An Overdue Discussion on .45 Auto

[Bassat]

God said to Adam "Don't eat the Apple."
God said to Noah "Build the ark".
God said to Moses "Free my people".
God said to John Browning "Build me the most kickass handgun mankind will ever know. I mean one they will be talking about hundreds of years later. And make it a real thumper, so they will know it's the work of my hand. Myself (God) I am so tired of those pipsqueak euro calibers. Make me something that can truly be the Hammer of God."
So it is written, so shall it be done.
And on the seventh day, God rested, and cranked off 500 rounds at the range, and He knew it was good.

(But he checked with Col. Cooper anyways, just to be sure.)

Chapter 17-25, from the Book of What Is...Chuck Taylor edition.

That is EXACTLY how I feel about the ground-mounted M2. The 1911 is certainly the most beautiful handgun... ever. The M2 (and .50 BMG round) adds the ability to reach out and touch someone from 2000 yards. 650g @ 3000 fps, or thereabouts. Jeez.

 

[Squid556]

All this talk of shooting an M2 got me feelin like



Here I am de railing my own thread. Really I was just looking for an excuse to post this imagine.

 

[Robert Richardson]

It's amazing that every time one mentions 45acp that the conversation immediately turns to a discussion about the 1911 pistol. Love it!!
The cartridge will never be obsolete or replaced. If loaded to its safe potential, it's hard to beat as a do about anything cartridge.

 

[tcecil88]

I like .45 ACP well enough that I keep a couple. An old Spanish made Firestorm 5" my Dad gave me and my current Glock 21 Gen 5 that I really like. I have had several 1911's over the years and enjoyed every one of them.

 

[chadm]

I’m not a 1911 guy but I do like the .45…

I see your twins, and I raise you a pair of twins.

 

[chadm]

God said to Adam "Don't eat the Apple."
God said to Noah "Build the ark".
God said to Moses "Free my people".
God said to John Browning "Build me the most kickass handgun mankind will ever know. I mean one they will be talking about hundreds of years later. And make it a real thumper, so they will know it's the work of my hand. Myself (God) I am so tired of those pipsqueak euro calibers. Make me something that can truly be the Hammer of God."
So it is written, so shall it be done.
And on the seventh day, God rested, and cranked off 500 rounds at the range, and He knew it was good.

(But he checked with Col. Cooper anyways, just to be sure.)

Chapter 17-25, from the Book of What Is...Chuck Taylor edition.

And then Zeus, Vishnu, Durga, Shiva, Ishvari, Kali, and Kartikeya all got together and were like “we need something like Dirty Harry or JMB, but bigger. No, it doesn’t have to make sense.” And thus the 500SW Magnum was born!

 

[2tonic]

And then Zeus, Vishnu, Durga, Shiva, Ishvari, Kali, and Kartikeya all got together and were like “we need something like Dirty Harry or JMB, but bigger. No, it doesn’t have to make sense.” And thus the 500SW Magnum was born!

View attachment 348312

Knaves, rogues, upstarts all!

 

[Magyars]

 

[Noble Sniper]

I’ve got to be honest I have only shot 45 and 10mm out of the 1911. I have never shot 9mm out of one….. I’ve shot 9mm out of other guns but can’t honestly wrap my head around it in a single stack 1911. Maybe I’m missing something but I prefer 45 even to 10mm in a 1911…. Just feels right. What am I missing when it comes to single stack 9mm over 45??

 

[foszoe]

Round or 2?

 

[Combat Engineer]

I've got a Kimber in .45, but since getting those RIA 10mm's it's become a safe queen compared to the others. I got a love affair with hand loaded full tilt 10mm.... accuracy is wicked.

 

[12many]

I got Glocks, Sigs, Smittys, Canik AND I got the sexiest handgun ever made, the 1911.
One Colt in .45 ACP (because a 9mm will kill you, but a .45 kills the soul) and I got an older Colt 1911 in 38Super.
Love them both

 

[12many]

Oh, and I guess I am kind of a JMB fan boi/snob cause I only consider Colts when it comes to the 1911.

Is that wrong?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

What am I missing when it comes to single stack 9mm over 45??

Dunno, but sounds like a gateway to communism to me. The only acceptable deviation from .45 Auto is .38 Super.

 

[Leo]

If I was smart I’d just work an hour overtime to pay for factory ammo.

There is a lot to be said for that logic. At this point in life, time is the one thing I just do not have a lot of.

I have been buying most of my ammo for a few years now. I started reloading in '72 or '73. I reloaded all my Trap league and pistol league ammo. All my rifle competition ammo too. Reloading lost the hobby factor for me and became just another job that I don't have time for.

Now I choose to buy probably 80% of anything I shoot.

 

[ECS686]

I’ve got to be honest I have only shot 45 and 10mm out of the 1911. I have never shot 9mm out of one….. I’ve shot 9mm out of other guns but can’t honestly wrap my head around it in a single stack 1911. Maybe I’m missing something but I prefer 45 even to 10mm in a 1911…. Just feels right. What am I missing when it comes to single stack 9mm over 45??

What makes a 9mm 1811 shine is the steel frame just takes the 9mm to something totally different (not that Glocks and such are bad)
But they have a division by themselves in IDPA that a lot of folks have made popular with steel frame 9mm 1911’s

But also rafter I. The better trigger that strikers wish they could be and for some of us the classic look. It’s just a very shoitable and accurate gun.

It just seems some folks hate anything with a lower capacity than double digits (or at least that is one complaint on about every carry gun if it isn’t 17 rounds)

And a 9mm Commander would make a great carry gun for those magazine restrictive states if one didn’t want to run a wheelgun.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

45 ACP, my kind of round. Short, fat and slow but gets the job done!

Amen, brother.

 

[Squid556]

Some load development with the Colt and Hoosiers 200 grain SWC. I was stoked with the top group having 4 rounds in the same hole. Feels so right.

As I understand it….. John M Browning intended the 45 ACP to have a 200 grain bullet initially. And looking at load manuals it seems to be about the optimum weight / velocity relationship.

But I guess the ordnance dept wanted a load closer to the 45 Colt and so he made it 230 grains.

 

[92FSTech]

I’ve got to be honest I have only shot 45 and 10mm out of the 1911. I have never shot 9mm out of one….. I’ve shot 9mm out of other guns but can’t honestly wrap my head around it in a single stack 1911. Maybe I’m missing something but I prefer 45 even to 10mm in a 1911…. Just feels right. What am I missing when it comes to single stack 9mm over 45??

You have to shoot one to really get it. I didn't know what I was missing until I shot a steel-frame, government-size 9mm. I have an EMP4 in 9mm that is a pretty good shooter, but it has a lightweight aluminum frame and commander-length recoil system. My buddy recently picked up a full-size Kimber 9mm and while its size/weight/capacity ratio definitely makes it an impractical choice for a carry gun, it's an absolute sweetheart on the range. Recoil is barely noticeable and you can run a plate rack insanely fast with it. It would be incredible with an optic.

 

[Magyars]

I’ve got to be honest I have only shot 45 and 10mm out of the 1911. I have never shot 9mm out of one….. I’ve shot 9mm out of other guns but can’t honestly wrap my head around it in a single stack 1911. Maybe I’m missing something but I prefer 45 even to 10mm in a 1911…. Just feels right. What am I missing when it comes to single stack 9mm over 45??

Nothing.