.45 ACP a bad choice for first handgun

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There's no reason not to get a handgun chambered for 45 ACP for a first gun. I purchased a SIG P220 sight unseen. Two hours with a gun instructor when I first started were enough to get me started. After that...a two day self-defense course really pushed me to the next level.

Too many people assume others are too <whatever> to handle it. It's not really that big of a deal.
 
Hope your pal likes his .45. If that is what he want's he should go ahead a buy one. He must be independently wealthy in order to keep the thing in ammo though.:uhoh:
 
I find the .45 easier to shoot, less felt recoil, than lightweight .38 specials, .357, .40 S&W etc. If he knows someone that reloads he can always have something made up a little less powerful. Don't try to talk him out of the .45 if that is what he wants. I prefer the .45 above all the rest. If I could only have one that would be the .45. :what:
 
Uncle Sam had no problems with the idea that the 45 acp should be someone first pistol. (until he got some dumb idea that swapping bullets with nato would be a good idea)
 
I'll be the contrarian and agree with the OP; the 45ACP is not the ideal starter chambering because of recoil and cost issues.

New shooters need to shoot a lot. It's hard to shoot a lot when 100rds of range ammo costs almost fifty bucks. It's also hard to build proper shooting techniques when every range trip engrains a flinch in the shooter's memory.

A 9mm pistol is a far better first handgun.
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While I don't disagree with your 9mm suggestion, I will say that 45 ACP range ammo doesn't have to cost 50 bucks a hundred. If you are diligent in your search you Can find the 100 round value packs at Walmart for $29.97, while 9mm is $19.97. I'm not sure that .10 cents a round will break a budget, especially considering .45 ACP is my all time favorite handgun caliber. If I only had one handgun it would be .45ACP.
 
Every model of gun that I have fired in both .40 and .45 gave me a snappier recoil with the .40. It's loaded hotter, it pushes harder.

Remember a couple of things. Full-size guns are easier to shoot. The longer sight radius makes them easier to aim, and the weight soaks up more recoil. When Browning designed the 1911 in .....1911, the average height of the american male was shorter than now, also the average hand size was smaller. Especially with many available options for trigger lengths and MSH shapes, the 1911 is a great first gun for pretty much everyone.

There is a culture war between those who think that 'safetyless' guns like the Glock are too dangerous, and those who think that older designs like the 1911 are 'too complicated' with a manual safety, that you might forget to flick the safety off and get yourself killed. I SAY, if you learn it with the 'more complicated' weapon the first time, you can always train down if you want to.

I started with a 1911, and listened to all the opinions, read all the magazine articles, I went through a lot of guns based on the hype, some were ok, just not a match for me. (Beretta, Para-Ordnance, Ruger,) and some were truly terrible. (S&W Sigma.) After carrying a Glock for a few years, I finally decided that I liked the feel, function, and trigger of a 1911 best. I don't ever see myself changing.
 
The first handgun I fired was my fathers .44 mag ruger bisley. Thats recoil! when I first started buying my own handguns I bought .40's, I liked them just fine (except the Sigma :barf:) But then I got my first 1911, that is the gun that I am crrying on duty right now. The recoil is pleasent IMHO. The .40's have more snap to them. Even though I still shoot my .40's the 1911 is by far may favorite shooter. If I would have started with the 1911 I don't know if I would have bought anything else.
 
No, it's not a good first gun. You can "make it work," of course, but it'll cost you time in the skill development.
 
why would you want to talk him out of a 45? it is not like it kicks like a mule. what you may want to talk to him about is scrounging up some extra cash, so he can buy a high quality handgun. if he buys a high quality 45, he will never HAVE to purchase (or trade up) again. just my $.02 worth. as for ammo costs, the only "cheap" ammo is 22lr. and that isn't really "cheap" anymore!
 
Has your friend ever shot a handgun before? If so what was it? Is he willing to take time and $$$ to learn to shoot it? Years ago a guy pulled into the local sandpit/shooting range. He pulls out a brand new 45, ask if he can use one of the down range targets. Sure go ahead. He shoots 7 rds, reloads shoots 7 more and is now all angry as the gun is no good, he can't hit the target at 25 yrds. So I ask is this your first handdgun? Yes, may I try it? sure, I hand him my 22 revolver and some rounds and suggest he try that. I load up the 45 and place 7 rds in a tea cup group. He shoots the 22 and still misses the target, the coaching begins.
 
The first handgun I picked up and qualified with was a USGI issue 1911A1. .45 ACP is a great choice if someone qualified teaches the unit how to use it. Without training no pistol will be much better.
 
I'm sure it's been eluded to, but the 1911A1 (While I do love the gun), is not the only 45acp pistol out there. Complicated, Yes/No; Big, Yes/No; etc... doesn't have to be a drawback of a 45acp. Guns like the Sig P220 is a 45acp that gives you all the benefits of the 45acp, with the conveniences/safety/simplicity of not being a 1911A1. I do recommend a 45acp, but I don't recommend some small compact type 45acp. It needs to be a full size. If you're looking for just 1 gun that's going to be for carry and home, and you're only going to have the one gun, then the 45acp might not be the right answer. Actually, depending, a Semi-Auto may not be the right gun. You might be better of with a S&W 3"-4" revolver in 357 mag, that you can start off with 38 special, practice cheaper with 38 special, defend with 38 special +P, then grow into using 357 magnum for defense as you get more experienced. Oh, for what it's worth; I buy 45acp practice ammo (230 grain RN lead) for $12.50 a box of 50. And it's quite available from numerous sources. (And lead ammo, SWC, also makes a very good defense round if needed.
 
