Double stack 45's.. what are my options?

[hopelessjoe]

I have owned a Para P13 for over 10 years. I would not recommend it for SD. The main problem is the magazine. The springs fail very quickly (even Wolff +5%) and you need to be pretty religious about replacing the springs every 1000 round or so otherwise you will experience serious FTF/FTE issues. I would believe this to be true for the Para P-14 pistols.
Also recall that the FBI tried issuing a few hundred Para P-14 frames with Les Baer slides. But even after extensive rework, Les Baer nor the FBI could ever get past magazine feeding issues so they recalled these from the field.

Ironically, I have owned a P12 for over twelve years and have never had to replace my mag springs.

I did replace the recoil spring after 2000+ rounds just because it it was getting to be too short for my comfort.

That is it. Especially considering that it was stolen and found in a mud puddle by a child who told mommy who called the police who kept it as evidence in an airtight bag until I was able to retrieve it.

I cleaned it thoroughly and lubed it well to kill any future rust monsters. I shot the snot out of it to test it. I trust my life to it now.

First gen steel framed Paras are tough mofos.

Maybe the FBI ought to try to clone mine.

 

[hags]

STI make more than a couple. The two that I have (Eagle and Edge) are absolutely two of the finest examples of double stack .45ACP.

 

[benderx4]

Nowadays, lots of folks are trading in HK USP45s so they can finance their new HK45. Consequently, some very nice deals in the used gun market right now.

Recently picked up a barely used USP45 for $599 at Gander Mountain. 12+1, reliable, accurate, decent trigger, great sights.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Zeekrider]

After one of my favorite 1911 pistolsmiths bought one, i decided to add one to my collection... a Springfield GI hi-cap. Something great about a 1911 with 14-round capacity! I added MecGar nickel plated 13-round mags with Wolff xtra-power mag springs. The gun has been stone reliable... and get this... just for fun I decided to try out some other 1911 top-ends on the wide body frame because the GI sights were so difficult to use that I wanted to try some other options before replacing sights on the original slide...

• tried the top-end from my Springfield TRP on the Hi-cap frame, result: stone reliable
• tried the top-end from my Colt Series 70 on the Hi-cap frame, result: stone reliable
• tried the top-end from my Kimber Classic Stainless on the Hi-cap frame, result: stone reliable and even better accuracy

Now weeks later, I'm still using the Kimber Classic top end on the SA hi-cap frame and love it! All this great gun needed was a decent set of sights!

“Kimfield” Custom 1911 Hi Cap

 

[DHart]

Resistance was futile.... I bought a G21SF today as a pre-election day celebration of high cap freedom... NICE gun! Of course, flawless performance right out of the box.

 

[RX-178]

I'm going to repeat my usual spiel that all of the advice I can give you about individual firearms is subjective. Try different .45s out, and see what you like. I can't think of any double stack .45s that have a similar feel to a Sig, but they might be out there.

There ARE factory extended mags (10 rounds I believe) for P220s offered by Sig, if you feel that 10 rounds is enough. Would save the expense of another handgun, and having to buy different mags to stock up.

Now, on the other hand, if what you REALLY want is a new gun in .45, rather than just being able to have more fun between reloads, the sky's the limit

I'd have to give my nod towards the FNP-45.

XD45 comes as a close second.

I LOVE my USP45 Tactical, but at those prices, you really need to have something specific in mind when you buy one (in my case, it was a high-capacity handgun accurate enough for competition, but reliable enough to be a carry gun, and it fits the bill on both accounts).

Finding a used USP45 for $500 or so would be a nice deal you, but be warned that 12 round factory mags cost over $50 per mag, and your ONLY alternative is Promag.

So, I guess my advice can be boiled down to 2 steps.

1: Find a gun that feels right to you, and that you can shoot easily. All other things equal, I'd recommend the FNP-45, but what feels right to you takes priority over all else.
2: Find out what factory magazines cost for that particular weapon. (15 rounders can be found for around $35-40 in this case. For the XD45, it's 13 rounders for $25-30)