Question for anyone that CC's a 45 ACP.

I've has an AMT backup 45 ACP heavy little gun replaced it with a Kahr CW45 I cut the grip to take PM mags but alas I finally decided I really didn't need it and my Walther PPS 40 especially when I hardly ever carried either.
I have a 1991a1 compact (Officer's size) that's really more of a BBQ gun to me just to heavy for EDC.

Glock 36 IWB. (Only in those extremely few "winter" days in Florida when one can wear a jacket or heavy shirt over a polo, for example.

Retired MSG said:

I'm shocked at a couple of other oddballs like me carrying a G36, the Glock you never hear about. I use the 1 round mag extension too. Great pistol imho

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I carried a Glock 36 for a couple years but the finger grooves never fit my hand well so I sold it and my other Glock (43) a few months ago and replaced the 36 with a Springfield Range Officer Champion which I like much better. It has a lightweight frame, a 4" barrel and has a standard size grip that holds 8 rd mags of .45 acp just fine. I would have preferred a little smaller bobtail grip but I really like the Range Officer 1911s. I also like the 4" Springfield Ronin as well, but its 9mm rather than .45 acp.

I also have a Tisas Tanker and a Tisas and a Remington Carry model with 4.25" Commander sized slides in .45 acp that are sweet, sweet firearms. I prefer the 4" slides to the 4.25" commander slides but they are harder to come by.

There are quite a few nice 3.5-4" 1911s out there if you look around.

chaim said:

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If you want something smaller and/or lighter, in .45 I'd be most interested in a S&W M&P variant (the Shield if you want to be as small as possible) or a Glock. If you want to try something different (and also prefer your defensive guns to not have a manual safety), I think a SIG P220 would also be interesting, though it isn't really any smaller or lighter than an alloy 1911 Commander.

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I have the S&W M&P 45 Full Size M2.0. It's 1911 sized, but has 10+1 capacity and is lighter. Trigger can be cleaned up. It's a good carry gun.

The SIG P220 is Commander size. I really like it as a carry gun because it has a hammer and non-polymer frame (aluminum). I have the Legion SAO version, but the thumb safety is inadequate; it is just wide enough to make you think it's good and the tension is very tight followed by no resistance. It is a problem in many ways. That leaves the DA/SA version, which is quite good in the Legion series. The DA to SA transition takes getting used to and consistent practice. Some consider it a downside, but it's just a different system that anyone can use.

tomrkba said:

I have the S&W M&P 45 Full Size M2.0. It's 1911 sized, but has 10+1 capacity and is lighter. Trigger can be cleaned up. It's a good carry gun.

The SIG P220 is Commander size. I really like it as a carry gun because it has a hammer and non-polymer frame (aluminum). I have the Legion SAO version, but the thumb safety is inadequate; it is just wide enough to make you think it's good and the tension is very tight followed by no resistance. It is a problem in many ways. That leaves the DA/SA version, which is quite good in the Legion series. The DA to SA transition takes getting used to and consistent practice. Some consider it a downside, but it's just a different system that anyone can use.

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It surprised me when I tried the 220 SAO legion, the safety, since I find the one of my 226 Legion very nice, feels just like any of my 1911s, but I agree the 220 is different and worse.

DA/SA is surely different but after I finally spent the time to learn it, I really like it. If I were to get another Legion (229 probably) I’d absolutely choose DA/SA as the Sig Legion triggers are exemplary IMO.

Charlie Martinez said:

I recently picked up a Glock 30 and liked the feel but did not have a chance to fire it. I am extremely fond of my 1911's but I don't believe I could successfully CC one in the year round hot climate where I live.

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Not trying start a disagreement with my question but rather get other views. Why do you feel you could not CC a compact 1911 year round? What holster do you use?
Thanks

tomrkba said:

Of course you can. If I can lug a SIG P220 around in West Texas summer heat, you can do it too. Key is a Kore Essentials belt and either a Milt Sparks Criterion (strongside) or JM Custom Kydex AIWB 2.5 with Discreet Carry Concepts clips.

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I carried a Glock 30 for a couple years around southern Florida using crossbreed belt and supertuck holster without issue

Charlie Martinez said:

I recently picked up a Glock 30 and liked the feel but did not have a chance to fire it. I am extremely fond of my 1911's but I don't believe I could successfully CC one in the year round hot climate where I live.

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I live about five miles north of the Rio Grande River in South Texas. We are hot and humid pretty much year round with maybe three to five days each year I feel like wearing long pants or long sleeve shirts.

I quite often carry heavy all steel handguns including full size and commander size 1911, HiPower clones, S&W Wonder Nines and even my S&W Model 19 and Highway Patrolman or my Colt Army Special.

As others have mentioned the key is a sturdy belt designed to support such weight and a holster designed specifically for the handgun. I put on my gun when I get dressed in the morning and it stays on until I go to bed in the evening. I also have lighter polymer framed guns but I seem to carry the heavier all metal ones more often then the lighter ones, even when it is between an older Wonder Nine and the equivalent modern polymer M&P.

Frankly, I have never noticed much difference in comfort between the various handguns.

