No manual safety, striker fired or DAO.
Leading contenders are Glock 21 Gen 5 MOS or FN 545 Tactical.
I have Glocks and mostly shoot them, so that is a 21 plus. I also have a 509 and I like it, and I think it has a superior mounting system vs the Glock MOS and I would put a red dot onto whichever one.
Not a need.
Thoughts?
Other contenders?
For me, probably not real popular but the Good Ole 1911, military look a like would probably be my choice. I carried one in the Army, my dad had one, so I’ve had some experience with them as a matter of fact it the only .45 experience I have.
On duty, I carried a Government Model 1911, a Pachmeyer Combat Commander, then a Sig Sauer P220.
Hands down, IMHO the Sig is the best .45.
I have been carrying / shooting this Sig for 30+ years (including PD range ammo), and I have never had a jam. (I did have a feed problem with a bad magazine (since discarded), which of course is why we train).
If it has to be an optic-ready pistol I would go with the G21G5, if not Walther PPQ
I would go Glock 21 Gen 5 and purchase the Chwps plate to mount the dot, i run their plates on my Glocks.
I almost picked one up recently but bought two new Sig p320s, an x5 legion and the xten 10mm.
I am actively seeking to avoid those extra “do-dads” as some would call them.
No relying on the use of an external manual safety. I just want pull trigger = bang, don’t pull trigger = no bang, with the same trigger pull every time
And capacity much greater than 7
oooh I forgot about Walther making them.
It will have to have a dot, but, I know there are companies that will mill pretty nearly anything, and I do like the PPQ/PDP series…hmmmm
Another contender, that is
HK 45
USP 45
Mark 23
Are worth a look.
@Nathan57 I am just curious to ask why the S&W M&P did not make your list of considered choices.
That’s a damn good question. No reason.
I’m going to have to go to one of the larger stores/ranges and see if they have one.
I think it’s because I’ve never held or fired a .45 S&W so it just…slips my mind.
I had the chance to try one as a modern upgrade to the 1911 concept I had always used. Based on my experience with a similar .40 cal, and the improved capacity, ergonomics, no safety, etc. I thought I might like it as an alternative to the 1911 all steel platform. I was not disappointed.
I’ve always considered buying guns like buying cars - when you shop, don’t fall in love with just ONE. The two I’ve looked at as likely candidates for my new “using” collection are the Grand Power P45L and the S & W M&P45 M2.0 “Thumb Safety” models. You’re not going to find too many - if ANY - pistols that meet your requirements. If you’ve followed my Guns & Gear rants about “improvements” makers have added to their designs as “must-haves”, you’ll know what I mean. Two other makes to look at are from H & K and Springfield Armory. Look for YouTube video reviews from “GB Guns” - Graham Baates - and “Honest Outlaw” - to aid your search. By the way - the Grand Powers come with fixed-grips, and the Smiths come with FOUR replaceable backstraps, to customize your grip-fit - with the most aggressive texture I’ve seen outside of H & K and Walther. They both offer you 10-round magazines, and two barrel-length choices, as well. Good luck, and keep your powder dry, partner.
I think almost any striker fired pistol will meet my requirements. Several hammer fired as well.
Glock, S&W, Sig, H&K, Walther, FN, and more, all the major players seem to have at least one offering that fits my critiera.
I’d like to stay striker for consistency and H&K doesn’t have the VP series in a .45 so they are off. I don’t like Sig so they are off. (I don’t want a Ruger either, just don’t)
But that leaves Walther, Glock, FN, and S&W eligible that Iv’e found so far
The four backstraps, as well as being able to get one with a more aggressive texture, were what made a good sustainable grip possible, which is often the requirement that ends up disqualifying a gun for me. To just pick up an M&P with whatever backstrap it may have on it could be misleading. This is where my previous experience with a .40 cal M&P paid it’s best dividends. My guess would be the same would hold true for other guns with adjustable grips.
Glock: Matches my current Glocks the best, which is what I most carry. So, most consistency.
S&W: A 2.0 in .45 would be awesome, best grip texture and one of the best triggers with the newer flat face if those are out in .45 now. Low bore axis like a Glock, unlike GLock can field strip without pulling trigger though
Walther: Great ergos and would match my PDP. Great factory magazine options and factory threaded barrl on the tatical…anything can be milled
FN: Would kinda match my 509 and I think has the best factory RDS mounting option
I almost feel like thanking you for getting me to think about this more, and why I liked the M&P. I originally adopted the 1911 because I just so naturally shot them better, more accurately. The natural ease of handling (for me) of the M&P, and the simplicity of operation, just makes it lighter, easier, and notably faster than is the usual 1911. Those magazines slip in the mag well so effortlessly, and the slide is closed, ready to go. yet I was still somewhat on the fence about fully adopting the change. I think maybe it’s time to get off the fence.
My last, additional comments here are shop 'till you drop, and pay close attention-to-detail. Shoot “enough” gun for the caliber you want, and get the best value-for-value deals - one tactic I’ll employ to get the best deal(s) I can is to take a hand-written list of the makes and models I’m shopping, with specs and msrp’s - if I can find them - prominently underlined and circled - and try to make sure that the shop personnel see 'em. I don’t begrudge anyone from making a profit, but like any retailer - consider car dealers - they have to stay in business by moving and rotating their stock. I don’t know about ammo, but I’ve heard that the real profits are made from accessories and add-ons. Who knows? What you’re looking for might still be new-in-the box, and on the shelf gathering dust at some dealer or distributor. Online dealers have really put a dent on retail pricing, too.
I like the 1911, because I shoot it very well, but it sucks on capacity. I also like the Glock 21 Gen 5, because I shoot it extremely well, and the capacity is much better. Plus it feels real good in my hand and it shoots flat. I also replaced the stock guide rod assembly for tungsten. Sweet! The other you’ve mentioned I have no experience with, so I will just go with what I know today. If I had to choose, I would choose the 21.
Glock 21 with carbon fiber front sights. I am there with on this one.
P.S. - One factor that made me reconsider the .45 was the appearance of 200-grain ammo. The one letdown was the total LACK of range ammo for it. Some outfit - Freedom Munitions - makes a 200-grain RN - fitted with small pistol primers. Hornady, Sig Sauer, Speer. and Winchester make only self-defense loads in this bullet weight, while Federal offers a 210-grain Hydra-Shok “Deep” load. It irks me to have to spend the extra $$ and shoot JHPs as range ammo - Speer’s “Gold Dot” is a +P, so they’re off the list. There always seems to be a tradeoff regarding the shooting public, but at least we now have 3 standard bullet weights to choose.