By Team Springfield<\/a><\/p>\n D<\/span>ecades before the AR-15 hit the market, the M1911 pistol was the most popular firearm to both shoot and customize. The handgun is excellent for many things from the shooting sports to concealed carry and home defense. In today\u2019s article, Team Springfield offers some 1911 customization ideas for your consideration.<\/p>\n A 1911 can make for a reliable and concealable daily-carry pistol, thanks to its slim design. The 1911 Ronin EMP 3\u2033 and 4\u2033 handguns are designed specifically for concealed carry. However, many people love to tinker and fine-tune their traditional 1911 handgun to better fit their preferences.<\/p>\n If you feel the desire to personalize your 1911, here are several options to pursue. Measure each mod carefully against your needs so you don\u2019t go wrong.<\/p>\n If you have an accessory rail on your 1911, you might consider equipping it with a weaponlight.<\/p>\n Many defense encounters happen in reduced lighting conditions. Sometimes that means at night while other times it is simply indoors with weak lighting. It\u2019s an especially great option to have if you keep your 1911 on the nightstand.<\/p>\n Definitely practice engaging the light so you can do it in a hurry, should you ever find yourself in a potential deadly force scenario.<\/p>\n One thing to keep in mind is that a weaponlight is not a replacement for a flashlight. There is some crossover between the two, but they are not fungible. For example, you don\u2019t want to whip out your pistol to look for a dropped lug nut on the side of the road.<\/p>\n If your 1911 pistol doesn\u2019t come equipped with night sights, then you should strongly consider adding a set. A proper set of night sights can greatly improve the acquisition of a sight picture in low-light conditions.<\/p>\n Three-dot tritium sights are preferred by many people. Ameriglo, Trijicon and XS Sights are three companies to consider. All offer quality products.<\/p>\n Everyone has different hands, so new grips can give you a personalized fit. It\u2019s generally advised to avoid rubber grips for a concealed 1911, because they\u2019re more likely to cling to your shirt.<\/p>\n However, there are a variety of options that use stippling or other texture treatments to improve the friction between the hand and gun.<\/p>\n Swapping out the grips on a 1911 is easy. Yamil Sued produced a video on how to replace 1911 grips here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Plenty of 1911s come with good triggers out of the box; however, some people can\u2019t help but fine-tune. When it comes to daily carry, some people prefer a slightly heavier trigger as extra reassurance against accidental discharges.<\/p>\n While competitors prefer a light trigger, when it comes to concealed carry you might want something in the four-pound to six-pound range. A heavier trigger isn\u2019t necessarily a hindrance if the trigger doesn\u2019t feel \u201cmushy\u201d or \u201cgritty.\u201d<\/p>\n There are also options for the trigger length and shape for the 1911. It can be made to fit almost any hand size. It\u2019s one of the reasons the 1911 is so well loved.<\/p>\n One of the bonus features of the 1911 pistol is its well-designed thumb safety.<\/p>\n \u201cThe manual thumb safety allows your gun to have an \u2018on\/off\u2019 switch. What I mean by that is, the gun cannot be made to fire without purposely disengaging the thumb safety. Many handguns are designed with passive safeties, permitting the user to just point and shoot. While these models are safe, meaning the gun cannot just go off, they may require no more than gripping and pulling the trigger to fire. Nothing wrong with that but some of us like to additionally have an actual mechanical block requiring user action to allow the gun to fire or be made safe. It just depends on what you prefer. Me, I don\u2019t mind having to turn the safety off in order to fire my guns,\u201d says Rob Leatham.<\/p>\n The thumb\u00a0safety\u00a0can also help you grip the gun better.<\/p>\n \u201cBy keeping your primary shooting thumb on the safety, it keeps your grip high on the pistol, and allows more area for your support hand to grip onto to the pistol, which allows you to better maintain control of your gun during recoil,\u201d adds Kippi Leatham.<\/p>\n A low-sitting thumb safety that doesn\u2019t interfere with your grip can be easily switched off during your gun presentation , and back on, before holstering. There are plenty of\u00a0aftermarket safety options\u00a0to consider. Some are larger than others, while some have a very low profile.<\/p>\n In all cases, this work needs to be done by a competent and experienced gunsmith who understands the operation and care of a 1911 pistol.<\/p>\n One of the many awesome things about the 1911 is that it remains the ultimate handgun for customizing and \u201cmaking it your own.\u201d You can personalize your gun to fit your carry and shooting needs. It should be noted that you should have a competent and trusted gunsmith do any and all of your gunsmithing\/customizing needs.<\/p>\n You can check out the Springfield Armory Custom shop<\/a> for some options on cool things to have done to your 1911 pistol.<\/p>\n Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n Go to forum thread<\/a><\/p>\n
Tactical Light<\/h2>\n
Night Sights<\/h2>\n
New Grips<\/h2>\n
Trigger Adjustments<\/h2>\n
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Thumb Safety<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n
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<\/p>\n1911 Ronin\u00ae EMP\u00ae 3″<\/span><\/h3>\n
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