45 ACP - Is it worth it?

[T1gger]

I have a full size 9mm that I really enjoy shooting; mild recoil, high capacity, accurate, reliable. I recently got a budget 1911, works great, shoots great. I love pretty much everything about 1911s, the history, how smooth it is to rack the slide, the way it feels in hand, the looks. However, 45 ACP ammo is quite a bit more expensive than 9mm ammo, even ordering it online due to the added shipping cost because of the weight, and I honestly believe that either cartridge would suffice in a defensive situation (however, I do understand that the larger grain of the 45 allows more of a possibility of hitting something vital should the situation demand such action). So, do you think the 45 ACP/1911 is worth it?

PS: I don't think 1911s should be in anything but 45 ACP, so 9mm 1911 is out.

[drail]

It's most definitely worth it. But to shoot enough of any caliber to become proficient with it pretty much requires taking up reloading unless you have a lot of disposable income. When I started reloading in the 1980s I quickly learned that I was spending about the same amount on ammo components that I used to spend on factory ammo but I was now able to shoot at least 3 times as much. Plus you are able to mass produce "the load" that your gun produces its best accuracy with. Look into getting into a reloading setup. It will pay for itself very quickly. Read as much as you can before buying any equipment. Try to find someone in your area that reloads and see if they will show you how it's done.

[iMagUdspEllr]

Well whether a .45 ACP 1911 (or any 1911) is worth it or not depends solely on why you want it and how you intend to use it.

For a range gun I believe you can choose any gun you want. It doesn't matter... you are at the range to make bullets go bang. If a .45 ACP anything turns you on in one way or another and you only intend to go to the range with it then that is fine.

If you want to use a certain firearm to serve you in a certain role then a .45 ACP 1911 may or may not serve in that role very well.

So in what role are you wondering if a .45 1911 is worth it or not?

[Farmland]

I have carried a 380 or a 38 lady smith for many many years so I really don't worry about the size of the bullet. In fact both where my back up gun and I felt plenty safe with either.

Though for no other reason than I liked the gun I now carry a 40.

So the 9mm will do fine, though others may argue the point as they will for the manufacture of gun to use. So no I do not agree the caliber of the gun increase the chances of hitting something more vital.

If you shoot a lot you may want to consider reloading for the 45. I like the 45 because I can load to control the recoil.

However when carrying I use factory loads.

[T1gger]

Any gun I have is used primarily for defensive purposes. However, it is also used for the range, as I don't believe in buying a gun solely for range use.

[ET.]

I keep a Glock 21sf in my nightstand. 45acp is worth it when protecting my family. I've shot probably $1000 or more worth of 45acp through the gun practicing. I bought an Advantage Arms 22lr conversion kit for it and now 3/4 of the time I shoot 22lr through it at the range. I feel 1/4 with 45acp is all I need to keep sharp. Plus I shoot a lot of 40s&w, 357sig & 45LC still so I get recoil stimulus shooting those. Afterall it's handling the recoil that most people need to practice anyway. Those other rounds are enough to keep me from jerking (& looking like a jerk) when SHTF.

[iMagUdspEllr]

Well for a night stand gun a .45 1911 is excellent. Be aware that you only have between 7 and 10+1 rounds until you have to reload. I believe another bullet is greater than a bigger bullet so I like 9mm (especially since the difference between a 9mm and a .45 is negligible with modern bullet design).

As far as carrying a 1911 concealed... that is perfectly fine too. Acknowledge that you will have to carry flush-fit mags (6 to 8+1 rounds) if you are carrying concealed. I suggest that you get a 1911 that has a scandium alloy or aluminum alloy frame and preferably a 4" or 3" barrel (not full-size... unless you really don't mind the size and weight and are able to effectively conceal it).

However once again, I prefer the lower weight, higher capacity (9mm) polymer designs over a 1911 for concealed carry.

[brabham78]

If you want a 1911 -.45acp because you like them? Then if it give you pleasure, you should have it :)

If you want a .45 because you think a 9mm won't have the desired effect on an assailant? Save your money, 9mm works.

[heitz]

I own 9mm, 45acp, 38 super, and 38special/357 and to tell you the truth the 45 acp is the most pleasent to shoot, 38 special running a close second in a 4inch bbl, on a regular basis. It is a round that has not only history but one that has been loaded and worked to perfection in my opinion. From a 1911 style to the newer poly frame types it is a smooth rocking recoil while others mentioned have a distinct snap to them. I have shot 1000s of rounds through lots of revolvers and semis and to me the 45 is definately worth the extra couple of bucks to buy ammo. Start reloading and the cost comes down after a while.:D in a defensive conversation the added kenitic energy isn't bad either:p

[jpsshack]

reload!

