First .45 acp?

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RyanCW

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Hello all, this is my first post/thread. I have just recently started purchasing handguns, though I have owned a rifle and still own my 870. I purchased my first handgun, a G19 gen 4, and am very happy with it. I have an itch to try a .45acp and have about $600 to spend. I am not particularly against a 1911, I am just younger and don't have the attraction to one that most seem to have from using them in the service, passed down from father, etc. I would like to know the thoughts of you guys on the g21 gen 4 vs the m&p45. I have shot the m&p9 fs and thought it was a pretty nice gun, though the 45 is likely a bit bigger. I also have held the g21 G4 but am not quite sure if I could comfortably shoot it with both thumbs forward. On a final note, I am not against any other pistols, these are just the two that I have the most experience with and I know they're both pretty popular.
 
personally I dislike the two options you've listed but both for reasons of personal preference. the ergonomics of glock pistols have never agreed with me, however I usually shoot them well when I do use them. on the other hand I love the ergonomics of the M&P but tend not to shoot them well. the reason for this is that M&Ps generally lack a tactile reset point in the trigger where you can feel the trigger reset as you ride the trigger back after firing a shot. as a result I often either have to completely let off the trigger after every shot(also called slapping the trigger) or sometimes try squeezing a non-reset trigger while trying to guess where the reset point was. I love my 1911, however it is not a $600 model and there is a definite difference between it and most models that fall in that range. I would say that if you enjoy your glock, it would be an apples to oranges comparison for many reasons and probably not a difference to your liking.

personally I find myself partial to the springfield XDM line of pistols. my first handgun was a XDM45 and the favorite from my collection is an XDM45 compact. however my advice to you would be if you already own the glock and already like the glock, then why not go with the option that is most like your already established tastes?
 
Ruger has 2 excellent full size 45 pistols, the SR45 and the American 45. These are striker fired.

I have an FNX-45 and its an amazing pistol, and has the highest capacity of any 45, 15+1.
 
RyanCW said:
I would like to know the thoughts of you guys on the g21 gen 4 vs the m&p45. I have shot the m&p9 fs and thought it was a pretty nice gun, though the 45 is likely a bit bigger. I also have held the g21 G4 but am not quite sure if I could comfortably shoot it with both thumbs forward. On a final note, I am not against any other pistols, these are just the two that I have the most experience with and I know they're both pretty popular.
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Welcome aboard!

I've small hands and myself chose the Sig P320 Compact with a small grip module, and I also have an M&P 45 Midsize, which dimensionally is the same as the M&P 9 FS, albeit a slightly larger grip (the normal full-size M&P 45 lower w/the compact model slide and barrel).

The Glock 21 is a good pistol in it's own right, but the grip is simply too bulky for me, even in the current Gen 4 model. As stated before, another one to look at would be the FNX-45 and the various .45's in the XD/XDm family.

Here's a couple of quick shots of my couple I mentioned above next to each other:

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I would highly suggest you look at Dan Wesson 1911's.

A lower cost choice would be an XD45 tactical w/TS. I really like mine! Accurate, reliable, easy to shoot fast, good stock and aftermarket sights. I wonder if a 2011 could really be $1000 better? I doubt it..
 
The OP said his budget was around $600.

I would suggest the Ruger SR1911 which is around that price or a bit more. It has gotten excellent reviews as a fully-functional combat handgun in the Series 70 platform.

The only Stryker based .45 I have experience with is the Ruger SR45 which is a very good gun and outrageously accurate for the price.

No doubt all of the choices in this thread are good ones.

OP, if you want a superb 1911, the Colt XSE is around 1 boat unit ($1,000) and is a terrific 1911.

 
At your price point, before you buy anything, locate and wrap your hands around a Glock 21 Short Frame (Glock 21SF).
 
My first .45 ACP was a Springfield XDS in 45. I would certainly not recommend this as a first for you though. Try maybe a less expensive Remington 1911. Or perhaps a full size CZ in 45. You should easily be able to find one of those in your price point.
 
It's all about fit to your hand. If the grip feels a bit big, it is, and you probably won't shoot it well. The M&P45 probably has one of the nicest/smallest grips buy a crappy trigger. I recommend you get your hands on a Walther PPQ45, all of the reviews and opinions I have read on it are excellent. It has the best striker fired trigger money can buy stock, and the grip ergonomics for most are superior. It has one of the small est grips of any double stack .45 and holds 13+1 rds. Interchangeable backstraps and made in Germany. I have a PPQ40 and love it. Very nice pistol.

The glock has crappy ergonomics and is ugly in my opinion. I had a model 20 (10mm) gen3 that I just could not shoot worth a darn because the grip was just too large for my hands and the gun would torque in my hand upon firing. The FNX has a very large grip as well.

1911s are my favorite especially for .45, but you don't really like them anyways (which is crazy) and I would recommend spending $800-1000 on one anyways
 
I am just younger and don't have the attraction to one that most seem to have from using them in the service, passed down from father, etc.
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You really think the 1911's ongoing popularity is based on nostalgia? There are three times as many companies making them today as were making them twenty years ago because old people need eight or ten each? :)
That said, the 1911 is a relatively expensive gun to make, and $600 is at the very bottom end of the price range, so you might be better off with something like a M&P or XD.
 
I love my 1911's, carry them often. That said, if it all goes to hell and I need a .45 to "go to work" , I'll be reaching for my Gen 4 Glock 21. It sits on my night stand for a reason.

Big question in the Glock vs M&P is if the Glock will fit your hands, its a pretty big grip, though the Gen 4 definitely helps over even the Gen 3 SF, IMO.
 
I had a Sig 220, Glock 21sf and now a 97b.

Frankly I suggest an M&P with the Apex trigger. Kinda wish I had gone that route to begin with.:rolleyes:

I don't recommend the CZ 97b for your situation. Out of the box it needs a ton of work to get it 'up to speed' as it were. I bought mine for $730 and have since done $400 worth of work just to fix a few glitches the platform has.

That PPQ is also reportedly a great gun as-is.
 
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Keep your $600 set aside and spend about $50 a month renting stuff until something speaks to you. Without turning this into a caliber war thread, any striker 45 is unlikely to do "more" than your G19. But it is unlikely to do less either, so there's no reason not to get one if that's what you like.

I'm in a similar place as you owning only revolvers and a single pistol, gen4 G19. I've rented a few others including G21, G30, and XDM mod 2 but none have said "buy me" (G26 is the closest yet).

FWIW, I am somewhat "against" the 1911 platform (FOR ME) but it has nothing to do with age. I just don't want to introduce another manual-of-arms - no external safeties, no cocked-and-locked, etc. for me. Others have no problem mixing and matching, so again, you have to find out what works for you and the only way to do that is by trying some out for real.
 
I really enjoy the Ruger SR1911 but I think if I were to buy another .45 it would be the glock 30. Concealable with 10 rounds. I don't have much use for a full size semi-auto.
 
While the 1911 is the obvious choice, you might fall into the trap of not wanting to put one down once you pick it up. Some owners have even been known to become addicts! ;)
 
I've owned a Sig 220, a Glock 21 and Glock 30SF. Out of the three I only still have the Glock 30SF, which is decent for carry. Though I'd sell any of them way before I'd give up my 1911s. Once you get one, they will become an addiction. For carry I have a Colt Defender and a S&W 1911SC. Plus some Gov't I use for USPSA and IPSC.

To each their own though
 
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