Recommend Inexpensive .45ACP

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skeptical_in_Ohio

skeptical_in_Ohio

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Hi all-

Sorry if there's a live thread related to this - I did a search but apparently didn't have the right key words.

Over the past couple of years my lovely and patient wife has endulged my hobby of buying various firearms (just for different shooting experiences). So far, what started with a 20-gauge 870 for HD and clays has grown to a Beretta Neos (now with a red dot), a .Marlin 60, a Ruger P95, a 12-gauge 870, an old Winchester bolt-action single 22 (for teaching the kids as it has a safety that flipson when you cycle the bolt), a S&W police trade .38, and a scoped Savage Mark II .

All have been enjoyed and shot often (and most of them by her since she's gotten interested as well). Indeed, for Christmas I bought her a Ruger Mark III which only leaves the house when she goes to the range - just my way of saying "this one's yours - thanks love". She did let me shoot a couple fo magazines through it, though.

At any rate, she has now agreed that I may look for a .45. I am not currently into concealed carry, and don't plan to become a competitive target shooter (although I'm working to get better & better at terrorizing paper). Mainly it'd be for paper punching and, if things got weird where we live (not likely at this time but who knows) it'd be kept in the nightstand with a couple of full mags nearby (more rounds than the .38, maybe less velocity than the 9). I'd like to think I could modify whatever I get some, either with new sights or (definitely if a 1911-type) a Pachmayr wrap-around.

A 1911 intrigues me, mainly because it'd be something clearly different than my p95, but the XD and XDm's seem rather nice (I've seen both an XD and a 1911-type but haven't held one yet). I have a $500-ish budget, but out of respect for the missus I'm trying hard to stay there or below (or if pushed a tiny bit above). This eliminates all but the 4" XD (maybe the 5" XD or 4.5" XDm, and a LOT of 1911's.

I am not averse to Hi-Point, but that's more of a "if I see one for $100 on ArmsList or at a pawn shop I'll snag it" sort of gun.

I saw the other day a Rock Island Mil-Spec 1911A1 that a LGS took on trade that appears to have very little use, asking $350. I could also go new on the aforementioned XD/XDm, or a Glock 30 (see a lot of them used under 500, or a S&W M&P (ditto).

Of the above, which would be:

1) Accurate from the go.
2) Able to be improved some should the urge strike.
3) Reliable
4) Relatively easy to maintain.
5) Useful for the purposes I note above?

Am I missing any?

Thanks for any and all advice.
 
The Rock Island line has gotten a lot of good reviews from buyers I have talked to. I bought a ATI (American Tactical) GI model for about the same money as RIA and a sig 1911 for $700. I really like the ATI and couldn't force myself to like the Sig, so it got traded on a Para Ord. P-12. The Para line is right about $650 to $700 range new, but they also have double stack mags. I want to use the p12 as a CCW, but I need a better holster for it as it is heavy. All the suggestions made previous are good guns, but as has been stated over and over, try it on before you buy it. Here is my Para (top) and my CZ 2075 rami in 9mm.

1218111331.gif
 
To the OP, I only read about the first page, but it seems to me like you need some education on what the different types of pistols are. There are many different schools of thought as to which is "the best" but it comes down to your needs.

First, why do you need a handgun in .45? I'm going to assume for self defense, but if it's another reason the following applies (just differently).
I would recommend looking first at the trigger sticky up at the top to figure out whether you want a SA, DA/SA, DAO, or SFA firearm. They make .45s on almost every platform available.

I would put a strong emphasis on one of the following three, however, as they fit my philosophy really well:
Springfield XD or XDM (may be under $650 depending on where you're at, and you get a lot of gear with it)
Glock
S&W M&P

Those are striker-fired with no manual safety, but they won't fire until you pull the trigger. They also have simple break-down and cleaning and are very reliable.

EDIT: looked at the timestamps, my bad
 
Hey Dave, You probably would get a better response if you started a new thread. I almost gave up on this as a thread that was inadvertantly pulled back up from a Google search. But with that said...RIA makes a very serviceable 1911 that can be upgraded as much as you want/can afford. Glock is another place to look for a good home defense/range gun. The S&W M&P line is another place to look. My 5" M&P 40 Pro has been a joy to shoot & carry. Happy hunting.
 
S&W 4566, 4506-1, 4513TSW. Accurate and reliable. Great triggers. Whats not to like? :)
 
ET makes a great point, thanks.

Also the others who mentioned the "zombie thread" nature of my original post are quite correct - I do a lot of reading but not a lot of posting and hence never seem to have a good feel for when it's best to add on or start new.

This said, I've already gotten some good feedback already that appears driven by fact and experience rather than that which is less informed, which, in addition to the other stuff I've read in various places helps me a lot. Since I was seeking good information I'm definitely in the right place :).

Is it doable for an admin to push today's posts to a new thread, something like "What's the best .45 ACP for $650 or less? - 2012 version"? Given that a lot of folks are apparently buying firearms these days threads like this might be useful methinks.

Thanks to all who've replied so far.
 
if you don't consider the FNP.45, you are cheating yourself and your bank account - great pistol, company, and price......
 
RIA Tactical and 500rds of ammo is my choice. Below are the runner ups...
Desert Eagle 1911
FNP USG45
STI Spartan
SIG XO
Glock 21
XD45 Tactical
CZ97
 
:eek: 6yrs young thread ... Got ah love the archives :p

Wow what new 45acp's have come about since the OP's OP :p

Depending on your druthers I'd get a G30 ... Oh wait I did about 3 months ago :rolleyes:
 
Many good choices out there for a sub $650 .45 ACP. I'll tell you what I currently have, that have been totally reliable (FMJ, HP, +P), unmodified.

