Question for anyone that CC's a 45 ACP.

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Charlie Martinez said:
... Those that CC 45 ACP; What do you carry and why?
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Since Aug'19 I often carry an Springfield Armory XDs Mod2. Which was preceded by the XDs (Mod1?) that I acquired in Aug'13. ;)

I decided that the small form factor, light weight and easy accuracy (in my hand) of this pistol makes it an almost effortless conceal carry piece. The best large-caliber conceal carry piece that I have ever found.

===

I also have a Glock 30S that I like very much and shoot very well, but, barring a cool/cold-weather coat, it is just a bit large for guaranteed OWB concealed carry with my personal 5'11"/165lb "form factor". ;)

In the late '70s I was often carrying a .45acp Colt Combat Commander under my sport/suit coat but I finally decided that that was too much of a chore. A PP/PPKs/PPK in my black Roy's Leather (Magnolia, Ark.) pancake holster (still have & use it, some) at ~4 o'clock under my jacket quickly became as part of my anatomy, didn't even notice it. Eventually I wore that configuration so much that when I didn't have it on was when I noticed and didn't feel quite right. My balance felt "off", y'know? :)
 
entropy said:
Muzzle flip is nasty, you'll not be doing double taps with it, but it's small, and holds 10+1.

I have CC'd my PT1911 also. Matter of fact, I just bought a Crossbreed holster for it.
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Robbins290 said:
Who does a double tap with 45 ACP????????
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Hey now, who put a time requirement between shots on a double tap? :evil:
 
chicharrones said:
Hey now, who put a time requirement between shots on a double tap? :evil:
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True, you got me there :)

As to the OP, I carry the glock 30 gen 4, glock 36, shield 45 and a SIG P220 compact. The sig was the best pistol. but 6 plus 1 is not alot. I loved the G30 but was too wide for me to carry all day. I would try some before buying one.
 
Been looking at the Kahr 45's. They appear to be quite narrow (flat) which I like. Only 6 rounds capacity although I have been relying on a 5-shot revolver for a long time.
 
I carry the short barreled little fella in the middle. Every day, rain, snow, sleet, etc.100 degrees, 0 degrees, at work, whatever. It rides in an old nearly worn out Desantis IWB. 20211226_102742.jpg
The top left Kimber is my cousin's and my brother now owns the Kimber in the top right. AFAIK, they both carry them daily, where legal.

I realize the leather backing absorbs moisture from summer sweat, but I was never concerned since the gun is stainless. So are the grip screws, however...the grip screw bushings are not. So when I removed the grips to do a detailed cleaning last weekend, imagine my surprise when I found rusty bushings. Go figure.
 
Charlie Martinez said:
I want a reasonably priced compact 45 ACP pistol for CC. I have not shot anything smaller than a 1911 in 45 ACP but I am not particularly sensitive to recoil.

Those that CC 45 ACP; What do you carry and why?
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I carry a full sized Colt 1991A1, and have for many years. I carry is strong side, IWB, about the 4 O'clock position. I'm currently 5'9" tall and 175 pounds, to give you an idea about my body size.

It always amazes me how many people seem to think a full size 1911 is hard to conceal. It's not. It's a flat semi-auto in a good holster, properly supported by a good belt.

Why do I carry this? Good question.

I LIKE it, for one. It's been utterly reliable in the three decades I've carried it, I shoot very well with it, it feels good in my hand, and probably a couple other things I'm not thinking about right now.
 
I carry any of 4-Commanders daily. Seven +1 and an additional 8-round mag are more than enough for any situation.

My current carry: a Colt/Gunsite Advanced Tactical Pistol from the 1990s in the Lord's Caliber.
ATPreceived.jpg
ATPreceived.jpg
 
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Tallball said:
Six months ago or so I set out on the same path, to find a 45acp semiauto pistol that I could use for CC if needed.

I don't carry large pistols. After looking around a lot and reading and getting feedback from board members, I narrowed it down to one of the Kahrs, the small Springfield Armory, or possibly a Taurus PT145.

My preference was the Kahr, especially the stainless steel model. I have the 40 caliber version and it's reliable and pocketable.

Then I won this Taurus on a ridiculously low bid. Some idiot had let the stainless steel slide actually rust and even pit a little bit, so I got it for next to nothing. The trigger is mushy, but it's been reliable and accurate. It's not a pocket pistol, but it's a nice little belt pistol.

Taurus PT145 45acp

Taurus PT145 45acp

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I will never, ever bet my life on a Taurus.
 
I carry an AMT Backup DAO 45. I've tried it with 5 different loads and it has fed and extracted 100% of them. It's sufficiently small that I can just stick it in the hip pocket of my jeans and it doesn't show at all. That's how I carry it.
 