Your felt recoil definitely depends on the gun. I have a little .22mag. revolver that has more felt recoil than my 45. The mistake a lot of people make is getting a small light pistol so they can conceal it well then don't like the felt recoil. Any Shotgun or Rifle shooter knows that any caliber that has recoil will kick harder in a light gun than in a heavy one. Same thing is true in handguns. :)
 
.45 ACP is a fine choice for a first handgun. Heck, I am guessing that there are thousands or hundreds of thousands of soldiers who started with just that.
Just make sure to wear good hearing protection, do a lot of dry fire, maybe consider getting a cheap .22lr pistol or .22lr conversion for the 1911.
 
.45 ACP is a great choice as a first hand gun.

The very first hand gun I fired was a WWII 1911.
The very first hand gun my fiancée fired was a Glock 21.

.45 ACP from a Glock 21 is about as smooth as the .45 ACP gets.
 
my opine is that unless the shooter has experience with other firearms (long guns) and has done some shooting then the 1911 .45 or any other semi-auto is not a good choice - a revolver would be better. say a large frame .38 or .357 to shoot .38's in until accustomed to. maybe even a .32 or .22LR.
a shooter that is fond of shooting in general though could likely pick up the fine points of the 1911 with good coaching in short order however.
a friend's wife is a small woman and did OK with his .45 after she shot her Walther .22 that he bought her for a couple weeks. surprised me for sure as she had never shot any firearms at all.
 
No, it's not a good first gun. You can "make it work," of course, but it'll cost you time in the skill development.
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***? which one? why?
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Which one what? Which skill ? Or which gun? I'll go with "which skill" first.

If your first handgun is a .45 acp semi-auto and you're new to handguns, you will find that the kick is getting in the way of learning the basics of sight alignment, sight picture and trigger squeeze.

A quickly attained, undiagnosed (and uncorrected) flinch will make a right handed shooter think his sights are off, as all the shots are low left. (I've heard this countless times from unskilled shooters)

Being as .45 acp ammo is fairly pricey (and hard to find) right now, getting in enough practice or even taking a class probably won't happen, allowing the skill development to stagnate. When a box or two can be found and purchased, the "low left" thing starts all over again because he still thinks it's the gun.

The best "first handgun" is a .22 revolver, as this allows the shooter to focus intently on sight picture/alignment/trigger squeeze, thereby ingraining these new skills into his brain/muscles.

But most people don't want to start with a "puny .22," they want POWER, by golly! So second best choice is a .357, as this allows loads from the sedate .38 wadcutter target load to the wrist wrenching full magnum loads.

But most people don't want a "boring, antiquated" revolver, they want a semi-auto !

In which case, the better choice is a 9mm with a constant action trigger system like Glock/XD/M&P/Sig 250. Ideally, they'd also buy a .22 conversion kit, but most won't.

A 9mm doesn't kick a lot, is cheaper to buy and usually easier to find.

All of the above listed brands are also available in .45 acp in an identical or near identical configuration, so what is learned on the 9mm will easily and quickly transfer over to the .45 when the shooter is ready.

.
 
In which case, the better choice is a 9mm with a constant action trigger system like Glock/XD/M&P/Sig 250.
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I don't think the difference between one of these in 9mm vs. one in .45ACP is enough to matter.

I agree with you: learn on a .22 if you can.

But if you're going to develop a flinch with a .45, I figure you'll do it with a 9mm too (except maybe a Beretta 92).

The 9mm and .45ACP are middle-of-the-road guns, recoil-wise.

The .40 is generally harsher, and any serious revolver rounds in a double action will pound you a lot more.
 
David E said;

"If your first handgun is a .45 acp semi-auto and you're new to handguns, you will find that the kick is getting in the way of learning the basics of sight alignment, sight picture and trigger squeeze."

Tell that to how many generations of military recruits (myself included) who were relatively new to handguns in boot camp or basic training, but had a small arms instructor there to show 'em how to shoot and field strip & clean the 1911!

Although my old NRA instructor would probably disagree with owning a .45acp as a first gun, it avoids having to transition up from a 9mm or .40S&W. IMHO, you are starting off with the "right" caliber, and with a $500 budget he is in the ballpark of the price for a Glock 21SF (Slim Frame) which IMHO is one of the best new low-cost (notice I did not say "cheap") semi-automatic 45 acp pistols right now. People who were turned off by the regular "fat grip" G21, are loving this slim grip version, which Glock designed based on the .45 GAP frame, and in response to the SOCOM request for bid for the next Joint Combat Pistol. This version is going over so well, particularly with civilian law enforcement that Glock may discontinue the regular 21 in favor of this SF version - skeeter_08
 
I don't understand why you'd want to steer him away from .45ACP as a first pistol.

Over 1 million young American soldiers were issued this handgun when going to war and I'm not aware of complaints about capacity or combat effectiveness of .45ACP. I am aware of anecdotal complaints about 9mm effectiveness used in combat.

Since you reload, why don't you help him out by providing him with cheap practice ammo? That's what friends are for.

If he gets a M1911, he can always add-on a .22lr conversion slide.
 
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