Modern Polymer .45 acp compact Springfield, Glock, Ruger tell me about yours

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Master Blaster

Master Blaster

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I am considering getting a modern .45 acp compact, I already have or have owned and sold 1911's, compacts included, and a SIG 220, and an HK Elite. So please do not suggest a 1911 SIG or HK already have or have evaluated those.

The object here is CCW and I want something accurate and shootable for lots of practice and action pistol competition ( informal, carry is more important). It must be a compact or midsize.

So tell me all about yours and how you like it carry it and if you reload for it. It would be nice to be able to shoot lead as well as jacketed and plated.

Thanks
 
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I own a (gen 2.5) Glock 30 and carry it in a Comp-Tac MTAC.
Have about 4000 rounds of factory (FMJ/JHP) ammo through it and have never experienced a stoppage/malfunction with it.
It conceals well, is accurate and very reliable.
Standard 10 round magazine and can use the 13 round Glock 21 magazines. Also, a 9 round magazine is available which makes it conceal slightly better.

Downside...
It's fat. Grip feels bulky and some people don't like the grip angle.
The Glock 30SF feels slightly less fat, so depending on your hand size it may be a better option than the standard Glock 30.
 
I have a KAHR PM45, I carry it in my pocket. If I were you and wanting to shoot lead, I would look at the CW45. The only down fall would be in using it for competition, I hear the plastic mag plates break if they hit the ground just right. I've never seen one do this, just heard about it.

The KAHR would definitely be the most compact and carry the beast, it is likely it would also be the most accurate but I want say for sure because I have never owned one of the CW models with the rifled barrel All of their other models have polygonal rifling and do not recommend lead, like Glocks.

All that said I would get the Sig. Why? Mainly because I don't have one, I also prefer metal to Poly. All the Glocks, XD's, and Rugers are BIG. I just don't like them.
 
I had an EAA Witness polymer compact in .45 ACP and it was the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. It was flimsy and jammed every shot with three different mags. I was told that mags with the orange followers would solve the problem, but at $30 a piece it just wasn't worth it.

I sold it and went with a real gun: a S&W 4046 :D
 
The object here is CCW and I want something accurate and shootable for lots of practice and action pistol competition ( informal, carry is more important). It must be a compact or midsize.
Click to expand...

I have a S&W M&P45. It's a great gun, so I bet the compact version is great as well. It would be worth a look. It would definately be a compact gun that you can put lots of rounds through without feeling a lot of recoil fatigue or worrying about wearing the gun out. The M&P45 is a soft shooting .45. More so than any 1911 I've shot.
 
I have a Glock 30. Thick as a brick but reliable and accurate. I've found it handles better for me with the finger groove ground down. As stated, may be too thick for comfortable concealed carry to some folks. I've only shot commercial jacketed ammo in it. I don't reload at all these days.

I also have a Ruger P345. Thinner than the Glock but it's a single stack 8+1 capacity. Not really compact but in the Colt Commander size range. Despite having several features I don't particularly care for (such as the safety/decocker and the known history of potential breakage if dry-fired without a magazine), I actually like shooting it better than the Glock. It has been totally reliable and feeds every type of ammo I've put through it, from premium self-defense JHP to gun show mystery handloads and my almost 30-year old, filthy cast lead reloads.

Lots of good .45s out there these days.
 
I went with the Glock 30, too. It's been 100% reliable with factory 230 gr. ammo, HP or FMJ, and very accurate at the 7 to 25 yards I practice at for IDPA. The only misfeeds I ever had with it was with some lighter handloads intended for a target 1911 Colt; the Glock seems to prefer full-power loads.
 
I love my glocks, but mine are all in .40

My uncle is with homeland security, and despite his large gun collection and variety of options available, his glock 30 is one of his favorite guns. Oddly enough, the only thing he likes more is his 1911, but he can't carry it, so his G30 is always on him.

If you don't already have a glock, I would get one. They're a very nice gun that perform with the quality of much higher priced alternatives.
 
Springfield XD .45 compact with 4" barrel. Sweetest carry .45 I've shot or owned. Comes with 10 and 13 rd mags. Purchase between now and September and they'll send you 3 free mags.
 
I had a problem with a Ruger P345 FTF every other DA trigger pull. Two trips back to Ruger and they didn't fix the problem so it was quickly sold off.

I would suggest the XD45C or Glock 30.
 
Well, I just bought a Glock 36. Haven't brought it home yet but it is slated to be my carry .45 taking the place of my trusty old S&W 457.

Dan
 
Every time I shoot my father-in-law's Kahr P45, I'm surprised with how well I shoot it. He has a rubber sleeve on the grip, and I swear it's not that much different than shooting my Kahr CW9. It's very accurate, extremely thin, and like all Kahr's I've ever shot, it functions flawlessly with all types of ammo. I'm also pretty fond of Kahr triggers, but I think I might be in the minority.
 
