4" Barrel .45 for CCW in the heat

[tackleberry45]

I am looking for a ~ 4" barrel .45 to carry while on a job in the Texas heat.

- Lightweight
- Ammo capactiy not an issue
- Thin
- compact to subcompact size

I have looked at 3" barrel .45s (Colt New Agent and Springer compact) but have not seen to much good press in here on them. I am bending toward a Glock G36 or Kahr TP45. Any other ideas? I am open to all suggestions.

 

[1man]

I would say to find a Sig P245(I think the current production is the P220 Compact). It's semi-thin, 6+1 capacity(able to use 10rd extended mag for reload) and has a 3.8" barrel.

I love my P245 so much I had to buy another one because I found out that Sig were not making them any more(some time later Sig made the copy of the original P245 into the P220 Compact). I compete with mine in IDPA also(I sure go through mags on some stages). When I'm on the street(as well as IDPA), I carry 2 10rd mags as reloads(the entire package hides extremely well)!

 

[Geno]

Colt Lightweight Commander 4.25"

 

[10-Ring]

I really like the Lightweight Colt Commander, if you're looking for lighter & smaller, check out the Kahr 45

 

[Still 2 Many Choices!?]

Colt Commander... I carry mine whenever I get the urge(like today ) instead of, or in tandem, with my Glock23. If I had it to do all over again, I would really take a look at the light weight models. She gets a little heavier as the day goes by.

Still 2 Many Choices!?

 

[Mad Magyar]

Colt Lightweight Commander 4.25"

+1 on that....I have the Officer's model, not the LW, the size is nice; but still has the weight.... However, reliability has not been an issue.

 

[Geno]

Mad:
Still:

I used to like you guys; now I hate you both. I don't have one of these Colt Lightweight Commanders..

<<Doc kicks a stone and pouts...and mutters "Some guys get it all!!!">>.

Of course I do have the 3" Lightweight New Agent.

Doc2005

 

[tackleberry45]

DOC 2005 - how is the hand bite on the backstrap with the New Agent with 230g loads? Does it kick a lot?

 

[Geno]

tackleberry45:

Nope, it doesn't bite the hand in the least bit. But, it packs a powerful recoil. I have upward of 200 or so rounds through it now and still no failures, and I shoot only Win 230 JHPs. Pretty impressive to feed those. Hunter wrote a fantastic review of it. Here the link:

http://ezine.m1911.org/ColtNA.htm

In fact it is this very review that pushed me over the edge to purchase my first ever aluminum received 1911. If not for this review, I would have bought steel or nothing. So, having made the leap, now I'm ready for that Colt Lightweight Commander.

Doc2005

 

[Geno]

Oh yeah!!!!! Here...this just came up...well, I just found it.

Colt Ligthweight Commander .45 ACP:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?p=3952557#post3952557

Geno

 

[MICHAEL T]

I have LTW Commander but I vote for a Defender or Agent. I carried the Defender and bought a new Agent. it has became my carry weapon . I use CorbonDPX 185+P for carry. I find recoil to be mild and fast follow up shots. Test I did a couple years ago with a Para Compact show 230 ball lost to many FPS from a 3" That the 185 gr worked the best in relieability and expansion .I use the Corbon DPX 185+P load in all my Colts including the Commander and my Officer..

 

[Ala Dan]

In Defense Of 3" .45 ACP's

I have a Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry that serves as my daily CCW piece,
and have not experienced any problems with this short barrel .45 1911.
I ran 'bout 250 rounds of 230 grain "ball ammo" thru it at first, and close
to another 200 rounds of assorted JHP's to function fire this gun; before
making it my weapon of choice. I think most of the problems associated
with 3" Kimber's, are issues with Kimbers poor quality magazines~! These
magazines are JUNK, and should be discarded immediately upon purchase;
to be replaced by Wilson officers model magazines~!

 

[bigmike45]

tackelberry45,

Here is my Texas carry rigs:

Springfield XD45 Service carried OWB in a Galco Professional with a cover shirt.


same gun carried IWB in a Brommeland Max Con V

 

[Exmasonite]

love my XDs but not sure they fit in the "thin" category.

i'd peek at the Taurus line, too. very light, thing 10 rd .45s.

 

[SeanMTX]

I've got one of the Taurus compact .45s...the PT-145.

3.5" barrel, polymer frame, 10+1 capacity.

The size and weight (or lack thereof) makes it great for CCW, but also adds to the recoil. No hand bite, but definite kick.

I've only had mine for a few months and I've had a few minor problems...namely the slide stop lever slipping under the follower on the magazine. Doesn't stop it from functioning properly, but it is annoying when the slide doesn't stick open after the last round is fired.

A little TIG weld and it's fixed.

Great ergonomics, best carry size & feel out of anything I've tried...if it wasn't for the minor problem, I'd love this gun.

 

[Rexster]

I tried shorter 1911 pistols in the Texas heat, but found the weather remained just as hot as before, so I went back to the far more reliable and dependable 5" 1911 pistols.

 

[bigmike45]

I agree with you SeanMTX. I have two of the Taurus PT-145's and carry them often, but when tackelberry45 asked for 4" and light I thought of my XD45.

Rexter,
I have been carrying a 4" 1911 for years now and have never has a problem or malfunction with that gun. When I was carryng a 5" 1911, it was much less comfortable, especially when sitting for long periods of time. The 4" XD45 has been flawless in over 3000 rounds, and though I love my 4" 1911, and I have been shooting 1911's for over 30 years, the XD is much more pleasant to shoot.

bigmike45

 

[TOADMAN]

Alright alright, I'll mention it, Glock 36...

 

[Tom Fury]

Not quite 4", but another option...

S&W 457S: light, flat, reliable and accurate; also a lot less expensive than Colt. I am also a big fan of the El Paso Saddlery "Street Combat" Holster.
Cheers, TF

 

[.45&TKD]

I don't think that extra inch makes any difference in comfort.

I carry a 5 inch 1911 in the Phoenix heat.

 

[Rexster]

bigmike45, I never meant to say all less-than-5" 1911 pistols are unreliable; if they were all bad, gun makers would have stopped making them. But, I have owned enough in the three main size categories to be a believer in the 5" guns. Comfort is also relative; with IWB holsters, the longer guns bridge a certain gap in my anatomy, whereas the shorter guns poke me. It's a moot point, now anyway; my duty pistol must now be a DA .40, picked from a list of approved models; my autoloaders are the quite short SIG P229s, and while I can still tote a 1911 on my own time, I rarely do so. I carry mostly the SIGs or revolvers, though from 1983 to 2002, the 1911 was a major part of my life.

 

[CWL]

Colt Lightweight Commander gets my vote.

Just picked up a new Commander myself today.