[pelo801]

reload!
yeah, this ^^

[orionengnr]

Well, I find that I shoot a 1911 better than anything else, so yeah, to me it's worth it.
Yes, I handload. And I agree that a 1911 is at it's best in .45 acp, although I have owned several in 9mm and currently own one in 10mm...and am actively pursuing a Coonan in .357 Mag.

[iMagUdspEllr]

@jpsshack: Reloading is worse than having more rounds in the magazine. Not only is reloading one more thing to mess up in a life or death situation it means you will either have a one-shot or zero-shot gun sooner than you would with a gun with a higher capacity magazine. AND, reloading isn't as easy as it is at the range. You can't have your magazines in your competition belt. You have to conceal your magazines. That means you have more things to buy, more things to conceal, and a plan to not only draw your gun from concealment but also a plan to retrieve your magazines from concealment while holding your gun.

It just complicates the situation. So my stance is work smarter not harder.

@T1gger: Now if you shoot a 1911 the best then you should carry a 1911. Nothing else matters if you don't hit what you aim at. If .45 is the only way you will take a 1911 please do get a good system going with which you are able to conceal not only your gun but your spare magazines as well. AND, practice reloading from concealment.

But man, that just isn't worth it to me to get 6-8+1 500 ft/lb bullets when I could have 13-19+1 400 ft/lb bullets per flush fit magazine.

[OJ]

I love the 1911 - that relationship started in 1943 and just gets stronger -

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/kmastf/PISTOLS/P3130001A.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/kmastf/PISTOLS/PA120001.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y25/kmastf/PISTOLS/IMG_2401.jpg

NOW, IF THEY COULD JUST MAKE THEM ATTRACTIVE TO LOOK AT -:rolleyes:

[GDCooper]

For the sheer joy of shooting a handgun it's VERY hard to beat a quality 1911, and I've not shot any REALLY high-quality models so ai can only imagine how good they could be in comparison to the "pretty good" ones I have shot.

The 45 ACP is in the same vein, feels solid in recoil but not sharp or brutal. i know those are subjective terms, not scientific or measurable, but that's how beauty is...

So by all means, get yourself a 1911, and at least your first HAS to be 45 ACP.

[bamaranger]

hey imag

A fella really needs to always carry an extra mag. Even very good auto pistols fail on occasion, and the usual drill for clearing one in a fight, after hopefully fully using cover, involves dropping the mag, clearing the offensive case/ctg, and inserting a fresh mag into the pistol. Failure drills. Everybody hates em and nobody practices them enough.

With no fresh mag to insert, you will have to retain the ejected mag, which can be complicated, really complicated , clear, and then reinsert.

The high cap mag issue is likely a bit over done. Heck, I carried a revolver for years with a puny 6 rds in it. ( and 3 reloads) But, although not likely, who's to say you might not need a second mag/reload.

The reloading comments about reloading ammo to reduce cost of shooting, a big +1 to that. The 1911 family requires a bit of effort to manage safely, manual safety and all that, more than a wonder auto for sure, but lots of folks manage it well.

Another +1 to no 9mm 1911's.

[iMagUdspEllr]

@bamaranger: Put the mag in between your ring finger and your pinky.

But yes I do agree that you should carry extra magazines. But you could easily carry two or three times as many rounds in a smaller space with fewer extra magazines if your magazines already have a higher capacity. This means its an easier system to conceal and you do not have to reload as often. I'm not saying avoid learning how to do failure drills, avoid carrying extra magazines, or avoid learning how to reload. Its just that if you have a gun with higher cap magazines in the first place then if you don't have the ability to carry extra magazines (either you aren't wearing enough to conceal them well or don't have the space et cetera...) then it isn't too bad because you already have more rounds just in the gun itself. This isn't as big of a deal in the winter but in the summer it could be problematic to constantly be wearing enough clothing to conceal not only your gun but 3 or 4 extra magazines (instead of maybe just one or two extra higher cap mags).

[Eagle0711]

The 45 is absolutely worth it. You could consider reloading, or just shoot it less.

I've reloaded the 45 and 9mm for years, and both are great cartriges. The brass seems to last forever on the 45 because it's a low pressure round.

The 1911 is possibly the best handgun that can be had, mostly because of the excellant trigger. It's the only trigger that moves straight to the rear. The gun is slim and is easy to carry. You can add almost any feature that you want, and parts are easy to get.

