Looking for 45 ACP suggestions

[Reloadron]

Looking for 45 ACP suggestions
Hi, Looking for a good semi-auto 45. Use is strictly for the range. I live in a state where defending yourself is out of the question so size and weight are not important. Accuracy would be my prime interest. I was looking into the used gun market at some Sig P220`s but I'm open to suggestions. I`m not sure I`d want a 1911 as they just aren't my cup of tea. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Rick

The 1911 guns are just one of those love / hate guns with a few it's OK on the fringes. I happen to like the Sig P-220 which has been around for quite some time.

What is important is you finding a gun which fits your hand and which you are comfortable with. The form, fit and function of the gun in your hand. In addition to the Sig P-220 I also have a fondness for the CZ guns but again just my like and what feels right in my hand. If you get the opportunity to try several .45 ACP guns then do so and find what trips your trigger and what just feels right to you.

Ron

[Big Shrek]

I'm pretty sure most of the folks posting here read the title then tossed their opinions in...
without even bothering to read the actual post...

At least, that's how about 80% of the posts read.

From the OP's records, he logs in about once a month...posts, then comes back and
reads all the stuff posted, then replies. Considering how many people miss the point by
not even reading the Original Post before commenting, that ain't the worst idea.

There are lots of .45acp pistols to choose from...main thing is Fit and Feel.
That's why there's everything from the Star Firestar M45 to the Kriss Vector...
1911 ain't for everyone...for many it kinds sucks until you get a double-stack ParaOrd...
especially if you have giant gorilla hands...

[DukeConnor]

I've owned a few 45's. My Smith 4506 out shines them all.

[cw308]

Duke , I have a Smith 4566 3/4" shorter then the 06 . It is a great shooter.

[Danoobie]

Yeah, I've got an old S&W 745 that points really well. Those GEN IIIs are really nice
pistols.

[dgludwig]

I was surprised that up until now, that the Gold Cup was not mentioned.

Maybe because the op wanted to hear/learn about options that are not of a 1911 configuration. Nice as they might be to some, if not most (including myself); 1911 style pistols are not his "cup of tea".

[XDforever]

I own the S&W Shield in .45acp, along with the Springfield XD Mod 2 subcompact in .45 acp. Both are excellent shooters and carry extremely well.

I also have both the Shield and XD Mod 2 subcompact in 9mm. I like all 4 of these EDC guns.

Joe

[darkgael]

1911s not his cup of tea.
Accuracy is important to him....his prime interest.
Perhaps the posters who recommended 1911s were focused on that part of the OP.

[LBussy]

Originally Posted by darkgael

1911s not his cup of tea.
Accuracy is important to him....his prime interest.
Perhaps the posters who recommended 1911s were focused on that part of the OP.

Or maybe it was the part where he said:

Originally Posted by RickCoop

I'm open to suggestions. [...] Any suggestions would be appreaciated.

We thought maybe there was hope for him even if they were not his "cup of tea."

[rodfac]

A good used Colt Gold Cup, with some rail tightening and a trigger job would serve your needs and hold up well if you ever need to sell it. In my case, I've had good luck with the above suggestion, and with a Sig RCS (1911) as well as a pair of Ruger 1911's. Accuracy with the latter has been around 2" depending on the ammunition.

I also have a Sig P220 that's equally accurate, but it's one of the sought after W. German manufactured ones in a factory Nickle finish. It'd be a good carry piece if I wasn't so big...reliable, accurate, comfortable in the hand, but just to big overall.

HTH's Rod

[Big Shrek]

Originally Posted by LBussy

Or maybe it was the part where he said:


We thought maybe there was hope for him even if they were not his "cup of tea."

That's when someone should have mentioned the Para Ord double stacks

There's a lot of non-1911 45's out there, many are quite nice!

Some are quite odd, but recognizeable, like the Grant Hammond .45
Or the 1911-without the grip safety like the Ballester-Molina, or Star P/PD series...
or the Browning BDA...which is pretty much a SIG 220...
or a Daewoo DH45...lotta fun stuff out there, just have to research a bit

[redraif]

Also not a fan of 1911's... just not my thing.

I was looking at a few different variations, but the size of the grip is what messed me up on the ones I was interested in. Being female with Average hands... I had heard the sig 220 had a larger grip, plus the price point. I was leaning toward the bersa thunder compact, until I held one. Too big for my hands. At the time I was not seeing any offerings in the PX4, yet now I am finding them.

So I chose the Ruger American compact on a whim. Took it out for the first time finally. Was very impressed with how it felt and shot for me. Great price point as well.

