Thoughts on .45 ACP

[CEHollier]

That's great. The Lords round. I do shoot my 1911's frequently. And my XDM 5.25 is no slouch either. But my personal preference the 1911 chambered in 45ACP. When John Browning created the 1911 God and he took a day off to rest because he saw that it was good.

 

[CUJOHUNTER]

Very good points here. I'm not ready to carry .45 but willing to keep at home and hopefully,slowly develop a surplus of ammo in hopes of shooting on a more regular basis. I practice essentila drills with 9mm and .38 and plink with tons of .22....that's my usual routine. I've devopled a comfortable sense of proficiency with 9mm and .38 and still carry the two. The introduction of .45 is to hopefully be proficient with it enough to carry concealed or otherwise. Like I said....if money wasn't an issue I wouldn't be having this conversation. Shot placement is always key with any caliber and should always be a given no matter what you shoot. I guess some of you have answered that lingering question of will the larger caliber make that much of a difference.

I'm also trying to figure out if I can even afford to keep this caliber or if I should not worry about it for now until I can.

 

[lsu fan]

You can't go wrong with either one. If you've always wanted a .45, get one! It's on my list, even though it probably will just be something for fun. No reason not to buy one....

Now, making a decision to switch to .45 as your primary self defense ammo, that is a tougher decision and the debate goes a long long ways, I wouldn't get too caught up in it.

 

[jguilletjr]

So,I've been contemplating stepping into the realm of .45 ACP. To date,I shoot more 9mm than any handgun centerfire caliber available because of price. True,9mm is good all around caliber that can do most,if not all,the jobs a handgun is capable of doing. Wether it be for protection or competition or just general plinking...9mm tends to stand out in my favor. However,I've been thinking of stepping up into the 4s and I'm a little apprehensive,only for one reason...cost. I know my life and the lives of my loved ones shouldn't have a price but let's be real here...common sense is worth more than all these guns I have combined. So far I have 9mm and .38 as my centerfire calibers. Thought about .40 then I happened upon a nice Ruger P345, and that's were it all started. As tempting as it is to start a .45 ammo race,other things like bills and my child's education come up and take precedent over my wants. I guess my question is...am I really going to gain an advantage by adding .45 to my arsenal? I'm aware of the technical stats of .45 vs 9 or 40 but is it really going to matter in the long run? If money permitted,I wouldn't be having this conversation,but money and common sense is always an issue. You see,my anality will take the ammo procurement to the umph degree and before I know it,I will have spent hundreds of dollars in ammunition in the next couple of months. Or ...I coiuld just stick with what I have for now. Believe it or not,ya'll are the only ones I can have this forum with. Some of you might think I'm just plain nuts and foolish but I've always wanted a .45 and I'm ready for it but I don't know if my money is ready for it? What do ya'll think?

Personaly I think if "you've always wanted one" you should get one. (when money permits) I had one, and I loved it. I have a variety of handguns, currently no .45 ACP. (I traded it for a .44mag about 30 years ago.) But I want one, so I know as soon as I can afford it I will get another one. Not because I need it, just because I want it. You can't please every one, so you got to please yourself.

As for Ammo Costs, Consider handloading. Once you get the equipment you will find a new dimension to shooting that you probably never appreciated before.

 

[Emperor]

FWIW, what is the minimum rounds-per-month required to achieve competence, anyway?

Funny! And yet, interesting!

 

[ericlosh]

9mm is my prefered cartridge, but one day i will get some sort of 1911 and it will have to be in .45acp. Just wouldnt feel right if it wasnt

 

[CUJOHUNTER]

I used to carry strictly .38 and now I carry 9mm for obvious reason. Bigger and faster punch and increased capacity with 9mm. I will always like shooting .38 but have stopped buying ammo for it because I've put more emphasis on 9mm as an everything caliber. Owning a .45 will be a work in progress and not that much more expensive than .38 plus if I'm going to work on a alternate caliber it might as well be a .45. Not saying that .38 is a redundancy to 9mm or vice versa,but they're somewhat close kissing cousins. Besides,I'm shooting more semi auto that revolvers nowadays.

 

[DAUC]

I went with 9mm because I knew it could an all around caliber. I can only plan one purchase at a time, and when looking for my first I went with 9mm and could not be happier. I think with 9mm the ammo makes a bigger difference for self defense, as in one needs to be more particular. It will do what it was intended to do. I also want to practice a lot and I typically buy 9mm range ammo for about $0.19/round. .45 is a little more expensive, but to completely invest you are talking about a lot more. You would still need to buy the gun and then feed it.