Absolutely nothing wrong with the 9mm. Development in better bullet designs have really benefited this cartrige as a defense round. Handloading the 9mm is fun and easy to. Brass is plentiful and cheaper than the 45. In hardball it will out penetrate the 45. Good Luck with your project. You will enjoy it. Eagle

[Mac1]

I'm gonna catch **** here, but I would not own, let alone carry a 9mm. How many times have you seen on one of these medical shows a bg telling the Dr where it hurts after being shot 9 times from a 9mm? Why did LE go away from the 9mm? I would much rather hit my target with ONE .45 than have a whole box of 9mm in a mag. It's not about quantity, as most fights are over in a few rounds. It's about quality. BTW, I have no problems with a .357 or .38+P HP. Just the 9mm is inferior. What's your life or that of your family's worth? Go ahead, let the bashing begin.

[iMagUdspEllr]

Weird... LE went away from 9mm yet the military went towards the 9mm.

Shot placement is more important than the "power" of the .45 (its a handgun round don't kid yourself that's why we have rifles). If you carry a .45 you have fewer chances to hit vital, fight-stopping areas of the bad guy. A .45 in the foot or even a .308 in the foot isn't going to prevent the bad guy from firing back. A .45 that passes right by the heart isn't as good as a 9mm in the heart. A .45 that hits their jaw isn't as good as a 9mm that hits their brain stem.

Not only that I would rather put 2 9mms in someone's chest than one .45 (800 ft/lbs of energy vs 500 ft/lbs).

More rounds is just better. If you miss you have more. If you hit then you have more holes in them than you would with a .45.

[HK-Lance]

I'm good with either 9mm or 45, although I far prefer a 45. And with the HK USP, I can carry 12+1, which is far better than some 45's that carry only 8 rounds. Even if I run into 4 attackers and end up needing to put 2 center of mass shots and 1 to the head to stop each of them, that leaves me one in the pipe while I swap magazines. If it gets beyond that, well...somewhere along the line I screwed up, and need a battle rifle.

[Pilot]

As others have said RELOAD. If I didn't reload for .45 ACP and ,45 Colt, I wouldn't be shooting them.

I have a bunch of 9MM's, but there is something special about the old American .45. Yes its worth it.

[RT]

http://i339.photobucket.com/albums/n443/thorm001/Funny%20pics/attachment-1.jpg

http://ammo.ar15.com/project/Self_Defense_Ammo_FAQ/index.htm#.40%20S&W

[Kreyzhorse]

Yes a 9mm is adequate for SD. A .45 is better on paper but in the real world, with shot placement key, I don't think the .45 over a 9mm is the difference between life or death.

With that said, my .45acp Springfield TRP 1911 is hands down my favorite gun to shoot. Every one should own at least one 1911. They are a joy to shoot and recoil in an all steel 1911 is pretty mild.

[Qtiphky]

I think in the post where they said to "reload" they meant "reloading bench." Once you start debating capacity vs. accuracy vs. follow up ability yada yada yada, the arguments begin.

Many feel that a 9 is plenty while others feel not. I am of the shot placement school and I carry a 380 most of the time. I know that I can put my first two shots in under 3 seconds where I need them to be with that gun. Does it have "one shot stopping power", who really knows until the situation arises. I would make the assumption that two in the chest and a third in the head will pretty much "diffuse any situation" rather quickly, regardless of caliber. As stated, most confrontations in which a pistol will be drawn will be over rather quickly, so quick well placed shots to me make more sense. Sometimes by carrying high capacity magazines, you may have the tendency to spray and pray, causing more problems for yourself. Sending 19 rounds down range without aiming could hit bystanders, etc. . .

As for the school of more shots = better, nothing wrong with this theory. Sometimes I carry bigger calibers with more rounds, but for how many years did Law Enforcement use six shooters? They worked and autos with only 7+1 will work too.

Caliber and capacity are really personal choice based on your situation and what you can shoot well. Platform (gun type) is also personal choice and my feeling is whatever you can get on target faster than the BG is what you should carry.

[bossman]

As for as SD caliber hell if someone is throwing rocks I'm out of there. I do have CCW guns but the far majority of my guns are shooting enjoyment. I do love large slow lead projectiles.

[overkill0084]

You say you enjoy shooting. You need to take steps in order to enable you to shoot more for less money. RELOAD! If you're careful, it's reasonably inexpensive to get going and you will save a bunch of money pretty quick with .45.
As to whether 9mm is enough for SD, that horse has been flogged for decades. My 2 carry guns are .38 special & .40 S&W, I'm sure that's no help at all :)

[Dashunde]

Is it worth it for standing still at the range and target shooting - probably not.

