I am a revolver kind of guy, I love the sight & sound of that cylinder “clicking” over when the hammer is pulled back. That will put the fear of GOD of any person looking down the business end of one of these.
If you are carrying a 45, how do you do so with summer or warm weather attire?
For me, the .45 Gov’t is the most conformable to my body as an in-the-pant concealed hideable instrument. Sub-compact 9mm is almost as good, but its lighter weight would make recoil a bit more difficult to manage for double-tap. The bulge of the cylinder on a Colt or S&W revolver is less comfortable as an ITP item, but otherwise acceptable with frangible +P ammo.
Shot placement is so much more important than caliber that it nearly makes the latter irrelevant, especially with modern ammunition. After you've answered the question, "Can I hit with it?" then we can talk about caliber.
I was a .45 guy for decades. As I got older, fatter and became more sensitive to constant skin pressure, I moved to a very small 9mm.
When I moved to the mountains, I started carrying a fanny pack when hiking with a full sized 10mm pistol, I gradually stopped carrying the 9 and just carry the 10 now.
I don’t think the 10 is better than the 45 for 2 legged threats, it’s just easier to carry the 10 all of the time rather than switching weapons based on where I am headed for the day.
I still think 45 is better for self defense over 9mm but the difference is now marginal enough that I didn’t think twice about switching to the 9. Seeing the effect of 10mm on soft targets, I am very happy carrying it all the time now. 180 XTP for winter and town, 220 solids for trails when bears are moving.
XDS in .45 is my EDC.
Love it.
L
The 10mm in original format, a 200 gr bullet at 1200 fps is damn near the .41 Mag in terms of power. It's probably more than is needed for most self-defense scenarios. Great for rural or mountain environments where livestock or predators might be a concern, though.
I believe the .41 Mag was originally adopted mostly by rural law enforcement for the same reason.
I “grew” up with the Barretta M-9 9mm in the Marine Corps and became very very good with it. I don’t own one, I have a Ruger P-94 in 9mm which I am also very good with. This isn’t a debate to me, figure out what caliber you are most comfortable with and become proficient with it. Accuracy is everything no matter the caliber.
Only hits count. A hit with a 22 beats 7 misses with a 45.
If you are accurate with one caliber, carry it.. If that is 45, great!
My daily carry is a .45 Colt XSE Lt Wt Commander. I can’t say enough good about that gun.
I’m a .357 revolver guy (S&W 686). Semi-automatics have too many moving parts and leave their shell casings behind.
45 is ideal for suppressed, if not the 9mm is more powerful and thus can take advantage of expansion more.
Amen.
Springfield XDs 3.3” .45 and Ruger LC9s Pro 9mm. Both with Mitch Rosen OWB leather.
Every day carry requires something comfortable. A flat stack “mouse gun” 380 or some of the newer 9mm are a good choice. A reliable 380 is smaller than a wallet, fits in your front packet without printing, and can held in your hand (hidden in the pocket) before even being deployed. In a full size rig you’d have to pull back your clothing, unsnap the holster, and present it. That takes time and is obvious.
I couldn’t imagine carrying a full size 1911 all day long in the summer.
For home defense you can’t beat a shot gun.
If you ONLY want one gun for everything AND you want .45acp I would go with an XD 45 compact combined with a light laser combo.
I can carry a Glock 30SF (10 round .45) fine in a Vedder IWB holster. Recently I’ve been sporting a S&W Performance Center Shield in 9mm because it is a bit more comfortable for me.
Shoot what you are accurate with—although I’d personally shy away from anything less than a 9mm.
Why do You carry a .45 ?
That don’t make a .46!
Why not just crosshatch the nose of a .38 or 9mm bullet and make it into a dum-dum? Is that illegal?