Your thoughts please.

In my view, the 45acp in a 1911 is the ultimate edc and home defense handgun.

Nothing works as well for the purpose as a 45 acp.

The Commander (aluminum frame, 4 1/2" barrel) is very comfortable for edc.

Mulebuk Sam.......Well in all honesty (since you did ask) it looks like the end of your barrel is disintegrating.....but I will give you the benefit of the doubt and blame it on camera shake as you should have been scared as hell to take that picture....LOL

TracFone on the cheap from Wallyworld

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Mulebuk Sam and the Governor

I went from a 5" Norinco M1911 in .45acp (when I had to sell it to pay the rent) to a Glock 19, to a 3 1/2" Citadel 3.5CS M1911 in .45acp.

There are self-defense handguns almost as good as an M1911 in .45acp.

There's nothing BETTER.

Jovino made snubbie revolvers in 45 ACP and 45 COLT (all you sticklers did notice that I omitted the 'Long' in front of Colt???)

Either one will get the job done handily

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On the Oak Savannah

...and that pawn shop only give me pennies on the dollar barely enough left to get me a dime bag and a quart.

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Mulebuk Sam and the Governor

30 years ago sure. Today, about as good as 9/40

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Advances in ammunition have been the great equalizer in recent years. Nowadays, pretty much any caliber will suffice. Choose a pistol you shoot well and run with it . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Short, fat & slow does the job. I have one WWI model 1911 in that caliber and about 7 revolvers. However, I will admit that for home security they are not quite up to a nice 10 gauge.

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Randy
Provenance nerd

The major components of the Norinco guns are fully the equal of any domestic M1911. The small parts are garbage, but that's mere trivia.

I'd rather have a Norinco than an '80s Colt.

In reference to the claims of ammunition superiority nowadays, the 9mm MAY expand, but the .45 will NEVER shrink. John Moses Browning got it just about perfect with the 1911, only the sights needed improvement to bring it into its second century.

I have retired and active duty LEO friends who say they favor the 45. I have other friends who say the 45 is "overkill" and not needed...

For me personally, I want the knock down power as you may not always have the time, advantage, and nerves to make that exact placement shot you need to make.....

Anyway...just wanted to hear other thoughts about the 45 versus all the other edc/personal defense calibers....thanks to all who comment.

No such thing as knock down power.

Plenty of people have been ventilated by a 45 and lived to tell. In some cases even overpowered and killed the other guy. One good example is of a MN cop who was shot 7 times with a 45, including two times in the face only to get up and kill his attacker with a 9mm.

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Actually, since soft tissue stretches, you most likely won't see a difference between 9 or 45.

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Makes a decent hole without nasty recoil and muzzle blast in close quarters situations.

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Eccentric old coot

Caution....opinion:

The .45 makes a large hole, and has the power to reach vital organs. Those facts, coupled with the advancements in the Federal 230 grain HST ammo make it a good, or arguably, the best choice for personal defense.

As a Crime Scene Investigator (now retired) I have seen it's affects, both in the ER, and at autopsy. It is both formidable, and effective if used properly.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

I don't. You might like to. It has the advantage of a 100+ year track record as a stopper (nothing's 100%) and the challenge of finding the right carry mode and dressing around the gun to a greater extent than, say, a J-frame snub or a micro .380.

I do keep a .45 as a house gun and sometimes carry it when traveling or in the winter months when cover is easier. YMMV

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I need ammo, not a ride.

I'd be willing to bet you saw at least an equal number of victims of the lowly .22 LR . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

If you don't mind carrying the size and weight there is nothing better.

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In Omnia Paratus

You MUST be able to hit consistently well with whatever you carry! With the improvements made in the ammo available today, there is not much difference between calibers suitable for the purpose. But there is always a difference between a good solid hit and a very loud noise!!! That also applies to the second and third round fired immediately after the first one! Whatever you choose, the gun must fit YOUR hand well, not somebody else's, and you MUST be able to handle and fire it well consistently. Otherwise, you just make a lot of racket! Or hit something or someone that you did not intend to hit ...

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So long ... Ken

If the soft tissue isn't TEARING, you're using the wrong bullet.

There are enough threads on this topic to keep you reading for the rest of your life, and then some. All someone needs to do is suggest an alternate caliber and we're off to the races.

The .45 ACP: hard to say anything bad about it. Place a contemporary hollow point in the 10-ring and you generally win.
Recoil is manageable. Many prefer a slimmer cartridge that offers greater ammunition capacity in a given handgun when compared to the .45 ACP.

Well, in honesty, I find the size and weight of the new Shield 45 to be perfect for this purpose. And in all honesty, this is the first 45 I have ever owned/carried.