That said, I also know that one day I will have a .45. It just does not fit in with my needs (and wants) right now. I have something I trust carrying, can easily feed, and can practice with all day. My "gun money" goes to 9mm practice ammo and rifle stuff right now.

I am trying to learn that I will hopefully be around for a good many more years, and that I do not need to get everything I want/need as soon as I see a good deal/can afford it/just want it. Evaluate your situation and proceed. You already have guns that you obviously trust so I don't think you can wrong.

 

[charliepapa]

Or if I can place shots more accurately with my NAA 22 magnum revolver is it better than 45 ACP? lol NOT...

why not? I mean, connecting with a rock seems like it would be better than missing with a 50BMG.

if you can shoot the guy in the eye with the 22 mag and only hit him in the fleshy part of the thigh with the 45acp, seems like you're ahead with the 22.

 

[lsu fan]

why not? I mean, connecting with a rock seems like it would be better than missing with a 50BMG.

if you can shoot the guy in the eye with the 22 mag and only hit him in the fleshy part of the thigh with the 45acp, seems like you're ahead with the 22.

Haven't you heard? A .50 BMG bullet only has to pass close to an appendage to blow it clean off!

 

[Baldrik78]

.45 ACP is for sissies.

I carry a .50 BMG zip gun. I stick it down my pants leg so it looks like I have a massive penis.

 

[oleheat]

Haven't you heard? A .50 BMG bullet only has to pass close to an appendage to blow it clean off!

You must be mistaking .50 BMG for 10mm.

 

[lsu fan]

You must be mistaking .50 BMG for 10mm.

In light of the recent "Dumbest things you've heard in a gun store" threads, I went with .50 BMG because I saw that one posted a few times.

 

[oleheat]

In light of the recent "Dumbest things you've heard in a gun store" threads, I went with .50 BMG because I saw that one posted a few times.

Good call!

 

[Sin-ster]

"A 9mm may expand; a .45 never shrinks."

Good hits are the most important, in the quickest amount of time possible. But all things being equal, bigger is better. It's sheer math to me-- hole size over time, the "most damage" wins.

For me, a full size .45 that fits my hands well wins the match up. A little slower, a lot more wound channel.

 

[na4now]

I edc a .45acp. If I need to use it for protection, it's stopping power gives me the warm fuzzies.

 

[Mjolnir]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1911_pistol

In response to problems encountered by American units fighting Moro guerrillas during the Philippine-American War, the then-standard Colt M1892 revolver, in .38 Long Colt, was found to be unsuitable for the rigors of jungle warfare, particularly in terms of stopping power, as the Moros had very high battle morale and frequently used drugs to inhibit the sensation of pain.[6] The U.S. Army briefly reverted to using the M1873 single-action revolver in .45 Colt caliber, which had been standard during the last decades of the 19th century; the heavier bullet was found to be more effective against charging tribesmen.[7] The problems with the .38 Long Colt led to the Army shipping new single action .45 Colt revolvers to the Philippines in 1902. It prompted the then-Chief of Ordnance, General William Crozier, to authorize further testing for a new service pistol.[7]

I have both 9mm and .45ACP I agree with Steve. You cannot go wrong with either. If money is an issue go with the a 9mm.

If you dig deeper into it the .45 didn't do all that well, either - just relative to the abysmal caliber they were using prior to the 1911.

Hint: Shotgun...

 

[Mjolnir]

.45 ACP is for sissies.

I carry a .50 BMG zip gun. I stick it down my pants leg so it looks like I have a massive penis.

I'm borrowing this. Might make it into a T-shirt, too!

LOL!

 

[cjacob]

if you can only have 9 rounds in your mag, would you want them to be 9mm, or .45 acp. i just keep thinking back to WWII, who had the 9mm, and who had the .45 acp? .45 was designed to put a man down with fewer shots, and i'd be willing to bet, thats still the case today

 

[Gus McCrae]

.45 ACP is for sissies.

I carry a .50 BMG zip gun. I stick it down my pants leg so it looks like I have a massive penis.

See, that's why I carry the .45 ACP. I know it won't do any good which gives me the opportunity to beat the BG down with my ridiculously large penis.