.45 ACP: What is it good for? Absolutely nothing?

[muddocktor]

I'm a relatively new convert to the 45 ACP cartridge and the 1911 pistols. My first experience with a 1911 style pistol was about 5-6 years ago when I bought a Coonan Classic in 357 Magnum. The Coonan is sort of a hybrid that combines the 1911 and JM Browning's last design, the High Power, but more 1911 than HP. I love that pistol but the big disadvantage to it is the fact that it chunks brass easily 50-60 feet and since I am a reloader that was problematic for brass recovery. But I loved the way it fit my hand and it's accuracy. So few years ago I decided to try out a true 1911 in it's native caliber, 45 ACP. I bought an inexpensive ATI military clone and found it to be pretty accurate and fun to shoot. And I found the 45 ACP cartridge easy to reload and not much more expensive to reload than for 9 MM. Since then, me and the 1911 and the 45 ACP have become fast friends and earlier this year decided to splurge and buy a custom 1911, which is laser accurate BTW.

Is the 45 ACP a dinosaur round with no relevance to today? I say no. No more so than the 9 MM Luger, which is almost as old. Both will do a credible job of stopping a man (or critter) for a pistol round. Advances in bullet tech and powder tech have both even more effective. And one thing that is a disadvantage, the size of the cartridge giving you less rounds in the mag as compared to 9 MM can also be a virtue, IMO. Since you only have 7-8 rounds in a single stack 1911, I think that it makes the owner of said weapons more aware that they need to practice more often to be competent. With double stack 9 MM guns a lot of people seem to gravitate to the "spray and pray" method instead of practicing. If I can't take it out with 9 rounds, I probably won't do it any better with 18 rounds.

At least that's the way I see it.

 

[Shrek Of The Arctic]

I've been pondering the perception of the .45 ACP for quite awhile now. It seems that in the friendly debates that come along in the gun world, I'm finding myself defending the .45 ACP more frequently than ever, and the use of a .45 revolver? Heck, I might as well be trying to storm the castle with a flintlock rifle from what most folks tell me.

So....When I was a young kid, not quite old enough to buy a handgun legally yet, I spent a lot of time hanging out at the local gun shop and drooling on the various handguns, and paying attention to all things handgun. There were a lot of people carrying the Beretta 92, Glocks were just catching on..half the folks thought Glocks blew up into a mushroom cloud once a primer was struck, the other half figgered it was just fine to drop out of a helicopter, run over with a T-72 tank, and pass the ultimate plasma cutter test.

I remember listening in on so many conversations from the older me "who know" about how it's a crazy, crazy world out there in the year 1991. Why...there's gangs out there a killin' each other cuz they're wearing the wrong color shirts or shoes" Gangs are everywhere now. You gotta have capacity!

Well...then along comes the Clinton Slime bill and the requisite ten round maximum magazine capacity. All of a sudden, the 1911 .45 ACP was the reigning king of the handgun world. You couldn't buy a gun rag without a snazzy, custom 1911 on the cover. Remember, this was before concealed carry laws swept the nation, and back when you had to pay some serious money to have custom triggers, hammers, sights, beaver tails, full length guide rods, etc. installed.

In any case, "those who know" as well as every gun scribe out there made it quite clear that a fella had to be a three fingered bumbling idiot or the unluckiest guy in the world if they needed more ammunition than a 1911 could carry.

Then....the Slime Bill expired. And all the high capacity handguns came back a roarin'. more LEO changed back to 9mm, terminal ballistics, more reliable expansion, etc. etc.

I guess what I'm sayin' is I've been around long enough to see the trends, marketing, vacillations. Throughout it all, the .45 Has always been a half inch hole in a target when properly placed, whether it expanded or not. As I recall John Linebaugh pointing out...weight penetrates, and that is a known measure.

Additionally, there are lifestyle choices. as well as various locations to consider. For example, while a 9mm may be fine in Miami Florida, in Anchorage Alaska it could be that a fella may need to shoot a raging meth monkey...or an angry bull moose. a heavy, well placed .45 slug does much to ensure a bit more versatility between man and beast.

While I don't begrudge anyone's choice of caliber, I'm most comfortable with my .45 revolver. I've been that way for more than a decade now, and I don't see it changing.

 

[sotexas]

I enjoy shooting my 45's. As gman51 stated "the push feeling of the recoil" is very manageable. Every time I let someone shoot a 45 for the first time they usually respond with "That didn't kick as much as I thought it would". Personally the round is very accurate for me with my 1911's and my S&W 2.0 probably the most accurate of all my handguns. I feel the round is very accurate, dependable, and will perform as intended.

 

[Breaker]

Another factor in choosing a caliber is the fact that the weapon must be controllable and not too large for the smallest statured Officers on the force. Some people simply shoot better with a 9mm and others like the capacity.

Although there is only one degree of dead, I still have more confidence in the .45 ACP over the 9MM and that is what gets the nod for full size carry with me.

 

[Biggfoot44]

I only went thru two pages, but think I have the gist .


*Without comparing to any other cal * .... Does whatever a big bore, moderate pressure handgun round does/ reasonably expected to do . And continues to do so as well or better than it ever has .

 

[LI Ammo]

Well, 103 years after this crate of .45acp for the 1911 was shipped from the Frankford Armory, we still have men who used it in in life-saving situations here on the forum discussing its advantages. I suppose that by itself says something.

(800 of the 1000 rounds are still intact in the box)

 

[AJ]

Well, 103 years after this crate of .45acp for the 1911 was shipped from the Frankford Armory, we still have men who used it in in life-saving situations here on the forum discussing its advantages. I suppose that by itself says something.

