Best Plastic .45 ACP??

i wanna try the new kahr poly .45 (the P45 IIRC) sounds like a great carry gun, depending on how it shoots/handles/performs, havent had the chance to try one yet, but if i was to buy a poly frame .45 right now thats what i'd get.

if i wanted a glock i would consider the .45GAP and the glocks in that calibre, they should perform about like the ACP imho, the springfield HD is also a good one, the glock 21 is also a great pistol but so big/thick i dont care for them myself, & i have big hands.

the H&K is also good.
 
I've had my XD .45 service model for a while now and can't think of a single negative thing to say about it. You'd be hard pressed to find a better design to hold 13+1 rounds of 45 ACP goodness.
 
How does the grip size of the Glock 21SF compare to the Springfield? I didn't know such a gun existed, I guess we can add one more to the list. I've always liked the 21 and can reach the trigger just fine, just have trouble with mag release buttons and slide lock bc it has such a huge grip.
 
After Clint Smith & Charlie Cutshaw gave their thumbs-up to the XD, I borrowed a Compact and a Tactical in .45 ACP from Springfield.
After working with both, they're pushing very hard to replace my 1911. Compact for daily use, Tactical for outdoors excursions.
Both fit my hand infinitely better than any factory Glock grip, both are impervious to summer sweat (an increasing problem with my stainless Colt & wood grips), both are lighter than the Colt, both have higher magazine capacities.
No failures on the Compact, one feedramp glitch with the Tactical.
Accuracy is do-able, the longer Tactical is fractionally more accurate over all.
Pricing is also very good, if that's an issue.
Denis
 
Spydiefan04 said:
How does the grip size of the Glock 21SF compare to the Springfield? I didn't know such a gun existed, I guess we can add one more to the list. I've always liked the 21 and can reach the trigger just fine, just have trouble with mag release buttons and slide lock bc it has such a huge grip.
Click to expand...

the glocks grip is thicker, not a whole lot but it is some thicker.

the XD fits my hand better than the 21, thats why i said look at the .45GAP pistols they are a little more like the 9MM/.40 size frames in circumfrence but the slide is a little bigger IIRC, the ammo is pretty much the same ballistically (ie 230gr JHP @ ~ 875 or 900 fps) the only con is the GAP ammo is gonna be harder to find/more expensive.

to me, the 21 is just a BIG pistol, awfull big, i have shot the 21 & the 20, the 10MM quite a bit (a bud owns both) and while i can easily reach the controls its just a bigger pistol than i would ever wanna carry, and imho the thick grip doesnt enhance "shootability" (if thats a word lol) at all, in fact to ME it hinders it to a degree & i have large hands..

if i had to have a .45ACP pistol to carry for SD i would seriously consider the XD, to be honest i am thinking of getting an XD, its the only .45ACP poly frame i would consider reallly, i suppose i just like slimmer grips, i'd rather have a 1911 or a SIG 220 than a 21 myself, not that its a bad pistol.......

but am gonna have to get an XD, probably in the compact version, in .40 or 9MM, but maybe the .45 am just gonna have to look,
 
If you want a Polymer .45 with slimmer grips check out the S&W M&P (another one I am seriosly considering), it's got adjustable backstraps and with the medium one fits my hand like a glove. Only cons are it's about $100 more than XD, and has a 10 shot magazine (smaller capacity is why the grip can be smaller). I was leaning Beretta due to controls but now I'm thinking either M&P or XD, my goal is to only but ONE full size polymer pistol and I know the M&P .40 is great but I'd prefer to keep my calibers to buy ammo in to a minimum which is why I want a high cap, polymer .45. 10 years ago this would been simple, Glock 21:D Ain't open market competition a great thing.
 
I've been most pleased with my 5" Tactical XD45. I think that a lot of the complaints you hear about the XD triggers are from people spoiled by their 1911's.
 
zenheretic said:
There is a model 21, and a model 30. However just recently, they have released a model 21 SF, and a model 30 SF. SF stands for slime frame. The magazines are the same but the grip is reduced.
Click to expand...

The "SF" stands for "Short Frame," not "slime frame," "slim frame," or "Special Forces" frame or anything else. It's "Short Frame."

The magazines are NOT the same. They have a different mag catch retaining cut than the older 21 and 30 magazines.

The older 21 mags will NOT work in the 21SF, but the new 21SF mags will work in the older 21's. (Glock figured out they needed as much compatiblity as possible)

If you have discounted the Glock 21 due to handling a non Short Frame version, then you need to look at the SF before making your final conclusion. The SF makes all the difference to many people concerning pointing, bulk and feel.

