Need help making a decision

N

north1

New member
Need some input in choice for a semi-auto in .45acp for home defense, in vehicle and hotel room. Have Class A conceal carry but only interested in above situations at this time. Used to ruger redhawk .44 mag and its characteristics and feel .45 acp would be close to this. Had a CZ 75 compact in 9mm and never felt comfortable with its snappiness and ergonomics. Have rather small hands so that is a consideration.

Have narrowed my choices to:

Smith & Wesson M+P 45(with APEX trigger) $650.00

HK 45 $990.00

FNX 45 $750.00

These prices are approximate, might find one or other cheaper somewhere else. So which is a better choice for my application. Thanks in advance for any info.
 
Do you have a preference as to DA/SA or striker-fired? Which one fits your hand best? Have you been able to shoot any of them? If so, what did you think?

I mean, all of us are going to have our favorites, but a bunch of people saying "HK!" and "M&P!" isn't really relevant for your purposes. The only thing that matters is which of these is the best personal fit for you. All of them will work well mechanically. (Though I say that without much personal knowledge of the FN USA guns. I know some models had various issues quite a while back, but I haven't heard any such complaints in some time.)
 
Handled the Smith and HK and couldn't really make a determination. Don't know if I will have the ability to fire any of these weapons as nearest range doesn't rent and don't really know anyone with any of these weapons. Hope to fondle the FNX on Wednesday.

This will be first semi in large frame. Only own a Ruger MKIII .22 and rest of experience is with a CZ 75 compact I didn't like and revolvers. So am somewhat new to this specific application.

How do the stock sights compare between choices? The round count advantage of the FNX really is not important to me. If reliability is roughly the same I may just go with the Smith due to price and upgrade in the future if I see the need.
 
I like the FN and M&P pistols. The M&P's fit my small hand best. I also like the low bore axis on the M&P.
I have a 9mm and 2 .40's. Never shot a .45. Polymer gun in .45? Expect recoil!
 
SauerGrapes " Never shot a .45. Polymer gun in .45? Expect recoil!"

I actually find my Glock 21 has less muzzle flip and less felt recoil than my Sig 220. The frame seems to absorb some of the energy. Lower bore axis and wider grip
May also contribute to how the recoil is perceived.
 
You have small hands... and you want a 45? People with small hands tend to complain more about 45 pistols, as the added size/length of the 45 round adds to the grip size.

You also complained about recoil snappiness of a 9mm. 45 tends to have more recoil, but depending on the platform it can have a slower recoil pulse than 9mm, but that tends to be in heavier handguns.

I know they are not on your list, but...

I find Sig P series pistols to have very smooth recoil in 9mm... If the recoil of a CZ 75 was like hitting a pothole in a sports car, a P series Sig is like hitting one in an old Cadillac.

I'm faster with my CZ, but I can shoot my Sig very well.

I have smaller hands, and find the Sigs very nice, my fiance likes them as well. I find the P226 more comfortable to hold than a P229, as the grip is a little larger in a 229.

We have one of the new P320s as well, its a polymer striker fired design Sig just released. I find it has a little more recoil than my 226, but not much. The grip is a smaller as well. You can get a "small grip" frame for them as well if the standard medium is too big.
 
I have no problems with my ruger redhawk 44 mag. Recoil is straight back and have been told 45 acp is similar. The 9mm was much different in its ergonomics and perhaps I just folded to soon without giving it more of a chance. Was able to qualify for conceal carry with it, just wasn't my cup of tea.
 
Which one feels best in your hand? Which feels,best when you pull the trigger? Those 2 questions give you the answer.
 
If you've got small hands, I definitely would not recommend the FNX-45. I fell in love with the capacity, shot it very well, but it's just way too thick for my hands. There's a reason they were able to cram all those .45 rounds in there.

I've never fired the HK45, but the USP felt fine in my hands.

That said, I have to admit - I'm a bit perplexed how you can be fine with a .44 magnum, but find a 9mm CZ compact to be snappy. I have no idea what you'll think of the .45's.
 
Handgun grip is different for everybody. I have smallish hands and do not like slimmer designs. I will put in a Vote for the FNX -45 acp. I love the way it feels and shoots. The S/A trigger is smooth and light with a very crisp reset. Easy to shoot and very accurate. 15 Rounds of 45 acp, what's not to like? :D
 
It takes a small light 9mm for 9mm to be considered snappy. When you get into your +P 9mm loads, you really start getting into some serious SD protection that can compete with .45 ACP in a smaller gun and cheaper ammo. I have a Kel-Tec PF9, and it kicks like a mule, but I have a Glock 19 and two Glock 17's, and recoil is mild with range ammo, but when you get to the +P ammo, it packs a wallop in comparison to the range ammo but still much milder than the PF9.

It sucks that you can’t try before you buy, but I’ve been there, but have been happy with my choices. I’ve also had the opportunity to try many different guns at a rental place. Found out I hated a gun I really wanted, and it was a 3 ½ hour drive to the nearest place I could rent. Sounds like all you can go by is how it feels in your hands. Some guns feel real good in my hands, and some do not. Any double stack .45 is going to feel thick in your hands. It’s just the nature of the fat .45 ACP round. You might want to limit your search to single stack .45's or 1911's. They make them pretty small, but you still haven’t said whether you want striker fired or DA/SA.
 
Sorry, forgot to add that I would prefer DA + SA. Manual safety wouldn't bother me. Anything that can make a firearm safer is okay in my book as limitations can always be overcome with proper training and muscle memory IMHO. Thanks for all the replies. I will handle the FNX and see how that feels then handle the rest again. Appears from the comments the FNX may be a little fat, but will see for myself.
 
I guess I am weird or not explaining myself well(maybe both). Call it snappy, muzzle flip whatever term I didn't find it uncomfortable just not preferable. Most likely weight of firearm has more to do with it than anything. I mean were talking a revolver with a 7 1/2" barrel and +50 ounces along with different recoil characteristics which I have been firing on and off for over 20 years. Haven't been a big handgun user, but want to become more involved with semi-auto platform due to rising crime in my area(live close to Bakken oilfield in North Dakota). Things have gotten rather crazy here in the last 5 years and not for the better. I live on the edge, so have much more negative than positive effects.
 
You might reconsider a CZ and look at either the SP07 or SP09, they come with three different sized back straps for the grip so can possibly tailor to your hand size. I have the SP09 and like it a lot, recoil/muzzle flip is not bad and the trigger isn't bad, accuracy is good. Even though I have fairly large hands I use the smallest back strap to allow for using a rubber grip sleeve and its a very easy shooter. I would say the only real beef I have is the front sight and I do plan on replacing it with a fiber optic sight.
 
The CZ recoil is different than other pistols I have fired. It feels stiffer to me due to the geometry of it's design. Makes for quick follow up shots, but at the cost of a little snappy feel. If you had the compact I would imagine the effect would be amplified.


In your case, I would give serious consideration to a Sig. Ad I said, they are soft shooting. I would go 9mm for the lower recoil, higher round count, and cheaper ammo cost... But a Sig in 45 would be nice too,I have seen the 227 on sale for $650-700 before.
 
Thank you Marine6680 and others. I will definitely take your recommendations into consideration and give the CZ and Sig a feel. It is hard when you live in the sticks over 50 miles from the nearest range and they don't rent. One thing with firearms though, if things don't work out and you take care of them you seldom lose too much money to move on. Not like buying a vehicle and associated depreciation.
 
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