(800 of the 1000 rounds are still intact in the box)

Wish I had it in my collection!

 

[Ribwizzard]

A year or so ago, I would have argued it is a slow and outdated useless round. Selling off a high dollar Sig 1911 becouse it was a heavy brick that didn't shoot well, I had no further interest or desire to shoot .45 acp.
Then I bought a Colt series 70 1911. In blue steel. What a difference. Such a sweet shooting pistol. Slowly beginning to become my favorite range gun.
I still feel the round has many disadvantages, my fun at the range is not one of them. Big hole makes it easy to see where you hit is # 1 advantage.

 

[HamHands]

If folks worried less about caliber and more about anatomy and shot placement everyone would be more secure.

And when the "S" hits the fan and you actually have to pull your piece and shoot until slide lock or cylinder dump... you can certainly expect your normal pretty group size on paper to open up to 2 to 3+ times the size of your normal range day groupings when the true heat of the moment rears it's ugly head... Adrenaline is a hell of a drug. Stay consistent and always take the easiest/widest point on a Perp in your target picture and drive the gun's business end to stay on that target area when squeezing off rounds. For me, the wife, and my brother... we train for hits on target where we figure the navel and/or the pelvis bone is on the Perp. Sadly enough in today's American "Twinkie and Diet Coke" diet... the Navel/Pelvis area is most certainly the widest point to aim at a Perp... whether facing hips strait on or in a bladed position.

.38Special, 9mm, .44Special, and .45ACP's are all good dirtbag stoppers when using heavy for caliber pills, all with a muzzle velocity of 900fps or greater... The lower abdomen/bowels/hip area is the most painful place to be shot at on/in the human body... (so I've been informed that is)... YMMV...

 

[Univibe]

No. Gut shots need not incapacitate anybody. Adjust your training to attempt to hit vital organs.

 

[fredj338]

Ask any recent war vet how the 9mm vs the performance of the 45acp.

In a close quarter conflict it takes too many 9mm rounds to kill the bad guy. The 100yo 45acp will always be the rooster in the hen house amongst the ladies(9mm/40cal ect).

With ball ammo true, 45 all day. With good jhp vs 45 ball, 9mm all day. I love the 45acp, more for the 1911 than the caliber but with ball ammo only, a clear winner. The issue is most of us that ccw wont carry something as large & heavy as a 1911. One of my fav is still my 1911PD, light, slim, 8+1 w/ a spare mag, good jhp, probably doesn't get much better. Though I will place faster, better hits with my G26 & 10+1 is a bonus.

 

[fredj338]

And when the "S" hits the fan and you actually have to pull your piece and shoot until slide lock or cylinder dump... you can certainly expect your normal pretty group size on paper to open up to 2 to 3+ times the size of your normal range day groupings when the true heat of the moment rears it's ugly head... Adrenaline is a hell of a drug. Stay consistent and always take the easiest/widest point on a Perp in your target picture and drive the gun's business end to stay on that target area when squeezing off rounds. For me, the wife, and my brother... we train for hits on target where we figure the navel and/or the pelvis bone is on the Perp. Sadly enough in today's American "Twinkie and Diet Coke" diet... the Navel/Pelvis area is most certainly the widest point to aim at a Perp... whether facing hips strait on or in a bladed position.

.38Special, 9mm, .44Special, and .45ACP's are all good dirtbag stoppers when using heavy for caliber pills, all with a muzzle velocity of 900fps or greater... The lower abdomen/bowels/hip area is the most painful place to be shot at on/in the human body... (so I've been informed that is)... YMMV...

Hmm, high COM is where all the good stuff is & a larger area to land hits into. Just a thought. One can fight from the ground if unable to walk.

 

[JayFramer]

Wait a minute... wasn’t the 9mm Luger brought out in 1902? And the .45 ACP brought out in 1904 or 1905?

The 9mm is (by a few years) OLDER than the “dinosaur” .45 ACP!!!

Just goes to show you how ignorant some are concerning history... just sayin!!

 

[Rudi]

The first patent date on the 1911 is APR. 20 1897.

 

[Fishslayer]

And the Europeans and everybody else says, Look at those Americans. We've known all along that Nine is all you need.

"9mm is OK for killing Europeans. For truly dangerous characters you need a .45."

 

[sodacan]

Somebody please put this thread out of its misery.

 

[shouldazagged]

Somebody please put this thread out of its misery.

Or our misery.

 

[Chino74]

I don't think the .45 ACP give up anything for urban carry and general protection. It's just about perfect in terms of recoil management, projectile weight & velocity...subsonic is fine if your sending out 230 grains and nothing needs to expand at the diameter of a .45 projectile. I carry a Glock 27 in .40 but truthfully I shoot my Colt series 80 1911 better and I may switch to a 1911 one day for EDC. I like .45. A standard Gov. model Colt with a Wilson or McCormick 8 round mag gets U 9 rounds of .45. I really don't see more needed than that in my world.

 

[78bagger]

.45 is accurate and easy to shoot. Easy to reload and a 1911 just feels good. Also, remember Sam Elliot in "We were soldiers"? "gentlemen,prepare to defend yourselves". Gave me chills.

 

[jupiter1]

.45 is accurate and easy to shoot. Easy to reload and a 1911 just feels good. Also, remember Sam Elliot in "We were soldiers"? "gentlemen,prepare to defend yourselves". Gave me chills.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9JwrV0t0Qs[/ame]