Source please?

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Retired Career Security Guard

I'm never sure if a thread like this is square business or a troll trying to start a caliber war. I EDC a 9mm or 38spl. I lose no sleep over either of those choices. They'll continue being my sidearm of choice until my LGS gets a shipment of Shields in 45acp. From what I've heard, that won't happen any time soon.

I started this due to my always carrying a 9 and switching to a 45 which I never owned before. Really just interested in others thoughts yours included..no trolling here

I carry 45ACP for it's legendary stopping power.

Sometimes I carry 9mm for the extra rounds.

Love the 45ACP. Just got an old Ruger P90. It rocks,

very accurate and dependable.

I'll add this before I sound like I'm bashing the 45. I own quite a few 45s.

Sig P220
HK USP 45
HK USP compact 45
Glock 21
Glock 21 (yes two)
Springfield 1911 TRP

That's 6 guns in 45acp. I bought them because they were excellent guns at excellent prices. Some are fairly recent purchases while others are much older, dating back to when I was searching for a "perfect" handgun/caliber combo to carry.

The caliber works.... obviously. But so does the 9mm. By the way, the 9 is older. It predates the 45 by three years.(1901 vs 1904).

When it comes down to it Uncle Sam DOES NOT supply me with ammo. I have to pay for that. 9mm is cheaper (by about $100/case) for practice and carry. It has good results, the guns it's chambered in are typically smaller, lighter and carry more ammo. I can practice with it longer and there for I shoot it faster with better accuracy. In the end this is what counts.

If hollow points become illegal or for whatever reason we have only fmj I'll go to the 45 but as long as i have quality self defense 9mm I'll stick with that


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If it works for you, go for it.

I really enjoy shooting .45. and did so a good bit a few years back.

When my lady-friend bought a 9mm Shield (which she traded for one of those Austrian thingies) and decided she likes to shoot, I switched to carrying and practicing with a 9mm. Mostly due to the cost of ammo. She likes to shoot alot!

Put a .380 and up in my hand, in a pistol I shoot well, and I feel adequately protected.

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Because of the metric system?

There's not one. If there was, everybody would be carrying .45 ACP. Doesn't mean he/she is wrong, but it's strictly an opinion . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Unfortunately, yes sir......over 40+ years, every projectile imaginable, from a nail gun to a 10 gauge shotgun and almost everything in between.

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Ret. LE, FA Instr, S&W Armorer

The 1911 in .45 ACP is my choice. After carrying one off and on for over fifty years, I am used to it. The past occasions where I really needed it, it worked! Granted that is a very small sample from quite a while ago, I am betting it will prove just as satisfactory should it be needed again.

I once carried a 1911 everyday. But after a couple years of doing so it just got to heavy. I love the 1911. There may never be a better fighting hand gun. But these days a Glock 19 is used for both home and street. My hands aren't as strong as they used to be. With the Glock, I can put at least three accurate rounds on target much faster than I can with a 1911.

As Dave Spaulding put it, there is merely a few millimeters difference in expansion between 9, 40, and 45. Not enough to make a difference.

I believe bigger holes are better. But I also believe that several smaller holes are even better.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

I think it's a great caliber for defense. I carry a Colt CCO when it's practical to do so because it's light, conceals easily and I shoot it comparatively well. I like 45 ACP because for many reasons, not the least of which is that its mass displaces a lot of whatever was there before it entered, even if it doesn't expand. That said, I feel just fine carrying my S&W 442 in 38 as well, and 90% of the time that's probably what I have. It's just an opinion, but the probability that I ever need to shoot an attacker is fairly small, and the probability that it all comes down to having a 45 vs a 38 or 8rds vs 5rds is even smaller, so I don't worry too much about it.

I carry a LWT Commander quite a bit, in 45....cause they don't make a 46





I also like the newer ammunition available now in days as well.

Winchester Ranger 230gr.




.

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"IN GOD WE TRUST"

I have never talked to a gunfight survivor who said, "Gee, next time I want to have a smaller, less powerful cartridge."

I carry a lightweight Colt Commander in .45 ACP and got to admire it's handiwork one morning. All four bullets I fired expanded into the classic mushroom shape and wound up about .75 inch in diameter.

Anything you can do to make a 9mm a better stopper, such as a lighter bullet pushed to a higher velocity to help it's expansion, you can also do to the .45.

Since I retired, I only carry the Colt when it is cool enough to wear more clothing to cover it up or wear a suit or sport coat. When it's warm, I carry a Model 642. Both are loaded with state-of-the-art expanding bullets at Plus-P velocities and pressures.

