Recommendations for 45 Caliber Handguns

Yeah, this was something I had put without really thinking it through. I had tried the USP and the FNX and was browsing at FNX's, when I realized I needed to shop around more before dropping several hundred dollars on a sample of two guns.

That being said, everyone giving their two cents on their favorite 45's have given me more to think about, wrt to what I actually want.

Biggfoot44 said:

The OP really left himself wide open giving zero parameters .

My favorite DA .45acp was mentioned above , the P-90 . Y'all spoiled by plastic guns , the size and weight are similar to Combat Commander .

I like G29sf , no reason its little brother the G30sf shouldn't be fine also . I DO have gorilla hands , and I don't care for the non-sf large frame Glocks . I can shoot them acceptably if I have to , but the sf fits much better . Ironically , if you have Small to Medium hands you can't tell the difference , because they both round off the Big .

My pre- maturely deceased friend tried a bunch , and prefered the XDm 5.25 , and it's fine , though the " normal" 4.5in might be a preferred size

Nobody mentioned the Witness yet . Same basic design as the CZ , but EAA offers the Witness in a bewildering number of variations , in both metal and plastic .

Sig P220 . Great gun , bring $$ .

Did anyone mention 1911 yet ?

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Yeah, this was something I had put without really thinking it through. I had tried the USP and the FNX and was browsing at FNX's, when I realized I needed to shop around more before dropping several hundred dollars on a sample of two guns.

That being said, everyone giving their two cents on their favorite 45's have given me more to think about, wrt to what I actually want.

I really like my S&W 45 but I can't keep my wife's mitts off it. She really likes it also and with her small hands and it's big frame, she can easily handle the recoil. I also like my HK SOCOM 45 but since it's lighter, it has some snap. I kinda regret selling my Kimber 45 to my son. Maybe he'll sell it back!

I have a Springfield 1911, an XD45, and a Glock 21. I would carry the Glock 21 if I didn't carry a Glock 17. The 21 is fairly accurate and recoil minimal, for me. I don't have a Glock 30 but it is on my list. I did not have a chance to fire the XD yet so I can't opine on it.

LOVE the .45 acp!!!!!!!

The ONE pistol I really regret selling was a Colt Combat Commander that was a pleasure to shoot.

It was Old School.
S&W K-Frame red ramp front sight/white outline rear sight married to the slide.
Match barrel bushing fitted to the barrel and slide.
Barrel was throated to feed semi-wadcutters, and the feed ramp was polished and looked like a mirror. It would feed anything I put in the magazines.
Gold Cup NM trigger
Wilson's hammer and sear w/ 3.5 lb pull.
The balance of the Commander sized 1911 (to me) is perfect.

I sold it to a friend that just 'had to have it'.

I finally replaced this Combat Commander with a Colt Lightweight Commander (retirement gift to me, from me).
Not had a chance to shoot it, yet, but, it's time is coming soon.

I've got a Gold Cup NM that will never be sold. Very accurate.
Consider the Glock G30SF. Very accurate and 'soft' shooting.
Glock G21 is a handful, but, soft shooting, too.


So many .45 acp pistols to choose from.

H and K’s HK45 (not the USP) is one of the most comfortable and ergonomic guns I’ve ever held. The same goes for their P30 and VP9. Add in HK’s reputation for reliability and quality and you have a winner. If you like the feel of the PPQ I would be very surprised if you didn’t like the HK45.

Everyone that has already posted is absolutely right when posting the ones that they like. The reality is that we are spoiled because there are so many good choices, and the quality manufacturer's guns all work.

There's a world of difference in the platforms and their intended purposes and you are going to have to sort that out.

The 1911 conceals better than just about any gun I've ever carried. Further, it's almost an American duty to own at least one 1911.

HK guns are a funny business and not everyone warms up to them. There's nothing wrong with just admitting that it doesn't work for you. There's nothing wrong with the gun, it may just not be your thing.

The Glock 20/21 platform carries a lot of pain for a bad guy if you consider that the 10mm/G20 can carry 46 rounds of ammo with 15 rounds in 3 mags and one in the pipe. If I were going with that frame, I'd get the 10mm. You can also get the .45ACP upper assembly and have the best of both worlds. You may find it difficult to conceal it depending on your body type and preferred method of carry.

The G30 is eminently concealable and if you don't have gorilla hands will be more comfortable than the 20/21.

