i'm lookin to purchase a.45 but i'm not sure which one to get and which one is the best i'm really new to the firearm world......i'm in the army so i have some training on a few firearms but i want to make it a recreational thing i was looking into a H&K usp .45, ruger .45 auto p345, and spingfield armory xd .45 acp now i shot the h&k once my uncle's friend had one and he let me shoot it once but it's kinda expensive i want something i can put a light and laser on it.........can anyone help??????
looking for a good .45
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i'm not really lookin for cheap more like cheaper because with firearms i was told you buy cheap you get cheap but idk because all the weapons i shot were issued to me or someone elses and how do i go about shoot each for them without buying them? just go to the dealer and ask to shoot them?
Some ranges rent guns.
I don't have any very close to me, unfortunately, so it limits my opportunity to test the ones I have my eye on. I end up reading the internet and asking tons of questions, then I handle guns at shows and stores when I get the chance.
Otherwise, ask friends and family who shoot (if any) if you can buy some ammo and go with them next time they're using a certain weapon you might want.
I don't have any very close to me, unfortunately, so it limits my opportunity to test the ones I have my eye on. I end up reading the internet and asking tons of questions, then I handle guns at shows and stores when I get the chance.
Otherwise, ask friends and family who shoot (if any) if you can buy some ammo and go with them next time they're using a certain weapon you might want.
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As with just about anything in life, what works for me, won't necessarily work for you. When you ask for advice on these forums, you may get a lot of responses from folks telling you what works for them. If possible, get your hands on as many different types as possible and see what works best for you. Cost can sometimes be a factor, but think of it as life insurance and don't go cheap. A well made firearm will outlast you and your kids.
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332 Posts
There are so many brands you're just going to have to do some research and find out what you're most comfortable with and the easiest for you to use and what you'll be able to afford 
DON'T BUY A CHEAP POS JUST MY .02 CENTS
GODD LUCK YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A H&K USP .45
AUTOMATIC COLT PISTOL I BELIEVE
DON'T BUY A CHEAP POS JUST MY .02 CENTS
GODD LUCK YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH A H&K USP .45
AUTOMATIC COLT PISTOL I BELIEVE
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9,659 Posts
Give them all a try if you can. Find one that is comfortable for you to hold and use. Find what fits you best and then decide.
I have a Springfield XD, 4" barrel and I love it! It fits my hand well, its accurate and goes bang every time!
I have a Springfield XD, 4" barrel and I love it! It fits my hand well, its accurate and goes bang every time!
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3,282 Posts
I would go with a Smith and Wesson M&P45 for my first choice. Second would be a Glock 21.
Well whether it is recreational shooting or pure combat In 45 acp there is nothing better than a 1911 .
I know people will dispute this but fact of the matter is all the guns you named are built on the Polymer frames hence quasa copies of the Glock .
When Glocks started to become popular in the US I read an interview with Gaston Glock the famous maker and he stated clearly that his famous design was made with the facts in mind that police and military carry a sidearm far more than they shoot it . You might have noticed the original Glock came in 9mm , a much easier round to control in a gun with a light frame .
Personally I want a gun designed to be fired not carried comfortably when my life is on the line .
The 45 is a powerfull round and I want a gun that has the weight to absorb as much recoil as possible so I can get back on target accurately for mulitple hits , a steel 1911 does this better than any other gun you can buy .
You say you want a light and laser , you do realize these are realy nothing more then a novices toys especialy the laser ?
There are excelent tactics for using a flashlight without it being mounted to the gun .
If you insist on these toys all of the quality brands will add $200+ to the overall cost of your equipment and this is just for the laser/light units , then there are the cost of batteries to be considered .
All of these units run on very expensive short life CR 123 Lithium
batteries that typically cost $3 or more each , O and BTW by short life I am talking about less than 1 hour of light burn time here .
With a light needing 2 CR123 Lithium batteries you will spend $6 for 1 single hour of use which will be shorter when you add the use of a laser . You'll burn through a set of bateries just showing off your new gun to your friends .
You would be better served with Tritium sights that will glow for 10 years for $200 a set and a good flashlight for target identification should you ever need to use the gun at night .
