Suggestions for a 45 handgun

I've tried small .45s from Para, Kahr, Glock and S&W. I know you don't want a Shield but it's the only one that has held up. How about a small 1911. Most at the mill are open on weekend days and some (like Custom Defense Solutions) are open week nights. If you go to the mill, then Harvard is about 15 minutes away. I have 5 .45 pistols and you.re welcome to try them. It' a trade off. The easier they are to carry, the harder they are to shoot well.
 
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I dont remember the exact model name but didn't S&W make a small .45 auto called the Chiefs special or something close to that?
 
Any compact 45 is going to kick like a mule.
I went through this phase as well but went back to a compact 9mm.

Best controllable for me were the S&W CS45 and the G30SF. XDS45 was great for concealment but jumped alot. SW1911 Pro Series was the same. Didn't even try the PM45 as I figured out you either need weight or mass to keep the pistol from going all over the place.
 
pj150 said:
Any compact 45 is going to kick like a mule.
I went through this phase as well but went back to a compact 9mm.

Best controllable for me were the S&W CS45 and the G30SF. XDS45 was great for concealment but jumped alot. SW1911 Pro Series was the same. Didn't even try the PM45 as I figured out you either need weight or mass to keep the pistol from going all over the place.
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I had and liked the PM45, but the trigger reset was terrible.
 
As a couple of others have said, the HK 45c is not far off in size from a Glock 19, is a pleasure to shoot, rock solid, and accurate. With a good holster and belt, easily concealable. Plenty of Commander sized 1911s fit the bill too. I also have never had a hard time concealing a Sig P220 though some people will complain about how heavy it is. OP wasn't exactly clear on how small it needs to be. Are we talking pocket carry, or something bigger? I have never had anything small enough in .45 to pocket carry so I can't speak to that. I don't carry any .45 smaller than my HK 45c.
 
pj150 said:
Any compact 45 is going to kick like a mule.
I went through this phase as well but went back to a compact 9mm.

Best controllable for me were the S&W CS45 and the G30SF. XDS45 was great for concealment but jumped alot. SW1911 Pro Series was the same. Didn't even try the PM45 as I figured out you either need weight or mass to keep the pistol from going all over the place.
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Absolutely. The 3" S&W 1911 Pro Series has a Scandium Frame. It is very light weight and will kick a lot. It is really not an enjoyable pistol to shoot once the round count gets over 10 or 15.
 
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pj150 said:
Any compact 45 is going to kick like a mule.
I went through this phase as well but went back to a compact 9mm.

Best controllable for me were the S&W CS45 and the G30SF. XDS45 was great for concealment but jumped alot. SW1911 Pro Series was the same. Didn't even try the PM45 as I figured out you either need weight or mass to keep the pistol from going all over the place.
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The recoil of my G30 is comparable to my G19 (older spring design). I'm about equal in speed and accuracy with both of them.
 
Picton said:
If you meet the right testosterone threshold, a 1911 is the only choice.

For those who can't quite reduce their estrogen enough, there are other options. But I'm not sure what they are.
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Don't you mean if you're old enough to need testosterone therapy and a diaper change?

Get a mark23 though...itll conceal if your wearing a moomoo
 
zboys said:
I'm busy as hell with work and don't have much time to shop the stores, I'm looking for a smallish 45, for everyday carry. What do you all recommend. I Don't want a Shield. And I am in Mass.
Does the Mill have regular hours when mostly all are open?
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Mill is generally open Wednesdays afternoon(3-7 I think) and Saturday until 2-3pm. Saturday is usually when they have the most places open.

Also, if you're looking for a small-ish 45, you're not going to like it. It recoils. no, it doesn't recoil. It kicks like a mule. If you want small, look for a 9mm. For a 45, you're better off with something modern like CZ 97. They have a much better recoil management than a 1911 and they take more ammo
 
I'll just add a vote to the folks here saying that smaller/lighter .45s kick hard. For 1911s, I've got an alloy Officers model that I carry sometimes, and a stainless full-size that I carry other times, and the comfort difference is night and day. My full-size is also ribbed, which adds a bit of mass without bulk, and that soaks up recoil as well.

All told, though I like my Officers and don't want to let it go, I find that the benefits of carrying it aren't really any greater than the full-size. Either of them conceals well enough, provided you wear the right belt.
 
hillman said:
As a couple of others have said, the HK 45c is not far off in size from a Glock 19, is a pleasure to shoot, rock solid, and accurate. With a good holster and belt, easily concealable. Plenty of Commander sized 1911s fit the bill too. I also have never had a hard time concealing a Sig P220 though some people will complain about how heavy it is. OP wasn't exactly clear on how small it needs to be. Are we talking pocket carry, or something bigger? I have never had anything small enough in .45 to pocket carry so I can't speak to that. I don't carry any .45 smaller than my HK 45c.
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Not pocket carry, bigger. My full size 1911 is just not comfortable to carry. I hadn't thought of a small 1911.
Thanks so far for all the tips
 
CRSIII said:
Here’s a nice cco.
View attachment 567331
Click to expand...

Beauty. Never heard of this manufacturer.

Damn, that Glock has a big barrel.

20170901_160618__13366.1511216049.jpg
 

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