RIA Compact Tactical- I was pleasantly surprised how soft shooting this little gun is.
Ruger P90/P97 - Big "ugly" bricks (have 3), but they are tanks, really.:evil:
Glock 21 Gen4 - the new texture is much better than the Gen 3, but still not as good as the RTF2 texture. I'm saying this because I prefer grips that give me traction. Also have the G21 RTF2, but have not shot it, yet. But this one costs more than $650 (just because of it limited production).
 
To resurrect the earlier posts from 6 years ago, the Taurus PT145 Gen3 is still the best .45 bang for the buck. ~$350 and 10+1 in a light package. Easy to shoot and very accurate for a light, short barreled gun. If price is important then you should at least shoot one of these before dropping your cash.
 
I don't mind folks continuing older threads if your contribution is on point, but posting on a thread that is 6 years old that was asking for recommendations under a certain price point seems to be stretching it a bit much. Guns fitting the request, at that time, are no longer below that price point.

I've moved this to it's own thread to make recommendations more appropriate
 
My LGS has ruger sr1911's for $669.00 I picked one up a few days ago and like it a lot, I am a new shooter and far less knowledgable than many but I think it is a lot of gun for the money. If I were in the market for a striker fired .45 I would give a serious look at the M&P.
 
I don't understand how you can ask for a cheap 45acp, considering you'll spend a considerable amount of money on ammo during the year, because you want to punch paper.

Even if you only fired 250rds a month for a year, at the lowest price of 35 cents a round, that equates to $1,050.

If you can afford to shoot large amounts of 45acp a year, then you can afford a high quality 45acp pistol.
 
If you are looking for cheap shooting 45ACP is not your caliber IMHO. 2000 rounds of 45 ACP will cost you $700+ vs 2000 Round of 9mm which would be under $400.

That said if you are looking for a budget 45 ACP

RIA 1911 $350 to $400
Kahr CW45 $355
Sig P250 45ACP $388
Ruger 45 $450
S&W M&P 45 $500
 
OP, your quest is doable. I know what you are saying in your post. RIA makes a decent 1911 for a bit over 4 bills ( I own a full-sized). I bought an ATI Commander length 1911 last year for about 425 that I have been VERY impressed with. I think someone mentioned one earlier in this thread. Don't let the haters make you think you have to spend big money on a 1911. For you stated purposes and budget ( I understand buying guns while on a budget) either of the above guns would do you good, and you will love the platform. As to price of ammo, it is expensive, but you can really reduce that if you decide to start reloading. I had to start reloading when I started buying 1911s some years ago. Your wife seems cool. Keep that one around!! Happy Shooting!!
 
Hi all-

Thanks to 9mmepiphany for moving this thread to a more appropriate place. I concur with both the logic and the decision (not that this matters a whole lot) :). Sorry for the inconvenience, though.

Thanks also to everybody who's offered advice and opinions. I learn something _every_ time I read this list.

To some of the comments, I agree that there is an irony to the notion of a "budget" .45, but some of what I have is because I see utility in it, and some (e.g. a .45) is because it's just fun. Given that I'm at the range a bit less than once per week and that the only certain weekly attendee is the .22 pistol, I won't be getting through a ton of .45 (or 9, or .38 for that matter).

Further, given that nearly any firearm I might get will be better than me for the foreseeable future, I can't justify in my own mind a XDm competition model with fiber optic front and adjustable rear sights and a 5-inch match barrel (although the thought of such a thing does cause a bit of drooling). A Ferrari is worth every penny they ask, but if you don't need one it's not that good a deal.

I had mentioned the possibility of HD (which definitely means I would need much more practice and/or training with any of my pistols) but that's not a huge concern right now from a risk management perspective (yes, we count our blessings). This said if things did get weird around here, the 12 gauge 870 with 00 buck is the go-to for the foreseeable future.

Finally, to the fun part. I hadn't had time to check out the various excellent recommendations made by the group today, but on the way home from work I swung by a shop to handle a XD .45 and a 1911 variant (the two leading possibilities in my mind at the beginning of this).

I liked the XD (4 inch barrel); the grip was just my size and the controls fell readily to hand. The 1911 was nice as well, and a totally different experience from the XD, which reminded me a lot of my P95. The sight on one of the 1911's (a Taurus) were fairly easy to see; on the Springfield I handled the front sight was tiny and hard for me to pick up. It should be noted that I tend to want to paint every front sight I have with bright orange paint as black sights sort of hide from me.

From here, I'll likely check with the guy that had the RIA, as part of this purchase is so that I (and my wife too) may experience a different kind of firearm from what I currently have (with the added benefit that I can get it inexpensively). If he still has it that's a pretty good price ($100 below any new price I've seen) on one that looks from the pictures and description to be very lightly used and would come also with Hogue grips (all good advice I got today noted and processed).

If not, I've been given a lot of options by the kind people of this forum. As I said before, the one thing I do know is that when I need advice, I'm at the right place.
 
MICHAEL T

"American Ckassic II A fullsize 1911 and very relieable
__________________
http://bersachat.com #1 board on net for Bersa pistols and now American Classic 1911's have their own place

http://www.americanclassic1911forum.com"

Plus 1. A great piece for the money.
 
The RIA is a great gun for the money. I also own a Kahr CW45 that has been dead on reliable. Both are well within your price range.
 
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