I have a S&W Shield in 45 ACP for CC
a Cross Breed in side the waste band works great but prints a little with T shirts/Polo shirts
went to the Cross Breed belly band 2.0 and it conceals 100% so no one knows I am carrying at church doing security
biggest disappointment is the pockets for the spare mags
had them pop out and hit the floor
not a good plan wen others are around
the set up works great and really secures the firearm

Mike

I got a Kimber Custom LW a few weeks ago because it has an aluminum frame and a 5 inch barrel.It's a full 10 ounces lighter than my steel frame 1911's,and I can for sure feel the difference during a day of carrying it.I use a Gould and Goodrich paddle holster and a good belt when I carry it on my hip,and a vertical shoulder holster if I'm going to be in a vehicle for any length of time.I've been very impressed with it,both in how well it carries and how well it shoots and functions.It was reasonably priced and seems to be put together very well.There's quite a difference in felt recoil,but losing that much weight has its price.

Colt Lightweight Commander or S&W model 457.

OneFreeTexan said:

Kahr. CW 45, easy to shoot, reliable, light weight

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Have you ever had a light primer strike? Last summer I loaded up some .45 and had a few that did not fire in the Kahr, but did fire in my Colt Combat Commander.

Charlie Martinez said:

Been looking at the Kahr 45's. They appear to be quite narrow (flat) which I like. Only 6 rounds capacity although I have been relying on a 5-shot revolver for a long time.

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Which Kahr are you talking about? My CW45 takes a 7 round mag, with a little bit of careful filing it will take a standard 1911 mag.
I just checked, mine only holds 6

I haven't found a good single stack that carries well in appendix for me, which is why I don't carry a 45 anymore, and not because of it's caliber or capacity. I do like the Shield series in 45 ACP but it doesn't do well in AIWB for me at all, as it's a bit uncomfortable with it's sharp angle at it's rear end.

Charlie Martinez said:

I want a reasonably priced compact 45 ACP pistol for CC. I have not shot anything smaller than a 1911 in 45 ACP but I am not particularly sensitive to recoil.

Those that CC 45 ACP; What do you carry and why?

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I sometimes carry a Shield 1 in .45acp. Smith and Wesson has moved on to the Shield 2.0 in .45acp. Those models are very similar to what I have and can be found from $450-$800 depending on options. It is a fine shooting firearm and very easy to EDC.

Joe

hk940 said:

Have you ever had a light primer strike? Last summer I loaded up some .45 and had a few that did not fire in the Kahr, but did fire in my Colt Combat Commander.

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Haven’t had a light primer strike.. I use factory ammo only,

The only non-1911 45 I owned was a Springfield XD 4" service model. The story behind the firearm is much longer than I spent with it. In the end it didn't fit my hand very well and I sold it with a very low round count. It was nothing to write home about and I don't miss it.

Doing it over again I would get either a PPQ45 or one of the compact XD-M elite 45s from Springfield. But I am in talks to get a grail gun which happens to be in 45. So I may be back into the round much earlier than I expected.

While it's not my daily carry, I enjoy carrying a 1911 Government, (most of you know it's a 5 inch barrel). Either Summer Special 2- IWB (Milt Sparks brand) or Bruce Nelson Avenger style OWB in horsehide.

The why is that it''s an excellent platform and the ballistics and stopping power of JHP ammo (45 ACP 230 gr.) for self defense cartridges are among my favorite

I sling a P220 carry, in a Rosen shoulder rig every darn day.

I carry MY Commander on occasions also a Griffon and on rare occasion Springfield SS 1911 Target . Generally use a under hung shoulder rig for the 5" ,as it's NOT the most comfortable waist hanger . I've various OWB and shoulder holsters for all of MY pistols ,I could open a retail shop with the # of holsters I own . The ONLY pistol I carry IWB is a Walther PPK ,in a speacial holster that John Bianchi made for Me way way back when he was in Temecula ,CA. . As that was near #50 years ago Now , it speaks as a testament to his craftsmanship and quality .

I carry a variety of different pistols, depending on what I'm doing/where I'm going and I find myself carrying my s&w shield 2.0 in 45acp quite often. It's light and slim enough for cc, recoil isn't bad, and I shoot it about as good as I do my 1911's.

Back in the day, I carried a HK USP45c. Great gun. Carried like a smaller pistol, but shot like a larger gun. It was accurate, soft shooting, and ultra reliable. People like to talk smack about the USP family of pistols, but they are amazing guns once tou get used to them.

I have a 30S … really like it .. but ., I have bedn carrying a XDM E compact 10mm
Im looking into getting a smaller / lighter 45acp .. maybe a Shield 45 or XDS 45 …Im not really in a hurry…
Also my Charter 45acp is carried some

I started out 20 years ago carrying a G36 in a Sparks VM-2. Shot it a lot in IDPA and practice. But the darn thing had parts break, locking up the gun, four separate times.

So I switched to a XD45 Compact, also in a VM-2. The gun and holster have worked really well for 15 years, and it remains my 99%-of-the-time carry combo.

Carry ammo is Ranger, 230 grain T-series.

I'm a "get one tool and learn to use it well" kind of shooter. I've evaluated other options, but haven't switched yet.