Carrying a 1911 is different than carrying any other pistol IMHO. I used to believe that it was no different than carry say a Sig or a Ruger but with more and more time on the platform I have come to realize it is a different animal than most other guns.
It requires more maintenance and more knowledge of how the gun works to keep it running at 100% which is what is necessary for a carry gun. It is not the same as carrying a Glock or a Sig P series which I have also carried. This does not mean you cannot or should not do it but you should go in eyes wide open. You should understand how it works. How to tweak and replace an extractor. How to replace and maintain a mainspring. I will not even get into mags....
If you carry and shoot a 1911 enough you will have to tweak and maintain your own gun or be able to afford to send it to or bring it to a professional IMHO. It is not that they are hard to work on. They are not but simply require more than most other pistols on the market. They were built during a time when hand tooling and hand work was cheaper than machine work and in order to function properly they need more hands on time than modern tactical plastic does.
I personally love carrying the 1911. I prefer the Commander or CCO setup. This is my current carry 1911 which is a custom Colt CCO. It is an officers grip with a commander barrel and slide. It balances well and conceals perfectly because the butt of a 1911 is the hardest part to conceal not the barrel or slide. For my body type the 5" govt is too long for me to conceal well.
