If you can shoot a .45 well do you choose to carry one?

[Buckshot]

I have over 35 years experience invested in the 1911, but It's been rare that I go "Old Testament" style & actually carry it all day since spinal injuries about 15 years ago. I practice with it as regularly as any other & a hand-built 5" stays available in my "ready to go" armory, but truthfully, I only strap it on once every 60-90 days. Normal EDC primary is a G19 or an M&P of some sort in 9mm - I shoot them well despite spending too much time fixing guns & not enough time at the range (not an excuse, just the facts).

[dravz]

Or you could go with the M&P 45 mid frame for such an application, or HK 45 or 45 C....

Nah, I had an XD45 for a few years and never really cared for it. Admittedly that isn't quite where you're pointing me but I'm not getting another polymer 45.

[EVP]

I have a HK45c and it has been totally reliable,accurate and is a soft shooting 45. I have thought about going to a 9mm. It seems that the folks that do a lot of training prefer the 9mm based on two main points. That is it easier to shoot and ammo is cheaper. But instead of spending money for another gun and changing the platform it seems that it would be better just training with what I have.

I am just wondering how much real world difference would be gained going with a 9 over my Hk45c. It seems most advocate putting as many rounds on target as fast as possible. In a hypothetical example, would 4 shots on a 8in plate with a 9mm vs putting 3 on the plate with a 45. I don't know but sometimes I think that times between shots and all those different factors would make only a marginal difference when translated in a real world scenario. I don't know I am still on the fence on this topic.

[SLG]

Let me say right off the bat that I don't think the caliber you're carrying (assuming modern, duty-type choices) matters very much, most of the time.

Let me also say that I carry a 1911, in .45, and don't feel the need to defend it.

Having said that, carrying a nine because you can get more hits for the allotted time seems silly to me. At the kinds of distances where your finger can go full auto, we're talking about .13-.18 splits for a 9, and .15-.20 for a .45, for most good shooters. The number of rounds you will accurately put on target is, for all intents and purposes, the same.

On the other hand, carrying a nine because you can shoot more ammo in training, and therefore get better with your gun, makes a lot of sense to me. 9's tend to break less, cost less and hurt less, and that's all good if you want to shoot better. 1000 round .45 days are mostly in my past now, though honestly, 1000 round 9 days have always been too much of a good thing for me as well.

Either way, I believe that the capacity and caliber are pretty meaningless in most circumstances.

[GJM]

Running FASTest drills recently with a P30 in 9, P30 in 40 and an HK 45C, my times with the 40 were within about .25 of the 9mm, while my HK 45C times were substantially slower.

Considering the ergos of the P30 grip, the full size grip frame of the P30, the ease of reloading the P30, the ability to take an X300, and 13 cartridges in .40, I think a strong argument can be made for the P30 .40 over an HK 45C.

[evanhill]

Either way, I believe that the capacity and caliber are pretty meaningless in most circumstances.

I dunno... I hear that .45acp is the one shot stop caliber of choice if you're gunning for skunks.

[SLG]

Notice the "in most circumstances" disclaimer.

Everyone knows that .45 is the only sane choice for hungry skunks...

[STS]

I posted this a while back on another forum, hopefully it explains my caliber choices. I tend to favor .45, but have no issues at all with a good quality 9mm rd.

___________

For a while, I was going back and forth - 1911 or Glock, 9mm or .45, 17 rds or 8, etc. Then I got some very sound advice from a gunfight survivor. He said all that crap doesn't matter. He told me that it is my gunfight, I own it, and I have decide what is best for me. I won't be able to get advice on the internet.

So I put some thought into what I carried, why, how I trained, how well I shot, and what I thought I might face. I carry two guns. Primarily a 5" 1911 with 8 rd mag plus one in the chamber, along with 2 spare 8 rd mags, or a Glock 19 14+1 with one spare mag. I am comfortable with either, though I shoot the 1911 better. Both have proven reliable.

What is more important to me is that I am carrying a gun that I am competent with, that I'm able and prepared to use, and that will work when needed. I tend to favor the .45 based off my experiences of dealing with gunshot wounds. The area I work in is ghetto, to be blunt. I deal with gunshot victims damn near daily. I have seen cases where an extra .1" may have made the difference between cutting an artery, or hitting the spinal chord.

Again, based of what I have seen with my own eyes, I feel bigger is better. The bigger the hole, the harder it is for me to stop the bleeding. It also seems that the bigger calibers do a better job of smashing bone, especially the heavier bones such as the femur and pelvis. None of this is scientific, I'm not that smart. I'm just staying in my lane posting what I have experienced and seen first hand. No need to argue with me or tell me why the 9mm is better, thats not my point - I don't want to get shot with either. The point is that I came to a educated, informed decision on what I prefered to primarily carry based on my own experiences and research.

I'm not as concerned with the capacity issue. In three years, I have been on well over 30 shootings. I can't remember any over 5 rounds, including OIS. Again, I know statistically 30 is nothing, but it is what it is, my first hand experience. Yes I could end up facing a bunch of armed MS-13 guys, but I could also get struck by lightning. I'm comfortable with 9 in the gun.

A well built 1911 with 8+1, plus a couple spares, in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing is nothing to take lightly. Neither is a Glock 19. Both are outstanding platforms to protect yourself with. Neither is perfect, each has its trade offs, and nobody but you can decide which is better.

[DocGKR]

STS--Good post!

[willowofwisp]

STS--Good post!

+1 words if wisdom right there.