You can still use a simple two handed technique with a very small and powerfull flashlight , I keep a Dorcy light on the nightstand that throws an 90 Lumen beam and uses 3 simple AAA batteries that cost me $40 and I can get one that throws a 120 Lumens for about $60 now , both more than powerful enough for any night fighting tasks .
A Taurus PT 1911 can be had with a rail and a light/laser combo can be had on GunBroker for $700 right now if you truely want all of the goodies and it is an excelnt gun from all of the reviews I have read at various forums .
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=99197628
I know people will dispute this but fact of the matter is all the guns you named are built on the Polymer frames hence quasa copies of the Glock .
When Glocks started to become popular in the US I read an interview with Gaston Glock the famous maker and he stated clearly that his famous design was made with the facts in mind that police and military carry a sidearm far more than they shoot it . You might have noticed the original Glock came in 9mm , a much easier round to control in a gun with a light frame .
Personally I want a gun designed to be fired not carried comfortably when my life is on the line .
The 45 is a powerfull round and I want a gun that has the weight to absorb as much recoil as possible so I can get back on target accurately for mulitple hits , a steel 1911 does this better than any other gun you can buy .
You say you want a light and laser , you do realize these are realy nothing more then a novices toys especialy the laser ?
There are excelent tactics for using a flashlight without it being mounted to the gun .
If you insist on these toys all of the quality brands will add $200+ to the overall cost of your equipment and this is just for the laser/light units , then there are the cost of batteries to be considered .
All of these units run on very expensive short life CR 123 Lithium
batteries that typically cost $3 or more each , O and BTW by short life I am talking about less than 1 hour of light burn time here .
With a light needing 2 CR123 Lithium batteries you will spend $6 for 1 single hour of use which will be shorter when you add the use of a laser . You'll burn through a set of bateries just showing off your new gun to your friends .
You would be better served with Tritium sights that will glow for 10 years for $200 a set and a good flashlight for target identification should you ever need to use the gun at night .
You can still use a simple two handed technique with a very small and powerfull flashlight , I keep a Dorcy light on the nightstand that throws an 90 Lumen beam and uses 3 simple AAA batteries that cost me $40 and I can get one that throws a 120 Lumens for about $60 now , both more than powerful enough for any night fighting tasks .
A Taurus PT 1911 can be had with a rail and a light/laser combo can be had on GunBroker for $700 right now if you truely want all of the goodies and it is an excelnt gun from all of the reviews I have read at various forums .
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=99197628
1911's are some of the most pointable, accurate pistols out to 50 yds, but I would hesitate to recommend it as someone's first pistol, even if they do have some hand-on military experience (m9?). They can be finicky and are a bit more complex than most of the plastic guns out there. The better ones (no MIM or cast parts) can be on the pricey side. Try to do some reasearch on the guns you are looking at, and the companies producing/selling them. If you are a tinkerer and aren't daunted by a gun that might need some tuning, it could be a match made in heaven.
That interview sounds interesting. Was he talking about the decision to go with polymer to save weight? I do know that Glocks are meant to be shot - and they do it well. Many consider them the standard of relibility for semi-auto pistols. A Glock(as with most guns as someone stated already) will outlast you if you take care of it. My friend has 12k rounds through his G20, and has never failed on full-power factory ammo.
As far as the .45 being powerful, in most loads its a big, slow-moving bullet. Standard pressures tend to be about half of other popular rounds (9mm, .40). The heavier bullet is what brings down the baddies so well, so the argument that you need steel to handle the round would be more true for other calibers, in terms of safety. That said, the extra weight is helpful in controlling the pistol (and as inferred, at the expense of portability) As for a firearm being shootable, a 1911 is one of the most easy to be accurate with.
Shoot as many different guns as you can get your hands on before you decide.
Now, I don't know you, 'from Adam'; however, your remarks about the 45 acp Glocks are, about, as naive as they are historically AND technically incorrect. Me and my two Glock Model G-21's have been together, now, for almost 5 years. I've run close to 18,000 rounds down the barrels; and, I've done this with fewer problems than with any of the other four 1911 Colt Government Models that I've owned and used for more than 30 years. At the present time I carry a G-21 everyday; I do not, and would not, hesitate to trust my life to this weapon. The only thing I give away to a 1911 is a little accuracy; but, I'm not a target shooter. I don't look for slow-fired fist size groups at 25 yards; instead I'm happy to keep everything inside a 6 inch circle at 15 yards - Just as fast as I'm able to press the trigger!
