1911s..... Railed or Non-Railed?

What is your opinion, railed or non-railed? I am about to pull the trigger on a Colt (more than likely, although, it changes almost daily). I can't decide. Versatility or the classic?

 

I've never had a 1911 with a rail and probably never will. I like them in their traditional manner. This is just my opinion coming from an ordinary average guy.

 

I mostly don't like a flashlight on a weapon, unless it has a pressure switch so you can use it or not in an instant.

 

Would it be safe to assume that you intend to use this for home self defense? Reason I say this, is because of your poll states "I know how to handle a flashlight"

If so, then you might consider the rail but everybodies taste are different.

How confident are you in holding a flashlight in the other hand?

Myself, I'd rather have the other hand free for whatever reason. Kinda hard to be on the phone dialing 911 with a light in your hand because you might be by yourself. Just saying, pick a number of reasons to have the other hand free.

My home self defense pistol is a Sig P220 with NS and rail and a Streamlight TLR-1 weapon mounted light. This bad boy puts out a blinding 160 lumens of LED light. I've yet to decide on getting the light with strobe feature.

Hope this helps in your decision.

 

Good points. I do run a M3X on a SIG P220. I could use that for bump in the night. Pretty much every imaginable pistol these days has a light rail. But like you CC, I have an eye for those original lines. Maybe I should shove practicality to the ground and call this one a "because I like it that way".

Decisions, decisions...

 

If it is not for self defense, then if it was me I would not get the rail. I do not think a 1911 looks right with a rail, reason for my previous statement. Hey man, I'm just a plumber who likes firearms, no expert here.

 

I have 7 1911's and none have a rail, so guess my answer! Ha!

 

All good points. I don't want to get into light tactics. There is a whole plethora (El Guapo) of information on this topic. I'd say that I am comfortable with both hand held or weapon mounted handgun lights.

I am running over the new Colts and the XSEs and Rail Guns look superb. I still get drawn to the old Series 70s and Combat Elites too. A Combat Elite was my first 1911.

 

If you are choosing the 1911 for it's functionality, I would say go with the rail just because added potential is never wasted...one never knows what one might want to add at some future date and the rail will not interfere with any current functionality.

If you are choosing the 1911 for classic style and the look of the weapon, then you would obviously not want the rail marring that look.

Look and style has never been even a minor criterion in selecting a weapon for me, so I said go with the rail.

 

Well other than do you really need ANOTHER thing hanging off your gun (go look at the photo somewhere on the board of the AR fitted with about fifty different gadgets. I really hate that photo as there is a Swiss Army knife mounted on the gun and I never thought of that, just one more d--n thing to buy now!), what are you using it for? Can you get a holster for it? Are you really going to hang a flash light off it or get one of those nifty bayonets? I mean really, you run out of ammo or it jams, what are you going to do, hand puppets? Or run over and stab him!

 

The photo is posted by Seacowboy in the Guns for SHTF thread.

 

Color me "old school", Saint Browning never intended a rail on his greatest invention.

And if Homey comes in my crib late at night, it ain't Mr. Colt that will dance with him, it'll be Mr. Shotgun that sits by the bedside. I have enough LED-equipped gadgets around the house, there is a useable level of light at all times. "Center of mass", baby! Homey gets fitted for a pine box........

Now, Mr.Shotgun DOES have a flashlight, so I do hedge my bets if Homey was smart enough to kill my house power.....

 

I like rails -- for me it doesn't look right without rails.

I like their functionality for what can be added and the possible future devices (only have one super-cheap rail-mounted light that's gonna have to go when I replace it with a good one).

Most of y'all have been doing this a lot longer than me, so I understand not liking them -- my favorite car would still have a stick-shift.

 

I do t get the "pretty" gun thing. N guns are just a tool not an ornament so I'd get the raiL .l of course I can't ever see myself owning a 1911 anyway

 

I probably would not be dialing a phone either, just tossing out ideas for having a free hand is all. I apologize if the comment was not the most correct one to portray. I took the OP's occupation and training into account and figured he probably knew way more than myself on tactics and knew what my intentions were.