Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns How ya carry yer 1911 Commander?

I won a 1911 R1 Commander in Whelenman's Sportsmans' Club's raffle.

I am thinking that I should finally take up concealed carry.

What holster you guys using?

Sparks summer carry or the equivalent El Paso.

I'm going with a tucker gunleather cover-up, rough out, with slim line clip. I've had them for my SW 4053 and a G36 and I like them.

Sparks Versa Max is hard to beat.

Milt Sparks 4" gun

Galco concealable belt holster or a Galco King tuk. The 1911 Commander is and has always been my favorite Concealed Handgun to carry.

Sometimes, if I'm leaving the house in a hurry, I just tuck it in my Wranglers Strong Side "Meskin" Carry, as the old time Texas Rangers called it back in the day. Not the most comfortable or "safe" style of carry, but it will do in a pinch.

This one has been perfect for my Colt's Lightweight Commander for many years.

Kramer Pro-Line, horsehide. That's a Sparks mag pouch.



It is just as important to have a good stiff belt as a good holster, too. A weak, narrow belt will allow the pistol to sag and be very uncomfortable.

L.W.

I use a galco as well, that i bought here.

C5 leather Montana XLT. I have 4 of them now and another on order.

Big Jim is great to work with and only about 4 weeks out

Just about any iwb holster will do with a good belt.

I have four or five different leather 1911 commander size belt holsters from Blackhawk, which you don't hear a lot about, but they're pretty nice Italian-made leather holsters that sell for a decent price. I also have a couple of nice ones from Galco and DeSantis. For on-belt carry, I prefer ones with a thumbstrap, but you need to experiment to be sure the thumbstrap fits well and doesn't pose a risk of sweeping the safety to the off position when carrying condition one. This can vary from gun to gun, of course.

Blackhawk also makes a nice leather IWB holster with a metal clip that I like for tuck and go use... again, decent quality at a decent price. For dedicated IWB use, however, my favorite is the Comp-Tac Minotaur. Once it's broken in and the leather shield comforms to your body, you almost forget it's there.

Glad to hear you won yourself a nice prize!

I have and use a Milt Sparks Summer Special II as well as Tagua OWB, and even a Kydex paddle holster.

I find that Outside holsters are just more comfortable. El Paso is having a sale right now...and I use "Street Combat" and Tortilla" holsters for my handguns.

Nothing beats, in my experience, a Milt Sparks Versa Max II.

Another vote for the Sparks Versa Max II. But, more important, is a quality belt. Sparks gunbelts are not cut straight, but with a gentle curve that conforms to the body. Even at 1.5 inches, I can pack my fully loaded 1006 Smith all day in confort. E

+1 on the cut curved belt. It makes a difference.

Maybe my next belt will be from Sparks, but I can report also that I've been very happy with my Galco gun belt. I'm currently on my second one in about twenty years. The first one finally wore out about five years ago. While they don't come with the curve that you folks are discussing, both of mine developed that curve on their own after just a few months of use.

My best "curved" belt is a Galco. 1 1/2" about 3/16" thick. Very tough. Has held up very well.

Sparks summer special 2

Vm2 fan here as well, if i'm carrying IWB. AND I've really become a fan of the SOEgear 1.5 inch Cobra belt. Very very rigid

For a Commander sized gun, a Sparks Executive Companion is a very good holster, as is a Brommeland Max-Con V (same design as a Versa Max II, but thinner).

For a full size gun, the design of the Brommeland (or Versa Max II) carries the weight better.

All the above are IWB holsters; if you want a OWB, the choice is not nearly as particular. I like the Sparks 60 TX.

Randy Grizzle also makes some very fine stuff & is a peach to deal with. He has the some of the same type designs as Sparks & Brommenland with some minor new twists.

Sparks Leather

Brommeland Gunleather

Randy Grizzle Leather

MM

TTGunleather special slim,much like the VMII but rides a little
lower.I also like the MS SSII.

