The Perfect Colt 1911 3.5 Inch Holsters

Colt 1911 3.5 inch

The Colt 1911 3.5 inch, also known as the Officer’s Model, was the original short 1911. It shortened the magazine only enough to remove one round from its capacity, but unfortunately it is now out of production and it’s unlikely to return. (Just a note, there are other manufacturers that make 3.5 inch 1911s, just not Colt). No fear, however! If you have an Officer’s Model 1911, there are plenty of 1911 Kydex concealed carry holsters being made out there.

Features

Because the 3.5 inch required significant revision of the original Government Model, it has both a shorter barrel and shorter grip. In order to accommodate the sharper barrel tilt in a short slide pistol, the barrel no longer used a barrel bushing.

As per the all-too-familiar 1911, the 3.5 inch has three different safeties: a grip (or palm) safety, a firing pin safety, and a thumb safety. These three allow the carrier to tailor their carry style—cocked and locked with one in the chamber, hammer down with an empty chamber, or one in the chamber with the hammer down. Every shooter is different, and even if five 1911 carriers sat at the same table, they would all be “locked” differently. In this case, it’s all about preference.

Concealment

As we’ve already said, the Officer’s Model was the original compact 1911. Now it competes with the Commander Models (which are 3-inch 1911s), but that doesn’t mean one is easier to conceal than the other—it’s all about the holster. With the right IWB holster, the 3.5 inch will completely disappear on the hip. Loaded with seven or eight .45 cartridges will make it slightly heavier than 1.5lbs, but that doesn’t detract from the concealability of the 3.5 inch 1911. Find concealed carry holsters for the 1911 here today!

Caliber: .45 Auto
Barrel: 3.5”
Overall: 7”
Weight: 34.56 oz. approx. empty
Capacity: 7+1
Cost: $600.00 MSRP approx.