Gunco Forums banner

Is the 45ACP the best handgun?

4K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  j427x 
#1 ·
If you could have any caliber handgun, what would it be? If I had an unlimited budget for buying guns, I would select the .45 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol). This would absolutely be my first choice. It is big and slow (so is a big boulder), but it can do the job.
Because of the weakness of the .38 in use at the time, John Browning designed a new auto handgun. This was around 1905. It took a few years and some modifications, but the US Army adopted this gun as the “U.S.Pistol, Automatic, Caliber .45, Model 1911 in that year. Around 1926 there were a few modifications made to the gun and it became the M1911A1 which remained in service until the mid 1980s. Even though the Army adopted the 9MM as their handgun caliber at that time, a lot of special units continued to use the .45. Why? Because it WORKS! It remains one of the longest-lived handguns of all time.
Nowadays it seems like everybody and his brother are building a copy of the old 1911--Colt, Ruger, Remington and other domestic and foreign gun makers. You’ll never go wrong copying the best!
Ruger also makes a single action revolver that is chambered for the old cowboy .45 (.45 Long Colt) and the .45 ACP, one gun--two calibers. That would be a wonderful working gun.
I don’t currently own a .45 (I have in the past, but, being the dummy that I am, I either sold or traded it). A couple of years ago I went out looking for a .45 or possibly a .40 S&W, but a Ruger 9MM kind of dropped into my lap. I was able to make a trade and thus the 9MM became my main handgun. If I didn’t have so much ammo in that caliber I might try to trade it on a good .45 auto. But, short of winning the lottery, I don’t think I’ll be able to buy a 45. I think that the 9MM will work (especially with Hornady’s Critical Defense rounds) but, I do believe that the .45 is better.
 
See less See more
#30 ·
I have always held the most effective caliber is the one in your hand.

Meaning if you aint gonna carry it cause its too big then you aint got shit.

That said, I have seen 22 kill and 44 mag fail. Pick what you will carry and not leave at home and practice, practice practice.

a 9mm to the head makes a hell of a mess. as does a 32...


I would rather have a 22 derringer in the hand than a 45 at home...
 
#32 · (Edited)
Friggen A..

They even named a beer after it.. You wont see no .9mm beer.. Hell no..
Real Mans gun.. .45..
When you absolutely positivity have to gain weight. Colt .45..
 
#33 ·
A good buddy of mine has stated for years that the all around best pistol cartridge for two legged critters is .45ACP.

His favorite cartridge is 185 Gr. Semi-Wadcutter in soft cast lead. He has all of the data to show that EXCEPT for a few more rounds of capacity, this is the best thing going. This is a guy who used to compete in Pistol Matches every weekend for a $200 pot. And that is how he fed himself for two years. Not kidding.

.45 is potent to be sure. If everybody carried one, America would be the most polite place in the world.
 
#35 ·
bulky and heavy? you ever try to pistol whip some ass with a glock? --

you shoul try that some time if you think a 1911 or 357mag pistol is a bit too "heavy"--

being made of STEEL rather than plastic still have a few critical advantages.

the only reasons any of us ever carried the glocks over the 1911 was the glocks were smaller and a bit lighter. any time the weight could be spared the 1911 was the usual piece.

delta has carried about every hand gun imaginable over the last 20 years--what is deltas carry today i ask you?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top