The 1911 pistol has been around for 112 years, and it seems like it becomes more popular all the time. Shooters cannot get enough of this ageless design, but the 1911—with its 5-inch barrel—is a big handgun that’s about 8.5 inches long and weighs almost 40 ounces.
If you like a 1911, there’s no denying the appeal of the more compact 3-inch versions for concealed carry, but I wanted to see just how well these modern, miniature 1911s would perform, and if they could be trusted. After all, a 6.75-inch pistol that only weighs about 26 ounces is a hell of a lot easier to carry than a full-size 1911.
I requested 3-inch barreled 1911s from Kimber and Springfield Armory so that I could test them for reliability and to get an idea of how much harder the lighter and more compact 1911s would be
