xd .45 for Beginner?

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Judas530

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I have been shooting a Ruger Mark II now for a while and do alright with it. I keep all shots in the bull and black at 15 yards and all shots on the target at 25 yards, with most in the black.

I am now ready for my second pistol and am about to purchase a xd .45 service. I am in CA so with a 10 shot max mag capacity, I cant see getting a 9mm over a .45 for a HD/range gun since I can't capitalize on HI CAP Mags. At the price I am getting the gun for I can easily get my money back if I decide the 9mm is more controllable for me. And I do know that I will be eating alot more in ammo costs, but this is a price I am willing to pay, plus Ill be taking up reloading at the end of the year, so this wont be as big of a problem.

Does anyone see a problem with me going directly up to a .45 instead of working up? I shot a Ruger P-345 right before I started practicing heavily, and at first had a hard time hitting things, but started to do alot better as I got towards the end of the box of ammo. I have shot .357 and .44 mags, so I know that I can handle recoil. It will just take some getting used to to switch to a heavier recoiling auto. I will be practicing between 1-2 times a week so it won't be a shoot twice a year gun. Does my thinking look sound here, or should I reconsider and work up?
 
My first pistol was the XD-45 Tactical, and I love it, I had shot a fair amount of 45 before Sigs, HKs, 1911s, and others, but thr XD 45 will serve you well.

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XD is a fine pistol.

I bought my Dad one for his birthday last year. Good gun, grip isn't overly large for a double stack magazine and it chambers a good round. Trigger ain't bad, either.

I'd opt for the one that feels best in your hands. The 9mm (as well as .40 S&W and .357 Sig) and .45 are built on slightly different frames, so it might be worth a look.

Don't worry too much about the recoil. .45acp isn't the thumper most have the impression of. Use a proper grip and stance, it'll shoot just fine for you. The relatively heavy slide and polymer frame help in this regard, also.
 
Short answer? XD in .45 will be perfectly acceptable.

Long answer? The same! The recoil from the average full-sized .45 isn't anything to be particularly concerned about, and the fundamentals of marksmanship learned on the .22 will transfer to the .45. As far as it specifically being an XD, thats really more of a subjective thing. If you like them, great. If not, look around until you find something you do.
 
I owned ax XD45 - its perfectly fine for a beginner. Not much different recoil than a 9mm.

My only dislike of the gun was the trigger, It is a terrible trigger.

but for reliability, cost, caliber etc? - very fine choice.

and yes, Id suggest reloading .45s

have fun!
 
I sold my XD45 to guy at work over a year ago, it was his first ever (and first ever handled) handgun. We talked a long time at my back yard "range" about gun safety and handling then I showed him how to operate the pistol, then we did did a bunch of dry runs with it. Finally we got around to shooting it... after all that he still bought the pistol and is still pretty happy with it.

They do not beat you up with recoil
 
Excellent guns. You could do far, far worse. If you are concerned with recoil, although it's not to bad in the XD .45, you may want to consider a XD 9MM. Mild recoil and much cheaper to shoot. I really like the XD platform. I am first and foremost a 1911 guy, but the XD's are really nice. I am going to talk myself right into another one here if I'm not careful. :)

Welcome to THR
 
I've got lots of 1911 .45 pistols and one XD45 tactical pistol.

The XD lives next to my living room chair and will be the one I grab if anyone is unfortunate enough to decide to come here for nefarious purpose.

Amongst all the others the XD 5" pistol stands out for it's solid grip, easy pointing, soft recoil, and total reliability.

I've modified my trigger with one of the $20. spring kits so it's got less takeup than a new one and breaks at 5 lbs. instead of the 8-11 lb. variable trigger when new.

But with the trigger mod or without these guns are a solid choice with excellent reliability using any ammo. Easy to shoot, gentler than most 9mm (other than XD9's) because of it's weight. I really like it, can you tell.

I'm 59 years old and the XD45 was my first tupperware gun. I thought I'd never have one but it's caused me to give them all a new look. So now I've got the XD, a Keltec (P32, 3Pat (.380), and a P11 (9mm) along with a Glock 19 in the mail arriving Monday or maybe Tuesday from Bud's.
 
It probably be ok and I can see your concern with your 10rd mag issue. I also live in CA and have a lot of pre ban "high caps" but in guns that I have few or don't, I hate having a 15rd or so 9mm with 10rds over a 12rd .40 with 10rds as an example.

You may still want to consider 9mm due to the costs of .45acp ammo. I sort of maybe want a .45acp XD as well.
 
You will definately be ok with the XD. As another poster stated I am also a big 1911 fan, but the first time I held the XD and found the high cap mag didn't add much to the mag well, I was hooked and bought it on the spot. Don't worrry about the recoil. Heavy slide helps a lot.
 
I havent shot a XD45, but really like my XD9. The first semi-auto pistol I shot was a Colt 1911, the 45 recoil isnt too bad. I think you'll be OK with the XD45.
IMG_1096.jpg

Im glad I dont live in CA. The 16rd mags in my XD9 seem to lock the slide back too quickly. lol. The 1911 is worse, and doesnt get shot much b/c of only 1 7rd mag.
 
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