Getting a .45 pistol

[rayh76]

I vote Springfield XD. Probably b/c I have one (45acp). I love the gun! I have small hands and it seems to fit really well. I can't believe how light the recoil is for a 45. It wouldn't surprise me if the XD will surpass the glock in popularity but I think it has only been around for 1 year. There are several safety features on the XD as well that need to be considered. I agree with those telling you to try out each gun and see what you like best.

 

[AL_Josh]

I own (2) .45 autos and one .45 long colt. I have a Kimber Tactical Custom II and my grandfathers M 1911 A1 U.S. Army issue made by Ithaca Gun Co. .45 that he carried during World War II. Here is a Picture of both.
I really like the Kimber and for reliability I have only put about 500 rounds thru it , But my brother has had over 10,000 rnds thru his Kimber Custom before he sold it. He used to shoot competitively.

 

[YanmarFever]

If I had to go to war in an alley, my choice of .45 would be the HK USP in the full size with hydra shocks in the tube

Night sights are a must, they are a little on the large size & hard to pack under your shirt, but they work for me.

Add an M6 light for home defense

 

[Sigarms]

I vote Springfield XD. Probably b/c I have one (45acp). I love the gun! I have small hands and it seems to fit really well. I can't believe how light the recoil is for a 45. It wouldn't surprise me if the XD will surpass the glock in popularity but I think it has only been around for 1 year.

Originally known as the HS2000, the gun is still made in Croatia, imported by Springfield (Springfield does not make the gun). The gun has been around for more than a couple of years. What I would consider a good design, it never took off on its own from it's manufacturer bringing them into the U.S market. Springfield has spent mega bucks advertising it, and shows you what marketing can accomplish. That said, at least it's a good product to market and sell.

Seems to be a good value for gun (I intentially stay away from the gun shops now) are they the same price as a Glock now? I remember some years ago when I looked at one and they were substantially less than a Glock.

 

[RoyJackson]

"]I wouldn't want to get shot with a .22 caliber! The rest is just icing on the cake.

Police in this area and Jacksonville, FL where I was prior to here, use the Glock .40, (Glock 22). Sigarms mentioned that Glocks have the highest amount of accidental discharges"
These are more of a negligent discharge then accidental. One must keep the finger off the trigger until ready to shoot!

"That's why I bought the Taurus. It is a double action semi auto. making it a little safer or less prone to accidental discharge if you have 1 in the chamber"
Taurus is a great gun! However, their quality can be spotty. If you buy a Taurus, get a few hundred rounds through it ASAP.

Personally, I'm a Glock fan (9 mm here). It's a very reliable handgun and the easiest to take down for cleaning. In .45 ACP, recoil will be more then a steel gun. .45 ACP isn't cheap to shoot, BTW.

Part of the fun of getting a gun is the joy of selecting the weapon. Hit those gun shops...see what feels best to you!

BTW, an alternative to the .45 ACP semi-auto would be a Smith and Wesson Model 625 .45 ACP revolver. I am really intrigued by these guns. So..something to consider...

 

[Bob_Skurka]

"]
BTW, an alternative to the .45 ACP semi-auto would be a Smith and Wesson Model 625 .45 ACP revolver. I am really intrigued by these guns. So..something to consider...

I have the Smith & Wesson 625 Revolver and it will take 45 ACP rounds with "full moon" or "half moon" clips, or it will take 45 Auto Rim rounds. I've never shot it with the Auto Rim ammo, but it is an amazingly accurate gun with a crisp clean trigger when fired in SA. In DA the trigger is long and heavy and takes a strong deliberate hold to stay on target, but that is true for most DA handguns I've encountered. Mine is a round butt design and I pulled the factory grips off and replaced them with a nice set of palm filling rounded grips that make the gun an absolute dream to shoot.

 

[RedRocker]

My brother says I'm a freak because my fingers aren't that long. I'm 5'8" and 200 pounds and my wife is 5'3" and 125 pounds and her hands are bigger than mine. I have a Makarov .380 with rubber grips and it is a little big (with regular grips it is perfect size) but the rubber grip was more comfortable.What brands of guns are good for smaller hands?Just to give you an idea my hand is only 7.25" from my wrist to the tip of my middle finger.