Is it worth it for practicing self-defense shooting techniques, quick-draw and shot placement, different body positions, left/right handed, and perhaps even running a course - You bet.
Its arguably the best defensive round available (everywhere), using it as such and staying quick, versitile and accurate with it is very worthwhile.

fwiw... photos of ballistic jell penetration doesnt really tell the whole story - While the 45 achives roughly the same depth, it is also depositing much more energy due to its larger diameter and mass.

[Smaug]

If you are a reloader, on the other hand, things change.

45 ACP is a great round to load. It saves lots of money. the case is stout and big enough to easily work with. It isn't powder-hungry. (uses just a bit more than a 9 mm) 45 ACP kicks more, so follow-up shots aren't as quick, but it is a pleasant kick; not like the sharp, snappy 357 Magnum, or heavy, teeth-rattling 44 Magnum.

If you like 1911s and 45 ACP, do yourself a favor and get into reloading. It is a great way to get deeper into this hobby. You'll be able to spend time with the hobby without burning through ammo. You won't save any money, but you will shoot more for the same money. You can custom-tailor loads to your guns. This is a huge advantage for necked-down rifle rounds, but still a noticeable advantage for straight rounds.

Other than $150-200 of initial outlay, there is really no disadvantage, unless you really don't have the time to do it.

OT: One cool thing about 9mm is that it is a good carbine round. It is high velocity out of a pistol. With the longer barrel, it only gets better. It is a good 100 yd. round. Here again, if you reload it, you'll get even more accuracy out of it.

[BigJimP]

My loader cranks out about 1,000 rds an hour in .45 acp ....at a cost of about $ 7.20 for a box of 50 .... ( so sure its worth shooting it as much as you want ) ....... ( my 9mm reloads are $ 5.19 for a box of 50 ) .....

so it costs me $ 2 a box more to shoot the .45 acp .....what's not to like...and at 1,000 rds an hour it doesn't take much time ...and I load a premium FMJ 230 grain round in .45 acp / that tightened up my groups at least 30% over the cheap promo ammo that costs $ 23 for a box .....

http://www.dillonprecision.com/

[wingman]

I'm more accurate with the 1911 45acp so yeah I like it, reloading is the only way to go if you shoot much and even that is rising in cost.

[Bamashooter]

I hope to one day have a 1911 in .45acp. Right now I have a PT-145 and it holds 10rds. of ammo. I think the .45 is the best defensive handgun caliber available. Nothing wrong with any other caliber. I have a 9mm and a 9x18 mak. I think they are all effective, I just think the 45 is the king.

[triumph666]

Yes a 45acp is worth it.....The 45's greater claim to fame for shooting a meatbag is the blunt trauma the 45's cause around the actually wound....

A 9mm is an effecient round but a person shot with one doesnt get the massive blunt trauma around the wound

A surgeon i know told me that people coming into hospitals with 9mm in them were fairly likely to have a chance of survival whereas people coming in with 45 and 44 rounds in them were not so saveable

[t45]

In my opinion, the 9mm and the 45acp are both worth carrying. My all season gun is a PF-9 because I can carry it anytime without worry of concealment. My 1911 is carried when Im dressed for colder weather to make concealment easier. They are both great calibers and do not feel disadvantaged with either. Shot placement is the name of the game. If you need 17 rounds to hit the vitals, you need more practice.

[ttheel]

You better bet that the .45 ACP is worth it. It may very well be the best all around self defense caliber on the market. It is hard to argue with the diameter and weight of a 230 grain load in terms of effectiveness.

[BerettaBuckeye]

Yes

[Cheapshooter]

Worth it-Yes. Reload for it-Even more worth it!:D

[hikingman]

IMO, not unless you plan to reload, and shoot several hundred rounds of .45 per year. If reloading on a single stage press is your thing, definitely!

[sigxder]

To enjoy as a range gun??? Sure. For carry though I think their are more modern designs that are much better sited for carry. 1911's cam be finicky. The have a low round count. And parts such as the plunger tube are prone to break. With all the safeties if you carry one it's probably all you should carry.

[Noreaster]

What ever you feel comfortable with is worth it. I wouldn't hesitate to limit myself to a wheel gun if I had to choose only one, (my GP100!) I currently have a 9mm 17 shot as a night stand gun. Only because I worry about over penetration with my 357 sig and 9mm is cheaper to shoot. Would I prefer a 45acp, no doubt. Don't over think it though, what ever you like best is the one to choose.

On a side not I also got the 9mm because it has a rail for a light attachment. After long and serious consideration I didn't mount a light on it because I don't want to point a loaded firearm at one of my kids by accident. I'll search with a hand held light and keep the muzzle in a safe direction.