No handgun is very powerful and nothing can guaranty you a one-shot stop.

After we changed from .357 revolvers, we had model 645's. Then we changed to the model 4506. I always carry a CS 45. off duty, and after retirement, anywhere off of my farm. I count on the .45 caliber when I did my job, and to protect me now. Best caliber for a pistol.

You're gonna be a-tremblin' lookin' down that barrel!


45's are good.
20140815_134250_LLS by Slick_Rick77, on Flickr

Not my best work, but that's shootin' fast at free targets on a free range pass. It doesn't get better than that.

Whatever you're comfortable with.

I like .45 acp. I also like 9mm, .38 spl, and .357 magnum. All of these rounds have roughly the same effect with proper ammo. (exception, .357 magnum 125 gr. jhp).

The drawbacks of the .45auto: the guns are generally larger, hold less ammo compared with a 9mm of the same description, and recoil somewhat more. Ammo is more expensive, and if you ever have to mobilize with ammo, the weight of .45acp is about double that of 9mm.

That said, I have a very nice 1911, and it's very well balanced, has a great trigger, the slim grips fit the hand well. But I find myself carrying my SIG P229 elite 9mm more often, mostly because I have twice the ammo capacity in a pistol that is smaller and just as reliable. Modern 9mm jhp do *almost* the same thing as the .45acp jhp.

How well I understand your response...Had the Shield 9 with Magguts springs until I saw the Shield 45....Desire overtook reason and the next thing I knew was the 45 followed me home....It even took over my 9 holsters as it fit perfectly (well almost...about a 1/4 inch sticks out the bottom)....So I may be trying to justify my decision with external support from others....LOL..........................................................

dben,
No need to justify here! All I can do is sympathize with you. I didn't buy my .45 Shield because I thought I needed it. I was and am perfectly happen with my 9MM Shield but all the comments about how well the Shield handled the .45 ACP (which I also like very much!) resulted in me just having to find out for myself. The comments were pretty much spot on. I love both guns. Neither will displace the other in my estimation. Choice is good, right? And in this case, making a change from one day to the next doesn't require me to reprogram my head to remember that today I have my J Frame or a different operating platform. Both of the Shields work exactly the same, and both of them work every time I pull the trigger and both of them handle the same way. Far as I'm concerned, that's a win/win situation, and I'm glad to be in the same boat with you!

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So long ... Ken

I carry a S&W AirLite 325 with 2.5 inch barrel most of the time. I find it easy to conceal, comfortable to carry and accurate. Fits high right hip either IWB or in my Galco FBI forward cant belt holster. Conceals under a vest, sportcoat, or an untucked shirt. When not carrying the 325, my 1911s are great for times when I want to pack more ammo. My S&W 642 fills the other times when concealment is more challenging. Options are good. Practice with those you carry and depend on.

Ill tell you what he got" perfect ", the 1935 Browning HP. But I digress,.....

Not quite. Perfect would have required an M1911 style stirrup trigger.

S&W 4506 in a shoulder rig with 2 spare mags on the other side....

All day every day.... don't leave home without it!!

guns-03.jpg

Well, I haven't left the house without a .45 Commander aboard in I can't recall how long.
Here's my thinking: if, God help me, I need a gun, it should be a really good gun, and a gun that I can shoot exceptionally well.
As a 1911 shooter almost since coming to consciousness, the Commander is the obvious choice.
Not the easiest to carry or hide, but the easiest to shoot well.

I have 2 Kahrs that I carry...a CM9 (not much bigger than a .380) in my pocket, or a CW45 in an IWB holster. They're both 6+1, but other mags are available and the 45 takes 1911 mags. Talk about thin and light! Very nice guns for the money (around $350 each in these parts). Accurate, too. I had a Shield 9, liked it, would like to try the .45 but these Kahrs do the job. I stippled the grips, filled the lettering...that makes it more accurate, right? Wish so...at least I can hang on to 'em now! Anyone else drive a Kahr? (sorry...)

I have 2 Kahrs that I carry...a CM9 (not much bigger than a .380) in my pocket, or a CW45 in an IWB holster. They're both 6+1, but other mags are available and the 45 takes 1911 mags. Talk about thin and light! Very nice guns for the money (around $350 each in these parts). Accurate, too. I had a Shield 9, liked it, would like to try the .45 but these Kahrs do the job. I stippled the grips, filled the lettering...that makes it more accurate, right? Wish so...at least I can hang on to 'em now! Anyone else drive a Kahr? (sorry...)[/quote]

Well of course the filled lettering adds to accuracy .... that's why I have one of the most accurate Shield 45's made.......
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