Best .45 Value (Not 1911)

[Redcoat3340]

I've got all the .45s I could ever shoot -- S&W 4566, 4513, CS45, 745 plus Remington R1S 1911 and a Sig 220.
But I don't have a striker-fired one. I think I'd like to add one to the accumulation, but I don't need anything fancy, just something not hammer-fired.

I had a Shield but it went away as I added the CS45 (I prefer DA/SA hammer-fired for concealed carry).


The M&P seems to be the top of my list. And then there's Glock (it would be my third glock and the first two went away within a month of purchase). But what else is there that folks think are a good value, especially second hand? Any suggestions, recommendations, advice? (It would be a range gun, I don't need another for cc.)

 

[alwslate]

In striker fired guns of any caliber all other brands take their place in line behind the Glock.

 

[Heinz]

I think it is genius that you do NOT have a striker fired 45. You do not need holsters that hide the trigger guard and you only have to worry about an odd trigger pull on the first shot, if you don't cock it first.

You could get an HK

 

[pawncop]

I carried the Glock 21C and the M&P 45 as duty sidearms. My personal preference was the S&W, but the Glock served me well.

The Glock has the advantage of 13 rounds versus 10 in the M&P. The M&P fit my hand ever so slightly better.

You won’t go wrong with either selection in my opinion.

 

[URIT]

If I were going to buy a striker fired 45, I'd most likely look no farther than the Walther PPQ45.

 

[pantannojack]

Time Machine

When I think Striker Fired, All I envision is Mauser. Has any one manufactured a '98 handgun? Fast Forward, I happened into a LGS and low and behold a as new .45 Shield was available for 3 Bones. Immediate impulse buy, even tho I never thought I would want a Mattie Mattel Shootin' Shell real gun. Mikey likes it. Light. Thin. It's a 45! I had to order a heavy duty dumpster for all my other contraptions that would only weigh the same on Jupiter. I even bought another one just in case they become sought after. And I thought I was a Wheel Gunner.

 

[squidsix]

The Kahr pistols are pretty awesome, especially the steel framed ones

 

[LVSteve]

Springfield XD Tactical.

 

[Grayfox]

Why would you want to step down?

 

[dsf]

The Kahr pistols are pretty awesome, especially the steel framed ones

I have a few striker fired pistols, mostly M&P. I use a Kahr PM40 because while still striker type that long DA type pull is needed to fully compress the mainspring and give it enough juice to fire a round. I know, M&P and the rest have firing pin blocks & trigger blade so in theory and 99% of the time, no chance of an accidental boom even though the mainspring is fully cocked.

The Kahr's at rest mainspring and long trigger pull sit more comfortable with me, carrying fully loaded.

 

[dmar]

IMO, the Glock 21 is the best choice in striker fired .45. You’ll get a better trigger on the Walther, but they just don’t do much for me, kind of a gangly, top-heavy affair... The Glock is all business, it’s a great shooter, feels great in the hand, points well, and is dead nuts reliable.

If you don’t end up liking the striker fired guns, an all-metal, traditional action .45 that you didn’t mention, and I really like, is the CZ 97.

 

[.38SuperMan]

You should treat yourself to a revolver. A Smith 625 or 25 in 45acp or a Ruger Blackhawk 45 convertible are pure fun to shoot. I think Uberti makes a convertible single action too. I’m a huge 1911 fan but for pure enjoyment and a totally different experience I love to shoot my 625-2.

 

[Redcoat3340]

About getting a .45 Revolver: Got 2, a 1917 Colt and S&W 425. I hardly ever shoot them and should; when you think about it, them's not much different than a striker-fired semiauto, except the trigger on the Smith is better (and the one on the Colt ain't bad).

I think I just saved me some money. Gotta get 'em out of the safe, load up with snap caps, and see how they compare with my 9mm Sig 320 in terms of triggers.

 

[tug700]

Kahr P45 is a fantastic handgun,. Easy to disassemble and clean.

 

[erikpolcrack]

I have a Kahr CW45 and like it very much. It is one of my preferred carry guns.

 

[M29since14]

About getting a .45 Revolver: Got 2, a 1917 Colt and S&W 425. I hardly ever shoot them…

I don’t know what a 425 is, so I guess you mean a 625? Unless you’ve got a bad one, nothing short of a well tuned 1911 is going to keep up with the SA trigger pull on a 625, including any P320 I’ve ever seen. But to get back to your original question, unless you really need a small .45 to carry, I would probably give the M&P45 2.0 a try, preferably the full-size version. I am not fond of the .45s with the shorter frame.

I’ve had way better results (accuracy) with my old M&P45 than I ever did with its contemporary 9mm models, which were terrible, IMO. All of the 2.0 guns I have fired are much better than earlier versions. I’m happy with my present .45, enough so that someday I might add a 2.0 full-size .45 to my small assortment of plastic guns because I really prefer the frame stippling of the 2.0-series.

 

[oysterer]

May not the best value but is simply THE BEST 45 ever built. Thats what everyone tells me who tried it. Punch of a 1911 and feel of a 9mm. I do not think 45 is a good caliber for plastic fantastics, frail aluminum frame guns or other 'carry but don't shoot' varieties.

 

[Old_Cop]

Try a Sig P320, but be careful.

 

[skwchock]

Everyone seems to be talking about every other .45ACP -- except the original 1911. I like the 1911--- everything else seems to be a "wannabe"

 

[PatriotX]

May not the best value but is simply THE BEST 45 ever built. Thats what everyone tells me who tried it. Punch of a 1911 and feel of a 9mm. I do not think 45 is a good caliber for plastic fantastics, frail aluminum frame guns or other 'carry but don't shoot' varieties.

My P220st nods in agreement.