"I own a (gen 2.5) Glock 30 and carry it in a Comp-Tac MTAC.
Have about 4000 rounds of factory (FMJ/JHP) ammo through it and have never experienced a stoppage/malfunction with it.
It conceals well, is accurate and very reliable.
Standard 10 round magazine and can use the 13 round Glock 21 magazines. Also, a 9 round magazine is available which makes it conceal slightly better.

Downside...
It's fat. Grip feels bulky and some people don't like the grip angle.
The Glock 30SF feels slightly less fat, so depending on your hand size it may be a better option than the standard Glock 30. "

Just like Quiet stated above . I have the Glock 30 also and it is just about perfect as a compact .45 can get . I have the STANDARD G30 . Get it . Almost everyone who has had the 30 has no problems at all . But some who have the "SF" G30's have had some problems .
SO I would say get the STANDARD G30 .
 
Gen 2.5 Glock 30 carried OWB in a 3-slot pancake during cold weather months when cover is easier. Mine chokes consistently on most brands of open HP ammo so I feed it 230g ball and Hornady CD plastic HP. I do reload for it and shoot it in IDPA as well. Except for the high angle feed jam issue I really like it.
 
I have five Kimbers.
Four are Ultras (3 inch barrel) and one is a 4 inch.
kimbercollection-1.gif


I carry in a Don Hume JIT Slide (belt) holster.
HolsteredKimber.gif


Most of what I shoot is 200 grain lead SWC reloads.
The Kimber shoots lead very well.
KimberUltraCarry10yds7shts1hole.gif
 
The Glock 36 is my pick...its conceals easily, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking, its light as a feather, its thin (without being too thin)...it just works (for me at least).

Fitting my hand...it doesn't really, but I carry it more than I shoot it (though I shoot it a plenty).

Fitting "me"...it does, it can be concealed VERY easily.

Recoil...I carry Hornady TAP 230 grain +P ammo, yes...it has some recoil but nothing a person can't master with some practice.

Short barrel ballistics...the barrel is 3.78", and that Hornady ammo chrono's 850 fps due to the polygonal rifling (or whatever its called...one of those shapes, LOL). Other short barreled 45's don't get near that performance.

I do reload...and shoot lead...but not in my Glock.

I retired a Baer stainless Stinger and started carrying this about 6 months ago...and while I love shooting 1911's more than anything...I doubt I'll ever CCW with one again.

It ain't much to look at...but it does what it was designed to do very well. I now have a Pearce +0 mag extension on one of the mags...the grip extension was given to me by Ranch Dog...I would recommend the +0 grip extension, best $10 a person could ever spend on a G36! I plan on adding them to my other mags too.
101_0122.jpg
 
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My pick is the M&P 45c. It is the compact version of the 45. It is very concealable, and its a great shooter. I highly recomend it for CCW use. It is a great firearm for the money. It is comes with me more often then my Glock 19, and the Glock is smaller. The 45c is my go to gun for CCW, and bed stand duty. I trust my life to it. If you get the 45 compact or full size, you won't be disappointed. At least rent one and give it a try, you will regret it if you don't.

smitty704
:)
 
Ridgerunner summed it up; Glock 36 EDC. Gotta safe full of handguns and love shooting them all but in the 6 months since picking up the 36 - it is the one I shoot best and carry.
Agree with BossHogg on the recoil. I reload 230 gr JHP XTP w/5.5 gr Unique and get excellent accuracy and functioning.
Added a LaserMax guiderod laser and it is the nuts. Really increased the self defense aspect (50 yr old eyes :eek:) and coupled with Trijicon night sights I am a Glock convert after many years of resistance.
Still no 1911 in the stable but will be someday. Probably a Kimber CDP or something similar.
 
Another vote for the XD .45 compact. Have over 7000 rounds through it with no problems. Won't feed SWC, but feeds JHP, and hardball of course, beautifully.

Am thinking of getting an XD 9mm subcompact, especially with the current special of 3 more free mags...

Update - the XD feeds lead, even my crappy handcast bullets, beautifully - just not the SWC profile. Ability to use lead bullets is the main reason I chose the XD over the Glock...
 
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I really like the plastic Springfield pistols. Gotta admit though; I've never even tried un-jacket bullets in any of them. I'm a JHP-FMJ guy. I have one each in 9, 40, and 45. All are compact versions and I've qualified with each for on and off-duty carry. I passed up the Glock issue weapon in favor of the Springfield XD/XDm.

They caused me to clean and oil my 1911s and a BHP and place them on the top shelf of the safe.
 
I had a Glock 36. Great gun, and one that you would forget what actually on your person from time to time. However, I found that I switched on a much smaller summer carry piece and upgraded my fall/winter to a Glock 21.

However, as a concealable .45, the 36 is a good one.
 
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