AndyK:
I have seen some of the 1791 holsters in stores, and they seem to be nicely made holsters.
About the carry location, I used Galco Royal Guard IWB holsters. Here's a picture of one with a 1911:
The two snap straps loop over the top of the trouser waistband and loop around the belt. When I was carryiing my CZ70 (very similar in profile to a Walther PP, but totally different lockwork) I carried at the 3 o'clock position. I especially liked putting one loop in front of and one behind the trouser belt loop. There was no way that the holster was going to move from that position!
When I got a 9mm pistol and a similar Galco Royal Guard for it, it was clear to me that the larger pistol was not going to be concealed at 3 o'clock. The grip/magazine stuck out to the side too much. So, I moved it back along the belt about an inch, where both snap straps are behind the 3 o'clock belt loop on trousers.
I found that the pistol now laid in a hollow over my kidney, nowhere close to my spine. It tucked in there so well that it was as concealed as well as the smaller CZ. Nor did the holtser and pistol move around. Once the trousers were up and the belt tightened, everything would stay put quite well.
Naturally, the whole business is not secure when answering a call of nature. (Of course this doesn't apply to standing duty!) In this case, special care must be taken as to how the pistol is handled. Because it is a single action striker fired pistol, the holster is what I consider a very necessary safety device. Unless I'm shooting the gun, it stays in the holster 100% of the time, and the trigger is covered.
I also like that the Galco Royal Guard's snap strap portion is replaceable, so when the straps wear out (this hasn't happened yet), there are screws under the snap heads that can be removed, and the snap strap assembly exchanged for a new one. These come in two colors, and my new one is black, so it matches the belt. This makes a little bit less to peek out if I'm in a more revealing posture, like reaching to a top shelf in a store. Also, there is a new strap assembly out that stands the gun straight up, so the holster can be used for appendix carry. I don't care for appendix carry, but I might have an application for this.
May I suggest that you consider a sturdy, wide belt? This will help keep your holster where it belongs.
Regarding aluminum alloy pistol and revolver frames: I don't have any such guns, but I do have this new composite frame pistol. Regarding the durability of an aluminum alloy frame (note that I say "aluminum alloy," because just saying "alloy" is meaningless. Steel guns are alloy, in that steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, and a few other things. Also, many cheap guns are made of zamak, which is a zinc alloy, so saying "alloy" can refer to one of these, as well. I feel that the extra precision in writing and speech of saying "aluminum alloy," rather than just "alloy," makes for a better understanding of the subject, and having to say or write "aluminum" in these cases hasn't worn me out yet.) this is a varied subject.
Snub nosed revolvers from Colt and Smith & Wesson with aluminum alloy frames have been around a long time, long enough to know that these guns won't blow up or wear out overnight. Smith & Wesson began issuing its 9mm Model 59 back in the 70s, and it proved to be a durable pistol, as well. It is clear that the little snub nose revolvers don't like a constant diet of heavy +P and +P+ loads, and wise folks shoot them with regular loads, which they digest perfectly well, and save the heavy loads for carry and maybe 6 rounds for practice, so that one knows what to expect.
The aluminum alloy frames work fine in these situations, as long as one understands the limitations and is willing to accept them to have a lighter carry gun. The durability also depends on the aluminum alloy frame being properly heat treated, and in some pistols, anodized. (If you've ever tried to file or saw a piece of anodized aluminum, you will understand how hard those surfaces really are!)
But the case you are talking about is a 45 Auto pistol, and one issue here is the slamming of the slide against the frame. Speaking of a 1911 clone, one can use a buffer, a small semi-soft plastic piece that's inserted between the frame and the slide. This takes some of the slamming blow out of the firing cycle. I use a buffer in my 1911, as well as using them in my SKS and AK rifles.
The other major wear point is along the frame rails, where the slide is in rubbing contact with the frame. Here, a little lubrication will help the wear issue.
I see two considerations here: One is the quality of the gun. If the frame is made of some cheap aluminum, it will wear out quickly, plain and simple. If the frame is a quality heat treated piece of aluminum alloy, then its performance should approach that of steel, unless you are a competition combat shooter going through 10s of thousands of rounds per year.
The use is that other consideration I speak of. How long will a 1911 last? 20,000 rounds? More, I think. Twice as much, at least, but recognizing that the barrel link might be getting a bit loose by then (which is not a frame problem). I don't ever expect to wear mine out, and probably whoever gets it after me won't wear it out, either. My Brother has my Dad's 1911 from WW2, which was made a few years after WW1, and who knows what that pistol has seen? It is in fine shape.
But how long would an aluminum alloy frame pistol be expected to last? Shooting factory loads -- the military specification loads -- I don't see 20,000 rounds to be an unreasonable number. But, let's cut that in half and say, 10,000 rounds over the pistol's life. How much is that? Well, obviously, if you shot 100 rounds a year, the pistol would last you 100 years of shooting, or only 50 years if you shoot 200 rounds a year. You would have to do your own math to meet your own expectations on this.
So, looking at this question of aluminum alloy frame durability, it has to do with the quality of materials and manufacture. This may not be easy to know for newly made guns that are just appearing on the marketplace. This leaves one to wait and see how things pan out, or take the chance and begin carrying the lighter gun right away, and take what comes.
Just my 2 pais
An added comment:
I didn't get my composite 9mm to last forever and pass down to timmy XVI. I got it to do a job: to be my carry gun. It has to do that job reliably and the light weight is appreciated at the end of the day. Will it wear out on me before I've turned toes-up? Maybe. If it does, I'll buy another or carry something else that I have. For me, this gun is a tool to use for a task: everyday carry. I will practice with it a lot -- I've run about 500 rounds through it since I bought it (I've been sick some and range time lately has been curtailed) and everything works fine. I will put a few thousand more rounds through it, I think, to sharpen myself up to the point where I'm more comfortable. Then, I will need to run enough shooting to keep my edge where I want it to be, if I can.
It's not intended to be a toy, collector's item, or heirloom to pass down to 1000 generations of timmys. It's a tool to do a job.
That's how I see the carry gun issue. For me, once I stopped muddying the waters by looking at expensive toys, the whole picture became much easier to handle.
2 more pais
