HK45 Compact, or the USP Compact .45. Only slightly larger than a G36, with a few more BBs.
Yeah, they are quite a bit more expensive than the usual suspects (except Kahr). And since the Germans have stopped producing the HK45/HK45C in Germany (most of the parts are still made there, but are shipped to Wilcox in New Hampshire for assembly/packaging), they are not easy to find; especially now that the military is buying them for the spec ops types. USPc .45s are plentiful, though, and for less money.
The quality is un-matched, and the LEM (law enforcement modification) trigger option is THE way to go for a carry piece, as far as I'm concerned. That opinion is not universally shared, and in fact there is more confusion and downright mis-understanding about the LEM trigger than anything else out there. However, most of the nay-sayers have never even tried one, simply parroting what they read from other i-experts.
But almost 30 years of carrying professionally has convinced me that a point'n'pull trigger is the smart move for a defensive piece. And IMO, the LEM is the best of that breed. The superlative HK quality is just a bonus.
The Kahr P45 and PM45 interested me for a while. A pal has one of each, and I shot both quite a bit. Two things kept me from buying one: I just think that you're losing too much velocity on an already slow bullet when you drop to only three inches of barrel... and all the complaints of spotty QC on these pistols, along with the widely varying tales of the level of customer service/support.
Plus, with proper carry ammunition that PM45 is a bear to hang onto to. It sure carries well, though.
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