I agree that the CZ97 is the singularly most under appreciated .45ACP on the planet. It's going to be heavy to carry.

The Springfield XDs have fallen out of fashion for some reason, but the one that I shot that was a .40SW was the bee's knees.

I've never warmed up to SIGs, so no help there.

The SW metal guns are an under appreciated platform as well. One of my cop buddies is trying to acquire one in every model that they ever made.

That HK Mk23 is a "I got a windfall" gun for me.

TheOriginalMexicanBob said:

Having the sights naturally line up for you is a "clue" that's the pistol design for you. 1911s are like that for me...full size Glocks are not. It's not that training and familiarity can't overcome that but what's natural for you is usually best.

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There was an article only about the grip angles. It has to do with boxing versus martial arts.

The 105 degree grip angle of the 1911 and similar is the same angle as a boxing, full fist, punch.

The 110 degree angle of the Glocks and similar is the same angle as a fist poised for a martial arts two knuckle punch.

I thought that was interesting.

I find the 1911 points naturally to me, but that is what I learned on. The Glocks and similar point high to me.

I love both my Sigs. If you want a non-1911, try the Sig P-220, or the Sig P-227 which has been discontinued but has a higher capacity and is still out there.

If you want a 1911 format pistol, I highly recommend the Sig 1911 Emperor Scorpion. I got mine on a "Grab-a-Quote" from Grab-a-Gun, for less than $1000. The fit and finish is excellent.

All three mentioned are hammer-fired. The P-220 recoil impulse is very manageable. I haven't shot a P-227, just fondled it like a teenager in the back of the car at a drive-in movie.

1911 45 Because shooting someone twice is just silly

Springfield 45 go with the best / original.

1911. Traditional, heavy, single action, often with a decent trigger but some require makeovers. Expensive in the $900 + range.
Sig 220. Accurate, single stack. Sa/da. Some users have a problem with the transition from double to single action. Full size.
Smaller 45s like the shield. Light, recoil not offensive, concealable. Wouldn’t call it a target pistol.
Revolvers are fun. SW 625. Heavy enough that it feels like shooting a .22.

OverTheTop said:

I've been considering buying a 45 caliber handgun, after having owned a 9mm, Walther PPQ, and was wondering if anyone had 45 guns they really like. I'm trying to do my due diligence and research the available options, before committing to a buy. Ideally I will try to rent/borrow all the handguns I'm considering, so I get a sense for how they shoot.

So far I've had the opportunity to try out a USP 45, which I was surprisingly a little disappointed with, as the gun did not run as smooth as I expecting. People online put the USP 45 at god tier levels of good, but the gun I shot had extremely harsh recoil and shot very low. This could be due to the particular pistol being a well used rental, but still not a great first impression given the reputation the USP has. I'll want to try it out at another range before writing it off.

I've also tried the FNX-45, which is my definite favorite so far. Very smooth shooting and accurate. If I were to make my decision based on just my experiences with USP and FNX, I would go with FNX.

That being said, I was curious if there are other guns anyone thinks I should look into and try out? I'm generally looking for 45's like the USP or FNX, modern double stack handguns, but I don't have a preference for hammer fired vs striker. I've heard good things about the P320 in 45 as well as the PPQ in 45, so those are on my list to try next.

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Walter PPQ has a great trigger.

I have a Sig 227 and it is great. Also have an early CZ 97 which accurate, but heavy. Had some issues with an EAA Witness .45; popped a 10mm slide on it and it’s a winner now too. Then I built a P80 .45 and it’s a close second to the Sig and can be higher capacity.

The 1911 In .45 ACP has been used by American Soldiers in every conflict on earth we've been in since it's inception including a recent order of Colt 1911's by the USMC.
I don't believe any other semi auto hand gun on earth has that kind of cred.

The AK47 & it's many variants have that kind of cred for rifles and if you consider the 12" AK47 pistols a handgun then there too...
The AK47 has been used in every conflict on earth since it's inception. It's really the ultimate zombie apocalypse weapon.

AND one thing ALL the plastic fantistics including Glocks have in common is the frames eventually crack and need to be replaced... google is your friend on cracked PLASTIC HANDGUN FRAMES.

IMHO making plastic firearms is cheaper then making them out of tried & true american made real steel, and the extra weight helps with recoil as physics teaches us.