I’ve carried a few .45s over the years. My favorite in terms of concealment and shooting is a commander 1911 with a bobtail frame, specifically in my case a DW VBob.

Sadly my back won’t tolerate 40+ oz all day without a lot of pain, so I’ve had to look lighter.

Over the years I’ve tried a number of 1911s, Sig 220 and 245, Glock 30 and an HK45c.

Settled on the HK45C as my ideal option, size and weight are close to that of a Glock 19 which is OK by my back, and my particular HK shoots as well in my hands as a 1911 in SA (it’s quite nice in SA) and doesn’t slow me down with the DA first shot. I shoot 1911s a little better but much prefer a polymer frame over an aluminum 1911 in a small light gun, recoil just works better and faster for me. Heck, I find the HK more pleasant and comfortable to shoot over any of my 1911s.

So that’d be my suggestion. Then again the cooling weather has my HK back in my holster right now so there’s some recency bias happening :)

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JR24 said:
I’ve carried a few .45s over the years. My favorite in terms of concealment and shooting is a commander 1911 with a bobtail frame, specifically in my case a DW VBob.

Sadly my back won’t tolerate 40+ oz all day without a lot of pain, so I’ve had to look lighter.

Over the years I’ve tried a number of 1911s, Sig 220 and 245, Glock 30 and an HK45c.

Settled on the HK45C as my ideal option, size and weight are close to that of a Glock 19 which is OK by my back, and my particular HK shoots as well in my hands as a 1911 in SA (it’s quite nice in SA) and doesn’t slow me down with the DA first shot. I shoot 1911s a little better but much prefer a polymer frame over an aluminum 1911 in a small light gun, recoil just works better and faster for me. Heck, I find the HK more pleasant and comfortable to shoot over any of my 1911s.

So that’d be my suggestion. Then again the cooling weather has my HK back in my holster right now so there’s some recency bias happening :)

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I really like the HK45C. I have the LEM version that came with night sights and it's fantastic. I just noticed it's the same height as the Glock 19 if you measure from the dingus at the back of the frame and use the flat magazine base pad. This is a great development for me for carry.
 
tomrkba said:
I really like the HK45C. I have the LEM version that came with night sights and it's fantastic. I just noticed it's the same height as the Glock 19 if you measure from the dingus at the back of the frame and use the flat magazine base pad. This is a great development for me for carry.
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I had been set on an LEM kit (that was out of stock) until I traded into a LEM P2000 and realized that I actually really prefer the DA/SA. Mine’s SA, in particular, is quite good and as I said I shoot it just as good as my 1911s in single action. DA is quite heavy, but smooth, and after some significant dry fire (with the even heavier “uncocked” P2000 DA trigger) my first shot has been on time and accurate.

My split times with the HK45c are much closer to my 9mm guns than my 1911s, which is fun.

I also eventually realized I like the finger dingus baseplate over the flat one, fits my hands better and doesn’t affect concealment all that much.
 
Charlie Martinez said:
I recently picked up a Glock 30 and liked the feel but did not have a chance to fire it. I am extremely fond of my 1911's but I don't believe I could successfully CC one in the year round hot climate where I live.
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I have successfully carried full-sized 1911 pistols concealed, in the heat and humidity of SE Texas. Frequent maintenance is necessary, because perspiration is not kind to the finish of a firearm. There is nothing wrong with carrying a high-maintenance pistol, in an abusive environment, if one is willing to do the work,

A Glock will do better, in abusive environments, with less maintenance. Your G30 would be a solid choice, I have carried a G29, which is the same size as your G30, but chambered for the 10mm cartridge. A 1911 is slimmer, with a less-squared-off rear portion of the slide, than the chunkier Glock. Bad luck with compact 1911 pistols prompted me to swear-off anything smaller than a Government Model. Full-sized 1911, or “compact” but boxy Glock? Either option will require some amount to discipline, to truly keep concealed.

The Gen3 G29’s grip was just a bit too chunky for my hand, so I sold/traded it, when I heard that a smaller-gripped version would be available. A switch to the SIG P229, for police duty, took me away from both the 1911 and Glock systems for a number of years. The Short Frame version of the larger-frame Glocks appeared, followed later by the Gen4, both of which fit my hand better than the Gen3 G29 I had owned. I did not, however, buy either, until relatively recently, when a run of Short Frame G30s pistols made an appearance, as the panic-demic eased. Then, Gen4 G30 pistols made a re-appearance, at gun stores, and I bought one of them, too. It will be interesting to see whether I resume carrying a large-frame “compact” Glock. (I may have aged-out of wanting to shoot any compact autos, that are chambered for duty-type cartridges, enough to maintain acceptable competence with them.)
 
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