Hey Mike - not meaning to single you out or incite a personal attack, but your post is great to provide comment for a few other posts as well.
I love my 1911's, and have lost track of how many I have owned, but that said, I switched over to Glocks about 7 years ago for EDC. They are light weight, don't rust, and are virtually indestructible.
PLUS, they are very easy to work on, and repair if you need to. My EDC for the last 7 years or so, has been a Glock 36. Single stack 45. Similar in size to a 1911 Commander. and conceals comfortably.
I have put thousands of rounds through it, and have never had a failure to function.
When they first came out, people were saying they were junk because the were having cycling problems. It wasn't the gun, it was the shooters. Just about any semi auto pistol will not cycle if it is limp wristed.
The first time my wife shot my 36, it stove piped. I told her how to hold it correctly, and she never had any problems after that.
By far, the .45ACP is my personal fav round for handguns. In a self-defense role there really is not much to improve on. However, if for some reason i wanted more power then i'd go to a 10mm and use full-power loads in an appropriate handgun.
I prefer 45 acp. The big heavy, slow moving bullets have proven themselves over many years, and with the 45 you can shoot ball ammo for practice, and I wouldn't hesitate to use it for a defensive round
It really is an excellent threat-stopper - especially with all the awesome *factory, over-the-counter* ammunition available.
I'm not a fan of the 40. It is a very high pressure round, as well as being expensive to shoot, as other shave mentioned. IMHO, it was an answer to a problem that never existed. They wanted something more effective than a 9mm, because the performance of the 9mm was giving poor results. I also think it was more of a marketing idea to sell more new guns and ammo, than anything else.
The .40S&W came about as a Law-Enforcement round after the FBI had developed the very potent 10mm (along with Bren-Ten and others) for their Field Agents in a S&W semi-auto platform. The need for an increased-power threat-stopper absolutely came after a series of horrible 9mm epic failures (the most note-worthy was an incident in Miami, FL). The 9mm round simply did not do what a handgun in a Law-Enforcement role requires - to eliminate an assailant's ability to harm others when there is probable/imminent/unavoidable cause to believe that assailant intends on harming others.
However, the FBI was noticing feed/accuracy-problems resulting from the requirement to strong-hold the powerful firearm when shooting - something which proved too difficult for too many Field Agents. So, the FBI developed "reduced-power-loads" for their 10mm's and the problem was solved. Via licensing with S&W's R&D Team, the 10mm case was shortened and became the .40S&W. The ballistics are nearly identical to the FBI's "reduced-power-loads" 10mm and is a *very* potent threat-mitigating round hence it's large-scale adoption by Police Departs across the States.
I know there are fans of H&K and Sigs, IMHO they are over priced. I also don't care for the triggers on them, but that is a personal thing and everyone is different. They are not easy to work on either, and I don't own guns that I can't repair.
I agree completely!!! I *love* the H&K semi-autos - WOW! what great handguns, but don't love the price tag. Nearly the same with Sig-Sauer. They are further testaments to Swiss precision engineering and manufacturing - again, at a big price tag.
Anyway, imho, if the handgun is for self-defense in a CCW capacity start with a cartridge that gets the job done. A threat-stopping cartridge is 1st priorty for a weapon in this role followed by a close-second expertise in using it. To me, Glock delivers on performance in bad situations year after year and at a price that's manageable.
For a 1st-time handgun owner (who has said he's not recoil-prone), it's best to start with the right choice (caliber/platform) and become accustomed to it until it is an extension of the hand/eye.
It's not like the .40S&W is a light-frame .44 Mag - the recoil is easily manageable.