I have several different real steel american made 1911's in .45 ACP. I also have a Glock G36 Slimline Sub-Compact in .45ACP.
My 1911's are Para's, Remington's, Colt's, and Smith & Wesson's
With The Remington's and Smith & Wessons you'll get a lot more bells & whistles for your money then the Colt's.

A 1911 double stack in .45 acp is my primary carry and the g36 is my bug.
I have hogue wrap around rubber finger groove grips on my 1911's both the single stack & double stacks.

My American Made Real Steel 1911 Double Stacks Are 14+1 and 15+1 with factory mags.

The g36 I've put a hogue rubber handall grip sleeve on it.
Because the plastic fantastic handguns that are all the rage don't have removable grips you can change and they suck ass in high heat & humidity.

I've also put the +1 round magazine extensions on all my g36 mags because it gives me a finger groove for my pinky. Which results in greater control of a .45acp as small as the g36 is.

Also on the g36 I had to put a extended magazine release & extended slide release on it, and Trijicon glow in the dark sights.

I did not have to, but I also put a LaserMax laser sight on the g36, the style that replaces the recoil spring.

At the time I bought my g36 it was the smallest .45 acp handgun I could buy. It is my first & likely only plastic handgun I will ever buy.

It suits my purpose of a bug for concealed carry and it shoots good, but call me old fashioned... give me real steel american made handguns.

AND Anybody who buy's into the 10mm is better than a .45 ACP Myth needs to buy or check out from the library one or more recently published reloading manuals and see what you can really do with a .45 acp vs. 10mm. pick the hottest load for each you can find and look up the TKO Factor on those loads (Taylor Knockout Factor) you'll quickly find you can't buy projectiles in 10mm as big as you can for .45 acp and bigger projectiles effects the TKO Factor.

And when it comes to factory ammo, 10mm cost a lot more then .45 acp and is not as easy to find.

There's a few calibers you'll be able to find just about anywhere following a zombie apocalypse or financial & or government collapse from upside down spending of trillions...

9mm
.357/.38 Special
.45 ACP
.223/5.56
.308/7.62
30-06
.22

Me personally, i like my 1943 issue Ithaca 1911 but, i own a glock21 and a ruger security 45. Both are big and bad and have the power to neutralize most threats if not all. GLOCK21 ready for CQB.

In full size 45ACP, I have Sig 220, Glock 21 and 1911A1s. I shoot the 1911 in Wild Bunch Cowboy Action. For me the 1911's grip angle makes me shoot low, still, as it did when it was an issue for me as a pup (young guy). I shoot the grip angle of Sig220 and Glock 21 more accurately (not low) and prefer Sig 220 as it seems to have less felt recoil. My wife has absconded with my Colt Officer and the light weight Star PD45. She actually prefers the light weight one PD45 over any 9mm, who'd thunk it? (The old style S&W 3913 in 9mm has near perpendicular grip and no spring hump. she hates it! [The 3913 Lady Smith has a hump and like 10 degree offset.])
I like my S&W 1006 (10mm) better than 45s. Am considering 460 conversion for G21. Also considering 10mm slide for G21 to G20.

Look at Fusion Firearms.
They will build you a custom 1912.

CZ97B

But it, put another $399 in it and enjoy the best 45 going. Yes, I can prove this. You can meet me at Delmarva Sporting Clay's if you're close to the eastern shore and you can test drive mine. I have some pretty high end 1911s and I prefer the 96b. The accuracy, action and reliability are just uncanny. Oh, hope you have big hands.

You didn't say if it was to be a carry gun. If not look no further than this (there are a few versions with different finishes and barrel lengths):

https://ruger.com/products/newModelBlackhawkConvertible/specSheets/0463.html

1 - More reliable than any pistol. You always have 6.
2 - No lost brass.
3 - No safety yet still safer than any pistol.
4 - With the 45 Colt cylinder more powerful than any 9mm, 357 or any other pistol cartridge including the 460 Rowland.
5 - Fits everyone's hand as it has since 1873.
6 - Better trigger than nearly every pistol mentioned in this thread.
7 - Better sights than nearly every pistol mentioned in this thread.

kege1 said:

Springfield 45, go with the best / original.

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Don't mean to bust balls but the original was NOT Springfield.
It was Colt. John Browning worked for Colt.

In fact, the Springfield of today is NOT the same Springfield of the past.