TDA .45 ACP for smallish hands?

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Dollar An Hour

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Looking for a .45 range gun that will also see duty as HD or car gun. Probably a compact (but not subcompact) so I'd have the option to carry it as well.

Tried the highly recommended Ruger P90, but with or without Hogues it's just a bit bulky in the grip. The P345 feels much better to me, holds 8+1, and the price is right, but I've read some pretty negative opinions of its trigger. Also, people seem to hate the mag disconnect safety and other safety add-ons Ruger included that were absent on the older P90.

How about the S&W 457? Still an affordable pistol (maybe $100 more than the Ruger), 7+1 capacity, weighs the same, has about 4/10" less barrel length, and is 1/4" shorter overall. Do 3rd-Gen Smiths tend to be reliable?

The Sig TDAs are too bulky in the grip also.

Any other ideas? Thanks all.
 
I had a S&W 457 years ago ('97-'98?). It was a very good shooter. Good accuracy and never had an issue with it.

Then one day I traded it in on a Para Ordnance P13.....

...I wish I had not done that.

3rd gen S&Ws have proven themselves over the years. The 457 is a good choice if it fits you.
 
Might give P345 another look

The trigger on my P345,is not bad. I did install a wolff 19# main spring, to lighten the DA pull, but the SA pull is not bad, it breaks at 72oz. The mag disconnect hasn't been an issue, but I took mine out, a simple 10min job. The accuracy is awsome, and for a 29oz gun, the recoil is pretty tame.:)
 
My wife chose a S&W 457 as her personal gun. I had it converted to DAO, the safety removed and the action tuned by S&W, then I installed a set of Wolff reduced power springs and Hogue rubber grips. That is one sweet shooting pistol. Even in its original DA/SA (TDA) configuration is was a nice little gun, and it has never malfunctioned once.
 
...the action tuned by S&W...
Click to expand...

How does one get the action tuned by the factory? Just ask them for a price and ship it back, at your cost?

I'm leaning to the 457.

I want a TDA, not a Glock or 1911. :uhoh:
 
I have smallish hands, and my S&W 4516 (SS frame) and 4513 (aluminum frame) work great for me.
 
S&W 645 also has a flat mainspring housing, and I have found that female shooters prefer it to the curved style.

They can be found at an affordable price, and will last.
 
If money isn't an issue, and you can find one, the 4513TSW is great compact .45 (3.75" barrel).

For the more budget minded, the 457 (carbon steel slide) or 457S (stainless steel slide) is an excellent pistol. It's a real sleeper, and very underrated. Sort of the follow-up lightweight version of the earlier 4516-X all stainless steel pistols. If possible, it might help you decide if you can find one to rent and try out.

FWIW, the 4513TSW was discontinued from the standard (non-government/L/E) catalog, along with the full-size TSW pistols, but is a popular compact .45 among L/E users that like the S&W TDA pistols. There are some additional benefits to be found in choosing a TSW version for some folks, compared to the standard 457 series, such as the larger box-type rails versus the standard frame & slide rails (like on the Value Line & CS series pistols) and slightly delayed unlocking (which is considered to aid in lessening the felt recoil, although since the 457/4513TSW's share the same dual, non-captured recoil springs of the 4013TSW the felt recoil is generally reported as being surprisingly controllable by many users/owners). The TSW version also has an ambidextrous decocking/safety lever assembly, versus the single-sided lever on the Value Line models.

Most owners/users report them to be boringly reliable. I'm no exception, as my original 4513TSW (6+1 version with the shortened grip frame profile) has been monotonous in its reliability. I've observed, and heard, the same thing of other owners/users of both the Value Line models and the TSW models.
 
just a heads up...the new taurus pt745 pro's are da/sa. i picked one up about 3 weeks ago for 300 out the door. the da/sa trigger is very similar to the 24/7 pro's. i have fired approx 500 rounds and its been flawless.

it will most likely replace my hkuspc 45 as my daily carry.
 
I have several S&W TDA .45 pistols, 4566 and 4516-1 versions. All of them are totally relaible and plenty accurate. They are also a real bargin on the used market. I paid $350 for each of them. There are a lot of police trade-in S&W pistols out there right now. I'd stick with the steel frame versions for a trade-in, but the alloy frame should be fine if the gun has not seen a ton of shooting. I like the 4566 size, (similar to a Commander), but if you want smaller, the 4516-1 is hard to beat.
 
:)

Decided on the S&W 457S - will pick it up in a few days.

Will the S&Ws feed JHP as well as the usual FMJ ammo?

Looking forward to my first .45 ACP. :D
 
I picked up a Kahr P45 a couple weeks ago. I like the pistol, but the trigger needs to be worked over a bit. It's a single stack 45 6+1, very thin grip and relatively short trigger reach. The trigger pull is long, but consistant around 7-8lbs. It's striker fired DAO, so each trigger pull is the same. If you can, fondle one in your local shop. Nothing wrong with a Smith either.
 
I have one and its a great gun! Perfect carry peiece. I'm actually selling it right now (which I will regret), but to bad you dont live in MD.
 
small hands

go to impact gun.com click on springfield. search out ulta compact 1911. 3.5" barrel ,6 in mag. one in pipe. a nice solid firearm. .45acp springfield product#pb9162l. ulta compact officers model. this web site will give you a real good picture of what the firearm looks like. $516.00 retail.
 
How does one get the action tuned by the factory? Just ask them for a price and ship it back, at your cost?
Click to expand...

Yes, that's pretty much how it works. The Performance Center offers gunsmithing services and packages. I have had them work on several guns and I have been very impressed with the results. They currently have one of my revolvers, in fact.
 
"Try a Glock 36 or a Glock 30..."

The Glock 30 is HUGE!!!!!! That is the fattest grip on the market. It is just as fat as the 21 only harder to grip because it is shorter.

The Beretta Couger is worth a look. It is not to big for me but everybody is different. Also, the S&Ws are hard to beat. I have not had a chance to get a .45 yet but I have a couple of the 9mms and I am really starting to love them. I got them cheap and they have been growing on me.
 
Springfield or Kahr

My wife has super small hands. Believe it or not she's tried lots of compact pistols and the triggers are just too far forward for her to reach. The only handguns she can shoot comfortably are single stack pistols with a single action trigger. The one exception is the Kahr. If you compare the trigger reach on say a beretta tomcat to a single stack 1911, you'll see the 1911 is much easier to reach the trigger. Even though the .45acp has a lot of muzzle flip, she enjoys shooting it because she can get a good grip on it. I have shot the Kahr in 9mm and .40S&W and really like them. They do make a .45acp with a polymer frame. I haven't shot it but it might be worth a look. I too like the new Ruger 345 but the trigger might not be as easy to reach and are a little "spongy". You can't go wrong with a Springfield commander or officer's model either. I prefer all steel guns because they last longer and the extra weight seems to help with the recoil.
 
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