If you weren't so prejudice in your thinking and actually knew what you were talking about, you'd be aware that a Glock G-21 has a much lower bore axis than a 1911 and, consequently, kicks a heck of a lot less than anybody else's 45 design.
Maybe this is, 'Why' I have such excellent control over my front sight, with minimal dwell time between shots. (I've often fired IDPA matches faster than other shooters using 9 mm's have been able to do.) I, also, like the G-21's wide backstrap because it's much easier for my older hands to hang onto and control.
After I learned how to work with the Glock's trigger, I really learned how to appreciate the speed and smoothness with which it resets - Glock's reset is the best of all the polymer frame pistols. You presume Glocks aren't meant to be shot much? Well, I got 'a tell you: I'm going to continue putting thousands of rounds through my G-21's; and, I am positive that my Glocks will still be here, being shot by someone, long after I'm gone.
My own carefully considered frame life estimate for the Glock's 45 acp polymer frame is, now, at somewhere around 100,000 rounds. I've already seen stress cracks in the frames of plenty of metal-frame semiautomatics, and in a whole lot fewer rounds, too! (Think SIG, or Colt's alloy frame 1911's.)
The shooting range down the road from my house has a 20 year old, 1st generation, Glock Model G-17 that has over a million rounds on the frame! Sure it's been rebarreled, at least, once that I know of; and, the internal parts have definitely been replaced; but, I could go over to that range tomorrow morning and shoot the living heck out of this G-17 if I were so inclined. (Kind 'a puts an end to the, 'Glocks aren't meant to be shot a lot' mentality - Now, doesn't it!)
These things being said, your other comments on pistol-mounted combat lights are spot-on and exactly correct. I've long held to the opinion that if you're not part of an organized assault team, then, you shouldn't have your light mounted on your gun. (So, in this we are agreed!)
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I have to agree with BigO01 and G21.45 about the light and laser. Save your money and get a good holster or extra mags/ammo instead of a laser.
Having a light on you weapon is good and bad. Good point is you put the light on your target and pull the tigger if you need to. BAD thing is if you are searching your own house do you really want to use the light on your weapon? Military/Police use is fine, but for me I carry a light on my pistol (as a back up) and sweep the area with a different flashlight. I would rather be pointing my flashlight at a object while looking for that bump/noise in the night that usually turns out to be your kids then a laser/light/gun combo. Less chance of an accident.
As for looking for a .45, (no offense guys) but you will have to listen to everyone tell you what works for them. Be it a 1911, Glock, Springfield, etc., you will have to make the final choice. Just like buying a car/truck, what works for me does not work for you.
As for me, I can not stand the Glock, grip feels like a brick uncomfortable to say the least, 1911's nice feel, accurate, proven design, Springfield XD feels like it was made for my hand, Sig P220 points naturally great shooter, Ruger P90 big and blocky but a great shooting pistol nice price.
Those weapons work for me, yet I have been shooting since I was 5 and old enough (well big enough) to hold my granddad's Colt Pocket pistol in .25ACP. That has been over 30yrs ago.
So good luck in your search.
Having a light on you weapon is good and bad. Good point is you put the light on your target and pull the tigger if you need to. BAD thing is if you are searching your own house do you really want to use the light on your weapon? Military/Police use is fine, but for me I carry a light on my pistol (as a back up) and sweep the area with a different flashlight. I would rather be pointing my flashlight at a object while looking for that bump/noise in the night that usually turns out to be your kids then a laser/light/gun combo. Less chance of an accident.
As for looking for a .45, (no offense guys) but you will have to listen to everyone tell you what works for them. Be it a 1911, Glock, Springfield, etc., you will have to make the final choice. Just like buying a car/truck, what works for me does not work for you.
As for me, I can not stand the Glock, grip feels like a brick uncomfortable to say the least, 1911's nice feel, accurate, proven design, Springfield XD feels like it was made for my hand, Sig P220 points naturally great shooter, Ruger P90 big and blocky but a great shooting pistol nice price.
Those weapons work for me, yet I have been shooting since I was 5 and old enough (well big enough) to hold my granddad's Colt Pocket pistol in .25ACP. That has been over 30yrs ago.
So good luck in your search.
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