A defensive pistol is a carry pistol that a citizen is likely to have on or near their person in some manner, or as a back-up to a primary weapon.  The weapon's purpose is to answer a “surprise” threat quickly, so it might also be called a quick response weapon. My defensive pistol is designed for hard use in the field by people in the military and for serious defense-minded private citizens.  Users who own this type of weapon and other independent sources claim that there have not been any failures in the field with any of my carry pistols to date.

The most important quality is that the carry pistol is reliable; the accuracy is a bonus. I do not usually ransom rest my custom carry pistols.  When I have done so, the typical 10 shot group size is sub 1.9” at 50 yards with ball ammo.  Better groups have been shot when I have used  wadcutter rounds. For the carry pistol, the Ed Brown bobtail may be a good option if the “print” of the gun is a factor. Shorter 1911 pistols (officers model) have a place as a back-up to a better pistol.

If you are in your home and someone breaks in, you are most likely in a defensive mode.  You should get into a defendable position if possible, call for back-up and wait (if possible) to confront the threat. In my opinion, you have gone offensive in a defensive situation if you leave your cover/defensive position.  You lose the advantage of being a surprise to the threat, and rather, may become surprised by the threat whose position you may not exactly know.

An offensive pistol is a tactical pistol - basically, a hunting pistol. You know that you are going in harm's way, and for whatever the reason, the pistol is your choice of weapons.  You are in a search and defend/destroy mode. You may need to light up your target or the surroundings or need to reload quickly and often. Tactics (hunting skills) are used to help ensure your survivial and to complete your task. For the tactical pistol, it may be good to have a light (recon) rail and an integral magazine well because it serves a purpose for many tactical or offensive situations.

Six Models of Bob Marvel Defensive or Tactical Pistols

Defense 1 Government length slide – tapered sleeve

Defense 2 Government length slide – barrel with bushing

Defense 3 Commander length slide – tapered sleeve

Tactical 1 Government length slide – tapered sleeve – integral recon rail - integral magazine well

Tactical 2 Government length slide – barrel  with bushing -  integral recon rail and integral magazine well

Tactical 3 Commander length slide – tapered sleeve – integral recon rail and integral magazine well

Pistols with a tapered sleeve barrel have a barrel that is dressed flush with the end of the slide. The front of the slide, the barrel and the spring plug are bull-nosed (curved downward).   A bevel is then cut all along this “sweep” or bull nose, with the bevel softened (light or heavy blend).

The commander length pistols are government model slides that are cut down to government length. The government length barrel is 4.9” long.  The commander length barrel is 4.2”.

The reason for cutting down the government model slide to commander length instead of using a true commander slide is reliability.  There is a .200” plus increase in the distance the slide travels to the rear with the government slide over the true commander slide. This distance allows the slide to build up speed on the returning cycle before it has to pick up the next round to be fed into the chamber. The added distance also allows more time for the next round in the magazine to be pushed up into position to be picked up by the slide.  All of this allows for a more consistant and reliable pick-up and feeding of the round.

It is the customer’s choice as to whether he/she wants a standard guide rod with a closed front end plug or a full length guide rod. At this time, my opinion is that the shorter standard rod is better in the event that a bad round becomes stuck in the chamber. The lower front end of the slide can be pushed against something to free the stuck round. (The most common problem is not in the gun, but in a poorly made reload). The second reason is for an easier field take-down of the slide, rod and barrel without the use of tools.   A barrel with a bushing requires a bushing wrench.

The extended rod does not allow as much movement of the spring because it is fully guided by the rod, keeping the spring “in line”.  The negative side is that a small pin is required to retain the spring and plug before you can remove the barrel.   At this time, there is no firm data to show that an extended guide rod increases the life of the recoil spring.