My favorite 45 pistols

[CDW4ME]

Springfield XD 45 compact, Glock 38 in 45 GAP, Kahr PM45

I recently bought the XD 45, it's my first Springfield. Holds 10 + 1 rounds with the flush fitting magazine. The grip is slightly smaller than a Glock 19/23 and feels great. Recoil seems mild for a 45 and the pistol has been trouble free for it's first 130+ rounds.

I've been a Glock fan for a long time and the model 38 combines the standard grip of the 19/23 with a thicker slide (about like the model 30). Capacity is 8 + 1 rounds of 45. I know some don't like the GAP round, but I really like this pistol.

The Glock and the Springfield are essentially the same size, XD is a few ounces heavier.

The Kahr is a very compact 45. The pistol had a few failures to feed in it's first box of Federal 185, but after that it's been trouble free. I've shot another box of the Federal 185, plus Federal Hydra Shocks and Winchester Ranger smooth as butter. It's now got about 230 rounds thorugh it. This pistol is light and easy to carry / conceal.

The holsters in the pic. are Fist Kydex IWB.

Chrono results, average of 5 shots:
Springfield XD 45 compact Winchester Ranger 230 gr. @ 865 fps
Kahr PM45 Winchester Ranger 230 gr. @ 832 fps
Glock 38 Winchester 230 JHP (White box) @ 831 fps

P.S. I could have just called this thread: My favorite pistols

 

[10-Ring]

Kinda like asking mom who her favorite kid is
Me, I love'em all the same!
As 45s go, I would vote my USP 45 & DW CBOB as top contenders

 

[Zerodefect]

Man I hope the GAP round catches on, I love compact Glocks and .45's.

 

[inSight-NEO]

I like the XD platform quite a bit. I also love the Sig P220. For feel, fit and parts/accessory availability, I prefer the Sig. For durability and price, I tend to lean toward the XD-45 ACP. When I can buy 2 XD-45s for roughly the same price as a stainless P220...that says something to me. For me, the XD is just more "practical."

Regardless, both are great guns and are among my current favorites.

 

[ParaElite]

I sold my XD .45ACP and bought an EAA Witness Elite Match in .45ACP instead. My trend is toward CZs and clones like the Tanfoglio guns. No more tupperware for me. For concealed carry, I am heading in the direction of the CZ P-01.

 

[benderx4]

HK USP45 Tactical

Les Baer TRS

 

[CHEVELLE427]

i love all my 45acp but the xd is on top.

 

[Philip Marlowe]

Very nice - that Kahr PM45 is a handful with anything but the easy stuff.

HK USP 45 here.

 

[Philip Marlowe]

Very nice - that Kahr PM45 is a handful with anything but the easy stuff.

HK USP 45 here.

 

[loop]

Too bad they are all striker-fired. You're missing out on some nice guns by sticking to that platform.

My favorite carry .45s are a Kimber, a Norinco, an AMT Hardballer, a Para P12-45 and a Para Warthog...

Competition guns and safe queens are another story...

 

[RX-178]

The USP being the .45 in question.

This picture was taken during the full blown El Pasoan summer, so the weapon is dressed up in its range-toy livery, rather than for carry. The 'brake' is actually just something I picked up at a gun show when I was looking for a thread protector. It cost less than the factory thread protectors that HK offers.

 

[CDW4ME]

ParaElite: "No more tupperware for me"

loop: "Too bad they are all striker-fired. You're missing out on some nice guns by sticking to that platform"

That's why I called the thread "My favorite 45 pistols"

I've previously owned three different Kimbers: CDP, LAPD SWAT copy, and a small stainless one I don't remember the name of. The CDP was the only one that was totally reliable. I carried the CDP for awhile just because I thought it was so good looking.

I do have enhanced Colts: Officers and Lightweight Commander. I've shot them some, they funuctioned properly; carried the Officers for awhile. They are safe queens that I'm only keeping to give to my boys one day.

Despite the popularity of 1911 style pistols, they are not my primary choice for carry. Even if reliable like the Officers or the CDP, I still have a safety to swipe off prior to shooting and they stay fully cocked all the time. I fully realize the preceived benefit of the safety (for some people) and that the 1911 is designed to remain fully cocked for extended periods of time without the mainspring taking a set. I'm simply saying that I've tried the "other" 45 models (Yes, I've also had a Sig 220 as well as S&W 4506 but I did not like the DA/SA trigger) and the "striker fired tupperware" has emerged as my favorite.

 

[loop]

CDW4ME,

I guess you like cheap guns. That's OK with me.

Glad you are happy.

 

[CDW4ME]

affordable not cheaply made

Yea, I'm happy with pistols that cost $550-$700 that work; much better than the $800-$1,000 ones that are unreliable.

 

[Confederate]

I'm so turned off by the polymer pistols that I'm hanging onto my S&W 645. I also recently got a used 457 that is a very nice pistol, with a very good reputation, but it reminds me too much of the polymers. Very boxy on top and about the same balance as the Glock. That's not so bad, though, because it has a hammer drop safety and is something I'm more comfortable with. It takes the same magazines as the 645, so I can interchange them with easily (as long as they're the longer 8-shots). They stick out about an inch or so and are ugly, but who cares.

The thing I don't like about the 457 is that when viewed from the side, you can see the springs through a very tiny space between the frame and the slide. Very tacky. Still, it's very nice for concealed carry or a glove box.

 

[ceadermtnboy]

I have narrowed it down to two. Spingfield Mil-spec with a small amount of customizing, and a Glock 30. I am ready for TEOTWAWKI