.45 recommendations

[SONYEXEC]

I'm in the market for a .45 to carry concealed and was interested in your opinion on what would be a good choice. Light weight, small and slim is ideal. Double action or single action isn't a big factor for me I can deal with either. Although it doesn't match my criteria 100% I love the lines of the sig P220 and that is my first choice at the moment (carry or compact model).

I've been out of the gun game for 7 years and recently visited martin redding in culver city, the great salesman showed me a number of other options in the .45 acp and now Im really confused.

If y'all don't mind shooting (no pun intended) over some makes & model #s I can research. Next stop is Ade's on Wednesday so Im sure I'll be real confused after that field trip.

Thanks

[SoundFX]

I'm in the market for a .45 to carry concealed and was interested in your opinion on what would be a good choice. Light weight, small and slim is ideal. Double action or single action isn't a big factor for me I can deal with either. Although it doesn't match my criteria 100% I love the lines of the sig P220 and that is my first choice at the moment (carry or compact model).

I've been out of the gun game for 7 years and recently visited martin redding in culver city, the great salesman showed me a number of other options in the .45 acp and now Im really confused.

If y'all don't mind shooting (no pun intended) over some makes & model #s I can research. Next stop is Ade's on Wednesday so Im sure I'll be real confused after that field trip.

Thanks

If I were in your position, I would look at the HK USPc .45, the Glock 30, and the SIG P220. I wouldn't get a 1911 unless you are either well trained or want a range gun. That's just me, though.

[11Z50]

SW M&P 45.

[Miltiades]

2 recommendations

I have two small to medium .45s that I would recommend - a Colt Defender (3 inch barrel, officer's length grip) and a Kimber Pro CDP (4 inch barrel, regular government grip). Both guns have aluminum frames so they weigh in the 25 to 28 ounce range, which is comfortable for carry. The Colt holds 7+1 rounds and the Kimber 8+1 rounds. I have slim Alumagrips on both to keep them thin for better concealment. Both guns have been reliable through many practice rounds.

I like Kramer horsehide belt scabbard holsters, which keep them tight against my side in the 4 o'clock position.

[cineski]

The SIG 220 is the one I ended up with after shooting just about all the makes and models of 45's. It just shoots the best. +1 on SoundFX's comment on the 1911.

[aplinker]

Wait a minute.

If you're going to be carrying a gun you better damned well have enough training to do so. A 1911 is an excellent carry gun.

There are a number of choices, depending on your requirements. Do you want smaller and lighter? How much does capacity matter?

Off the top of my head:
1911's - Militiades listed two nice ones, I'd include Detonics Combat Master
Sig P220 carry
HK USP 45 Compact
XD 45 Compact
Glock 30 (I'm not a fan of Glocks in 45acp)
Kahr PM45

More info on your requirements would help.

[MaceWindu]

[QUOTE][If you're going to be carrying a gun you better damned well have enough training to do so./QUOTE]

DING! DING! DING!

#1 Priority. Not the gun, but the training that matters most.



Mace

[SR-60]

Next stop is Ade's on Wednesday so Im sure I'll be real confused after that field trip.

All my .45s are full size so I can't really help you out there.

But you may want to check with Ade...I think he is closed on Wednesdays.

[Josh Jackson]

Anyone who carries a gun for a living or for self defense should be consistently seeking training from a variety of reputable training resources.

That being said I am a fan of 1911's and had carried a full size 1911 with a light as my carry gun for quite some time. Lately I have transitioned to carrying a Glock 27 as my off-duty gun. This was mainly due to the fact that I carry a Glock 22 daily and I have been trying to streamline my training eliminating some of the variety of stuff that I was using. The S&W MP is a good choice although I have not shot the .45 version the 9mm is quite impressive. I will say that I dislike the field stripping process for that gun.

In the end it doesn't matter so much what you carry as it matters that you can competently use it.

[JMB1911]

Light weight, small and slim is ideal. Double action or single action isn't a big factor for me I can deal with either.

There's the XD45 in different iterations. You can have a 4" barrel with the full size grip or the 4" barrel with the compact grip. That gun fits all your criteria. The Glock 30 fits your lightweight and small criteria. It's not slim but it's a heck of a gun that you may be willing to overlook your slim criteria. For 1911s, there's the Kimber Pro Carry. It's a 4 inch version of the governement model with full sized frame. Then there's the Sig P220 Carry. It's a shorter barreled version of the 220 but in my opinion, Sigs are just plain bulky. The H&Ks I can't give an opinion on because I've only tried them twice as a rental and didn't care for the trigger. As has been mentioned, you need to train with your primary weapon no matter what it is so whatever your choice, you better know its manual of arms. Good luck on your search.

[The SoCal Gunner]

Why not a Glock 36? Slimmer than a Glock 30 and also lighter because of the lesser ammo capacity.

I'd go with a commander length or officer length 1911 for .45acp though, just personal preference. If you go into other calibers, other guns will come up but a 1911 in 9mm would still be a nice choice.

[apbrian112]

i vote for the XD45 compact as well... there are a number of great choices available. the best would be to go to a range and try as many as you can to see which one YOU like best. what's great for one person might not be so nice for somebody else...

[SONYEXEC]

Training is taken care of which is why I am in the gun search mode now.

Does anyone have anything bad to say about the Kahr line of guns?

[troyus]

There's the XD45 in different iterations. You can have a 4" barrel with the full size grip or the 4" barrel with the compact grip. That gun fits all your criteria. The Glock 30 fits your lightweight and small criteria. It's not slim but it's a heck of a gun that you may be willing to overlook your slim criteria. For 1911s, there's the Kimber Pro Carry. It's a 4 inch version of the governement model with full sized frame. Then there's the Sig P220 Carry. It's a shorter barreled version of the 220 but in my opinion, Sigs are just plain bulky. The H&Ks I can't give an opinion on because I've only tried them twice as a rental and didn't care for the trigger. As has been mentioned, you need to train with your primary weapon no matter what it is so whatever your choice, you better know its manual of arms. Good luck on your search.

I have a p220, and it is bulky. Otherwise very nice though.

[Miltiades]

Does anyone have anything bad to say about the Kahr line of guns?

In general Kahrs are excellent guns for concealed carry. They are generally quite reliable and come in some very small, slim models as well as three different calibers. I own one - a steel MK9 9mm, and it has operated perfectly through about 600 rounds.

The all steel Kahr models probably have a better reputation for reliability and durability than the polymer frame models. But the polymer Kahrs are very light weight and people like them for carry. The Kahr company has a good customer service reputation.