[TRX]

> .45

Your first cut is "single or double stack"? Second cut (closely related) is, "does this gun fit my hand well?" If the gun doesn't feel good it doesn't mean you won't be accurate, but you'll work a lot harder to get there.


> For strictly range, plus accuracy

You'll want a full-size gun with a long sight radius, not a "compact" designed for concealed carry. If at all possible, see if you can rent, or at least hold, a Glock or 1911 longslide. I thought the longslides were silly for a long time, until I got one, and it made a huge difference in sight stability. For me, anyway.


> range

It's handy to have a collection of spare magazines already loaded, so you're not paying the range for the time you spend reloading. Once you whittle your choices down to two or three, check the availability and price of spare mags. There are some nice guns out there, but extra magazines are expensive, at least if you're looking to purchase half a dozen or more of them.

Finally, see if you can find a range that will rent a gun similar to the one you're interested in purchasing, or find someone local who has one if possible. I've owned several very nice guns that performed just fine in their previous owners' hands, that I couldn't hit the inside of a barn with. Not the guns' fault, but still a waste of money and ammunition for me. There are people who can pick up almost any gun and shoot it well; you might be one of them, but it can be an expensive disappointment if you're not.

[vba]

Three guns that I have and am very pleased with;

1. Les Baer PII

2. Glock 41 or 21

3. S&W .45 2.0

4. Sig P220

Er, that's four but they all are very nice. Take your pick.

[BIGR]

Anyone have any experience with a Sig P227, .45?

[k4swb]

Originally Posted by SDH56

I picked up a Springfield Armory 1911 Range Officer Elite Target about a month ago for range use. I also wanted it to be as close as possible to John Browning's original design, but with good sights and trigger. I've been very happy with this 1911, so far.

I can also recommend the SA RO Elite Target. Got mine in 9mm and love it.

[k4swb]

I also recommend the Ruger SR45. One of the most accurate handguns I've ever shot.

[dgludwig]

Anyone have any experience with a Sig P227, .45?

A couple of years ago, I traded a Model 220 for a Model 227, plus some cash. It wasn't so much that I wanted the extra rounds the double-stack magazine affords (though that was icing on the cake) so much as it was how much better the E2 grip felt in my hand ( virtually identical to the E2 grip on my Model 226). I have fairly large hands and, though I liked the way the 220 handled and performed, I love the way the 227 handles and performs.

[BIGR]

Thanks for the info, dgludwig.

I really like my P226's so I would assume that the P227 will feel just as good in my hands.

[rc]

For purely shooting fun I suggest a Kimber Target II or a Springfield Loaded with target sights. A sig 220 is a fine pistol, but it's not as nice a shooter as a real 1911 and never will be. A single action pistol is so much better for target shooting. Full size 5 inch guns don't buck so bad. rc

[Black Wolf]

As for 1911's I had: a series 70 Gold Cup, a series 80 Stainless Gold Cup, and a Delta Elite.

Now I have a Stainless Taurus PT1911 which seems to do everything that the others did (well, not counting the fact one was 10mm)

YMMV

Oh had a P220 also, loved it, but it just ain't a 1911 and I'm kinda partial to those.

[Pilot]

My CZ-97B has replaced all my other.45ACP pistols in the last few years. Get a newer one with the fiber optic front sight, black aluminum grips, and updated barrel. You will be very happy.

[rt11002003]

I've owned a couple of 1911s in .45ACP, three HKs, a Shield and one CZ, a CZ97. They were all very, very good guns. For the range, the HK Mark 23 would have been my first choice except for the trigger pull. Even in SA, the pull was too much for me. An excellent pistol, but not built for the range. The other two HKs (USP Expert and USP Tactical) were great, but not as good as the Mark 23. Better range guns: great triggers, out of the box; very accurate. The Shield is a super carry gun, very good trigger. Its short coming on the range is accuracy at greater distances. Short barrels are just not as accurate at distance, in general. My CZ97 didn't start out so great. But, with a few parts from Cajun GWs it turned into a pistol with a 2.2 pound trigger. It was already accurate. The better trigger really improved my shooting it.

Usually, I vote for 1911s. They are so easy to make great, if not already. Mine were SIGs. Super out of the box. But, my CZ97 performs better.

I always wanted a SIG 220 in X-5, or X-6 configuration. If they are anywhere near what my 9mm SIGs X-5 and X-6 are, they'd be very difficult to beat.

[rt11002003]

I need to mention the CGW parts converted the CZ97 to a SA. Makes a world of difference for range shooting.

[chadio]

I guess, if a person insisted on a .45 ACP that is non-1911:

- SIG Sauer P220
- SIG Sauer P227
- HK USP
- FNX 45

Yes, they have all been recommended before and above, but here is one nice tidy little shopping list