighter group with a 1911.  Most of that has to do with my 1911’s sights.  I have a red ramp/white outline set of Millet sights that good buddy TJ (of TJ’s Custom Guns) installed on my 1911, and those things are the best handgun sights I’ve ever used.  The Model 60’s sights…well, let’s just say it’s a game of hide and seek with them.  The 1911 gets the nod from an accuracy perspective.

You might think 7 versus 5 rounds is a tremendous advantage.  On paper, maybe.  In real life, the average number of rounds fired by a concealed carry permit holder in a confrontation is less than 2 rounds.  It’s kind of a draw from a capacity perspective, at least from my perspective.  If you’re a keyboard commando, you may feel differently.  Go post your opinions on Facebook; they need folks like you.

So what’s my preference?  Most of the time, it’s the 1911, but I love both of these handguns.

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