Cross Breed Super Tuck .

Milt Sparks summer special II, along with a Galco stiff belt.

I pack a 5" Ruger 1911 instead of a Commander, and this is the most comfortable combo I've found. (for ME!)

Virgil B.

I've carried in a Sparks Versa Max II for the past 11 years and I'm quite happy with it. And it's holding up remarkably well, still looks nearly new.

Sparks now has the Nexus, which is an improvement on the VM II. I think if I were buying new, I'd buy the Nexus. If it actually does improve on the VM II then they really have something. Because I think the VM II is the best IWB holster there is.

The only time I took GunGeek's advice on a holster I was sorely disappointed. I'll stick with the tried and true Versa Max II.

Have you tried them all?

The Nexus is what the VMII should have been from the beginning. Sparks has finally copied Brommeland & reduced the thickness of the VMII & called it the Nexus.......but it needs a tad more cant.

I'll stick with Brommeland for that style holster, along with the Sparks Executive Companion in a slightly small size with lightweight framed 1911's.

MM

Milt Sparks watch -six dual talon, horsehide.
Carried on a milt Sparks belt 1.5 inch, pure heaven.

Wow guys thanks! Much food for thought; I'll shop based upon your advice & let ya'll know where I land!

This!

like most of my CCW handguns, my Combat Commander rides around in leather by Sam Andrews

A very good belt and a Milt Sparks Summer Special II. Alessi makes find leather, as does Mitch Rosen and several others. Get a very good belt from one of those makers with the holster and you'll be fine.

My Filson double layer belt hold up not only my pants but a full sized steel 1911.

I have had a Wilson Lightweight IWB holster now for three days of wearing. One day up to 9 hours. I think it is going to work out. What I like most about it is the safety lock feature molded in the holster. It is mostly used for the 21st Century Colt Commander. But on the 9 hour day, I packed the Delta Elite. No complaints. So far so good. Not bad for a high quality holster costing just $65.00.

If you run across an old Bianchi Askins Avenger, L (lined) version, for the commander, that would be one I'd grab. My favorite of the several versions that were/are sold. For concealed carry, it fits on the flat of the hip above the back pocket, with a lower trailing slot that keeps the handle properly raked forward and tucked nicely against the body. Also works very well as a range holster and was extremely popular. I just saw one pictured recently in the Handgun Forum with a 1911 someone was pricing.

The unlined version was offered, but I do believe it gave some troubles and was discontinued, whereas the lined version was the cats meow.


The Galco version does not share the low trailing slot and does not tuck as well. The Milt Sparks version can be custom ordered with the proper cant, but the Askins Avenger will hang with the Milt Sparks in performance, and can be found, if you look, for pennies on the dollar in comparison. So, if you run across one, I�d grab it.

That is one of my only complaints about the VM II, the leather is too thick. My favorite holster is a VM II-ish holster from HBE Specialty Leatherworks, which is much thinner. Still, I find the VM II to be an excellent holster.

Not even close, but I've tried a whole lot of holsters over the past 30 years. I also find the Mitch Rosen ARG to be excellent.

I use a belt made by Bandara .. I love it....holds the gun snug and really eliminates the bulk of a holster..

nothing eliminates the bulk of a holster, quite like the lack of a holster.

The Bandara Beltster looks like an interesting idea.

Everybody's anatomy is different, and tolerance (comfort) level varies also. I find that in IWB holsters with pliable leathers and lightweight thin designs are more comfortable.

The MR ARG is another good option of course.

In 15 years have never carried my commander concealed for a minute, it is too heavy.

I carry it in my hand from the vehicle to the shooting bench.

Unless its a LW commander..

The Commander is the lightweight Commander. The all-steel Commander is called the Combat Commander, and came later in response to customers requesting an all-steel version of the Commander.

check out the Colt CCO or the Dan Wesson version. Commander slide and Officer grip. IMO the best combo of weight and reliability in a 1911

Milt Sparks summer special