We're the same size but my wife is about an inch shorter than yours. I have small hands too, I carry a Colt compact single stack 45. You can buy a lowered safety that helps folks with nubs for thumbs too. My hand is only 6" from the wrist to the tip of my finger. They make all kinds of stuff for guys with big hands, but the folks with small hands are SOL.

 

[RedRocker]

Something else to consider with something like a Kimber, they always stick a long trigger in custom guns, just what small handed people don't need. I always use a short trigger.

 

[hudlow]

Originally known as the HS2000, the gun is still made in Croatia, imported by Springfield (Springfield does not make the gun). The gun has been around for more than a couple of years. What I would consider a good design, it never took off on its own from it's manufacturer bringing them into the U.S market. Springfield has spent mega bucks advertising it, and shows you what marketing can accomplish. That said, at least it's a good product to market and sell.

Seems to be a good value for gun (I intentially stay away from the gun shops now) are they the same price as a Glock now? I remember some years ago when I looked at one and they were substantially less than a Glock.

I have an HS2000 and the design and safety features are what sold me on the gun.

I'm not saying anything bad about Glocks but there seems to be two camps of gunowners out there when it comes to grip angle. You either love the feel of a Glock or you don't. I prefer the grip angle of a 1911 and the HS2000 or XD is very close to that 1911 feel.

Add a trigger safety and a grip safety which prevent discharge unless both are made simultaneously and you have what I'd consider a near perfect pistol - if you don't like a Glock and you're not partial to carrying a 1911.

I love the 1911 platform. I've had several. But, in my opinion, it takes much more training and practice to carry one responsibly in "cocked and locked" or condition 1 as it was meant to be carried than I care to put in to a self defense handgun. That being said I've never known a 1911 pistol to "go off" on it's own when carried in condition one, but it takes a lot of practice to get that muscle memory to do what it's supposed to do in the split second you have to drop that safety in a critical situation.

I also own a Sig P245 that goes with me alot. The HS2000 is a little larger than I like to try to conceal.

But when it gets right down to it, the gun I carry the most is my old S&W J frame .38 revolver. I've worked the innards down to smooth as glass and this little gun is pure reliability and a cinch to carry.

I don't know why more people don't consider buying revolvers. I'd let all my semi-autos go before I'd turn loose of some of my wheel guns.



hud

 

[Podunkadunk]

I don't like Glocks for two reasons. My understanding is that the trigger has to be pulled to take the weapon apart to clean it. The trigger should do one thing and one thing only. And it ain't taking the pistol apart.

The one time I handled a Glock the empty magazine would not fall out of the pistol without being swept out of the well with the weak hand. Not good. This was just one pistol and I don't remember the model so maybe its not a Glock thing.

Dan

Your understanding is correct regarding trigger pull for disassembly. You have to pull the trigger to field strip or detail clean the weapon. Does that make the weapon any less than one that doesn't require it? I can't answer that. I'm not sure why they made it that way. I don't worry about shooting myself, because I ensure it's not loaded prior to cleaning. Just common sense.

As for the magazine not coming out on depression of mag release button, mine doesn't have this problem. I call it a problem, because if it isn't falling out, with an empty mag., it's a problem. Something is wrong/fouled. It needs to be investigated and corrected.

Glock's aren't for everyone. Because the "Trigger is the safety", they require more respect when handling than one with safety's/decockers etc. which each in their own is a "safety" mechanism of sort.


Sigarms,
No flaming here. To each his own. I like my laser sight. Most people won't justify the 300.00 price tag for one. That's cool. When I'm firing in daylight, I don't use it, but when I am night firing, I love it, just point and squeeze.

As far as "scaring off" someone with it, if someone is in my house at night, and he sees a red dot on the wall coming his way and runs away, that's cool too. I don't WANT to kill an intruder, I'd rather not have to. However, don't misconstrue my lack of being bloodthirsty as weakness, if he doesn't get out, one of us will be hurt and I have the tactical advantage: My house, I know the layout and there will be no lights on.

RoyJackson said: "Part of the fun of getting a gun is the joy of selecting the weapon. Hit those gun shops...see what feels best to you!"

I agree. You thought tractor shopping was fun, I can spend all day hitting gunshops and talking to the owners. It's a good time. Let us know what you walk out with


Podunk