Two recommendations: a 1911 or a S&W M&P 45.
Yes, absolutely....what was the question?
I had the Bersa UC45, and it was a good gun, but I traded that for a Llama 45, that was not a good gun, but it did introduce me to the 1911(ish) pattern. I then bought a real deal 1911 and love it. That being said, and as much as I am a fan of the gun that descended from heaven with our lord and savior JMB, there are other models that handle the 45 auto cartridge quite well. Ruger SR 45 comes to mind. The cartridge itself is fantastic. It's heavy, its fat, it's slow and does a lot of damage....kinda like me The recoil impulse is just different than higher pressure rounds, more of a shove than a slap. I find it very comfortable to shoot and a joy to reload
I would say 2 things:
1. If you are more comfortable with compact guns (which are in 9para and x18) then why change for the reasons you mentioned already. I would rather trade up in the caliber which is better suited to your needs.
2. From a gun aficionado point of view a .45 is a must have in a collection. I do not have extensive experience with them as I have only owned HK USP, MK 23, Sig 220, DW 1911, Glock 21, Colt and Springfield 1911s. The only ones survived the trades etc are Mk 23 and DW1911 - and those two I can recommend any day. More so DW1911 vBob than Mk23 because vBob is compact and you can carry it easily instead of your 9paras and x18. Btw for some reason I have no love for x18. Had 2 and not anymore.
Good luck.
.45 ACP: America's auto-pistol caliber. Aren't you an American?
In America, I shoot America's pistol (the 1911) with America's cartridge caliber.
So, yes.
I have actually had RI 1911's on my Gunbroker watchlist a number of times. Very affordable and well made. Just never took the plunge.3 pages of blathering made me go down to a gun shop today and buy another 45ACP. Nice price on this Rock Island.View media item 3121
I dont neccessarily like compact guns exclusively. They just make more sense for grab n go concealment. I can carry my Shield or Mak in a sweatshirt pocket as i do chores around the house and yard. They also fit perfectly in the armrest compartment in my Toyota with several magazines. No reaching. No bending. No twisting. I can have it out in a second for a would-be carjacker.
I love the feel of my Arcus Hi-Power more than either though, and there are times and places I would prefer more firepower or stopping power than a single stack 9. I also have a fairly heavy Dan Wesson 15-2 with a 4" barrel. It will handle hot loads as well a Ruger, maybe better. Ive carried it in the woods lots, AND also in town from time to time. Its just a bit bulky and square for urban concealment and doesnt draw as fast.
My choice of single stack 9's for EDC is more about how they carry and conceal than how easy they are to shoot and handle.
Since you are familiar and like M&P, I recommend the Shield 45 2.0. It's an M&P, single stack and concealable. I know you mentioned not wanting a short barrel. The Shield 45 standard barrel is 3.3 inches, but the performance model is a 4 inch barrel. To me a 4 inch barrel is the sweet spot and a good compromise between concealment and barrel length (accuracy).
To actually have several PCC's already available that even take S&W 59 mags is quite a thing! Seems to me we'll start to see more "M&P mag carbines" eventually if theyre not already available in a few examples. PCC's have finally made it past the gauntlet of "I just don't get it" naysayers, and are sought after by very serious folks, even militaries. I think the TNW Aero line of survival rifles is an example. They could stand to have some wrinkles ironed out but its a great little platform akin to the .22 caliber AR7 way of thinking, but in 45 they go a few octaves higher. It's funny how many guns first chambered in 22 for stealth, simplicity and practicality often end up being chambered in 45 at some point, skipping everything else!Yeah, I haven't found any PCC's that share M&P mags-but with most folks looking for compatibility with Glock mags, I didn't research much. Not being able to go that route, I did the next best thing and look for a PCC that uses the same caliber bullets. TNW-ASR/ASP fit that role. I purchased the 9mm PC style firearm from TNW-ASR at Buds. The good thing about it is that you can purchase the 45 acp kit (no FFL required) once you have the firearm and change it out to fire 45 acp rounds (or just get the 45 acp ASR/ASP from the start). BTW, in 9mm the firearm uses the Glock 33 round mags, so that's pretty good. There are other caliber kits you can obtain such as 40 Cal 357 SIG and 10mm. Mine is still fairly new and I've put ~150 9mm rounds through it. No issues with only 1 FTE. But I do reload my own ammo. I'll be looking at getting the 45 acp kit in the next couple of weeks.
Make sure you look around before settling on a PCC. There's plenty out there for every level budget.
Good luck.
"Seriously?" Um, no attempt to see the attempt at humor? Seriously, maintaining a sense of humor helps one get through life with lower blood pressure and keeps one at lower risk for cancer as well. Clearly, you do not read the posts of others carefully, otherwise you would have detected that I am a connoisseur of German firearms as well as American, Swiss, Brazilian, Spanish, Austrian and French ...Maybe we shouldve just let the Germans keep the A-Bomb and the V2, executed von Braun, and come up with our own doomsday weapon and space program. It's so unAmerican to keep that stolen Nazi technology around and build our country's success around it. And how many guys brought Tokarevs and P38's home from our wars as souvenirs??
I've owned about 15 handguns in the past 9 years and about 10 of them have been American.
Seriously, you really went there.
Although I carry a Mak sometimes I carry a Smith & Wesson usually. Did you miss the part where I said I kind of want a full sized one? And then you talk about gun collecting....which for most people entails having a variety of interesting guns from different times and places. I dont consider myself a collector although I do like to try new things out and have a variety to play with.
The only one that can answer your question is you. For the life of me I can not figure out why folks need confirmation/validation or direction from social media on whether or not they need or want another firearm. Ask your best friend, your wife, or your hunting buddies, they probably know you well enough to give some direction. But random folks on the internet? It's basically gonna be "get what I have, get what I have!" because those folks too need some form of validation for their choices. Sheesh......