[ltc444]

You should carry what you can hit with.
Reload Pistol ammo is for the range.
factory ammo, preferably what the local police carry, is for self defense. Your defense attorney will be able to do his job better if you use Police carry ammo.

ALLWAYS carry a second mag. Most malfunctions, assuming a clean and functioning weapon, are mag related. In the event of a jam, simply drop mag, clear the weapon and insert new mag.

good luck and good hunting

[sdcchas]

Get it and add to the collection! I just got a 1911 45 ACP myself and recommend doing it no matter what you are looking to do with it. It is fun to shoot at the range, fun to clean and the recoil is less than my 40 cal. I got a Kimber Custom II TLE Stainless but there are many good 1911 45 ACP guns to choose from. Go for it!

[RyanJ]

Adding my two cents. I carry .45's, used to carry .40's. Many will argue that "bigger and slower is better", gel tests show what they all do. Most self defense firearm discharge incidents happen within 10 feet. That said ANY well placed, first fired round will do the trick. LE went to the 9mm for hi cap, only to find it doesn't work well for guys on a mission. (they should have spent more time at the range) As far as service members, ask any one of them how their M9's perform in the desert and they will tell you they suck. The larger openings of the breech/barrel allow debris in and they have jams and problems. If you are worried about cost, it's really not much more to go to .45. Take up reloading as many of us do, it's fun, cheap, and great to shoot some good targets with "your" bullets.

[DBLAction454]

More than worth it. .45acp is and will remain my favorite caliber to shoot and carry. I'm looking for a 9mm for my summer carry (LC9 probably) but .45acp is my bread and butter.

[Packin Mama]

I reload my .45acp for about .05 each, because I have a lot of lead from tire weights, so the cost for me to shoot 600rds a week isn't bad. If you get into reloading, the cost of the stuff is up there to start with, but you save a lot in the long run.

[vyse.04]

Of course it's worth it if you like shooting your 1911! Sure the ammo costs a little bit more (or A LOT more compared to .22), but I have yet to have someone shoot my 1911 at the range and say they hated it. More often than not, it is preferred to what my friends end up bringing with them.

[4runnerman]

What can i say about the 45 ACP 1911 that hasot been said already??..
I too would not bet my life on a 9MM.High compacity means nothing when you only have 2 seconds to get shots off.

[Kag1377]

Put me down as a huge fan of the .45. I carry a compact 1911 with MagSafe ammo, because if I can only get one shot, I want it to be one that knocks the $"&?er down and lets me get away safely. I also just really love the 1911 to shoot for sport. So, yeah. It's worth it.

[RyanJ]

I think everyone hit the nail on the head with the replys. If you really want to cut down on the cost of "plinking" with a 1911, there is always a .22 conversion kit. One of my buddies I shoot Bullseye matches with was having trouble shooting his 1911. (1911's are a little more picky about how they are fired compared to most guns, nothing that can't be learned from target shooting) so he bought the conversion and shot the crap out of it. His scores went up within a month. They aren't cheap, but if you don't want to reload, or bless you if you don't care about ammo prices, you may want to consider the conversion.
With reloading, I'm "rolling my own" for about .20 a round.

[ET.]

Weird... LE went away from 9mm yet the military went towards the 9mm.

NATO has everything to do with this. The US wanted to be able to carry the same ammo as the other NATO countries. The 9mm was the round of choice. Also being the UN skeptic that I am, I also think that the UN thinks a bigger hole is inhumane, thus the fact that HP ammo is outlawed in war because the UN (& the Geneva Convention) thinks it inflicts too much damage.

It's ok to shoot the enemy, you just can't leave too big of a hole. (I guess the 45acp also leaves too big of a hole) It's OK to drop a bomb on the enemy's head, but it's a war crime if you are caught shooting them with a hollow point bullet. We don't want too big of a hole in them. You can stuff a granade in their mouth, but you can't shoot them with a hollow point bullet. God I hate the UN.

[larryh1108]

What's your life or that of your family's worth?

That statement is as old as the 1911 and has no meaning what-so-ever. I'm sure you could buy a better gun than the one you use now for $200-$300 more yet you don't. Isn't your family worth the extra money? If you don't carry a $3000 custom 1911, isn't your family worth it? Puhleeze, save the family worth it drivel for someone who doesn't know better. My family is worth whatever caliber I choose to stop a threat. Whatever caliber in whatever gun I choose because it works for me. Maybe your family is more valuable than mine so I'm glad you shoot that $3000 1911. I am so happy for your family.

[Mello2u]

Reload.

You can cut your cost per round down to the 15 cent per pop range. That's excluding the initial capital investment for equipment.

[Wanabebiker]

A 1911 in .45 ACP is habit forming...