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Old October 9, 2012, 05:06 PM   #1
WIN1886
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Was thinking of another 9mm semi auto but went 45 ACP instead

After being persuaded by several to give the .45 ACP a try for target use and since I already have my one and only BHP in 9mm......I decided to go for a SIG P220 Match Elite in all stainless frame & slide for a change ! I never owned a .45 ACP semi auto pistol before or a SIG for that matter so this should be fun !
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Old October 9, 2012, 06:19 PM   #2
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I did something similar. Was considering a Glock 19 or 26 but ended up getting a 30SF and love it. Already had a couple of 9mm's and decided to go with a 45acp this time around.
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Old October 9, 2012, 06:25 PM   #3
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I suffered a similar fate. Those stainless Sig 220's with the rosewood Nill grips are an absolutely deadly barbecue gun.
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Old October 9, 2012, 07:49 PM   #4
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I have had a bit of time with the .45 ACP already with an old S&W 4506 that's been in the family but not truly my own....plus , I've had the opportunity to try a couple of Colt 1911's out as well at the range owned by fellow shooters ! I'm stoked.....can't wait to get it and try it out !
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Old October 9, 2012, 09:33 PM   #5
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I hope you reload. Those pistols are hungry devils. I hope to have one some day. Even a plain Jane P220 .45 would be nice. Congratulations.
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Old October 10, 2012, 06:05 AM   #6
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.45 is accurate

I currently own four 9mms and two S&W .45s. The .45s are much more accurate. I think the wider caliber provides greater centrifugal force which increases bullet stability, all else being equal.
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Old October 10, 2012, 04:41 PM   #7
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I've been told by some that the 45 ACP is inherently more accurate than the 9mm cartridge.....several gun shops I visited recommended the 45 over the 9mm for competitive target shooting and hinted more towards a good 1911. That being said I really like the 9mm cartridge and would get another one in a heartbeat....however, seeing the P220 at a fairly decent price the temptation was just too much !

Handloading....yes, I do handload but I got to update my old equipment if I ever want to keep up with shooting these new centerfire semi auto's !
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Old October 10, 2012, 05:56 PM   #8
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Why yes, I cut my teeth loading .45 ACP. Has to be the most forgiving cartridge ever. Probably why I still have my teeth!
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Old October 11, 2012, 11:54 PM   #9
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Range report for the P220 Match Elite would be greatly appreciated... pics as well!
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Old October 12, 2012, 06:05 AM   #10
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Quote:
I've been told by some that the 45 ACP is inherently more accurate than the 9mm cartridge
The straight walled .45acp case & the slower bullet & lower operating pressure of the .45acp sure are a lot easier for me to get a very accurate load w/out any trouble at all.

I gave up trying to get a functional & accurate 124 gr lead bullet load for the tapered case 9mm Luger in frustration...

I'm not a believer in "inherent accuracy".

However - I do believe that some calibers & along with it, the guns they are chambered for, are designed more with function in mind than accuracy.

The 9mm Luger - in the right gun - can shoot laser beam straight - and - with a healthy velocity it has a nice flat trajectory for extended ranges.
That comes with a hefty price tag though as witnessed by the Sig 210 and the H&K P7.

Re: handloading - The .45acp has been a true target shooter's (Bullseye) choice for a good number of years - just like the .38spl.
There's a wealth of data floating around for top shelf accurate loadings.

OTOH - a dozen years ago or so when I gave up on my quest for the 124 gr. 9mm Luger load, I found the info lacking.
I may have to revist that quest once again since it's been a long time & there's bound to be more info to work with.

But - I'm still sort of saddled with two Hi Powers and a CZ75b in 9mm Luger to work with.
While I love all three - tack drivers they ain't.....they do work 100% all the time though...
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Old October 12, 2012, 07:07 AM   #11
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Oh, to be saddled with two Brownings! But is not accuracy one of the functions?
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Old October 12, 2012, 07:34 AM   #12
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I was recently searching for a .45 for a few months, and just picked up the P220 Match Elite as well. It's an absolutely gorgeous gun to look at, and the aluminum grips are surprisingly good. So far I have put 350 rounds down range, a mixture of 230gr WWB, Remington UMC, Speer Gold Dot, all fed reliable. The recoil is similar to my CZ-75 in 9mm, extreamly soft since the gun has some heft to it. I think your going to love it, this gun is accurate as hell, and built like a tank! Enjoy your new P220
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Old October 12, 2012, 08:15 AM   #13
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I have a German P220, it is older style with the folded slide and aluminum frame. This gun is one of the most accurate .45 acp's I own and will shoot with most of my 1911's except for my Baer Monolith.
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Old October 12, 2012, 11:50 PM   #14
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I think you'll be very pleased, especially if you're able to work up some 'classic' 45 ACP loads and a few fun ones. You've got a handgun that will perform well for as long as you choose to own it...congrats.

