Thin .45acp That Is Not A 1911

[Monkeybear]

I have a friend that I have convinced to get his CCW. He has decided he wants a .45acp chambered pistol for carry and asked me for suggestions. I have never really had any interest in the .45acp and so I didn't know what to tell him. I taught him to shoot, with my guns, and in doing so I passed along my dislike for guns with safety levers.

What are some suggestions for a thin .45acp autoloader that dose not have a safety lever. DA/SA or DAO(ish) is fine. His MOA dose not involve safety levers so please no suggestions for a 1911. He wants a thin CCW more than anything else. It can be full size or comact, but thin is a must. I let him try out my Glock 19 for IWB carry, just around the house, and he told me that it was about as thick a firearm as he would like to carry.

Any suggestions that would point my friend in the right direction?

 

[Funderb]

berretta px4 or like compact model, kimber sis compact.
sig, of some persuasion? H&K USP?

there's a lot of options out there.

The "slim" factor is severely limited by the caliber, mind you, .45 is not small.

 

[MaterDei]

Let your friend decide for himself whether he likes 'safety levers'. Take him to a range where you can rent guns and try different 45s out. You both might learn that there is no reason whatsoever to fear manual safeties.

If your friend is looking for a thin 45 a 1911 just can't be beat.

 

[Monkeybear]

He has decided. If I were deciding things for him he would be carrying a 9mm. Probably a Glock 19. I do think I may have influenced him though. He likes shooting 1911s just fine. Who doesn't? As far as CCWs go he seems to have taken on my dislike for anything where you don't just pull the trigger.

If the gunstores were awash with slim .45s that weren't 1911s I would be able to help him myself. As it stands I can't think of anything slimmer than the G19 that is not a 1911.

 

[LawofThirds]

Has he considered Para's LDA? 1911 frame, double action movement.

Try him out on an XD, a Kahr PM45 (the thinnest of the bunch I think) and see how he does.

Also see if you can get him near a short L frame or Charter Arms Bulldog in .44 special as it's another round with similar performance to 45 ACP. Sometimes a wheelgun will feel "smaller" to someone because of the roughly oblong profile.

 

[charles nutinsky]

Kahr P45. Slim and no levers

Charles

 

[Rayden]

Try the Ruger P345. It's pretty slim and DA/SA. Decocker and safety lever, but it does not have to be engaged.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

how about a revolver?

 

[yongxingfreesty]

one of the kahr .45s. that should work. g luck

 

[Monkeybear]

I forgot about Kahr. I will tell him to look into that Para as well. Where can I find the P250 is .45. Might want one of those for myself.

 

[LawofThirds]

I don't believe they've put the .45 onto the market here in the ol' US of A quite yet, something about some teething bugs. Most reports indicate mid July.

 

[ARTiger]

S&W CS45 or the other alloy framed single stack that's a bit bigger (can't remember the model #)

 

[NWdude83]

Kahr CW45

 

[ldp4570]

I know its not as classy as some mentioned here, but you might want to try out the S&W 4516, small, very reliable, very accurate, its only downside is its a little heavier than the others mentioned. Also its alot slimmer than all mentioned so far.

 

[hankdatank1362]

Smith & Wesson 4506. I know there's some DAO variants or decocker-only variants out there, or he could just leave the safety off and have a true DA/SA.

Grips are even thinner than a 1911. Slide is about the same, maybe a little thinner.

If you don't know what it looks like, it's the gun carried by Vic Mackey on "The Shield" or by Denzel's character Alonzo in "Training Day."

 

[MechAg94]

The Sig P220 comes in compact models. The only safety lever is the decocker with DA/SA action.

XD .45 compact and Glocks etc of the same type.

 

[Tom Fury]

+1 with S&W

They did make DAO models; 4576, 4586, and others; all DAO variants; probably have to try gunbroker or gunlist auctions tho. Every good thing said carries over.
Cheers, TF

 

[Jguy101]

Glock's 36 is a single-stack .45 that's slightly slimmer than the 9mm and .40 models. I've used one; nice gun.

 

[TS537]

I was just about to suggest that. I handled, but did not fire one a couple weeks ago when I was shopping for guns. I presently have no particular interest in .45s or Glocks, but the G36 would definitely be something to check out. Unless I'm missing something, I think it fulfills the OP's criteria.

 

[Technosavant]

I'd recommend the Kahr- those tend to be nice and thin. Barring that, things like the Glocks, XDs, M&Ps, and so on are usually noticeably thicker than a 1911 in the slide area.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

Smith & Wesson 4516 or 457. They do have safety levers, but they do not have to be used as safeties. Although not very common in .45, DAO variants are out there. These will have to be bought used.

 

[Ghost Tracker]

I prefer Kahr in steel-framed models, but there's no .45 acp available. So, the GLOCK G36 seems like an ideal match.

 

[DawgFvr]

Damn...I've had Para CCW come to me now in three threads...my subconsicous mind must be telling me something.

 

[highorder]

They did make DAO models; 4576, 4586, and others; all DAO variants;

Remember, the S&W 3rd generation pistols are all modular to some extent. you can buy a 4506 and swap out parts to make a slick side DAO if you like.

 

[AK103K]

SIG's old P245 is pretty slim. Its the predecessor to the "Compact" and doesnt have the silly beavertail.

They are accurate, reliable guns that are easy to shoot well with. You can also use standard P220 mags in them for your reloads.

Looks like this.....