The S&W M&P is another viable choice, as is the Springfield XD-45.

One of those three will work out very well for you.

.
 
Wilson Combat makes a polymer .45- if you're really looking for the best, I would sure check it out.
 
I really like the Glock 21 SF. The grip is miles better than the older version. I have medium-sized mitts, and the 21SF is quite comfy. If I weren't busily spending all of my money on INFI, I'd have one by now. The XD is a very nice gun, too, but they don't call to me the way Glocks do. The new XDM is very interesting. All of the guns mentioned so far will do the trick- it's just a matter of what feels good in your hand and points naturally for you.
 
I'll take the Glock 36 45 Cal over any I've tried.

Love that thing.

STR
 
MVF said:
Wilson Combat makes a polymer .45- if you're really looking for the best, I would sure check it out.
Click to expand...

It is a rendition of the BUL-5 frame. It's slippery and badly needs texturing for a good grip.

It's also a 1911 design, which is either a good or bad thing, depending.

Magazines will be difficult to obtain, except thru Wilson, which usually means they'll cost more.

.
 
David, what don't you like about your Glock 36? I've carried one for years and it's been a great little gun for me. Just curious.

SDS
 
i have never found a poly frame 1911 i liked, nor especially a double stack poly frame 1911, imho it takes one of the best feeling pistols in the hand around (a plain vanilla1911) and makes it feel like, well, a glock lol. not that anything is wrong with a glock, i love them, but a std 1911 feels better in my hand and points better.

i would prefer a std 1911 if i wanted that style of pistol.

YMMV though.
 
I built a STI frame up with a Commander slide and chambered in 38 Super. I think it was probably the single best 1911 style gun I have ever seen for SD carry. It combine high capacity, light weight, hard hitting caliber, and easy concealment all in a single package. The grip on the STI is 1.3 inch from the factory but can be thinned a bit with a grip change. The feel is almost identical to a standard 1911. Sadly I sold this one and have never gotten around to building another as I have moved to revolvers for the majority of my CCW needs.

I seldom recommend a SA only semi-auto as a carry gun however because it does require a higher degree of training to safely carry. Most (not all) people simply don't put in the trigger time to safely carry a cocked and locked pistol. I have shot the majority of the current crop and have found the S&W M&P to be the one I would choose if I went back to a semi-auto. All of the ones I have shot have had triggers that I didn't like but I have shot a Springfield XDM that had the trigger reworked and it was very nice (I cannot remember the name of the smith but when my brother gets back from his semiannual fishing trip to Canada I will ask if anyone is interested) and I have shot a S&W M&P worked over by Ray Saltzman, again it made the gun very easy to shoot. How ever the S&W has a few thing I like better:

Grip ergonomics: Just feels better to me

1911 style frame mounted safety

Both the magazine release and the slide release are ambi allowing me to use my index finger to operate them

Novac style sights

Of course everyone is different and has to find the gun that fits them and one they can have confidence in. The worst thing you can do is to buy a gun simply because it is the "flavor of the month", instead as I said before try as many as you can. Go to a range that has rentals, or go to a range that has active participation...most people are delighted to let you try their guns. Write down the pro's and con's of each you try then decide what is best for you...not best for others.
 
SDS said:
David, what don't you like about your Glock 36? I've carried one for years and it's been a great little gun for me. Just curious.

SDS
Click to expand...

Inexplicably, the trigger reach is more difficult for me with this one. It makes no sense, as it is thinner than the G30 which allows an easy trigger reach.

It must be a personal quirk between me and that particular gun.

But regardless of that, for that same or similar bulk/weight, I could carry more shots. The G23 gives me 13+1, the G19 15+1 and the G30 10+1, any of which I'd prefer over the measly 6+1 in the G36 package.

.
 
I've been packing the XD .45 since I bought it. Used to carry the HK .45's depending on season. I really prefer the XD.
 
David, I understand that the 36 is a bit different that the other Glock offerings. I also understand the desire for more rounds. I like the little 36 better than the other small frame glocks. I personally prefer .45 over 9mm due to my own experiences but I carry a 9mm sometimes.

I don't care much for the compact or subcompact Glocks. I shoot them okay, they just don't feel at all right to me though.

I guess guns are a lot like knives. If we all liked the same thing, there would be only one.

SDS
 
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