Only shot one once.
I had gotten out of the service and, upon returning home, applied for a CT permit. I got the application from the local cop shop and then I had to get a signoff from a local rangemaster (not the day-long course they do now). So I called a range, made an appointment and went over.
The rangemaster looked over my paperwork and asked what I wanted to shoot. I said: "I dunno, how about a .45?" He told me how much, so I paid him for a box of cartridges, a target and the range fee.
It was a .45 AMT Hardballer. Like you said, a big honking slab of stainless steel. Under the eyes of the rangemaster, I loaded five rounds into the magazine, ran the target down the range, and fired off the five. That gun shot better than I had a right to expect. The rangemaster said something along the lines of "You're good to go, but you paid for the rest of the box, so you might as well have some fun."
I didn't go out and buy one, my recollection was that they made Gold Cups look like bargains. But it sure was fun to shoot.