By R.K. Campbell | Contributing Editor
The SIG 1911 Fastback is a clean design with much to recommend.
A modern 1911 would be instantly recognizable to any soldier examining the new Colt 1911 pistol 108 eight years ago. The controls, magazine release, and manual of arms remain the same. But there have been many improvements in the pistol since 1911. Among the premier modern makers is SIG.
Less than 20 years ago SIG introduced a quality 1911 with good sights, custom grade controls, an external extractor and SIG quality. The result was a competitive pistol with good features. A trademark of the SIG 1911 is a slide designed to resemble SIG P series pistols. This gives the SIG a distinctive appearance but also requires a specific holster for SIG 1911 handguns. (There are also Classic Sig 1911s with the conventional slide.) If there is any drawback to the 1911 Government Model it is that it is large and heavy. While some of us have carried the Government Model .45 with careful choices in concealed carry holsters, the advantages of the type sometimes are weighed down by the weight of the piece. SIG developed a shorter 1911 for concealed carry. While not a new idiom, SIG arguably has produced one of the best Commander .45s.
Front strap checkering offers excellent adhesion.
The Commander size 1911 is a handgun with the slide and barrel shortened ¾ inch compared to the Government Model. The full size firing grip is retained. A 1911 shortened in this manner is fast from leather and gives up little in handling and accuracy. The Government Model may be long and heavy but it is narrow. Compared to the Glock or a Beretta 92 the Government Model is practically svelte. A shortened 1911 is an easily concealed handgun. I am able to conceal the piece and carry it in comfort due to the balance and thin slide. A problem with the 1911’s handle is the square profile of the mainspring housing. This isn’t any problem in uniformed carry or under a covering garment but the mainspring housing may impede concealment under a sport shirt when worn in an inside the waistband holster. If the mainspring housing has sharp edges concealed carry is even more difficult. SIG modified the mainspring housing in what they call the Fastback grip. The area of the mainspring housing is reduced and the result is a rounded grip that is less likely to snag on clothing or print unnecessarily on outer clothing. This is the advantage of a Fastback grip frame.
SIG’s Fastback mainspring housing helps break up the 1911’s sharp shouldered grip profile.
The shorter slide and barrel of the SIG 1911 earn it the Carry designation. The Fastback grip treatment is part of the appeal of the gun, and Nightmare is the black nitride finish contrasted with stainless controls. The pistol features the SIG external extractor, lowered ejection port, distinctive finish and stainless controls, excellent sights, and SIG hammer and trigger design. The sights feature SIGlite radioactive tritium inserts. The sight design offers an excellent sight picture day or night.
There is practically no lateral play in the slide. The barrel bushing is tight but the pistol may be field stripped without any tools. The SIG 1911 isn’t difficult to handle well. The controls are positive in operation. This pistol exhibits attention to detail. The trigger guard is undercut for a better grip while the front strap is treated to 30-line per inch checkering. This checkered front strap, coupled with checkered grips, make for excellent adhesion and abrasion. The slide lock, magazine release and slide lock safety are extended compared to a standard 1911 but not so much that they may be operated inadvertently.
The Black Hills Ammunition Honey Badger bullet offers excellent wound potential.
A match type trigger makes for good control and the hammer is a lightweight version designed to speed up lock time. The custom grade beavertail grip safety funnels the hand into the grip. Some shooters allow the palm to come off the grip safety when using the fingers-forward grip. This beavertail safety goes a long way toward eliminating that problem. The beavertail safety properly releases its hold on the trigger about half way into compression. The SIG Fastback is supplied with a nicely pebbled locking hard case. Two eight round magazines are included.
The SIG Fastback 1911 is chambered for the .45 ACP cartridge. The .45 ACP is an efficient cartridge that does its work at low operating pressure. There is limited muzzle flash and little unburned power. The .45 ACP does its damage by dint of frontal diameter and weight. Expansion is good to have but .45 ACP jacketed ammunition enjoys an excellent reputation for wound potential and reliability. For this test I lubricated the pistol along the long bearing surfaces, barrel hood, barrel bushing and locking lugs. I supplemented the issue magazines with a good supply of MecGar magazines including the new 2nd Amendment edition. For initial testing I used a standard handload using a 200-grain Oregon Trail SWC over enough WW 231 for 900 fps. This is a fairly light combination that offers good utility for practice.
I began firing at man-sized targets at 5, 7 and 10 yards. I alternated between hammers, double taps and controlled pairs. Results were excellent. A combination of a smooth 5.0 pound trigger compression and a well-shaped grip aided in obtaining good results. Front strap checkering, nicely checkered wood grips and the beavertail grip safety add up to excellent control. The pistol never failed to feed, chamber, fire or eject. The initial 50 rounds were pleasant. Next I moved up a step in recoil to a handload using the 230-grain Oregon Trail FP over enough WW 231 powder for 840 fps. This is a full power loading that is a good choice for training. While momentum was greater the pistol was never unpleasant to fire. This time I moved out to 25 yards and found the pistol surprisingly accurate against steel plates. 230-grain loads call for the six o’clock hold.
The SIG .45 is fast handling and accurate
I returned home, field stripped, cleaned, and lubricated the SIG, and returned to the range a few days later with a cross section of likely defense loads. These included the Black Hills Ammunition 135-grain Honey Badger, the Black Hills Ammunition 185- grain TAC +P and the Black Hills Ammunition 230-grain JHP. The 230-grain JHP offers an excellent balance of expansion and penetration; the 185 TAC +P is an accurate load with less recoil than 230-grain loads. The Honey Badger does work not by expansion but works by cutting tissue immediately upon hitting the target. Take your choice; these are effective loads with excellent potential. Firing from a solid benchrest firing position at 20 yards the SIG exhibited a 1.9 inch five-shot group with the 230-grain JHP— excellent by any standard. The 185-grain load is intended to offer lower recoil loading with good expansion properties. This is a comfortable load to fire. The average group was 2.5 inches with all loads. Clearly the SIG Fastback Nightmare Carry is an excellent all around carry gun.
The moderately extended controls on the Fastback allowed positive manipulation every time. The magazine well is beveled and this is an aid in rapid ammunition supply replenishment. While the eight-round magazines with base pad aided these rapid reloads, the base pads extend about a half inch below the grip frame. I just don’t like the look. I will carry the pistol with the flush fit MecGar magazine as the duty magazine. The spare magazine will be the easy loading SIG with base pad.
Wright Leather Works Banshee inside-the-waistband holster is an excellent choice for the SIG Fastback.
Leather for a good handgun should not be cheaply made. The holster must be properly molded for the gun and offer a good balance of speed and retention. The Wright Leather Works (wrightleatherworks.com) Banshee allows the handgun to be concealed between the trousers and the body inside the waistband. Two belt loops allow the weight of the piece to be spread about the belt line. The forward tilt, sometimes called the classic FBI tilt, makes for good concealment and angles the handgun into the draw. This is a good combination for concealed carry. It would be difficult to be better armed than with the SIG Fastback Nightmare Carry and this leather makes for excellent concealment. This SIG pistol is reliable, powerful, accurate and among the best personal defense handguns available.
