Best "Survival/Tactical" 45ACP handgun?

Friends of mine and I were discussing what would be "the best survival/tactical" 45ACP and the idea led to kind of a game of sorts with it making criteria for it. Thoughts included HK's, Sigs, 1911s, Glocks, etc, with me personally favoring a good 1911 with cerakote (or melonite) and a rail with lights possibly as a good set-up for the caliber. I personally was interested in this for the fact that i go fish a lot, and in knee deep or hip deep water sometimes, and since it's out and about in the wilderness when camping I would be very vested in one that would be reliable "outside city environments" where it needs to be good enough to stand being out and away for long. Some friends had military thoughts in mind hence the need for tactical.

Criteria that we thought of:

Could it handle being in holster as one traveled through swamp-like waters with muck and silt?
Does it have "good enough" capacity (or can take a decent enough extended mag)?
Corrosion resistance, will this thing rust like crazy, or what would you coat with to prevent that?
Does sand cause issue?
Is it inherently reliable with crap ammo?
Can it take a beating from being dropped, hit, etc?
How hard is maintenance in the field?
Would you think it needs to be compact or full-size and why?

And whatever other environments you can weigh in on, like it would survive scenario A but suck in scenario B, etc.

Bonus points:

Could you carry this concealed well enough? (Sorry HK Mk23)
Function vs reliability? If the gun is reliable as hell would a bad trigger bother you and vice versa?


It's just a game of theoretical and mixed with personal experiences that just make for good discussion regarding a favorite cartridge of ours. I prefer the round because it works wonders on larger critters that the 9mm may not stop well enough, but I do like my Glocks 17 and Glock 22 as well.

So what would be your choices and why?

For Reliability I would pass on 1911's and current Sigs. I would go with HK and Glock.

A KAHR CW45 fits the bill and is SS

My sprinfield loaded has been one of the most reliable handguns I've ever owned.

The 1911's reputation goes back to the days where anyone with a drill and a lathe was building 'custom' 1911's and calling themselves gunsmiths. Not to mention the number of guys installing beavertail grips and modding triggers in their garage and not knowing what they were doing. 3/4 of them were having issues and showing up in classes anyway...

Moral is leave it factory and you shouldn't have issues.

Glock 17

https://www.outdoorlife.com/photos/...-guns-survival-home-defense-shotguns/#page-15

Glock 36 or Taurus Judge. Personally, I like the Walther PPQ in .45

A well worn 1911 or Glock. with Ball, and homemade M-15's for small game and birds.

My Glock 36 has been very reliable, shoots pretty much anything, easy to clean, can conceal and can take higher capacity mags. Fits the bill for me.

Glock 21
FNX 45 (sleeper pick)

A poly frame striker gun would be the best bet for survival, due to weight concerns. Most of the modern versions are well made and coated, so rust should not be an issue. Capacity will be higher on a poly striker than a 1911, unless you run a double stack. About the only thing a modern poly striker 45 does not do well is conceal. That said i would prefer a 21 over a 36 for tactical survival.

And a quality railed 1911 is more expensive than a 21 or similar.