.45acp pistol advice

[Solidsnake87]

I'm looking into a .45acp caliber pistol and I've narrowed it down two brands. I'm trying to decide between the kimber 1911 series and the HK USP .45acp models. I'm not going to be using premium ammunition. I prefer to buy whatever is cheapest and surplus stuff if available. I shoot just as a hobby and not as any kind of competitor. I'm looking for a gun thats fun to shoot, reliable, and performs the smae way consistently. (recoil may be a problem for my mother who also desires to use it so keep that in mind in case some of the pistols named above are more gentile.) I was wondering if anybody had advice between the two brands to offer?

[blkA4alb]

I have shot many 1911s, including Valtros costing over 3 grand. Kimbers, Nighthawks, Wilson Combats, Valtros, and SAs. While they are all great guns I prefer the USP. It fits better in my hand and the first time I picked one up it was just dead on. The USP is lighter but I really didn't notice a drastic increase in recoil.

Basically its all personal. The USP just fits my hands better and I'm inherintly more accurate with it. I take it that you've shot both though?

[Schlamoo]

Not to totally disagree with blkA4alb but I own all of the 1911 brands he mentioned and a few others and like them better than the HK. The HK is a very nice gun but doesn't fit my hand very well. As he suggested, go to a range and rent some guns. See what fits for you. The HK is a double action style gun while the Kimber is a single action. Take time to understand the difference and see what suits your needs. There are alot of choices in a .45, the Sigs are also very good, but for me the grip trigger reach is too long but if you have bigger hands you may like that. Good luck on your search.

[anotherone]

Springfield XD-45 Tactical. Not only is it a fantastic .45 but it's cheaper than the others mentioned here.

[blkA4alb]

Not to totally disagree with blkA4alb but I own all of the 1911 brands he mentioned and a few others and like them better than the HK. The HK is a very nice gun but doesn't fit my hand very well. As he suggested, go to a range and rent some guns. See what fits for you. The HK is a double action style gun while the Kimber is a single action. Take time to understand the difference and see what suits your needs. There are alot of choices in a .45, the Sigs are also very good, but for me the grip trigger reach is too long but if you have bigger hands you may like that. Good luck on your search.

Hey its different for everyone. And I highly recommend Sig! I have a new P226R and after around 5000 rounds not a problem. De-cocking is nice on the DA/SA like the Sig and HK but for competition it means you have to fire the first shot DA. The 1911s can just draw and with the thumb just knock the safety off (high thumbs) and fire SA.

Make sure you fire both and get a feel for which one you like better, then make a decision. Or just get both...

[wuhungsix]

Your two choices are both fine, but they are two different animals.

1911:
-Single action
-Single stack mag
-All steel frame
-Conventional rifling

USP:
-Double action/ Single action
-Double stack mag
-Polymer Frame
-Octagonal(?) rifling

The correct choice would be to shoot both and buy the one you like.

As for my opinion, I would go with the 1911. But I am biased since 3 of my 4 .45s are of that design, but none Kimber. Just have not found a Kimber I really wanted. My other .45 is a Glock 21 which I highly recomend.

Oh by the way Topglock.com has Glock 30 on sale for $479 right now!

[kicker72]

I've used both, the USP45 and the XD45, and prefer the XD, just feels better in my hand. The best thing to do is try them out and see what works best for you. Of course 1911's are also a great platform. I vote get all 3

[50ae]

I have had 1911's and have had my USP 45 since they started building them. I have over 100k rounds through mine with nary a hiccup and have only replaced the springs. When you want reliable, you want HK. I found the recoil to be much nicer than the 1911 to boot. The only problem your mom might have is the thickness of it, if she has small hands.

[wilit]

I have a 1911 and my buddy has a USP45. Both are awesome, but I prefer the 1911 because of it's weight. The weight helps absorb some of the recoil. I found the USP to be too light to handle the recoil of the .45acp, especially when shooting 230grain rounds.

[kilword]

id go with the cz97 its one of the ones next on my list of things to get.
CZ 4tw...

http://www.czusa.com/product_detail.php?id=43

[Turbinator]

Your two choices are both fine, but they are two different animals.

I concur with this - this is the right analysis. Two different guns. Try out a variety and see what you like.

Turby

[Solidsnake87]

I've shot both of these .45s but only as like an offer from a friend to pop off a few rounds. I frequently use the airsoft verions (which are 1:1 scale) in the various combat simulations groups put on. I like the look and feel of both. From some very hardcore airsoft games I definitely know the advantage of double action and double stack mags, especially when you have a fraction of a second to make a move. I just kind of wanted some more feedback on the real guns. I've shot about every military rifle from WW1 up but I rarely shoot pistols because when you're 19 you just can't buy them. lol. I plan on moving to Colorado after college and when I do I know fork out the $2K sometime to pick up a MK23 socom so I'm kind of leaning towards the Kimber. I figure if I get a socom then a USP is a waste but then again I can always sell it.

[chris]

what is a Springfield XD .45 running for these days?

[Icarus]

id go with the cz97 its one of the ones next on my list of things to get.
CZ 4tw...
http://www.czusa.com/product_detail.php?id=43

I have Colt, Kimber, Sig and CZ 97B all in .45ACP. The one I shoot the most is the CZ97. It is a large pistol but very accurate. It is still my favorite .45 pistol for long informal sessions at the local range.

[Maddog5150]

wow, you guys really feel more recoil in the USP? I thought the duel recoil spring was supposed to make it alot better to shoot, mine kicks less than my 1911s no matter what rounds I am using.