My custom Elite Stainless:



Post some pics when you can...folks likes pics.
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Old October 13, 2012, 02:41 AM   #15
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Quote:
Oh, to be saddled with two Brownings! But is not accuracy one of the functions?
Yes/no...
While I don't really care for the term - combat accurate - I find it does describe some guns pretty well.
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Old October 13, 2012, 05:59 AM   #16
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My box stock MKIII Browning Hi Power in 9MM is my most accurate centerfire handgun with factory loads or my own reloads. More accurate than my Springfield and Colt 1911's, and my HK USP Tactical .45 with match trigger. Is it close? Yes, I am talking about very small margins of accuracy, but I can get consistantly better groups with the Hi Power in 9MM, than my .45's. Not a statistically significant sample, and just my own anecdotal experience.
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Old October 13, 2012, 06:21 AM   #17
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My HP falls into the "why cant they all shoot this great" category. One of my most accurate, easy to shoot pistols.
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Old October 13, 2012, 06:55 AM   #18
Hal
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2" or under @ 50 yards accurate?

The best of my bunch - the CZ75b - on a good day - can do,,maybe,,4" @ 50 yards.
Both the HP's struggle to even do that.

& like I said above - trying to find a 124 grain lead bullet load that would even begin to allow that was so frustrating I simply gave up on the idea.

OTOH - both my Kimber's and my Colt Commander can shoot around the 2" @ 50 yard mark without a lot of trouble & putting together a 230 gr lead bullet load for them was super easy - thanks to the decades of handloaders that came before me that shared their data.

This would of course be from a rest for both the 9mm Luger and the .45acp.

Again - even though I dislike the term "combat accurate", a 5 or 6 inch spread @ 50 yards (IMHO) is more than adequate for a pistol intended for "combat".

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Old October 13, 2012, 09:13 AM   #19
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I want them all!!!

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Old October 13, 2012, 12:52 PM   #20
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Awesome pistol. I used to be dead set on having only .45s. Then I finally caved and got a 9mm and I haven't bought another new .45 since. That might have to change soon, though. There are just too many pistols I like chambered in it.
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Old October 13, 2012, 01:08 PM   #21
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Quote:
I've been told by some that the 45 ACP is inherently more accurate than the 9mm cartridge.....several gun shops I visited recommended the 45 over the 9mm for competitive target shooting and hinted more towards a good 1911. That being said I really like the 9mm cartridge and would get another one in a heartbeat....however, seeing the P220 at a fairly decent price the temptation was just too much !
45 is like the 30-06, its just hard to beat it but these days for HD the 9mm does the job as well.

That said, the 9mm can be as accurate (my SP2022 is deadly with the factory Golden Sabre's though its an odd one to handload and I use the XTP for that).

I picked up some of the hard cast lead TC bullets. Not impressed, about the same as average FMJ for accuracy (does not make any difference for HD but I like to target shoot and accurate is the fun part)
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Old October 13, 2012, 01:15 PM   #22
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My personal SIG is a P229 with both a .40 S&W and 357 SIG barrel. It's like two guns in one, I can switch barrels in about 20 seconds. And they both use the same magazines. I put a set of Crimson Trace Laser grips on it. Ask me why I like it so much! GO ON!

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Old October 13, 2012, 02:56 PM   #23
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My BHP just got a bigger brother !
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Old October 13, 2012, 05:47 PM   #24
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I can appreciate the 45ACP. It packs a solid punch especially in a double stack magazine. It's what I qualified with on the pistol range back in the 70's limited to the single stack of that era. I bought a 45ACP in the form of an XD pistol. Did not get the best scores with it since it took longer to get back on target during timed shooting events. I also had trouble getting on target quickly using weak hand only. When it came time for me to sell off some handguns, that XD-45 was retained. I did sell some Glocks: a 17L, 34, 26, and a 40 cal G22. After I got on my feet, and had some income, and to be fair to the Glock 9mm owners, I did buy a gen4 G-34 to replace the older G-34 that was sold. So I am agreement with those that see a place and purpose for both, a 9mm and a 45 ACP.
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Old October 15, 2012, 02:30 AM   #25
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My take on caliber accuracy

I'm up in the air when it comes to my favorite caliber. For me it's a toss up between the 9, the 40 and the 45. Some have said that the 45 is more accurate. I'm just a guy that loves to shoot and loves, my guns. I can only go on my personal experience, but I haven't found one to be more accurate than the other. What I have found is that accuracy has much more to do with the gun than the caliber. I have discovered CZ's in a BIG way lately. Prior to this, my W.German made Sig P226 9mm was the most accurate gun I had ever shot. To the point that the first time I ever entered any kind of competition shoot, I won. It was just a fun shoot this range close to me puts on, but still, I won. With a stock Sig. And there were quite a few tricked out 1911's and Glocks there. Well about four months ago I bought my wife a CZ P01. I fell in love with this gun the second I picked it up. The ergonomics on my Sig are perfect, but the CZ's are beyond perfect, and it's accuracy matched my Sig. I then got a P06 (.40). Same thing. It'll shoot circles around my H&K Compact .40 which is now for sale. Next came my 97 BD .45. It outshoots my Colt MKIV. My Compact 75 just came in last week. Haven't shot it yet. My 83 came in 3 days ago. Haven't shot it yet either. My 75 Kadet will be here in 3 days. Did I mention I went a little nuts over CZ's??






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