Which .45 ACP Handgun?

[Llama Bob]

None of the above. 1911.

 

[wow6599]

Of those listed, the CZ 97 would be the choice for me, and it wouldn't be a tough decision. The Glocks work fine, but nothing "special" about them. The FNX is a nice firearm, but if I'm spending $700 + on a .45 ACP, it's gonna be made out of metal - the CZ is the best value in your group.....and every bit as reliable as the other 3 listed.

Just my .02

 

[tactikel]

Not crazy about the choices, but CZs are great guns.
I carry a XD45 tactical, love the 14 rounds and grip safety. The sweetest .45 I have ever shot was a friends Combat Commander, light, thin, accurate, and that trigger!

 

[Kevin Rohrer]

As there is no option for a 1911, I did not vote.

Plastic or sheet metal will never equal forged steel.

 

[Sebring Pop]

How could you not go with a 1911 ???

 

[wow6599]

How could you not go with a 1911 ???

Does it matter? Maybe he doesn't want a 3 lb, 8 shot, 115 year old (design) firearm right now......

I like all guns, and own several nice 1911s, but I also own many other firearms chambered in .45 ACP - and they work just as well as any 1911 - and weigh less and hold more rds.

Heaven help us that anyone would want a .45 in a platform other than the one Jesus designed vicariously through JMB.....

 

[JTQ]

I6turbo wrote,
I don't find it overly large, grip wise, to my regular size hands (I wear size L gloves, like most men). Here are some comparison photos.

"Regular size hands".

I suspect there is some tongue-in-cheeck humor there, but they do make size M, and S men's size gloves too.

 

[I6turbo]

"Regular size hands".

I suspect there is some tongue-in-cheeck humor there, but they do make size M, and S men's size gloves too.

Yes, they do, but L tends to work for most people. Here's a typical men's glove size chart in mm (max circumference of palm).
S - 200
M - 230
L - 255
XL - 280
XXL - 300

Some sizing scales extend smaller and larger, but Large is the mid-range on pretty much all. Size L fits most men okay, and that's the reason that a majority of stores only carry size L. Size L is tight on me at first with some brands of gloves, but once they're broken in they fit pretty well.

 

[JTQ]

Here are some typical CZ97 comments, which probably cover the "average" shooter. This is from just page 1 of the thread.

Skyshot wrote,
1911 my first choice, but have owned a CZ97 B, it was a super shooter, just very big and bulky.

Combat Engineer wrote,
The CZ 97B makes for a good boat anchor... or club, should you run out of ammo.

bannockburn wrote,
The CZ is also a bit larger in size but I can still get a comfortable grip on it.

Sergei Mosin wrote,
The CZ-97 is a nice gun but it is big and it doesn't fit my hands very well at all, which is a bit surprising given how well my other CZs (75B and P-01) fit.

kBob wrote,
I have not tried the CZ97, but did try some of the early Italian made guns that were in .45 ACP before CZ got around to it and found them a bit bulky and really only useable single action as a result.

Dragonfly wrote,
I owned a 97B for a bit last year and with the factory wood grips I could not reach the trigger in DA mode.

JudgeHolden10 wrote,
I've shot all of them. My hands were not comfortable on any of them, honestly (my glove size is a medium).

I suspect the typical shooter with "average" size hands will find the CZ97 a bit on the large size, and many may find it unusable due to its' size. It may work for the OP, but he should definitely handle the gun before buying it.

 

[I6turbo]

I guess somebody's gotta wear the small gloves.

You can see my comparison photos above. It's simply not much larger.

Here are the two guns aligned at the back of the grip just under the beaver tail where the web of your hand contacts the grip:


And it's thinner than the 1911 as you can see in one of my photos above.

Another thing to consider is, did the above people try the pre-2013 version, or the 2013+ version? CZ made changes to the gun that included significantly thinner grips in 2013+ (as shown on my gun above). Here's the older version: http://www.xdtalk.com/threads/new-cz-97b-45-acp.203974/

 

[valnar]

I'll say a Smith 625 with a couple extra moon clips.

That's what I use. Never worry about it going bang. Never worry about springs or magazines.

For those of you touting 1911's, it's not like the round count is much different. (Glocks, yes.)

It helps that the 625 is also my favorite gun, period. So I love practicing with it.